From: "L-Soft list server at Indiana University (1.8d)" To: "ARTF@MemoryAlpha.nil" File: "LOISCLA-GENERAL-L LOG0007A" ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2000 07:36:06 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Felix E. Sung" Subject: NEW: John and Lois and Clark and Joan (20/?) (John & Lois & Clark & Joan, Part 20) [Metropolis, Daily Planet Building] [Two Hours Later] It was a celebration like most other celebrations in the Daily Planet newsroom. Party decorations everywhere, with staff wearing party hats and drinking and eating to the Planet's good fortune. Once again, they had scooped every major newspaper with their front-page story of the Messenger. "Messenger Sabotaged, Saboteur Dies In Fiery Explosion," the headlines screamed. Copies of today's edition were strewn about everywhere around the newsroom. Televisions were blaring with reports of the sabotage. It would have been a celebration like the others if Lois Lane, one of the people being honored, were feeling happy about the whole thing. But she wasn't. She honestly thought that the article she and Clark had written yesterday was the best she had ever seen. She was confident that story had 'Kerth' written all over it, and assuming she would win this year, she could see herself with her fourth Kerth, and her first joint one with Clark. As much as Lois wouldn't admit it, Perry's idea of her and Clark working together was one of his better ones. So why wasn't Clark here? Perry had told her when she had come in this morning that Clark had called in sick. At first Lois had been suspicious -- Clark had seemed perfectly fine when they had been working together yesterday. But then she had reasoned that it must have been because of the junk food she had seen Saturday morning. 'Ha!' she had thought. 'His eating habits are catching up to him! I'll bet that maybe on the outside he's got a body to die for, but inside he's a complete mess! Maybe he's got ailments that even I, a daughter of a medical doctor, can't pronounce, much less recognize.' Lois wanted to look for Jimmy, for she had heard that he was the one Clark had talked to when he'd called in. But right now she was surrounded by a bunch of college interns, all female, all looking at her with such admiration and awe. She tried to be patient as she explained to the young women what she had done to get the story. She ended with a warning about the potential dangers of investigative reporting can be dangerous. Lois viewed herself as a role model for these girls, and after all, she didn't want any of the interns to later get into trouble investigating because they had wanted to be just like Lois Lane. As soon as Lois had excused herself from the group, the subject of discussion among the young ladies abruptly changed the other honoree, who was absent. Lois caught the beginning of the conversation, heard some sighs, and began to get angry. 'Are those words that girls use nowadays to describe guys? How dare they!' Lois was tempted to march back to the group and tell them, "Back off, he's mine!" 'Did I just think that?' Lois asked herself and sighed deeply. Clark *wasn't* hers, and he would never be. The sooner she accepted that, the better. Feeling a bit low, she made her way to the table of refreshments when someone carrying a box ran into her. "Whoa!" "Sorry, Lois!" Jimmy threw back. He was about to go his merrily way when Lois grabbed the box, and, dragging Jimmy with it, led him to her desk. She turned to face him as he rested the heavy box on her desktop. "I wanted to talk to you, Jimmy. Where's Clark?" "Good Morning to you too, Lois. He called in sick. He didn't sound so good. Said he caught something from his ex-girlfriend, poor guy." "Oh, that's too bad..." Lois started, but then what Jimmy had just said finally reached her brain. Did she hear Jimmy right? "Wait a minute, did you say ex-girlfriend?" "Yeah," Jimmy replied, "Clark was dumped... sounded like it happened recently. I feel for him, though..." Jimmy kept chatting, talking about one of girls he had used to date, but Lois wasn't listening. The word 'ex-girlfriend' was repeating over and over in her head. Lois was concerned for her friend ('My *friend*? Ha!'), knowing full well how upset Clark must be. While it had usually been her who initiated the break-up in her previous relationships, she had been dumped before. She wanted to go straight to Clark's hotel room and... comfort him, just as he had comforted her yesterday. Liar. What she *really* wanted to do march over to Clark and kiss him senseless. She wanted him to know what he was doing to her. The kiss they had shared Thursday night was incredible, and now, Lois was finding herself missing the feeling of Clark's lips on hers, his hands caressing her face, his body held tightly against hers... 'Careful, Lois,' she admonished herself. 'You're at work now.' Lois looked up to see Jimmy looking strangely at her. No, that wasn't true. He was staring at her hand. Her left hand. "Uh, Lois? What happened to the ring?" Jimmy asked. Lois' eyes widened. How did he... Did John tell Jimmy about last night? "What ring?" she said slowly. Jimmy's face turned a little pink. "Well, um, when I was over last night, I thought I saw a ring on your hand. An engagement ring. Did John propose to you?" Lois became exasperated. Yet another mess to straighten out. Jimmy really had no clue. "No... I mean yes! He did propose! But then John was paged and he had an emergency with one of his clients. So before John left, he put the ring on my *right* hand, saying if I decide to accept he'll move it to my *left* hand. Don't you know you're supposed to wear the rings on your left hand when you're engaged or married?" At Jimmy's blank look Lois shook her head. Men! She looked at him pointedly. "When John came back I gave the ring back to him. Not only am I *not* engaged, but I'm also single again." Lois frowned. She wasn't about to mention about how she had finally told John about Clark's kiss after she had given the ring back. A few tearful moments later, John had walked out of her apartment door and out of her life. She hoped that John would one day forgive her... "You didn't tell anyone that I was engaged, did you?" Lois asked. Seeing Jimmy now sporting a guilty look, she let out a loud sigh. "What a mess! Once Cat gets a wind of this, I'll never live it down!" Jimmy vehemently shook his head. "No, no, Lois, I only told Clark. Since he's been working with you I thought he knew about it." Lois was floored; this was unexpected. "Clark?" she repeated. "Yeah, sorry. I didn't tell anyone else, though." Seeing Lois a little shell-shocked, Jimmy took his cue to grab his box and flee, in order to avoid the wrath of 'Mad Dog Lane.' A wrath wasn't coming anyway. In a daze, she sat at her desk with an unceremonious thump, her anger at Jimmy forgotten, the celebration forgotten. 'Clark and Joan broke up, and he thinks I'm engaged. Oh God.' A feeling of dread and worry passed through her. For some reason, Lois felt that she had to find Clark and see him right away. 'What must my poor Clark be thinking?' She smiled at the thought. 'My poor Clark...' It now felt good thinking of Clark as hers. Of course, assuming Clark will let her. She bolted from her chair, ready to leave the newsroom. She had a bad feeling that if she didn't see Clark now, she would be too late. The last thing she wanted was for this story to end like her romance novel, where the heroine had lost her one chance of true love. God, she sounded like a sap. She had to leave. Now. The booming voice of her Editor-in-Chief stopped her in her tracks. "I just spoke to ground control over at EPRAD," Perry White announced to everyone in the newsroom. "They went back over the colonists' launch vehicle with a fine-toothed comb, found the same coolant problem in the protective bands, and fixed it. Launch is set for tomorrow morning!" Lois bit back a moan as all of the staff applauded around her. There was no way for her to leave now! Not when the party was still going on! Not when she was the honoree and the other honoree was absent. There had to be a way to slip out of the newsroom. All hopes were dashed, however, when she saw Perry motioning to her. What the heck did Perry want now? Perry spoke in sotto voce to his top reporter. "It's a 'no go' for you, Lois. No reporters allowed." What? What was he talking about? Immediately she switched to professional mode, and then she understood. Her request to board the colonist transport was denied. Well, that was too bad, but she had a potentially bigger problem on her hands. She needed to leave... Lois paused. She had really wanted to go to Prometheus. She hadn't considered asking Clark to join her because she had felt that the odds were better for one reporter to go than for two. It was a bit selfish, but Lois couldn't help it. And she shouldn't let her personal life interfere, but Lois hadn't been in love before. She sighed. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to arouse suspicion with her editor if she looked indifferent right now, would it? So she replied by doing what Lois Lane would normally do under the circumstances: she argued. "Chief!" she said in her best whining voice that she could muster. "Imagine the Daily Planet getting an exclusive personal account of being on the colonist transport!" "No can do, Lois," Perry shrugged. 'Well,' Lois thought, 'that was out of the way.' Now to feign reluctance... "All right. Another time, maybe." Perry grunted in reply and returned to his office. As soon as the door shut, Lois all but flew up the ramp to the elevators. * * * * * * * * -- Felix E. Sung fsung@justice.loyola.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2000 09:58:57 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: 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 5:05:26 PM Eastern 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 ... >> I have come to the conclusion that the reason authors aren't seeing a lot of feedback on this listserv to stories that they also posted on the mbs is that the same small group of people post to both listserv and mbs. But having already posted to the message boards, they then don't feel compelled to reply here.There may be a lot of different people here than there, but methinks that they are primarily lurkers. I know I tend to reply in the forum where I first see the stiory, but not in both. Have a lovely vacation, and please keep working on that sequel. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2000 10:09:00 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Melisma Subject: OT: Oh Canada! In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I'd like to wish my fellow Canucks a very Happy Canada Day, from under the ole rock. Play safe with the fireworks, gang, and if you have a long weekend (as I do ::gloats::), have a blast! Um, you Americans have a happy Fourth too, in a couple-a days :) Melisma (watching HOL right now on stupid channel 12, here under her rock) Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2000 16:28:29 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Joy Sowell Subject: Re: OT: Oh Canada! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thanks. Too bad I only get one day off though. JOY :) ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2000 16:36:55 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Alexis W." Subject: Re: OT: Oh Canada! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit You're in good company! I just started my first job and i found out that I have to work on July 3rd and obviously have the 4th off. A lot of people I know have the day off from work on the 3rd and the 4th so they get a 3 day weekend. My teacher is giving us the 3rd off just for the heck of it, so I have no summer school but I do have work. I just think of it this way...going to work gives me money and I really need the money so working on that day does have its advantages. Alexis ;-.) "I've made a couple of follow-up calls [to tabloid reporters] to say, Screw you!" -Dean Cain, EW, {February 16,1996} ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2000 14:05:03 -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 4/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Best Laid Plans--Part 4 by Nan Smith "Hi," Lois said to the snack vendor in the lobby of the Daily Planet. "Do you have my order?" "Right here." The man produced a box of Double Fudge Crunch bars from beneath the counter. "Here you go." Lois reached for her wallet. "Am I still getting the bulk discount?" she asked. Clark, beside her, raised his eyebrows. "Sure are." The man took the bills she handed him and gave her the change. "By the way," he added, "I'm with you one hundred percent. Go get 'em." "Uh...sure." Lois glanced uncertainly at Clark, who shrugged infinitesimally. "What do you suppose that was all about?" Clark asked, as they headed toward the elevator. "I have no idea." Lois waved to George, the lobby's security guard, but the man, normally a friendly soul, folded his arms, gave her a hard stare, then focussed his gaze on the wall behind her. "Clark, do I look okay to you?" she asked. Clark glanced at George, then back to her. "Always. Why?" "People are looking at me funny." "Yeah, I noticed. You look fine, though." "Then what's going on?" He shrugged. "Not a clue." When they entered the newsroom a few minutes later, heads turned toward them and frosty stares were directed at her. "What's going on?" Lois asked. "Did I grow a second head or something?" Jimmy passed her, giving her a cold look. "I just wanted you to know, I think what you did took a lot of guts," he said. "Huh?" Perry, looking grim, met them on the way to their desks, Dr. Carlin behind him. "Lois, what in the Sam Hill was that stunt you pulled last night? Our publisher's been all over me like a bad rash." Lois stared blankly at him. "What are you talking about, Chief?" "Your virtuoso performance on the late news. If you have an opinion to express you might consider using the Planet's editorial page." Lois and Clark looked at each other. "I wasn't on the news," Lois said. "You weren't at the anti-Superman rally last night?" Dr. Carlin asked, gently. "No!" "Lois, you come with me, dear," Perry said. He led the way into the conference room and to the VCR. "Then I'd like you to explain this," he said. He punched the "Play" button. The scene was that of a crowd of demonstrating men and women, placards decrying Superman's presence in Metropolis displayed prominently, and in the foreground, her own face looked out at her. ""Lex Luthor may not have been a model citizen," her doppelganger announced, staring earnestly into the camera, "but he did a lot of good for the citizens of Metropolis!" She pushed back a lock of dark hair that had fallen forward across her eyes. "What I want to know is why Superman framed him so unfairly! He was a good man, and now he's being hounded as a wanted fugitive! What kind of person is this alien? What's he got against Lex Luthor?" "Now, I could be wrong," Perry said, "I've only worked with you for about five years, but that sure looks like you." "That's not me!" Lois said. She looked at Clark. "Clark, you know--" "You say that isn't you?" Arianna Carlin said gently. "Lois, take a close look. You have no memory of this?" "Of course that isn't me! I would never-- "Lois, memory lapses can be a sign of overwhelming stress," Dr. Carlin was beginning, when Clark broke in. "Dr. Carlin, let me speak to her for a minute. Come on, Lois." His hand closed tightly on her wrist and, before she could protest, he had dragged her bodily from the room. "Clark!" She yanked her wrist free as the door closed behind them. "You know it can't be me! It's that--" "Sh!" Clark lowered his voice. "Don't you see, Lois, it's a set-up!" "Of course it's--" "Keep your voice down! That 'Lois' is left-handed!" "What?" Clark's voice was barely audible. He couldn't have been heard five feet away. "I knew it couldn't be you, so I watched her. She pushed her hair off her face with her left hand." "Then--" "Look, play along. I've got an idea." She hesitated. "What do you want me to do?" "Don't mention the double. We'll go back in there, and you argue with Dr. Carlin. Insist it's someone else. I'll deal with Perry, but if everyone thinks we don't know anything, whoever set this up will think he's fooled us. Let's see where it goes. Can you do it?" She nodded. "You bet I can!" "Okay. Remember, you're innocent and outraged, and you don't understand how this could be." He glanced quickly around the newsroom. "There could even be someone here who's keeping track of you, now that things suddenly seem to be happening. Call me paranoid, but it would make sense." "Yeah, it would." Lois took a deep breath to quiet the butterflies that seemed to have taken up residence in her stomach. "Okay, let's do it." Clark opened the door to the conference room. Perry and Dr. Carlin, in deep conversation, looked around at their entrance. "Clark!" Lois said, furiously, "I'm telling you that isn't me!" "Then, who else could it be?" "I don't know! Maybe it's some kind of sick joke!" "It's no joke, Lois," Arianna said, gently. "It's a cry for help." "It's nothing of the kind! I never left my apartment last night!" "Lois," Perry began. "Chief," Clark said, "maybe we should leave them alone." Perry hesitated, then nodded and followed Clark out. ********************* Clark led the way from the conference room. A glance over his shoulder assured him that Lois was in full rant mode, hands waving, eyes flashing. As the door closed behind them, he turned to his editor. "Perry, I need to talk to you--in private." "I was going to suggest the same thing," Perry said. He, too, glanced back. "She's good," he said. Clark gave him a quick look. Maybe Perry hadn't been as deceived as he thought. He opened the door to his boss's office and let the editor precede him. As soon as the door was closed, Perry said, "I know you said there was a look-alike, Clark, but I had no idea it was that close. If I hadn't known Lois was with you last night, I might have been fooled." He moved around and dropped into his desk chair. "I knew she couldn't have gone any place without you tagging along--and then I noticed her push her hair back left-handed. Lois always uses her right." Clark exhaled softly. "It's a set-up, Chief." "I could see that, and I'd sure like to know what's going on. The only thing I could think of was to pretend I was fooled and leave the rest to you two." "Thanks." "Well, with that tail, yesterday, and now this..." Perry scowled. "Whatever these people are up to, it's pretty serious. If I was the guy who's behind it--especially if it's Luthor--I'd plant a spy in the office to keep an eye on things, wouldn't you?" Clark nodded. "Dr. Carlin's new." "She's a reputable psychiatrist. I had Jimmy run a check on her background, just to be sure, but it could be any one of a number of other people--messengers, secretaries...anybody. I'd hate to think one of the regular staff could be a spy, but you never know. Anyway, I'm going to assume there is one until I know better." "Yeah." Clark glanced at Lois again. Dr. Carlin was gazing at her sympathetically, and from his partner's heart rate, he could tell she was genuinely angry. "Chief, I have an idea." "Let's hear it. Clark spoke quickly, outlining what he had in mind. Perry listened, frowning, then nodded. "Not bad." He glanced at the window to the conference room. "I think I better bail Lois out before she murders Arianna." He rose to his feet. "You get Jimmy and Jack and fill them in. I can handle this." ***************** Lois resisted the urge to throttle the psychiatrist. The doctor's gentle refusal to accept her denial, and the sweet and compassionate smile on her face were particularly maddening, even though Lois was playing a part. "Lois," Arianna Carlin said, gently, "you have to accept that you've been under tremendous stress lately. No one is made of steel, not even Superman. I can help you. Why not let me schedule a little time for us just to talk? I promise we won't even make it official if you don't wish it. We'll just talk." "How many times do I have to tell you I don't *want* to--" Lois broke off as the door opened. Perry entered. "Excuse me," he said, gruffly. "I can see there's some disagreement here." "Perry, I don't *need* to see a psychiatrist! That woman on the television *wasn't* me!" "Okay." Perry looked at her sternly. "We'll table it for now. I want you and Clark to continue that investigation you started yesterday. Clark tells me there's been a new development. But if *anything* else happens, you're going to schedule an appointment with Dr. Carlin. Is that clear?" "But--" "Is that clear, Lois?" Her shoulders slumped. "It's clear." "Good, now go on. And try to relax." Lois went past him out of the newsroom, resisting the urge to slam the door. Clark was speaking to Jack and Jimmy by the darkroom, and he looked up as he heard her come out. He beckoned. Lois stormed over to him. "The nerve of that woman!" Clark grinned. "You did a good job. Even Perry thought so." "You mean--" "He caught on before we even got here." "What? Why that old...I never would have guessed!" "Sh!" He grinned. "Keep your voice down!" Jimmy looked contrite. "I'm sorry, Lois--I should have known you'd never have attacked Superman that way...but I didn't know about the double." "Well," Clark said, "we'd only heard a little. We didn't realize she was so..." He hesitated. "...So exact. I might have been fooled too, if I hadn't known where Lois was last night--except, of course, for the most important thing: that she'd have never done that in the first place." "It did seem kind of strange," Jimmy said. "I'm really sorry, Lois." "It's okay, Jimmy, really." Lois looked at her partner. "You said you had an idea?" "Yeah, I do. As you pointed out yesterday, Dr. Heller was a plastic surgeon who worked for LexLabs, and he's dead--and his body was apparently dumped by two women, one of whom was probably that woman we saw on television, who's nearly an exact double of you. Lex Luthor is on the loose, and now there's all this public sympathy for him and all the Superman bashing going on. These things may be connected." "Right. I think we need to find out more about Dr. Heller." "My thought, exactly." "So, we need to go over to Dr. Heller's office before all his records get moved to storage, or sent to other doctors." "Great minds think alike," Clark said. "I told you, guys. She's brilliant." "And," Lois said, "we need to do it before this double does something else to set me up." "There's one last thing," Clark said. "Until we *do* solve this, we need to be sure you have an alibi every minute of the day. If this woman kills somebody else, we don't want you arrested for it." All four of them were silent following that. Finally, Lois nodded. "You're right," she said, quietly. "I hadn't thought about it that way before, but one man is already dead. That means they're willing to kill." "I'm inclined to think," Clark said, "that the killing was meant simply to cover the creation of the double. If Luthor's behind this, it wouldn't surprise me a bit. He's awfully good at covering his tracks, and a little thing like murder has never stopped him before." He looked seriously at Jimmy and Jack. "You two keep that in mind--got it?" Jack nodded without his usual cockiness. "We will, CK," Jimmy assured him. He turned as the phone on his desk shrilled. "Be right back." "So you're going over to this doctor's," Jack said. "How are you gonna dodge your admirer out there? If there's somebody in the office keeping an eye on you, won't whoever it is alert the tail?" "Probably," Clark said. "But she won't be following us if she's following you." Lois looked at him. "You don't mean that, do you?" Clark didn't answer. "You do," she said in resignation. "Well," Clark said, "if she's following your Jeep she won't be after us. Jimmy's a good driver." Lois sighed. "Fine, but if anything happens to it, *you* get to pay for the repairs." "Cheap at the price," Clark said. He looked past her, and she turned her head to see Jimmy approaching. "That was my contact at the DMV," Jimmy said. "He got me the info on your tail's license number. The car's registered to a Gretchen W. Kelly, address of record: Metropolis. I'm running her name through the Planet's identification programs now." "How about the car the old guy was driving?" Jack asked. "They're still working on that one," Jimmy said. "I'll let you know as soon as I find out." "Okay," Clark said. "This is what I had in mind. Lois, have you got your keys?" "I'll get 'em," Lois said. "Just remember, Jimmy, I just got it back this morning." ******************* (to be continued) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2000 19:04:41 -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: Re: OT: Oh Canada! On Sat, 1 Jul 2000 16:36:55 EDT, Alexis W. wrote: >"I've made a couple of follow-up calls [to tabloid reporters] to say, Scr*w >you!" >-Dean Cain, EW, {February 16,1996} Ah yes, the infamous EW interview in which Dean showed himself to be such a mature, responsible adult. At least you didn't quote the part where he talks about Clark's sexual history, Alexis... after all, this is a PG list. :) Wendy ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2000 23:17:05 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Alexis W." Subject: Re: OT: Oh Canada! Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated Sat, 1 Jul 2000 8:04:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Wendy Richards writes: << On Sat, 1 Jul 2000 16:36:55 EDT, Alexis W. wrote: >"I've made a couple of follow-up calls [to tabloid reporters] to say, Scr*w >you!" >-Dean Cain, EW, {February 16,1996} Ah yes, the infamous EW interview in which Dean showed himself to be such a mature, responsible adult. At least you didn't quote the part where he talks about Clark's sexual history, Alexis... after all, this is a PG list. :) Wendy >> Well I'm not that stupid as you might think I am! I know swearing is not allowed on this list so you don't have to worry about any of those quotes showing up. Personally I don't like the quote from him about Sman's personal history...it ruins the image of what Superman stands for. I think Dean was joking but then again who knows...it's a free country to he can say what he wants. I just like this quote because well I think tabloid reporters should have that said to them from time to time. Alexis ;-.) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2000 21:35:24 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Melisma Subject: Amazed and inspired (as usual :) In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Wendy, dear, I just re-read your 'The Penfriend' today. It is still as terrific, thought-provoking, funny, waffy, as I remember it to be when you posted it on Zoom's boards however long ago. People, get on over to the archive and pull it up, again if you already have read it. You'll be reminded of why it was nominated (forgive me, I forget, did it win?) for a Kerth this year, and why Wendy swept so many of the categories. There is a good reason why I am a Wendy Richards' Number One Fan - she's *good* :) Melisma (watching Wendy blush from under her rock, but unable to stop herself!) Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 08:20:20 -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: OT: Oh Canada! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Well I'm not that stupid as you might think I am! I know swearing is not allowed on this list so > you don't have to worry about any of those quotes showing up. Personally I don't like the quote > from him about Sman's personal history...it ruins the image of what Superman stands for. I think > Dean was joking but then again who knows...it's a free country to he can say what he wants. I didn't like it either, but I can dismiss it because, after all, Dean's only the actor -- what does he know? :D Hope you Canucks had a Happy Canada Day yesterday, and that you Yanks have a good fourth on Tuesday (I imagine the Brits celebrate the 4th, too ;) -- 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: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 08:30:25 -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: NEW: Tryst (1/?) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This is an elseworlds story. Lois, Clark & Perry are all fairly recognizable; some of the supporting characters have undergone some alterations and I've added a few new faces. The basic premise came from the book _Tryst_, by Elswyth Thane (a great book), with the ending adapted from _Possessing Elissa_, by Donna Sterling. The A-plot, such as it is, is mine. If the death of a character will stress you out, don't read this in installments :) I promise a happy ending, but my happy endings aren't always in the conventional mode. This story is going to be long (well, long for me, anyway -- 76k so far, and I'm not even half finished with it) and will take a while for me to write, so don't expect daily installments. However, for those brave souls who remain ... All feedback welcomed: public or private, gushing or critiquing. This is still in progress, FOLCs; feel free to help me improve it :) _________________ TRYST by Pam Jernigan Rated: PG-13 _________________ "It wasn't my fault the crate dropped," Harry assured Mike. "I chained it up right and the crane guy knew his job. But those idiots on first shift never did pay any attention to maintenance ... anyway, the crane seized up, and then the pin broke -- without any resistance, the chain ran right out and that crate dropped faster than you could say holy sh--" "Yeah, I get the idea," Mike interrupted, looking around his diner. "But I try to run a family place here, okay?" "Sorry, Mike." Harry shrugged. Privately, he thought his buddy was overdoing it, since the place was practically deserted this late at night, but he didn't care enough to argue. "Anyway, so this crate drops right on the deck of the ship, and it splits open at the one corner. I got right up there to see if I could fix it. I mean, the ship's supposed to leave by dawn, this was the last of the cargo we were loading." "You're lucky the chain didn't give out while your crate was over the water," Mike observed, with a glint of humor. "I'm not so sure." Harry hunched down in his seat. "See, when I got up there, I could see what was inside. Normally, I couldn't give a rat's -- well, normally I wouldn't care, but that crate was carrying guns, Mike. Lots and lots of machine guns; M-16s by the look of 'em." Mike sat back, chewing his lip thoughtfully. "Guns aren't illegal." "Some of 'em are," Harry retorted. "And the rest are restricted. You have to jump through about 15 different hoops to even get a handgun in this town, and God forbid you mess up even one tiny little step, or it's back to square one ... never mind, that's not the point. Point is, the manifest listed this crate as holding 'agricultural implements'. I don't care what you think about guns, they ain't useful in agriculture." Mike couldn't restrain a grin. "I can't argue with you on that one. Sounds like there might be some smuggling going on. Did you talk to the cops?" Harry stared at the tabletop. "Nah. I'm not sure they'd even care, y'know? The guns were going *out* not in -- the ship's bound for Africa. Besides, anybody who can pull this off has got to have some local muscle." He looked up. "I ain't worried about me, but I got kids. I'm not risking them." "I see your point. So then why are you telling me?" "The ship left a week ago ... but I can't get it off my mind. There's something screwy going on there, and I was wishing someone could look into it ... and then I remembered your niece." Mike Lane's eyebrows rose approvingly. "Now there's a thought. Yep, I bet Lois would be interested to hear about this." "Just don't tell her my name, okay? I don't want anyone to know she got this from me." "It's a deal." Mike leaned forwards, planting his arms on the table. "Now tell me everything you know about the ship, the cargo, where it's going, and who sent it..." **** "Lois Lane, Daily Planet," she answered the phone crisply. Her professional, alert posture slumped a little as she recognized her caller's voice. "Oh, hi Alan. How are you? ... I'm sorry, I just can't ... no, Alan, I'm not mad at you. Listen, if I were mad at you, you'd know it, okay?" She rolled her eyes as he tried to up the guilt factor. "I'm sorry your mother was disappointed, but I had to work. I have to do that a lot, actually, so maybe you'd be better off with --" She broke off at his protest, and sighed silently as he reiterated his complete and unwavering devotion. "I'll have to see how my schedule works out, okay? And I really can't talk too much here, so I'd better go ... yes, okay, I'll talk to you later. I promise. Okay, goodbye, Alan." Ignoring his fond farewell, she hung up the phone, wondering yet again how she'd ever hooked up with this sap, and if there was any possible way to get rid of him. It was just her luck. Most men were intimidated by the end of their first date with her. Alan, on the other hand, she couldn't beat off with a stick. It was a little puzzling, actually, but he just couldn't seem to get it through his head that she didn't want to go out with him. The trouble was, he was basically a decent guy, so she hesitated to be too brutal. Though she was beginning to suspect that he still wouldn't get it if she aimed a gun at his head. That mental image entertained her for another full minute before the phone rang again. "Listen, Alan, I'm telling you --" She recognized the voice on the other end of the line and laughed. "Oh, you're not Alan are you? Sorry..." As she listened, her face grew serious, she hunched forward over her desk, and began making feverish notes. "Thanks, Uncle Mike!" Lois hung up the phone, buzzing with excitement. Her instincts were tingling like mad, and they'd never let her down before. She took a deep breath and tried to organize her thoughts; if Perry thought she was rushing off half-cocked he'd never let her go. An hour later, she had her background information in place, and presented the idea to Perry. "See, someone's smuggling these guns; they are *not* on the manifest of the Congo Queen." Perry leaned back in his chair, considering this. "Who's shipping them?" "A little import-export business called Rarer There. It's unclear who owns it, but all the signs point toward it being a holding company. Research is looking into it." Lois dismissed this as relatively unimportant, leaning forward to emphasize her next words. "But the really interesting question is, *why* are they shipping them? The manifest says they're going to a port in Qtun, which is one of the few really peaceful states in Africa -- it's a democracy, and they're moderately prosperous. I mean, I can understand shipping guns to Rhodesia or South Africa, but Qtun? It's like sending machine guns to ... to Green Hills!" Perry grinned at her mention of the city's most ritzy suburb. "They might ship them inland from there." "Yeah, maybe -- but there are other ports that have better overland transportation. But that's got to be the key to it, Perry. If we can figure out where the guns are going, we'll figure out why. And that'll lead us back to who." "So what are you suggesting, Lois?" Lois paused, choosing her words carefully. "Well, you see, I checked the schedule for the Congo Queen. It'll reach Qtun City in another week. That just gives me enough time to do a little more digging here, then fly over there--" Perry made a choking noise, but she ignored him. "--and be in place before the ship docks, so I can figure out where the shipment ends up." He merely stared at her for a long moment, and she held her breath. This could be huge, she knew it could, and while she could investigate some of it from here, she just knew she'd be much closer to answers in the Congo. Perry stirred, breaking eye contact with a sigh. "Lois, do you have any idea how much a transatlantic plane ticket costs?" She took a grateful breath; he was going to go for it. "But think of the story, Perry! A local connection to an international scandal. Maybe even a war -- and we could break the story wide open. The best thing is, the bad guys have no idea that anyone's on to them, so they won't be suspecting a thing." Perry rubbed his chin, scowling at her. The story did sound enticing, and if anyone could get it for him, it would be Lois Lane. He suddenly wished that there was someone else on staff who could go with her, to keep her from behaving too rashly ... but he had yet to meet the man or woman who could keep up with Lois. And besides, the thought of paying for *two* transatlantic tickets made him wince. "Alright," he growled, "Get Ginny to arrange your travel, and get as much done as you can before you leave -- I want a copy of all your notes before you go." Lois's smile lit up her face. "Thanks, Chief!" She'd have to scramble to get ready. She shouldn't be gone more than a week, so really all she'd need would be to pack, get any needed immunizations from her doctor, and let her friends know she'd be out of town. "Don't thank me, just get me the story." "I always get the story," she assured him, still mentally planning her trip. "And be careful," Perry added dourly. Lois interrupted her exit to turn back towards him, a cheeky grin on her face. "I'm always careful." Before he could argue, she slipped out the door. "Uh-huh," he muttered to empty air. "I have a bad feeling about this." **** "There's a possibility of a leak," the Qtun City port master told his trusted aide. "We're to be on high alert for this shipment." Mboto nodded. Qtun City was a small town; if anything unusual happened he would know about it. "Not to worry," he briefly showed his teeth in a savage smile. "We can handle anything." **** ...a week later... **** Lois decided there was something deeply ironic about finding the truth, and dying before you could tell anyone. She had found out where the guns were going, and why ... but the knowledge would do her no good. She had to face facts -- she was going to die. She had faced death many times before, but always she had managed, by one means or another, to escape. This time she didn't think she would be so lucky. A shrill voice in a distant corner of her brain was demanding some action, that she do *something*, *anything* to save herself, but she was strangely apathetic. Very likely the effect of a concussion, she realized, but that knowledge did nothing to shake her lassitude. One moment, she'd been driving on this barely-passable track, then she'd heard a boom and felt the world spin. The next thing she'd known, she was lying face down, coarse grass and thistles prickling her face and arms. The rented Jeep had been a wreck, lying some twenty feet away, still on fire -- she couldn't tell how long she'd been unconscious, but the flames had died down, suggesting that it had been some time. With tremendous effort, she'd managed to crawl to a less-uncomfortable stretch of dirt, and prop herself partway against a tree. It had been agony to use her right arm -- something was very wrong in either her collarbone or her shoulder. And there was a fair amount of blood coming from somewhere. She tipped her head back as gently as she could, wincing at the slight thud when it landed against the tree. She took stock ... useless arm, no strength to move, bleeding from a few places. Rescue was possible, she supposed ... but if no one had seen the smoke from this fire by now, there was no reason to assume they were going to. 'Award-Winning Journalist Dies in Jungle,' she mentally composed the headline; approaching it as just another news story. Have to write it myself, she thought wryly; no one else would get the details right. Too bad she wouldn't be able to file it, but the laptop had landed a few feet away. Even if it still worked, she doubted she could move that far. The pain was bearable, but only as long as she didn't move. Enough of this, Lane, she ordered herself. Write the damn story. The familiar discipline calmed her. "Byline, Lois Lane ... somewhere in the Congo. While following an illicit shipment of guns, Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane" -- no, make that "intrepid reporter," she mentally edited -- "Lois Lane travelled to a village north of Qtun City. Taking all due precautions, Ms. Lane discovered and explored a weapons cache concealed near the village; discovering evidence of a conspiracy against the country's duly elected government. On the way back to the port town, however, the jeep suffered an accidental explosion, critically injuring the reporter. Ms. Lane suspects sabotage, but unfortunately has not been able to confirm this." Lois glared at the remains of her vehicle. She was almost certain that someone had planted an explosive in the back of the jeep, with her duffel bag. He'd probably meant for it to ignite the fuel tank, and kill her instantly. She looked down at her blood-soaked shirt and grimaced. Perhaps it was a shame that he was so incompetent. "This reporter suspects that her guide, Mohamed Mboto, was responsible, due to his suspicious absense from this trip. It seems quite possible that he is in fact working for the gun-runners." Lois stopped, panting slightly in the heat. She shook her head, very slightly, smiling faintly as she envisioned Perry's reaction if she ever tried to turn in such an unsubstantiated invitation to a libel suit. "Hard facts!" the editor would growl, and then he'd send her back out to find them, to prove herself ... except it didn't matter. She wasn't even able to move, let alone file a story, and very soon she would die here, in the middle of the jungle. She wasn't even sure her body would ever be found. She might simply disappear, almost as if she'd never existed to begin with. That thought broke through her emotional walls, and she felt a tear slowly trickle down her cheek. Her life was *over* and what did she have to show for it? A few headlines, two Kerth Awards ... a few friends. Perry would miss her; Ginny probably would too, but not for long. Her family ... well, Lucy loved her, but she wasn't convinced that her parents would even stop fighting long enough to notice that she was gone. Now that it was too late, she could clearly see what was lacking in her life -- love. She was going to die without ever finding true love, all because she had always been too busy, too wrapped up in her work ... too intense. Not that she'd found a lot of likely candidates, but honestly, even if the perfect man had walked in one day; she probably wouldn't even have said hello, brushing past him on her search for the next big story. She wallowed in melancholy for a few moments, then pulled herself together with a teary sniff. Well, Lois, it wasn't all bad. You got to work at the best paper in the world, and you got to live and work in the best city in the world. God, she loved Metropolis. There was always something happening, and Lois Lane had always been there to chronicle it -- to avenge wrongdoing, and celebrate the good -- what there was of it, anyway. At least she had been there, she told herself, feeling a glow of accomplishment. She smiled, feeling giddy and lightheaded. She had fought for truth, she told herself grandly, and justice, and she had made the world -- or at least Metropolis -- a better place. The heck with the world, anyway, she decided. She only cared about Metropolis. It was a beautiful, wonderful city, and she knew it backwards and forwards. Lois glared at the hated jungle around her, noting distantly that her vision was going. So what? There wasn't anything here she wanted to see, anyway. She closed her eyes, seized by an intense wave of homesickness, overwhelmed by the longing to return home. She wouldn't mind dying, if only she could see Metropolis one more time... The jungle noises were fading in and out, but she ignored them, concentrating on envisioning her city. If she could just remember everything, perfectly -- the sights, the sounds, the smells -- then it would be like going home. If only for a little while. She felt herself slip into oblivion. **** -- 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: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 08:47:05 -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: NEW: Tryst (2/?) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Tryst part 2 by Pam Jernigan __________________ Clark Kent stepped off the city bus, looked up at the Daily Planet building, and took a deep breath. This was it, the job he really wanted, the goal he'd been working towards for the past few years. He hadn't stinted any of his former employers, in his travels around the world, but all the time, a small part of his brain had been noting which stories might impress the editor at the Planet, which experiences might help him get his foot in the door. He'd studied the paper, until he felt he had a good idea of what standards Perry White demanded of his reporters. And while Clark knew he wasn't in the same league with the paper's superstar, Lois Lane, he did finally feel that he had something of value to offer. So he'd packed his bags, yet again, and set out for Metropolis. His Aunt Opal had been delighted to put him up, and now he was here, resume, references, and portfolio in hand. And he was stalling. He looked around once more, enjoying the hustle-bustle of the street, before plunging into the Planet building. He politely introduced himself and explained that he had an appointment to speak to the Chief Editor. The security guard gave him instructions on how to get to Mr. White's office. The newsroom seemed even more chaotic than the street outside, but there was a hum of enthusiasm and purpose that told him these people were working hard, and working well. Yes, this was where he wanted to be. He crossed the floor and knocked on Mr. White's open door. "What is it?" The editor didn't look up from the copy he was marking, using his blue pencil with abandon and a savage expression that made Clark wince. "Sir, my name is Clark Kent, and I'm here to apply for a job?" "Come on in, then," Mr. White growled, briefly raising his eyes to greet him before returning his gaze to the papers in his hand. "If you can write better than Ralph, here, you're hired." Clark hesitated a moment, but then settled himself into one of the chairs facing the desk. He pulled out his portfolio, making sure the letter of reference was on top. "I won't make any claims, sir, but I have brought some of my work." The editor laid down the much-marked sheets and began to flip through Clark's samples. "Ah, Professor Carlton called about you, I remember. I hadn't talked to him in ... " his voice trailed off as his attention was caught by the next sheet. "Mating Rituals of the Knob-Tailed Gecko?" he asked in some disbelief. "It was for a technical journal," Clark hastened to explain. "I included it to show you my range, but look at the next one..." "'Drug Ring Broken; Kingpin Arrested', in the Jamaica News ... and picked up by a few American papers, I see." Mr. White nodded approvingly. "That's more like it." He scanned the first few paragraphs, and nodded again. "Good summary, good grammar -- you wouldn't believe how many college graduates apply here, not even knowing how to *spell* -- of course, maybe you just had a good editor..." He picked up Ralph's printout again, and tossed the last page across the desk, shoving the pencil over as an afterthought. "Look that over. Mark up anything you see." Clark grabbed the paper on reflex. "But, sir, I don't have any idea what the story's about!" "Ha! Neither does Ralph, from what I can tell. Don't worry about the facts, just look at the writing. The boy has good instincts and sources, but he can't write a coherent sentence to save his life." Clark shrugged, and picked up the pencil, determined to take his time and do his best. **** Lois stirred, aware of a blessed absence of pain. How wonderful. The relief, however, was quickly supplanted by questions. What had happened? Was she healed? How? She opened her eyes. Instead of the half-expected hospital room, she saw shelves filled with office supplies, against a drab dark wall. As she turned, frowning, she realized that she had been slumped in a chair, leaning against the wall, as if dumped there while unconscious. She shook her head to clear it and straightened, returning to her survey of the room. It was clearly a supply room. How odd. Even stranger was the nagging sense of recognition. She moved closer to the nearest shelf, inspecting the contents. She'd been right. Improbable as it seemed, she was in the secondary supply room of the Daily Planet. It was wonderful to be back, and yet, and yet. . .how had she gotten there? She couldn't remember. Well, she was an investigative reporter, she could handle this puzzle. The first step was to marshal the facts that she had. This supply room had always been a good quiet place to think when she needed it, so she sank back into the room's only chair to take stock of her situation. Physically, she seemed healthy. A little weak, perhaps, but that didn't seem surprising after the ordeal she'd gone through. She frowned again, remembering the extent of her injuries. Obviously someone had found her, and saved her life, but why couldn't she remember any of the recovery? And how had she ended up in this supply room, of all places? Perhaps this was some form of amnesia. That might explain it. Maybe she'd recovered, and seemed okay, and gone back to work, but then suffered another trauma that wiped her memory of the intervening weeks? She thought she'd heard of that happening to people. Yeah, she'd probably get out there and talk to Perry, and he'd tell her that she'd been back at work for a while, and that the jungle experience had been quite a while ago. She hoped, vaguely, that she hadn't missed too many stories while in the hospital; she'd wanted to hurry back in order not to miss the launch of the Messenger, for one. Well, the thing to do was to seek out Perry. He'd be able to help her. Armed with a purpose, she stood, and made her way out into the hallway. This supply room was a fair distance away from the newsroom, in a maze of back corridors. Lois smiled as she passed the classified department's crowded offices. She knew people who thought an office held much greater status than a desk in a large open room, such as hers. But at the Planet, that status ladder was reversed; the stars of the paper weren't crammed in these back rooms. She recognized Carl coming down the hall, intent on studying a fistful of papers. Right, the Travel department was around here somewhere, too. The sight of him convinced her that this couldn't be a dream. If she were dreaming, she smiled to herself, she would *not* dream about Carl. She upgraded her smile from private to friendly as she passed him, and murmured hello. He was too wrapped up in his papers to notice. At the end of the next corridor, finally, was the newsroom. She had to pause a moment, blinking, to adjust to the riot of colors and motion in the bustling heart of the paper. She surveyed the large open room, feeling absurdly happy to be there. It was like coming home. **** Clark handed the marked-up copy back to the chief editor. It had been difficult to concentrate on the words, knowing that his future was probably riding on his proofreading skills, but Clark had used his special abilities to lower his heart rate and calm himself. The story had seemed to be about a scandal involving a school board member, but the writing had been as sloppy as he'd been warned. The first time through, he'd tried just to get the gist of the piece, fixing a few obvious spelling errors along the way. On his second pass, he'd paid attention to sentence structure, finding ways to rephrase and reorganize so that the sentences made sense. Luckily, the printout had a broad right-hand margin and was double-spaced, so there was room to make some major changes. The chief editor read the page over, absorbing the suggested changes, grunting softly to himself at a few points. Clark felt his blood pressure begin to rise again, from the tension. "Are you sure you want to be a reporter and not an editor?" The question startled Clark. "Sir? Ah, yes, I want to be -- I *am* a reporter." "Well, now you're a reporter for the Daily Planet." The older man broke into a wide smile, and extended his hand. "Congratulations, son." Clark smiled broadly and shook hands, careful not to exert too much pressure. "Thank you, sir! You don't know what this means to me; I've wanted to work here for years." "Well, that just shows how smart you are. And drop the "sir", it makes me feel old. Call me Chief. I'll get someone to show you around and take you down to Personnel to fill out forms." He stood, moved the door, and bellowed, "Olsen, get in here!" Turning back to Clark, he asked, "You have a local address yet?" "No, sir, not a permanent one; I'm staying with relatives." "Give them that address for now, then, and change it when you get your own place. You can start tomorrow; I'll partner you with Ralph until you get familiar with the city." "Oh, not Ralph, Chief -- you'll scare him off!" A young woman stood in the doorway, smiling cheerfully. She had reddish-brown curly hair, with light blue eyes. "Don't give me any of your sass, Ginny," the chief replied grumpily. "Besides, Lois is out of town." Clark's eyebrows shot up at the mention of that name, but he paid attention as the editor introduced him with a wave of his hand. "Clark Kent, meet Ginny Olsen, my secretary." "I'm his *assistant*," she corrected, smiling and shaking his hand. "I run errands, find things he's lost, and try to keep him from murdering the poor writers." She turned back to Perry. "So he's a new hire?" "Yes, a reporter, and he might even be able to write properly. Take him to personnel, then show him around and set him up with Ralph. For now." He pointed a finger at his assistant, daring her to object. Ginny shrugged. "You're the chief, Chief. C'mon, rookie, I'll get you settled in." **** Lois stood at the entrance to the newsroom. Well, it looked like a normal day, she thought with a contented smile. Reporters typing, calling sources, heading out to get the news and back in to write it up. No one even noticed her standing at the edge of the room, which reinforced her guess of amnesia. If this were her first day back, she'd have been noticed by now. Time to tell Perry what had happened, then. She carefully made her way across the newsroom floor. Intent on her goal, she barely acknowledged her co-workers along the way, but they were apparently used to such behavior and ignored her in turn. Remembering the wave of intense loneliness she'd experienced back in the jungle, she slowed. She really ought to make more of an effort to make friends. But not right now. She approached Perry's door, and saw that Perry and Ginny were talking to someone she didn't recognize. She leaned against the open doorframe and listened shamelessly to the end of the conversation. A new hire, huh? And Perry always claimed he couldn't afford to give *her* a raise. Then the stranger half-turned, and all thought fled as she caught sight of his face for the first time. Lord Almighty, how did any one man get to look that good? He even made glasses look sexy, but he was intent on talking to Ginny, and they were both out of the office before she could pull herself together enough to say hello. She shrugged. Back to business. Perry was sitting down again, ostensibly looking at the departmental budgets. She smiled brightly and plunged into speech. "Hi, Perry. You're not going to believe what happened to me. I think I must have bumped my head, because I can't remember anything about the past few weeks. Weird, huh? I know amnesia is such a soap opera kind of thing, but I guess it really does happen...." Her voice trailed off as she realized Perry was paying her no attention. "Sorry, did I interrupt? What are you working on?" She leaned across the desk to get a better look, but at that moment he sighed and tilted the chair back, staring sadly at the ceiling. Lois frowned. She'd seen him give the cold shoulder treatment to some of the staff, but never to her. "What is it? C'mon, Perry, I can't have annoyed you this badly, and even if I did, it's unfair to snub me when I don't remember why." He shifted restlessly in his chair, then spoke softly, as if to himself. "Ah, Lois, darlin', where are you?" Lois frowned, feeling the first touch of fear. "I'm right here, Perry, can't you see me?" She waved a hand in front of his eyes, then stopped, frozen by his utter lack of reaction. He wasn't that good of an actor. She looked away, and a mock-up front page caught her eye. It was incomplete, with space reserved for an as-yet unwritten top story, but one of the lesser headlines jumped out at her. "Space Station Prometheus Nearly Complete; Messenger Launch Scheduled" Lois didn't follow the space program very closely, but surely enough time had passed ... unwillingly, her gaze tracked upwards to the paper's date, and her breath stopped. She had been in the jungle only yesterday. There had been no time for her to heal, there had hardly been enough time to return to the States in any condition. Recent events impinged on her mind, insisting on alternative explanations. No one had talked to her, acknowledged her in any way. They couldn't see her, she realized. She wasn't really there. **** Clark followed Ginny across the newsroom. "Is he always like that?" She laughed. "Like what? Brilliant, or grumpy?" He grinned. "Both, I guess." "Then the answer is yes. He's not always quite that grumpy, though. When he's pleased with someone he can be almost good-natured." "Well, I wouldn't want to be Ralph right now." She smiled, half-shrugging. "Ralph's not that bad, and Perry's not that upset with him. Ralph is, well, he's kind of a jerk, but he does have good instincts. Once Perry gets through with him, he'll be fine." Ginny shrugged. "The Chief likes training people from the ground up." Dismayed, Clark couldn't help asking, "You mean I could have applied here years ago, instead of getting experience elsewhere?" She shot him a sympathetic glance. "Maybe, maybe not. Besides, we all have a destiny, and it just took yours this long to get you here." Clark tried to be comforted by that, but it didn't quite work. If he had a destiny, it was certainly taking its sweet time to reveal itself to him. "Ah, here we are," Ginny announced. "Personnel, also Administration. Enter and fill out a thousand forms." She stepped inside the cramped office and looked around. "Bertie! We've got a new reporter here, help him get set up, will you?" An older woman emerged from behind a desk piled high with untidy stacks of papers and surveyed him. "A new hire? That'll be entertaining." She looked at Ginny and smirked. "Has he met Lois yet?" "Bertie!" Ginny scolded. "She's not that bad. And she's out of town, remember?" Clark couldn't resist. "Do you mean Lois Lane? I've heard of her..." "Who hasn't?" Bertie asked cynically. "But do you know what she looks like?" He frowned. "No, I've never seen a picture." He had a mental image of a tough-talking chain-smoking 40-year old, rather like Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday. Bertie smirked again. "Wait here, I've got one in her file." She disappeared into the depths of the cluttered office. Ginny turned to Clark and shrugged. "Lois is the superstar around here; I think some people get a little jealous." "What's she like?" Ginny tilted her head, considering. "Well, she is brilliant. And opinionated, and stubborn, and she can get so focused on a story it's uncanny. A few brave souls call her 'Mad Dog Lane' -- but not to her face." Clark tried to process that. "Are you a friend of hers?" Ginny smiled, a little sadly. "Lois doesn't really have time for friends. But I like her. She's so determined to make the world a better place, by sheer force of will. And she does get the most amazing stories. It's like she's psychic, sometimes, the way she knows what questions to ask, and where to look for the answers." "A-ha, here it is," Bertie announced triumphantly, emerging again. She thrust a folder at Clark. "Now what do you think?" He gazed at the picture, momentarily robbed of speech. The woman in that picture was nowhere near 40, with beautiful features, direct brown eyes, and glossy brown hair. Her expression was intense, but he thought he detected a smile that hadn't quite arrived by the time the picture had been taken. His stomach did a little flip, and he felt a nonsensical notion possess his brain. He had found his destiny. Bertie watched his face, and snorted derision. "Yep, there's another one. Watch out, junior. She'll eat you alive." **** -- 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: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 08:48:58 -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: NEW: Tryst (3/?) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Tryst part 3 by Pam Jernigan ________________ **** Lois sat motionless for long moments, resisting thought, but her subconscious mind boiled away anyway, presenting her with the inescapable conclusion. Her injuries had been bad, and a day later, her whereabouts were still unknown. She wouldn't have survived that long without medical help, so it followed that she must be ... dead. And yet, something of her remained ... the only thing that made any kind of sense was that she was a ghost. As she faced the facts, her fear leaked away, leaving only a vague melancholy. How very ... odd. She had known she was going to die, but she hadn't expected this. Not that she'd ever given much thought to an afterlife. She wondered absently if there was anything she was meant to accomplish in this new existence. Did she feel compelled to do anything? She pondered the question for a long moment. She still hadn't won a Pulitzer, but she didn't see how she'd manage it as a ghost. Other than that, she couldn't think of anything in particular she'd left undone. All her stories had been written or passed off before she left, and she'd left her apartment in good shape -- she didn't even have her fish on her conscience; Ginny had agreed to feed them for her. Lois looked around again, as Perry sighed and got back to work, clearly unaware of her presence. Regardless of what her brain was telling her about her insubstantial state, this *felt* like he was ignoring her, and that hurt. She looked out the window, seeing all the busy people, aware that she would be unable to join them in any real sense. She stood, suddenly unable to bear it. She had to get out of here, to get to her apartment somehow ... as the thought formed, she was overcome with a wave of dizziness, and blackness reclaimed her. **** Opal Clark Jenkins was at her desk working on her latest entomology treatise when she glanced out the window and saw her grand-nephew coming down the sidewalk. She had tried to keep in touch with him and his family over the years -- Martha had always been her favorite niece -- and it had certainly become easier to do once he'd gotten the hang of flying. Now, she considered, it was all paying off; she was delighted to have him staying with her. With her daughter Laura off gallivanting around the world (the old-fashioned way), the house was too empty. But if Clark settled into Metropolis, as he hoped, she knew he'd visit regularly. Maybe he'd even settle down, finally, and have some children for her to spoil. She was 75 already, for heaven's sake; did he think she had forever? "Aunt Opal, I'm back!" Clark's voice drifted up from the foyer. "I'm upstairs, Clark," she replied, confident that he would hear her. "Come on up and tell me how it went." A moment later he appeared in the doorway, smiling broadly. "It went great," he reported with satisfaction. "I was hired on the spot. Mr. White seems to have a temper, but no one really seems scared of him ... they just want to do their best. I think I'm going to like it there." She pushed her chair back from the desk and turned towards him. "Better than the last five jobs you had?" she asked in a faintly caustic tone. "Yeah, maybe," he replied, then stopped to consider the matter more carefully. "I've been wanting to work for the Planet for a while now, you know, so that's a dream come true ... and there's this reporter, Lois Lane." Opal raised her eyebrows. There was a note in his voice that she hadn't heard before. "I've seen her work -- she's a very, ah, brave and tenacious woman." "Fool-hardy and pigheaded, you mean," Clark corrected her with a grin. "You wouldn't believe some of the stories I've heard. But she's done a lot of good that way." "True." Aunt Opal cocked her head and studied him. "So what did she think of you?" "Well...." He looked down, then up again, admitting, "I haven't actually met her yet. She's out of the country on assignment at the moment, but she should be back in a few days. Supposedly it's a really big story, with local connections -- they don't usually send her travelling like this. They told me that she got ahold of the story and just wouldn't rest until Mr. White okayed the trip; she's sure she'll get a Pulitzer out of it." He paused, then continued, "I did see a picture of her though...." "Hmm." This was *very* interesting, very interesting indeed, but it wouldn't do to seem *too* interested. She deftly changed the subject, promising herself to exchange notes with Martha later. "Well, I look forward to hearing all about her, but I admit, Clark, part of me was hoping you'd not like the place once you'd seen it -- I'm going to miss all the souvenirs of your travels!" He laughed lightly, his attention diverted. "You've still got Aunt Laura to bring you exotic bugs from around the world -- isn't she in Egypt now? -- and if you want something in particular, you know you can always ask." "Yes," she sighed, glancing at her unfinished paper, "but it'll be harder to explain how I got them, when you're not officially travelling anymore. Besides, Laura can't stand the rainforests, and there are so many specimens I've yet to collect from there." She looked back at Clark to see him looking so alert and helpful that she smiled and held up a hand. "Nothing that needs to be done at the moment, however, thank you. I need to finish this project for the University, and then this publisher's been after me to contribute to a textbook ... it may be some time before I can really devote any time to studying new species." He looked relieved to hear it, she noted with an inward smile, knowing that he'd have gone if she'd asked him to. Bless him, he was just too accommodating sometimes; Jonathan had taught him well. She stood, reaching for the cane she used more as a prop than for support. "I'm done working for the day, and I'm hungry, so how about we see what mischief we can get up to in the kitchen?" Clark smiled and moved aside to let her pass, falling in step next to her, alert to help her if she needed it. "Okay, but have pity on me and don't do anything *too* spicy, all right?" **** Lois didn't know where she was. All she was aware of was darkness ... a sense of movement ... dizziness ... pain. A faint light in the distance, faint noises accompanying it ... but when she tried to move closer to the light, the pain increased, forcing her back. Where did she want to be? Home. Desperately she wished for home. Home. In a rush, surroundings came towards her, colors filling the blackness, and she blinked, realizing she was back at her apartment. She half-sobbed with relief at being out of the suffocating blackness, away from the painful light. That light meant death, she was irrationally sure of it. And no matter how tenuous her grip on life was at the moment, she was not yet ready to relinquish it. She sat up, looking around and trying to steady her nerves. Everything was the same as she remembered it; not surprising given that she'd been gone less than a week. Out of habit, she started thinking about dinner, then realized that she wouldn't be able to either pick up the phone, or give anyone her order. On the plus side, however, she wasn't at all hungry, which seemed logical once she thought about it. Why would ghosts need to eat, anyway? She headed back to the living room, and reached for the remote control. Her fingers passed right through it, and through the table below. Well, that was interesting. She spent some time amusing herself by poking her fingers through the table, the fishtank, the wall. When she sat on the couch, however, it supported her, which made her curious. Maybe she had some control over this. Ghosts were supposed to be able to make things move, weren't they? She wished she'd paid more attention to fairytales and legends, but it was too late now. Frowning in concentration, she poked at the coffee table again, and this time she thought she detected some resistance before her fingertip penetrated the wood. She pulled her hand back and focused on that bit of wood, thinking how very solid it was ... and this time, her finger merely pressed against the surface. Lois grinned in triumph. "I'll get this afterlife thing figured out after all." After that, it was merely a matter of concentration before she could pick up the television remote, and press the right buttons to get the channel she wanted. Sound and color swept into the darkening room, cheering her immeasurably, and she leaned back, feeling tired, but not quite so alone. It was too late to go anywhere that night, but she decided that she would have to go back to the Planet (somehow) tomorrow morning. Whatever it was that she was meant to do must be there. At any rate, it would be more entertaining than staying here. She turned sideways, wishing vaguely that she'd bought more comfortable furniture, but she was too tired to move back to the bedroom. She'd just watch the news for a while, and rest. When the darkness came to reclaim her, she was already asleep. **** Clark arrived at the Planet nice and early the next morning, eager to get to work. His new partner greeted him with glee, and gave him a stack of stories to edit. It wasn't exactly the way he wanted to spend the morning, but as a good team player, he acquiesed. The writing was every bit as bad as the sample he'd seen yesterday, so he resigned himself to a dreary morning. He was halfway through the first piece when he heard the faintest whisper of a sound, and felt a strange, chill breeze. He looked around, but couldn't see any open windows. "Did you feel that?" Ralph looked up from his coffee. "Feel what?" "I don't know." Clark frowned, puzzled. "It was like ... a draft." "Probably the air-conditioning switching on," Ralph shrugged. "It's always a little weird at the beginning of the season. So do you have that school board story ready yet? Perry wanted that yesterday." "Uh, yeah ... almost ready." He dutifully got back to work, but he was aware of two things. First, it felt as if someone was watching him ... and second, the air conditioner wasn't running. **** This time when Lois realized she was engulfed in darkness, she knew better than to head for the light. She turned her back on it, willing herself away. Where did she want to be? Ah yes ... with an almost audible whoosh, the Daily Planet newsroom rushed towards her, and when the world steadied, she was standing near her desk. She surveyed the room, hoping against hope that someone would see her, but they all remained oblivious. Across the room, she could see the gorgeous man that Perry had just hired; he was talking to Ralph, and looking a little bewildered. Involuntarily, she grinned. Anyone who didn't get along with Ralph was okay in her book. She found herself moving in his direction, and was briefly distracted by the discovery that she wasn't actually moving her legs. Well, she could explore that later. For right now, she was intrigued by this new reporter. She'd just reached his desk when Perry emerged from his office. "Hey, people. I, ah, I ... have an announcement." Lois heard the note of surpressed grief in his voice and guessed at his news. "Oh, Perry," she whispered, "I'm sorry." Perry cleared his throat and worked to control his face. "You all know that Lois went to Africa a few days ago to follow a story. Well ... I got a call this morning. I'm afraid there's been an accident -- a fatal one." The rush of questions and concern that followed would have gratified Lois under any other circumstances. She wouldn't have guessed that news of her death would so upset them. "No, it can't be...." she heard from behind her, and turned to see the new guy looking as if someone had punched him in the gut. She wondered why he was reacting so strongly when they'd never met. He closed his eyes briefly, until he got his face under control, then opened them again and approached Perry. "What happened, Mr. White? What kind of accident?" Others were also peppering the chief editor with questions. He held up his hands for quiet. "There was an explosion in the car she rented -- she'd driven out of town to check out a lead. The wreck wasn't even found for hours. And that's all I know for now. I know you're all upset. I'm none too happy myself. But this paper is bigger than any one reporter, no matter how good. We will continue to report the news -- which means you all need to keep working on your current stories." "Sir, what if the explosion wasn't an accident? What if Ms. Lane was on to something?" "Good thought, Clark," Perry replied, and Lois smiled. He was smart, and now she knew his name. "I've got the notes she made before she left, and I will make them available to anyone who wants to work on this, but coordinate it with me before you start digging too deep; I don't want to duplicate efforts." **** Clark walked back to his desk, deep in thought. He couldn't understand his reaction to the news. He'd never even met the woman, how could he feel so destroyed at the thought of her death? And yet, and yet ... some part of him insisted that it wasn't true. She couldn't possibly be dead; he could almost feel her presence. The combination of grief and comfort, both inexplicable, left him utterly confused. Maybe Dad was right, he thought. Maybe life in the big city *does* make people crazy. Still, when he'd finished editing Ralph's first story, he excused himself to go see Mr. White. Something about the tale of her accident in the jungle was nagging at him, his reporter's instincts stirring, and he wanted a chance to follow the story. He knocked on the half-open door to the editor's office, and Ginny motioned for him to enter. Mr. White was on the phone. "Yes, ma'am, I understand. No, if I'd had any idea, I certainly wouldn't have sent her ... well, I don't agree, but you do what you have to. In the meantime ... yes, alright, I'll have someone do that for you. I'll pass you to my secretary, you can give her the details." Alert to her cue, Ginny slipped out of the office to pick up her extension when Perry pushed a few buttons to transfer the call. He hung up, and sighed. "Lois's mother seems to think I should have kept her little girl out of danger." Clark quirked an eyebrow. "Um, from what I've heard...." "Oh, I know -- no one could possibly keep Lois out of danger; she thrived on it. Still, I wish.... Well, it doesn't matter now." Ginny re-entered the office. "I have their address for shipping the things to. When do you want me to go over there?" "Go where?" Clark asked. "Dr. and Mrs. Lane want us to pack up Lois's apartment and send them her personal effects." Clark was surprised at the flash of resentment he felt. "That's it? They're giving up?" Mr. White eyed him kindly. "Son, she was in the Jeep when it exploded. There's not much reason to hold out hope. If she'd just disappeared, believe me, I'd send an army over there to find her, but in this case ... this is about all we can do. Her parents live on the West Coast, so we get to take care of it." He sighed heavily. "Ginny, you've got her spare key, right?" "Yep, I'm feeding her fish. It should only take me a few hours." Perry shook his head. "I can't spare you for that long. Kent, you're lowest on the totem pole, so you get the job. Get some petty cash from Bertie and buy some sturdy packing boxes. The furniture can all go into storage for now, and we'll send her personal things." "But, sir -- I mean, Chief -- I wanted to look into the story she was working on, see if I could find anything..." Perry waved this off. "I've got Myerson working on that for now. You can pick it up tomorrow, if you want. I'm sure you're a good reporter, but you are new to the city." Clark accepted that with as much good grace as he could muster. Looked like he'd be spending the day thinking and learning about Lois Lane. In other circumstances, it would have been a pleasure. "So, Ginny, I'll need a key and some directions...." As she rummaged through her desk, Clark realized that the chill from earlier was gone. **** -- 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: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 08:49:48 -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: NEW: Tryst (4/?) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Tryst part 4 by Pam Jernigan _________________ The trip through the darkness was shorter, this time, and Lois made the trip with fierce determination, and a destination firmly in mind. The light beckoned, but she ignored its siren call, concentrating on her apartment. Within moments, the familiar walls appeared around her. Willpower seemed to be all that it took to accomplish things in this ephemeral state -- well, that was good, because if there was one quality Lois Lane had in spades, it was willpower. According to her wall clock, very little time had passed since she'd left the Planet. Perhaps she should have stayed at the paper, but she'd been too annoyed at the way Perry and her parents were conspiring to pack away her life. This unexpected afterlife was going to be lonely enough, without interaction, but to lose her apartment, too ... the prospect seemed bleak. Being able to watch but not participate was foreign to her. If she didn't come up with something, this afterlife might be more hell than heaven. She considered turning on the TV to get the morning news, but then decided that it wasn't worth the mental effort. Already, she was a little bit drained from her morning's activities, and she didn't want to fade away again just yet. Noises at her door distracted her, and she watched with interest as her locks opened, one at a time. Finally, the door opened, and Clark walked inside. Well, he'd certainly made good time. Perhaps she should leave now, and not stay to watch her life dismantled. Clark looked around, and nodded to himself. "Nice, Lois, very nice." "Thank you," she replied automatically, and was rewarded with a hint of a smile. Coincidence, obviously, but she was pathetically glad for even this imitation of interaction. He walked slowly towards the kitchen, then found her phone, and placed a call. "Hi, Aunt Opal, it's me ... Looks like the paper needs me out on assignment today. So listen, if you need to get hold of me, here's the number." He read her phone number off the base of the phone, and repeated it patiently until, apparently, Aunt Opal got it right. Lois was charmed by this glimpse of a man being so nice to an older relative. In her experience, most good-looking guys were jerks of one type or another; but Clark seemed to be an exception to that rule. Of course, her cynical side objected, you could be wrong; you don't really know him at all. She wanted to ignore the cynical voice -- it had steered her wrong to many times before -- but she had to admit the point. Well, only one way to fix that, she told herself. She'd stay here and watch him, see what he was really made of. **** Clark was more than a little depressed at the task of closing up someone's apartment. Bad enough for anyone to die in a jungle, but why did it have to be Lois Lane? Metropolis would be worse off without her ... and he would have liked a chance to get to know her. Well, by looking around her apartment he could get to know her, in a way. He rationalized his survey with the excuse that it would help him pack her things more logically. Her furniture was good, if a little more severe than his own taste, and the place was uncluttered. Not too many pictures around, but there were two in the living room -- one of Lois, smiling broadly with an arm around a younger woman, possibly her sister, and another shot of the younger woman alone. No pictures of boyfriends. Why would such a gorgeous, vibrant woman not have a boyfriend? Unless the younger woman was a girlfriend ... but he rather thought that someone at the Planet would have hinted at that. He turned from the living room towards the kitchen and found himself facing a display case. The focus was clearly on the two clear statuettes inside; on closer inspection he discovered that he was looking at her two Kerth Awards. She was clearly proud of her work, as she had every right to be. He remembered what Ginny had said, about Lois having no time for friends, and his mouth quirked sadly in sympathy. For his own reasons, he never let anyone get too close, and he knew how lonely such an existance could be. He continued his survey around the apartment, slowly soaking up impressions of the woman who had lived in this space. A workaholic, a loner, but with a passion for justice. He could relate to that. He began to feel like he knew her ... and the feeling of her presense was back again, even stronger than before. He moved into her kitchen, peeking into various cupboards, and surveying her food supply, thinking of his own preference for fresh produce -- he'd have to clear out foods that were likely to spoil. On closer inspection, though, he found very few perishable items at all; it was mostly cans and boxes of easy-to-heat-up premade food. "Not a gourmet cook then, I take it," he murmurred in quiet amusement. A faint noise caught his attention, and he stilled, trying to capture the sound. It had seemed just out of his hearing, or on a different frequency ... and there were very few things he couldn't hear if he wanted to. But whatever it had been was gone now. If it had been anything at all. He realized he was stalling. He really didn't want to pack up these things; it was an admission of defeat that he didn't want to make. It just seemed wrong to think of her as dead. He remembered the singing sensation he'd felt when he'd first seen her picture yesterday. She'd seemed so vibrantly alive, even in that still photo. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Lois. I think we should have met ... I would have liked to meet you." **** Lois was touched by his statement. "Yeah, I wish we could have met too -- properly, I mean." At her words, his expression became abstracted, as if he were straining to listen to something, but after a moment he shook himself out of it, and began setting up boxes in front of her bookcase. He moved with an easy grace, but was obviously in no hurry. She stood across the room, watching his muscles ripple and flow beneath his dress shirt. It really wasn't fair. The best-looking, nicest guy she'd seen in ages, and he literally didn't know she existed. Or that she still existed, at any rate. Methodically, he packed up her books, beginning with the lowest shelf and filling two boxes before he got to the top shelf. He was able to reach a shelf higher than she could, but there was another one above that. She saw him look around the room, and wished she could tell him where she stored her step-stool. It wasn't in sight, however, so he shrugged. And then noiselessly rose into the air, his feet dangling a foot above the floor as he calmly gathered an armful of books. Lois felt her mouth drop open. Was it possible this was all just a bizarre dream? Everything and everyone else was behaving normally. Even her imagination wasn't lurid enough to create a floating man, was it? Meanwhile, Clark had cleared out the top shelf and filled the third box. His feet were once again on the floor, and she doubted her own memories. Except that the top shelf was empty. And, come to think of it, those boxes would be heavy, yet he was carrying them with ease. Not to mention his amazingly fast arrival at her apartment, when he'd been in Perry's office scant moments before. This definitely called for further observation. He moved into the kitchen and began working on her meager collection of cookware. Nonchalantly floating when necessary to reach items on the top shelves of her cupboards. It was the contrast of using such an unusual method to accomplish such a mundane task that finally convinced her that what she was seeing was real. Normal men didn't float, but somehow, Clark Kent did. The phone rang. After a second's startlement, Clark drifted to the floor and crossed the room to answer it. "Lois Lane's apartment." Curious, Lois moved closer, trying to hear who was on the other end of the call. "Well, I'm a colleague of hers ... nice to meet you, Alan." Lois rolled her eyes, but then brightened as she realized that she'd finally found the upside to being dead: At last she could get rid of the Clueless Wonder. She leaned in closer, and though Clark shivered a bit he didn't shift positions. Ah, now she could hear Alan. <<...like to know what you're doing there -- has she come back from her trip yet?>> Clark's reply was soft and full of sadness. "No, I'm afraid not." She waited to see if he'd elaborate, but apparently he preferred to leave it at that. As always, Alan missed the nuance. <> Lois couldn't help herself; she snorted laughter. "Hardly." "Hardly," Clark echoed, then looked up in shock, staring straight towards her. He didn't quite know where to focus his eyes, but he certainly seemed to be aware of her. <> Alan was demanding, <> "Well, she, ah...." Clark foundered. Hardly daring to hope that he'd hear, Lois fed him the answer. "I could never marry anyone so anal-retentive." Clark's eyebrows rose, but he gamely relayed her message. "She could never marry anyone so -- never mind, it's really none of my business. I'll, ah, let her know that you called." Alan was still sputtering when Clark hung up the phone. There was a long moment of silence, then Clark reached a tentative, trembling hand towards her. "Lois?" Lois swallowed hard, trying to vanquish the lump on her throat. She hadn't realized how desperately she'd missed human interaction until it was restored. Clark's hand faltered, and he repeated, less certainly, "Lois -- are you there?" Hurriedly, she cleared her throat, determined to put aside all these messy emotions. "Yes, I'm here. I just ... can't believe you can hear me." She reached for him, then stopped a little short of touching him -- she didn't want to risk the disappointment of having her hand pass straight through his, undetected. He smiled faintly. "Uh, yeah, I know the feeling. I couldn't really make out what you were saying, at first, but I think I've got the right frequency now. How are you here, anyway?" She shrugged, then realized she couldn't use nonverbal cues. "I really don't know. One moment, I'm leaning against a tree, dying; next thing I know, I'm at the Daily Planet." Clark frowned, thinking back. "Were you there this morning?" "Yep, and yesterday, too -- I saw you get hired. Congratulations, by the way." "Thank you," he answered absently. "I didn't sense you at all yesterday ... but this morning ... there was something." "Really? I know you didn't hear me, nobody did. I was right there, while everyone was talking about my death, and no one saw me, or reacted to me..." Unexpectedly, her voice wavered on that last phrase, and Clark reached out again. "Hey, it's okay ... I'm here now." Self-consciousness struck. "I mean, I'm probably not the person you'd want to be stuck with, but at least I've got to be better than nothing, right?" Lois pulled herself together with a teary sniff. "You're much better than nothing," she assured him. "I just wish we could have met in a less weird way." "Yeah, me too." There was a longish pause, then Clark continued, in a brisker tone, "So you're ... dead ... but you're here. How is that possible?" "Hell if I know." Firmly, she changed the subject. "Although I'm not the only one with some explaining to do. How about that floating trick, mister?" To her amusement, he flushed. "Oh, you saw that, huh. Well ... I can't really explain it. It's just something I can do; I don't know why." "Oh come on, you must have some theories." Her natural good cheer was resurfacing now that the topic had shifted. "Were you bitten by a radioactive spider?" He laughed. "No, I've always been ... different. See, I was adopted." "Did you ever find out who your real parents were?" She grinned. "Maybe *they* were bitten by radioactive spiders." "What is it with you and spiders?" He grinned, and she caught her breath at how the expression lit up his face. "No, I don't know who they were. My parents ... well, they found me as a baby, in a spaceship." Her eyes widened. "A spaceship? Holy cow, you could be an alien!" Clark grimaced at the suggestion. "Or a Russian experiment. Mom even suspected our own goverment might have experimented on me. None of the alternatives really appeal to me." "Hmm, I can see that, I guess." Lois was quiet for a moment, trying to imagine how she'd feel in his place. Memories of her own upbringing crowded in, and she felt the urge to squash them ... but maybe she could use them to help Clark. "I thought it was bad enough having a drunk for a mother. Now there's a gene pool to be proud of." It wasn't as hard to open up as she'd feared. Maybe she should have done it more when she'd been alive. His face showed a wealth of sympathy. "Hey, there's a lot more to us than our genes, you know." "I sure hope so. But if that goes for me, it goes for you too, so cheer up, okay?" "Okay, you got me." Laughing, he held up his hands in surrender. "Darn, they told me Lois Lane was smart as a whip. Anyway, my parents are great, they've always treated me as a normal kid, just with a few ... extras." "There's more than the flying? Like what? I saw you lift those boxes pretty easily; how strong are you?" Clark began to look faintly uncomfortable. "What is this, an interview?" "Well, I am a reporter," she pointed out logically. "Or at least I was. Old habits are hard to break." "Yeah, I can tell," he grumbled. "I know this is gonna sound silly, but just in case ... don't tell anyone else, okay?" She smiled wryly. "My lips, such as they are, are sealed," she assured him. "Completely off the record." "Well ... I am really strong -- I mean, really really strong. And fast. And I can see through most things, if I concentrate. And apparently, I hear dead people, although you're my first." "Don't worry, I'll be gentle," she quipped automatically, then blushed as she realized what she'd said. "Um, never mind. Old joke." "Very old," he agreed sourly. "Anyway, I try to keep all this stuff secret. But ... if you wanted ... well, is there anything you want to say to anyone? I mean, they probably wouldn't believe me that I can hear you, but we could try." She considered it a moment, touched by his offer. "I hadn't really thought about it ... I don't know that there's anything to say. But I'll tell you what I do want to do, which is find the guys running those guns, and nail them to the wall." "You and me both. So where do we start?" "Well, you're going to need my notes. Research was supposed to find out who was behind the import-export business." She paused, then continued glumly, "And I guess you'd better finish packing up my things -- Perry won't want you working on this story til you've done your chores." He smiled mysteriously. "Now *that* is not a problem. I can have it finished in no time. In fact ..." He stood and began to move, his form blurring as he sped faster and faster around the room. With a final whoosh of displaced air, he came to a stop beside her. "How's that?" She looked around the room in puzzlement. "You ... put it all back." He shrugged. "Yeah, but I figure you'd prefer it that way. I can pack it all up again just about that fast, so it won't matter if I leave it for a few days." "Oh." Emotions once more threatened to swamp her, and for the first time she was grateful that he couldn't see her face. He didn't need to know how deeply his thoughtfullness had touched her. "Good idea; thank you," she managed in a reasonably neutral voice. "Okay, then, let's go." He headed for the door. Out of nowhere, a wave of weakness swept over her, and she felt the darkness approaching. "Damn." "What is it?" Clark turned back, a concerned look on his face. "I think I'm about to fade out," she said, willing herself to stay connected to this moment, this man. Speaking was becoming more difficult as her energy reserves reached their limit. "I'm not conscious all the time," she explained, trying to find the words to explain her new reality. "I kind of come and go, and I don't always have control over it; it depends on how much energy I use, I think. You go on ahead, and I'll try to catch up later." The concern on his face was shading into outright fear. "You will come back, right? Promise me you'll come back!" She opened her mouth to reassure him, but before she could force out the words, she was swept away into the darkness. **** More to come, as soon as I get it written :D -- 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: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 08:17:32 -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: Re: OT: Oh Canada! On Sun, 2 Jul 2000 08:20:20 -0400, Pam Jernigan wrote: >(I imagine the Brits celebrate the 4th,too ;) The fourth? What's that? Is that a significant date for some reason? Wendy ;) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 23:47:04 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: -= LuC =- Subject: Bitter Sweet Actuality, Pt 1/? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Hello all. This is the first time I've gone public with any of my fanfic. This one is called Bitter Sweet Actuality, and it begins at the Pilot, and then...well, you'll see :) I don't know when I'll upload the next installments (as i write them) because things are busy a/t/m but soon i hope. Any comments, constructive criticism etc are more than welcome at hyperionx@hotmail.com All standard disclaimers apply. All characters trademarked and copyrighted to their respective owners. -------------------------------------------------------------- Bitter, Sweet Actuality by Luc Di Gregorio Rated PG The Daily Planet, 1993. ---------------------- "What is it, Lois?" Bellowed Perry, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet. So much for a world-class newspaper, though Perry, gazing at the man in front of him. "Chief- space station Prometheus. I think there's a story here." "Not now, Lois!" What in the Sam Hill is going on here, Perry thought. I'm trying to conduct an interview! "Lois Lane… Clark Kent." Clark had risen as soon as he saw her enter the room. Mesmerised by her beauty, he nodded at her, but it seemed as if she barely acknowledged his presence. Lois' words barely had time to register with Perry, and before he could give her some kind of answer, she was called away to answer a phone call. Perry's anger rose scarlet red in his face and he touched his pulse with his fingers. "I tell ya- If that woman wasn't the best damn investigative reporter I've ever seen… I'd…" Lois returned the receiver to the telephone and sighed. Bobby knew nothing. Or at least, he wasn't willing to talk to her unless she delivered him some fried rice and pickles pronto. "I don't have time for this." She mumbled and shuffled some papers on her desk. I mean, really!, Lois thought. This is a matter of national importance and all he can think about is stuffing his stomach until the cows come home! She should have known- "Miss Lane?" a gentle voice called at her and ushered her back to reality. Irritated and not looking up, she responded with her I'm-a-top-reporter-don't-waste-my-time tone of voice. "Yes?" "Errr… I was wondering if we could perhaps have a word." The man, in his early fifties, with gray waving hair and a top hat that didn't match the color of his dated suit, adjusted his glasses uncomfortably. "Well, so far Mister, we've had about twenty words and I have work to do so unless it's about the scoop of the year…" She still hadn't looked up. "It's something far more important than that, Miss Lane. It's about…well… the future." Lois looked up, rolling her eyes impatiently. "Do I know you Mr…" "Wells. H.G. Wells." Lois, trying to suppress the laughter that she thought might so rudely offend this man, found it hard not to give him a sarcastic smile. "Yeah, and I'm King Kong. And he," Lois quickly grabbed Jimmy's arm as he walked past, "…he's George Bush." Jimmy, confused and carrying a bag of doughnuts for the chief, raised his eyebrows at Lois and headed for Perry's office. Lois gazed at the man standing before her and gave an exasperated sigh followed by a typical don't-waste-my-time look. "So… if you'll take yourself to…wherever it is you live…and…write a novel or something, then I'll get back to researching the story of the century." Wells rolled his eyes, much to his surprise. He was losing his patience- something very uncharacteristic even for him. "I rather dislike doing this with you. Yes, quite." He mumbled at her. "Doing what, exactly. Wasting my time?" Lois looked at him and waited for an explanation. Wells hated resorting to having to prove himself, and reluctantly, he pulled a rolled up newspaper from the inside of his jacket pocket, and handed it to Lois. "Take a look, Miss Lane." Lois stared at him dubiously. "Give me that!" She looked at him as she unrolled it, and rolled her eyes. Looking down at the headline, she read it out loud. "Lois Lane and Clark …. Kent…to….WED?????? Dated…October…1996????" She looked at him confused. "Who's…Clark Kent? The guy that Perry was interviewing?" She began to lose her patience and rose out of her chair. "Just what are you playing out, buster! 1996 is three years from now… I don't even know this…Clark Kent!" Lois' voice had risen dramatically and people had stopped in their tracks. Perry popped his head around his office door. "Lois? What in Graceland's name are you doin'?" Lois looked suddenly lost. "I…I… I'm sorry Perry. But this man says…" And with that she gazed at the newspaper and rolled it up swiftly. "This man says that…he can help me with a story." "A story. Yes, quite." Wells echoed Lois' words and people resumed their courses. Perry, not convinced, closed the door to his office. Lois looked daggers at the man before her. She pointed to the conference room. "Get in there!" Lois raised a hand to her forehead and rested her head on it. It had been a very long and exciting couple of days, and her patience was worn extremely thin as she went over the man's story for the umpteenth time. "So, let me get this straight." "Quite." "You're…really HG Wells. And…and… you're from the past…but really from the future because…some mad man who was trying to kill some…super…man…to stop a utopian future…realised he couldn't kill him so now he's taken me, or at least, the me in the future, so he can stop me marrying some alien?" "Well-" "Oh, and wait. I forgot the part about me getting married to this country boy who actually IS super…superman… Oh.. god… what am I doing here? I have work to do!" She gave an exasperated sigh and rose. "Miss Lane, please. If only you'll let me… prove it to you." He was hanging on to a thin thread, having expected it to be easier to persuade Lois. He licked his lips. His mouth was dry and clammy and he wanted this to be over with. "Please, Miss Lane. Come with me." -=Metropolis, 1996=- "So, I'm just supposed to sit back and watch while you do all that on your own?" Lois' quizzical look made Clark edgy. "Well, I…I just thought-" "Clark, honey." Lois lowered her voice and smiled. "You may be able to…bend steel in your bear hands, leap tall buildings in a single bound…but I…have great legs." Lois' look changed in an instant. Clark smiled, embarrassed. "Together, we…make a perfect being." He locked his lips with hers and desire rose in him. He pulled away, aware of their surroundings. Lois smiled and lay her hands on his chest. She was still amazed when she ran her hands over her husbands chest, how well defined he was. Her hands moved to his back and hugged him. She smiled as her hands wondered down below, as she placed them firmly on his buttocks. "Lois, not here!" Clark's protest was not a genuine one. "Why? Who's gonna talk? We're married!" Lois smiled at him longingly. "I think we should go home and, uhm…relax." "Lois," Clark said, falling harder under Lois' spell. "That sounds, oh-so-great, but… we have work to do." With this, Lois looked up at him disappointed, raising an eyebrow. "Shucks, Clark." "I'm sorry, honey. It's just that Perry wants that story by noon." He raised his hand to her cheek and smiled at her. With the blink of an eye, Lois disappeared into thin air. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 12:25:49 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: Tryst -- no spoilers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Oy, Pam, what are you doing to us? Another story that we don't know how many more parts are coming! I can't tell you how many of these are sitting unread in my mailbox already. Please, those of you with unfinished stories, when you finally send us the last installment, be sure to put END or something like that in the subject line so I know I can start reading it. There are too many now in this situation for me to get into the middle of and have to keep straight! Oh, and Mobile Richard says she is working on the sequel to Fugitive! I told her if she didn't, she'd have a rebellion here and we'd all go and raid her computer to see if there was any more. ;) --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 12:32:40 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: Tryst -- no spoilers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 7/2/00 12:26:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Larus2407@AOL.COM writes: << Oh, and Mobile Richard says she is working on the sequel to Fugitive! I told her if she didn't, she'd have a rebellion here and we'd all go and raid her computer to see if there was any more. ;) >> That is excellent news. Thanks for passing it along. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 12:56:53 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Demona (Angel Of The Night)" Subject: Re: Amazed and inspired (as usual :) In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.20000701213524.0080be70@pop.intergate.ca> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed At 09:35 PM 01/07/00 -0700, Melisma wrote: >Wendy, dear, I just re-read your 'The Penfriend' today. It is still as >terrific, thought-provoking, funny, waffy, as I remember it to be when you >posted it on Zoom's boards however long ago. At Melisma's recommendation, I went and pulled up Wendy's "Penfriend" myself today. I'm afraid I'm woefully behind in my fanfic reading and unfortunately, it tends to take recommendations like this get me to pull one out as a result! :) Of course, I've always thought Wendy was an extremely talented author, but I have to agree with Mel in that "Penfriend" was particularly inspiring. What a wonderful story. Charming and filled with tasty little 'moments' that have to make you smile. All in all, a beautiful piece of work. I wholeheartedly agree with Melisma's recommendation. If you haven't read this one yet, you simply must. Best All :) Demi ___________________________________________ Demi aka Demona nightangel@home.com http://fantasia.simplenet.com/lcfantasy/ http://www.destinyy.com/boards/ "Though lovers be lost... ...Love shall not... ...And death shall have no dominion." (Dylan Thomas) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 13:38:10 -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: Fanfic recommendations Okay, I've recovered from the embarrassment now... ;) Mel and Demi, thank you very much; I was blushing for ages after I read your posts. It's almost a year since I wrote 'Penfriend,' and it's wonderful to hear that people still enjoy (re-)reading it. Ann, that's great news about Mobile Richard's Fugitive. I'm another one who badly wants the sequel to that story! (Oh, and Pam's Tryst is a fantastic, edge-of-the-seat story, and I can't wait for her to finish it, so Pam, you'd better be writing or else I'll be organising a posse to come round your place and tie you to your computer!). Now, my own recommendation: I've just finished reading a new story on the Archive. It's called The Dawn of Discovery, by C. Leuch, and it's a fascinating insight into Lois and Clark's teenage son's discovery of his true nature. There's a lot more to it than that, but this is the core of the premise. What impressed me, among other things, was the way the author got inside the mind of a fifteen-year-old boy who is adjusting to learning some amazing things about himself and his father. I enjoyed it very much, and it's well worth a read. Wendy ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 14:03:15 -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 20/? 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: 20 of ? Comments: warmly and gratefully received, publicly or privately. Thanks to all those who've waylayed me on IRC and in email with nice words about this story, and apologies if it feels as if I'm dragging it out. I'm not - promise! This is only about half-way through, I'm afraid, but posts will continue at two- or three-day intervals until I'm finished. Wendy ------------------------------------------------- Before she=92d even got half-way to the stairs, Lois stopped in her tracks a= s guilt hit her. She=92d been extremely rude to Martha and Jonathan, to say nothing of the way she=92d clearly hurt Clark - though she wasn=92t sure she= wanted to think about Clark right now. On the other hand, how could she *not* think about him? Part of her recognised that if she went to bed now, she=92d be awake most of the night agonising over Clark=92s disclosure - and= over his strange behaviour, the way he=92d treated her. Turning on her heel, she returned to the kitchen. Martha was making hot chocolate, and Jonathan was just announcing his intention of doing his usual last check on the livestock before going to bed. Lois hovered awkwardly in the doorway, unsure of her welcome; then Martha noticed her and immediately smiled broadly in her direction. =93Lois, honey, we thought you=92d gone to bed! Come in - would you like som= e chocolate?=94 Nodding, Lois entered the kitchen and began to pace edgily. After a few moments, she grimaced and decided just to say what was on her mind. =93Martha, I=92m sorry - for leaving behind your back yesterday, I mea= n. I was just so worried... and I didn=92t want to worry you and Jonathan - and= I guess it didn=92t occur to me that you=92d be worried anyway at me going.=94= Martha smiled understandingly. =93It=92s okay, honey. We were worried about you, but I understand. I know you were worried about Clark, and you couldn=92t have known that he was safe all along. He just forgot, you know? Most of the time, when he has to leave to be Superman, he doesn=92t have tim= e to organise a proper cover story for himself, but he=92s rarely gone long enough for it to really matter. This time it did, but he was so busy, and so distressed about all those people Luthor killed, that he never thought that anyone would be wondering where Clark was.=94 =93Yeah, I can see that,=94 Lois answered slowly, sinking into a chair as Martha slid a mug of chocolate in front of her and sat opposite her. =93I guess I should have told you two I was worried about Clark, instead of just taking off.=94 But Clark=92s mother grimaced slightly then. =93I really don=92t know what w= e=92d have done if you had, honey. Of course, we knew Clark was okay, but we couldn=92t tell you that - and anyway, we were worried about him too. Luthor= could really kill him, and that terrifies us.=94 Lois swallowed, a huge lump building up in her throat as she remembered the previous evening=92s fight. =93I know,=94 she said at last, in little more t= han a whisper. =93I thought Luthor was going to kill him - I just couldn=92t move.= I stood there, completely helpless, watching them.... You know, Martha, he could have beaten Luthor then, last night. I saw him - it was incredible! Clark was so... he was just brilliant. He took Luthor down, had him pinned -= and then Luthor used me to distract Clark. If I hadn=92t been there... I know it was entirely my fault, and I can=92t blame Clark for getting angry with me, but I just couldn't move, Martha!=94 The words had simply tumbled out of her, and as she came to an abrupt finish Lois realised she couldn=92t= have blamed the older woman for being completely lost. But Martha reached across and took Lois=92s hand in hers. =93When did Clark = get angry with you?=94 she asked softly, sympathy flowing from her expression as= well as her tone. =93Back in his apartment - I left the hospital because I needed to see Clark= , I was scared that Luthor might have kept Superman out of Metropolis so he could kill more people... so I went to Clark=92s apartment. He wasn't there,= but Superman found me there. I asked him to get Clark for me, so he did.=94 She paused then, remembering those moments in the familiar surroundings of Clark=92s apartment. =93Anyway, he - Clark - came in, and for a moment it wa= s wonderful... he hugged me, he was pleased to see me, and I was *so*....=94 She trailed off, feeling embarrassed at the realisation that her words might have made it clear to Clark=92s mother how pleased she=92d been to see= her son. At least she hadn=92t given any clue to how much she=92d wanted Cla= rk to sweep her into his arms and kiss her - *really* kiss her. And how, now that she knew that was what she really wanted, it was so heartbreaking to realise that simply wasn=92t going to happen. It couldn't; Clark was Superman, for one thing, and he could have anyone he wanted: why would he want Lois Lane? Even if he wanted a relationship with anyone, that was. And for another, his behaviour, both as Clark since his revelation and as Superman before it had made it clear he didn=92t feel about her the way she did about him. =93And what then?=94 Martha prompted, recalling Lois=92s mind to her tale. =93He wanted me to let Superman take me back here, and I said I wouldn=92t g= o unless he came too - I told him how worried I=92d been about him, and he... he said it wasn=92t the same thing at all, and...=94 she broke off to catch = her breath, then continued jerkily. =93He got angry, and told me to *think* abou= t why it wasn=92t the same, why I never saw him and Superman together, said that if I was such a hot-shot reporter why hadn=92t I realised it before now= ! Well, maybe not in those words, as such,=94 Lois amended, =93but that=92s wh= at he meant.=94 Martha=92s grasp on Lois=92s hand tightened. =93Oh, honey, I=92m sure he did= n=92t mean it like that! Oh, sure, he might have been angry, but... tell me, Lois, how often have you seen Clark angry before?=94 Lois hesitated; anger was an emotion she just wouldn=92t associate with Clar= k normally. It was so unlike him. Her partner, for as long as she=92d known him, was invariably mild-mannered, good-humoured and kind, although he did have the occasional moments of sulkiness. Not anger. Except.... =93There was just one time,=94 she answered slowly, remembering the occasion. =93It was while I was engaged to Luthor, and we met when I was driving a car Lex had given me....=94 =93And why was Clark angry then?=94 Martha prompted, leading Lois to suspect= that Clark=92s mother was trying to make her recognise something. =93I guess... because he hated the thought of me with Luthor. He knew what the man was really like, and I know it tore him apart to think of me marrying him. I know that=92s why he wouldn=92t come to the wedding.=94 For a brief instant, Lois saw a strange expression cross Martha=92s face, bu= t it was gone before she could work out what it meant. Then the older woman smiled slightly. =93See? Clark only ever loses his temper when he=92s under = a lot of pressure - emotional pressure, or when things are happening he feels he has no control over.=94 She paused to allow her words to sink in before continuing. =93Did he tell you how worried he=92s been about you? How he thought Luthor had actually killed you, last night?=94 Lois stared at Martha, horrified. Clark had actually thought she was dead? =93I... didn=92t know,=94 she whispered; then, before she could help herself, another thought voiced itself. =93He let me think he was dead.=94 Martha blinked, before realisation obviously came to her and she sighed, her mouth turning downwards in dismay. =93Honey, *he* thought he was dead! No, really,=94 she added firmly as Lois was about to object. =93Clark Kent w= as dead. Okay, Superman wasn=92t, but don=92t you realise that he=92s really ju= st Clark Kent? Superman=92s only a disguise. Clark wanted to be able to use his= powers to help people, but he didn=92t want to be labelled as some kind of freak. There=92s a man under the disguise, and he just wants to have a norma= l life. When Clark was shot, he thought he=92d lost that normal life.=94 Lois was about to protest, but she bit back her words as the meaning of what Martha was saying hit her. Clark thought he=92d lost the life he=92d bu= ilt so carefully for himself. It was no wonder he hadn=92t thought about coming to reassure her; he=92d been too busy grieving for himself! So maybe... mayb= e she needed to cut him some slack over that. She'd have to think about it. And there was something else. =93He=92s had a horrible couple of days, hasn=92= t he, Martha? You said he was under pressure, and worried - he=92s been flying= around after Luthor, and then there was today, all those people dead - and then he went back to the hospital and found me gone, didn=92t he? That had t= o have been the last thing he needed after the day he'd had.=94 =93Well, he didn=92t tell us that - about going to the hospital and finding = you not there,=94 Martha pointed out. =93But even though you=92ve only just foun= d out Superman is really Clark, you must know Clark well enough to realise that he obsesses. If he thinks, for any reason, that he should have done something different, found a way to stop something happening, he=92ll obsess= about it and get himself into a state about it.=94 =93Yeah, I know, I=92ve seen him do it,=94 Lois admitted. =93So I guess that= by the time he saw me this evening he was pretty wound up. And he was right - my going back to Metropolis only made things worse for him. And then Luthor grabbed me, and I didn=92t get out of the way when Sup - Clark told me to, s= o I got hurt. It=92s not surprising he was mad at me.=94 To Lois=92s puzzlement, Martha seemed surprised at that. =93Oh, Lois, Clark wasn=92t mad at you! Trust me, I know my son! He=92s mad at Luthor, and at t= he fact that he=92s always had to hide the truth about himself from you - and a= t himself because you got hurt.=94 =93But... but that was nothing to do with Clark!=94 Lois protested. =93You try telling him that, honey! His father and I had him here late last night, trying to talk some sense into him. He was convinced that it was all his fault you were in the hospital. Which reminds me, Lois,=94 Clark=92s mot= her continued, =93how=92s your arm?=94 Lois shrugged. =93It=92s fine. The nurse put a clean dressing on it this afternoon and she told me to keep it covered for another few days.=94 Martha nodded. =93I should have some sterile dressings in the first-aid box.= When you live on a farm you can=92t be without that kind of thing! I=92ll change the dressing for you in the morning.=94 =93Thanks.=94 Lois got up, thinking it was probably time she went to bed: Jonathan would be in from the cowshed at any minute. But she halted on her way to the door, needing the answer to one more question. =93Martha, why didn=92t he tell me? Didn=92t he trust me? Didn=92t he think of me as a frie= nd at all?=94 Martha also got to her feet, moving towards Lois. =93Tell you he=92s Superma= n, you mean? Oh, honey, of course he trusted you! He=92s trusted you with his life, remember? Remember when you took out the Kryptonite bullet?=94 Lois nodded, and paled at the sudden realisation that it had really been *Clark* lying in agony, dying, on the floor of Lex Luthor=92s office. =93I don=92t think Clark ever realised what creating a dual identity would mean. He came up with the idea one day - he called us up and told us he needed a costume, then he flew home and asked me to make it. It all seemed so simple at the time, but I don=92t think he realised what it would be like= once Superman was established as a separate identity. Once people got to know Superman... once Clark started to develop the Superman persona and some people - like you, Lois - knew him as both people. Can you imagine the strain of pretending to be two separate people and keeping those parts of your identity separate, Lois?=94 Listening intently, Lois could only nod. She couldn=92t imagine living two lives, maintaining two such different personalities, and now that Martha was bringing the realities home to her she found that she couldn=92t imagine= how Clark had managed to keep up the pretence without letting anything slip.= =93And I think he did want to tell you, Lois - at least recently, I=92m sure= he was thinking about it. I know he was finding it more and more of a strain. But how do you tell someone something like that? I mean, you=92re his best friend. How could he just go up to you and tell you that he=92s been deceiving you for the past eighteen months by pretending to be two people? I=92d think that=92d be the hardest part about deciding to tell you about himself: just how to do it.=94 =93I guess,=94 Lois acknowledged softly. =93I mean, he knows me! I could hav= e screamed at him, thrown things, threatened to tell people - not that I would have,=94 she added quickly, in case Martha was concerned. =93I could h= ave decided I didn=92t want to be his friend any more,=94 she finished quietly. Martha touched her arm gently. =93By the way you spoke to him when he left here, and the way he looked at you, I think he thinks you=92ve done that already.=94 Horrified, Lois stared at Martha. =93No! No... no, I never meant that. I was= hurt! Hurt, and feeling betrayed, and disappointed, and confused... and the way he was with me back in his apartment really made me feel like I didn=92t= know him any more. That just wasn=92t the Clark I knew - I didn=92t know wha= t to think. And I guess I was cold, but I never meant him to think that.=94 =93So you still want to be his friend?=94 Martha asked. Lois nodded emphatically. =93He=92s the best friend I ever had - as Clark an= d as Superman. I don=92t want to lose him.=94 =93Well, that=92s okay then, you can tell him that when you see him next,=94= Martha responded cheerfully. =93And in the meantime, tomorrow I=92ll you the= real story of how we found him if you like. But now I think you should go to bed.=94 Taking a step closer to Lois, Martha enveloped her in a warm hug.= A few moments later Lois climbed the stairs towards Clark=92s old bedroom, feeling that while she had a lot to think about, and a lot she needed him to explain to her, she was no longer resentful towards Clark. *************** Luthor had certainly gone upmarket, Clark mused as he flew towards the near-= mansion Nigel St John had indicated once they=92d got close to it. He=92d either robbed a far bigger bank, or St John had had access to greater reserves of cash. However, what was worrying him far more at the moment was the fate of Jimmy Olsen. He could barely understand how Jimmy had become embroiled in this at all, though perhaps once Luthor hadn=92t been able to get hold of Lois he'd simply searched about for someone else known to be on some sort of good terms with Superman. It could just as easily have been Perry White, Murray Brown or the directors of several charities with which Superman had been associated over the past year or so. Getting closer to the house, Clark engaged his X-ray vision in an attempt to locate Jimmy; he had the intention, if at all possible, of flying in, dumping his passenger (and if St John had a bumpy landing, so much the better), grabbing Jimmy and flying out again with his young friend before going back to deal with Luthor once and for all. His anger against Lex Luthor was by now pretty much at boiling point, though that was something he hadn=92t really dwelt on too much. Luthor had needlessly caused the death= s of several innocent people that day, between the landslide and the bridge collapse, and had risked the lives and health of others with that chemical fire. He had murdered six people in cold blood the previous day. And if all that was not enough to rouse Superman=92s fury, he had attacked Lois last night, in a manner which suggested indifference to her fate. Right now, Superman was as close to feeling murderous as he could possibly be. Slowly scanning the building, Clark suddenly saw Jimmy: he was lying in a crumpled heap in a room on the house=92s middle floor. The young man was bleeding, Clark could see, and his gut twisted again. First Lois, now Jimmy: how many of his friends - and how many other people - would suffer for his stupidity in allowing Luthor to get his powers in the first place, and his failure to capture the man since that mistake? =93You can use the open window around the back,=94 Nigel St John=92s superci= lious voice intruded on his thoughts. Clark merely nodded, not feeling any urge to be polite to the man. He flew into the house and, maintaining a very tight grip on St John, moved at near Super-speed through the building until he reached the room where he=92d seem Jimmy. He threw the door open, preparing to rush in, dump St John - preferably on top of Lex Luthor - and grab Jimmy, and fly out again immediately. But as he hurried in, he heard Jimmy cry out to him weakly, =93No... Superman, no... get out!=94 Clark turned his head, seeing Jimmy curled up in a foetal ball on the floor, pain showing in the lines on his face, but with a frantic expression in his eyes. At precisely that moment, waves of a familiar, sickening pain coursed through Clark, and he dropped St John in shock. Luthor had Kryptonite. He should have known, should have expected that Luthor wouldn=92t try the same plan twice. He had failed to overpower Superman last night, so it was only to be expected that this time he would have made sure the odds were unfairly in his favour. That Nigel St John was now in the picture ought to have alerted Clark to the possibility that Luthor had been able to get his hands on some Kryptonite. And he could see it now: not a very large piece, but it was glowing fiercely as Luthor idly tossed it up and down in the palm of his hand. The man was enjoying this, Clark could see. Luthor=92s mouth was curved into a very self-satisfied smile as he watched the man he regarded as his arch-foe stumble and strive to keep his balance. =93Well, Superman, I see your reaction to this little souvenir of home hasn=92= t changed since I previously made you acquainted with it,=94 Luthor drawled then, stepping closer. Clark took a step backwards; he could feel his strength draining away faster the closer Luthor got to him. Frantically he tried to think of a way out. Was he already too weak to run? He knew he couldn=92t fly; his powers were already gone, he suspected. If he ran, what would happen? Luthor would come after him, that was for sure. And this time, Luthor would kill him. But there was still Jimmy, who was still lying, barely moving, on the floor. Once he=92d failed to prevent Superman from coming into contact with the Kryptonite, the young man had seemed to lose what little strength he had. Clark raised pain-filled eyes to Luthor. =93Let Olsen go. He=92s not pa= rt of this, and he needs help.=94 =93You=92re in no position to demand anything, Superman,=94 St John snapped curtly. =93The boy stays, as guarantor of your good behaviour.=94 As if in illustration of this, St John strolled over to Jimmy, kicking him hard in the ribs. A low, pain-filled groan emanated from the huddled figure on the floor. Clark=92s strength was ebbing fast now, and as Luthor came ever closer to hi= m he felt his vision blurring and excruciating pain washing over him. He reached out blindly, gripping at the back of a chair to steady himself, and he heard Luthor emit an exclamation of triumph. =93Prepare to die, Superman!=94 Lex cried exultantly, and Clark forced himse= lf to focus, to concentrate on what was happening and to fight, *fight* against the overwhelming pain and the weakness and the nausea. He had to get out of this - he had to! How else was Luthor to be stopped? And anyway, he had to sort things out with Lois - he couldn=92t leave her while she was still angry with him, could he? He needed to talk to her, so he couldn=92t die just yet.... He was vaguely aware that he was being irrational, but he wasn't in any frame of mind to care. Dimly, he registered that Luthor had put the Kryptonite down somewhere, since Luthor was standing very close to him and yet the pain had receded, very slightly. Not that it mattered at all, since he was so weakened that Luthor could snap his neck with one tiny squeeze. He was so close to dying now; he could sense the murderous intent in his enemy=92s mind, feel Luthor already anticipating the joy of having his arch-= foe=92s dead body laid out in front of him. Suddenly, in a confused, blurry succession, several things seemed to happen at once. Luthor was beginning to talk about the various ways he=92d considered putting an end to Superman=92s existence, when there was a movement from behind the domino-clad man. That was swiftly followed by the loud crashing of breaking glass, and immediately after that splinters were flying everywhere; Clark was vaguely aware of St John muttering and ducking. A couple of splinters hit him, and with a sort of dazed fascination he stared at the pin-pricks of blood appearing on his arm. Then Luthor had moved away from him, and he could hear snatches of conversation... =93You *idiot*! What were you...=94 =93...the Kryptonite...=94 =93...that fool Olsen...=94 =93...gone... thought he was too badly hurt to...=94 =93...why didn=92t you *stop* him?=94 =93...not the one with Super-powers...=94 Footsteps, people blocking the light at the window... more voices... =93...can=92t see him anywhere...=94 =93...has to be dead... couldn=92t possibly have survived... twelve feet or more...=94 Slowly the wooziness in Clark=92s head was beginning to clear, and he was able to work out what had happened. Jimmy - poor, brave, *generous* Jimmy - had grabbed the Kryptonite and thrown it - and himself - out of the window in order to save Superman. And had no doubt killed himself in the process, Clark realised, a sense of deep sorrow washing over him at the thought of his friend=92s fate. There was no way an already badly injured Jimmy could have survived such a fall, surely? Jimmy had to have given his life to save Superman. With that realisation came sudden, furious anger. Lex Luthor had caused Jimmy=92s death. And if Jimmy had given up his life in order that Superman might have a chance at living, then Superman fully intended to seize that chance. Luthor and St John were still conferring at the window, Luthor bemoaning the loss of the Kryptonite and ordering Nigel to go out in search of it. Clark considered his options. He dearly wanted to march up to the pair of them and extract his own form of revenge for their actions: not for Jimmy alone, though his young friend and colleague was yet another mark on the tally Clark was keeping of Luthor=92s evildoing. But he knew that he didn=92t stand a chance at the moment against a fully Super-powered Luthor. If he tried to fight Luthor now, he would be killed. And that was not what Jimmy had died for. Much though his will rebelled at it, Clark knew that his best option for the moment was retreat. And quickly, before his would-be captors realised that he=92d recovered. Silently, swiftly, despite still feeling extremely weak, he padded towards the door and exited the room, moving equally quietly and quickly through the house and letting himself out a back door, then finding a shadowed corner in which to hide while his strength returned. A few moments later, he heard a roar of sheer rage and frustration. His absence had been discovered, and clearly Luthor hadn=92t been able to locate= him. Holding his breath and hoping against hope that it wouldn=92t occur to Luthor to use X-ray vision to sweep the area, Clark was rewarded a minute later by the sound of a sonic boom. Luthor and St John were leaving. *************** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 15:18:44 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Gerry Anklewicz Subject: Re: Fanfic recommendations In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU writes: >Now, my own recommendation: I've just finished reading a new story on the >Archive. It's called The Dawn of Discovery, by C. Leuch, and it's a >fascinating insight into Lois and Clark's teenage son's discovery of his >true nature. There's a lot more to it than that, but this is the core of >the premise. What impressed me, among other things, was the way the author >got inside the mind of a fifteen-year-old boy who is adjusting to learning >some amazing things about himself and his father. I enjoyed it very much, >and it's well worth a read. I agree with Wendy. The Dawn of Discovery was a very good read. Jon is an interesting and developing character. I can see this as a jumping off point for many other stories. Congratulations C. Leuch Gerry ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 15:26:49 -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: Tryst -- no spoilers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Oy, Pam, what are you doing to us? Another story that we don't know how many > more parts are coming! I can't tell you how many of these are sitting unread > in my mailbox already. Please, those of you with unfinished stories, when you > finally send us the last installment, be sure to put END or something like > that in the subject line so I know I can start reading it. There are too many > now in this situation for me to get into the middle of and have to keep > straight! Yeah, that's a good idea, Laurie, I'll try to remember that. And I usually wouldn't post this here before it's finished, but I've been posting it on the message boards and I figured I might as well do the same here. Sort of an experiment :) > (Oh, and Pam's Tryst is a fantastic, > edge-of-the-seat story, and I can't wait for her to finish it, so Pam, > you'd better be writing or else I'll be organising a posse to come round > your place and tie you to your computer!). As long as you bring baby-sitters along, you're more than welcome! :D Thanks for the kind words... -- 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: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 20:02:21 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: Unconditional (1/1) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed This is just a little short thing inspired by Clay Davidson's song "Unconditional." Those of you who've heard the song will recognize some (modified) lyrics in the dialogue. Those of you who haven't, what are you waiting for? Listen to it! (But no, you don't need to have heard it to get the story). And yes, I stole my title from the song. Unconditional By Bethy July 2, 2000 Feedback: Welcome. Heck, even begged for! Either here on the list, or privately to jextra42@hotmail.com It was past one when he stumbled through the door. There was liquor on his breath and he almost enjoyed the sensation of being drunk. As he slowly made his way into the house, he paused often to make the room stop spinning. Bad room! Stop spinning! Oh, but being drunk was fun. Such a feeling of freedom, the lack of responsibility. He felt he could just float on air and relax for hours. As a matter of fact. . .His feet slowly left the ground until he was in a position parallel to the floor. Much better. Oh, no. Not better. He needed to get down. Now! Oh, how he wished the room would stop spinning. He held his head in his hands, moaning as he attempted to keep the bile from rising in his throat. Finally, he was able to get up and continue on his way. Though the lights in the kitchen were off, he could still make out a shadowy form sitting at the table. Uh oh. It was his dad. *Shoot. I’m dead.* A brief flash of irony peeked into the recesses of his alcohol-clouded brain, reminding him that as far as they knew, nothing short of kryptonite could kill him. Of course, they hadn't factored an angry superpowered father into that equation. He pasted a weak grin on his face and pretended ignorance. “Dad! What are you still doing up?” The room swayed again and he sat down with a plop. “You know very well what I’m still doing up.” His father’s voice was stern, but also laced with disappointment. “What’s this? The fifth time this month? Why do you keep doing this, A.J.? What’s so bad that you feel you have to retreat into alcohol?” At first, A.J. felt a smidgen of remorse at the disappointment in his father’s tone. But then he felt anger. “What’s so bad? What’s so bad, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you what’s so bad! I’m different! You hear that? Different! I can fly, I can see too far, I can hear too much…Drinking is the only way that I can feel normal! Don’tcha get it? It’s the only time that I feel human!” His voice broke and he ceased his tirade. “I’m just so tired of being different.” “And you don’t think I understand? I went through the same thing, A.J. Except I had no idea where I came from, what was happening to me.” His father’s voice was sympathetic as he tried to connect with his son. Then it hardened. “But I never did. . .this! I didn’t go off and get drunk, worrying my parents sick and doing who knows what until all hours of the night! This has to stop, A.J. I mean it.” His father heaved a sigh and issued his ultimatum. “You are of legal adult age now, so. . .either you stop drinking or you get out. Your mother and I won’t live like this anymore.” “Fine.” A.J.’s voice was terse. “Fine. You want it that way? Okay. Fine. I’ll leave. In fact, I’ll leave right now! Adios, *dad.*” He said the last word with a sarcastic tinge hiding the hurt he felt inside. No. This was no time to think about that. He just had to leave. Before he slammed the door on his way out, he turned to his father and spat out the words, “I hate you!” His father just shook his head sadly and replied, “Okay. But you can’t stop my love for you. If you ever want to come back, it’ll be here.” A.J. was out the door, but his father knew he could still hear him, so he continued to speak. “As long as I’m living on this earth, one thing is true: You can turn away, forget me, curse my name, whatever you want. But love won’t let me let you go. A.J., always remember, my love is unconditional.” * * * Six months later. Clark was proud of his son. Periodically he would go check on him, make sure he was doing all right. He was still drinking, but at least he hadn’t given away the family secret during any of his binges. It still broke Clark’s heart to see his son so alone, so lost, but he couldn’t force him to come home. He was on his way home from work when he heard the squealing tires. “It’s all right. Go. I’ll meet you at home.” Lois shared his hurt over A.J., but at this moment was recognizing what she liked to call his “Superman look.” He gave her a quick kiss, said, “I love you,” and rushed off. He flew until he reached a deserted side road. The only thing visible, aside from trees blurred by the coming darkness, was a single car crushed up against a tree. When he reached the wreck, his heart stopped for a brief moment. *A.J.* He didn’t recognize the blue Volvo, but that didn’t matter – he would recognize that heartbeat anywhere. Making up for lost time, he swooped down to the crash site. Thankfully, there had only been two people in the car, and the other object of the collision, a tree, seemed to be doing fine. The occupants of the car, however, were a different matter. A.J. sat outside the car, blood covering his upper body. He tenderly embraced the girl in his arms, crooning reassurances to unheeding ears. Clark listened, but it only confirmed what he already knew: she was dead. “A.J.” That was all he said, but his son immediately looked up and his composure cracked. “Dad,” he choked out. “Oh, Dad.” Thankfully, there was nobody else around to hear Clark Kent’s son call Superman ‘Dad,’ but Clark wasn’t even thinking about that now. He bent down to cradle his son. “Dad, she’s dead. And it’s all my fault.” The torrent of tears grew in intensity. Clark just rocked his son, uttering soft, comforting noises as he waited for the flood to end. “It’s okay, son. Just let it out. Don’t be afraid to cry.” “Dad, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” A.J. kept repeating the phrase, until it sounded almost mechanical. “I’m sorry. . .i’m sorry. . .sorry. . .sorry.” “Come on, let’s go.” Superman gently picked up his son, who was still cradling the girl. After dropping the girl off at the hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival, he took his son home. He would deal with the girl’s family later, right now he had to see to his son. * * * A.J. slept ‘till noon and woke up to the sight of his old bedroom – exactly as he had left it. He moved slowly, still reeling from his girlfriend’s death. “A.J.?” He heard his dad’s uncertain voice. “You up?” A.J. simply nodded. When Clark entered, A.J. fell into his arms, weeping again. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. I should’ve. I didn’t, and now Phoebe’s dead. I’m sorry.” “Do you want to talk about it?” “No. Yes. I don’t know.” “Sometimes it helps to just get it out.” Nodding, A.J. began. “As I’m sure you know, I stayed in the same rut after I left home.” At his dad’s surprised look, he added, “Yeah, I knew you were checking up on me. “I met Phoebe even before I left home. I liked her, so we kept seeing each other. We partied a lot, but I found that as time went on, the alcohol was affecting me less and less.” Clark nodded. He’d expected this reaction to alcohol, but hadn’t known how long it would take. “When the alcohol didn’t work anymore, I had to find other ways of burying the pain. I started doing crazy stunts, you know, for the adrenaline rush. But that never lasted long. Since I couldn’t get hurt, I never worried. And I always thought I was in control enough to protect anybody else. I guess not. “I was showing off to Phoebe. Driving on the wrong side of the road, doing donuts in intersections, running into ditches and coming back up. Stupid, I know, but we were having fun, I guess. There was a patch of black ice, I think. I didn’t see anything, didn’t suspect a thing until the car slid out of control. Stupid me, I thought I’d always be able to handle anything, but when you’re inside the car, things are different. I couldn’t control it. I couldn’t save her, Dad.” A.J. cried again, letting out some of the guilt and grief in his soul. “I couldn’t save her.” Suddenly, he looked up at his dad, wiping tears from his cheeks. “Why are you being so understanding? Why aren’t you saying ‘I told you so’ and kicking me out? Why?” Clark’s gaze was gentle. “I told you before, my love is unconditional. I meant it then, and I mean it now. I love you, and I will love you forever. And we will get through this. Together.” Fin. I know I could go into depth and add all sorts of stuff to this story, but I just wanted a short look at a 'what if.' I'm open to suggestions, and comments, but I won't be expanding this a whole lot (unless, of course, inspiration strikes). :-) Bethy ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 15:46:15 -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: Bitter Sweet Actuality, Pt 1/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit seems like this is going to be really interesting keep it coming merry -= LuC =- wrote: > Hello all. This is the first time I've gone public with any of my fanfic. > This one is called Bitter Sweet Actuality, and it begins at the Pilot, and > then...well, you'll see :) I don't know when I'll upload the next > installments (as i write them) because things are busy a/t/m but soon i > hope. > Any comments, constructive criticism etc are more than welcome at > hyperionx@hotmail.com > > All standard disclaimers apply. All characters trademarked and copyrighted > to their respective owners. > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > Bitter, Sweet Actuality > by Luc Di Gregorio > Rated PG > > The Daily Planet, 1993. > ---------------------- > > "What is it, Lois?" Bellowed Perry, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet. > So much for a world-class newspaper, though Perry, gazing at the man in > front of him. > "Chief- space station Prometheus. I think there's a story here." > "Not now, Lois!" What in the Sam Hill is going on here, Perry thought. I'm > trying to conduct an interview! > "Lois Lane… Clark Kent." > Clark had risen as soon as he saw her enter the room. Mesmerised by her > beauty, he nodded at her, but it seemed as if she barely acknowledged his > presence. > Lois' words barely had time to register with Perry, and before he could give > her some kind of answer, she was called away to answer a phone call. Perry's > anger rose scarlet red in his face and he touched his pulse with his > fingers. > "I tell ya- If that woman wasn't the best damn investigative reporter I've > ever seen… I'd…" > > Lois returned the receiver to the telephone and sighed. Bobby knew nothing. > Or at least, he wasn't willing to talk to her unless she delivered him some > fried rice and pickles pronto. > "I don't have time for this." She mumbled and shuffled some papers on her > desk. > I mean, really!, Lois thought. This is a matter of national importance and > all he can think about is stuffing his stomach until the cows come home! She > should have known- > "Miss Lane?" a gentle voice called at her and ushered her back to reality. > Irritated and not looking up, she responded with her > I'm-a-top-reporter-don't-waste-my-time tone of voice. > "Yes?" > "Errr… I was wondering if we could perhaps have a word." > The man, in his early fifties, with gray waving hair and a top hat that > didn't match the color of his dated suit, adjusted his glasses > uncomfortably. > "Well, so far Mister, we've had about twenty words and I have work to do so > unless it's about the scoop of the year…" > She still hadn't looked up. > "It's something far more important than that, Miss Lane. It's about…well… > the future." Lois looked up, rolling her eyes impatiently. > "Do I know you Mr…" > "Wells. H.G. Wells." > Lois, trying to suppress the laughter that she thought might so rudely > offend this man, found it hard not to give him a sarcastic smile. > "Yeah, and I'm King Kong. And he," Lois quickly grabbed Jimmy's arm as he > walked past, "…he's George Bush." Jimmy, confused and carrying a bag of > doughnuts for the chief, raised his eyebrows at Lois and headed for Perry's > office. > Lois gazed at the man standing before her and gave an exasperated sigh > followed by a typical don't-waste-my-time look. > "So… if you'll take yourself to…wherever it is you live…and…write a novel or > something, then I'll get back to researching the story of the century." > Wells rolled his eyes, much to his surprise. He was losing his patience- > something very uncharacteristic even for him. > "I rather dislike doing this with you. Yes, quite." He mumbled at her. > "Doing what, exactly. Wasting my time?" Lois looked at him and waited for an > explanation. Wells hated resorting to having to prove himself, and > reluctantly, he pulled a rolled up newspaper from the inside of his jacket > pocket, and handed it to Lois. > "Take a look, Miss Lane." > Lois stared at him dubiously. "Give me that!" She looked at him as she > unrolled it, and rolled her eyes. Looking down at the headline, she read it > out loud. > "Lois Lane and Clark …. Kent…to….WED?????? Dated…October…1996????" She > looked at him confused. > "Who's…Clark Kent? The guy that Perry was interviewing?" She began to lose > her patience and rose out of her chair. > "Just what are you playing out, buster! 1996 is three years from now… I > don't even know this…Clark Kent!" Lois' voice had risen dramatically and > people had stopped in their tracks. Perry popped his head around his office > door. > "Lois? What in Graceland's name are you doin'?" > Lois looked suddenly lost. "I…I… I'm sorry Perry. But this man says…" And > with that she gazed at the newspaper and rolled it up swiftly. "This man > says that…he can help me with a story." > "A story. Yes, quite." Wells echoed Lois' words and people resumed their > courses. Perry, not convinced, closed the door to his office. > Lois looked daggers at the man before her. She pointed to the conference > room. > "Get in there!" > > Lois raised a hand to her forehead and rested her head on it. It had been a > very long and exciting couple of days, and her patience was worn extremely > thin as she went over the man's story for the umpteenth time. > "So, let me get this straight." > "Quite." > "You're…really HG Wells. And…and… you're from the past…but really from the > future because…some mad man who was trying to kill some…super…man…to stop a > utopian future…realised he couldn't kill him so now he's taken me, or at > least, the me in the future, so he can stop me marrying some alien?" > "Well-" > "Oh, and wait. I forgot the part about me getting married to this country > boy who actually IS super…superman… Oh.. god… what am I doing here? I have > work to do!" > She gave an exasperated sigh and rose. > "Miss Lane, please. If only you'll let me… prove it to you." He was hanging > on to a thin thread, having expected it to be easier to persuade Lois. He > licked his lips. His mouth was dry and clammy and he wanted this to be over > with. > "Please, Miss Lane. Come with me." > > -=Metropolis, 1996=- > > "So, I'm just supposed to sit back and watch while you do all that on your > own?" Lois' quizzical look made Clark edgy. > > "Well, I…I just thought-" > > "Clark, honey." Lois lowered her voice and smiled. "You may be able to…bend > steel in your bear hands, leap tall buildings in a single bound…but I…have > great legs." Lois' look changed in an instant. > Clark smiled, embarrassed. > > "Together, we…make a perfect being." He locked his lips with hers and > desire rose in him. He pulled away, aware of their surroundings. Lois smiled > and lay her hands on his chest. She was still amazed when she ran her hands > over her husbands chest, how well defined he was. Her hands moved to his > back and hugged him. She smiled as her hands wondered down below, as she > placed them firmly on his buttocks. > > "Lois, not here!" Clark's protest was not a genuine one. > > "Why? Who's gonna talk? We're married!" Lois smiled at him longingly. "I > think we should go home and, uhm…relax." > > "Lois," Clark said, falling harder under Lois' spell. "That sounds, > oh-so-great, but… we have work to do." With this, Lois looked up at him > disappointed, raising an eyebrow. > > "Shucks, Clark." > > "I'm sorry, honey. It's just that Perry wants that story by noon." He raised > his hand to her cheek and smiled at her. > > With the blink of an eye, Lois disappeared into thin air. > > ________________________________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 21:09:11 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nicole Wolke Subject: OT: change of email addy Comments: To: Angelika Decristan , Annette Ciotola , Annette Stotz , Anthony Spears , Brenda Arendt , Carolyn Schnall , Chris Patterson , Christy Kubit , "Christy Kubit (home)" , Crystal Wimmer , Dean Cain Fan List , Deutsche LnC Liste , Doris Schmill , Dorothee Pinkert , "Eileen F. Ray" , Felix , Georgia Walden , =?iso-8859-1?Q?G=FCnther?= Sigmund , Helene , Joan Anderson , Katja Harnisch 2 , Klaus und Simone =?iso-8859-1?Q?G=F6rgen?= <100.356032@germanynet.de>, Klaus Wolke , Lauscher , Lynn Leffler , Loiscla , Martina Koerber , Mary Mayland , Melissa Hall , Michi Nitzschfitz , Natascha Kortum , nfiction Liste , Nicole Wagner , Petra Helbig , Petra Helbig 2 , Petra Sauer , Petra Steudle , Renate Nauer , "Renate Nauer (=?iso-8859-1?Q?B=FCro?=)" , Renate Ziegler , Renate Ziegler , Rene und Tina Bantes , Stefan Bauer , Stefan Bauer , Steffi und Udo Peschel , Tina Bantes , "Ulrich Welschof (=?iso-8859-1?Q?B=FCro?=)" , Wendy Richards , Wendy Richards , Yvonne Connell , Zoomway MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sorry to everyone, who gets this twice. My email addy has changed (again :-)). The new addy is actually my old one: NKWolke@t-online.de talk to you soon :-) Nicole AKA CKgroupie on IRC NKWolke@t-online.de ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 19:11:56 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Alexis W." Subject: LnC requests Comments: To: afolcslife@egroups.com, deancainfans@egroups.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi... First of all I want to apologize to those of you who get this more than once. I'm looking for an FoLC in the states who have all 4 eps from the New Kryptonian arc on tape. I would have taped them myself but the ep I tried taping today died when my VCR mysteriousiously turned itself off. :( I need someone who has real clear versions of these eps too! I know that may sound weird but I like my shows to look as perfect as possible. Anyway I think they eps are appropiately titled, TAGD,BGDF,LOTF and BE. If you can help please email me privately at LoisLane9397@aol.com I will be providing you with the tape in order to put the eps on. Also, I was wondering if someone could tell me how I could get piano sheet music from Lois and Clark? Thanks, Alexis ;-.) "Clark, you idiot. It's taken me a year to get this close..." (Lois) [Clark pulls her into his arms as they start to dance.] "This close?" (Clark) "I would have thought square dancing was more your style." (Lois) {Lnc, Pilot} ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 00:49:31 +0100 Reply-To: "yconnell@ukf.net" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: yconnell Subject: Re: Tryst (4/?) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wow, Pam! When you warned of death, I had to skip through to find out who, what and where before I could settle down , but now I know how you're writing this, it's brilliant! Your usual light, deft touch is to the fore, and I'm looking forward to more (hey, that rhymes! ). Yvonne (yconnell@ukf.net) ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 21:21:35 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Alexis W." Subject: "ADITLOM" (RPG) Thirty-Sixth Installment, Week #37 (Part 1 of 1) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable This is the thirty-sixth installment of my rpg on yahoo called, "A Day in th= e=20 Life of Metropolis." =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 Lois Lane: Alexis W. Clark Kent: Alexis W. Bruce Wayne: Sam F. Jimmy Olsen: Tina T. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D * * * * WEEK #37 (6/26 TO 7/2) Re: To the Restaurant Bruce looked out the windown. =E2=80=9CThere it is.=E2=80=9D Alfred pulled up in front of the restaurant, then opened the door. Bruce go= t=20 out first and offered Lois his hand Lois smiled as she laid her hand within Bruce=E2=80=99s. *Man he=E2=80=99s=20= got some nice=20 fingers...* she thought to herself. >tbc< * * * * Re: Back at the Manor Clark shifted his feet uncomfortably as Jimmy was waiting for him to explain= =20 himself once again. =E2=80=9CUh, I think I hear the phone ringing...excuse me!=E2=80=9D For once the phone was really ringing, so it was one of the best excuses=20 Clark had ever made in his whole life! >tbc< * * * * Re: To the Restaurant He helped her out of the car and offered her his arm. Lois grabbed onto his arm so she could get out of the car. She then moved=20 her hand down to his fingers and started massaging them. Bruce pulled away=20 and laid her hand back on his arm. *Hmm...I guess he=E2=80=99s not ready fo= r that=20 just yet!* she thought. *Did it just get warm out here...I think I=E2=80=99m going to call and check= -in on=20 Sam, if she saw me leave she could be a little annoyed. Not that I=E2=80= =99m not=20 feeling the same way, but I know how she gets. I want to make sure and talk= =20 to her before I go out tonight.* With Lois=E2=80=99 arm in his, they walked into the restaurant together. Th= e maitre=20 =E2=80=98d looked up at their approach. =E2=80=9CHow may I help you?=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CTable for two for Wayne.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CDo you have a reservation?=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CNo.=E2=80=9D He stopped for a minute, then suddenly his jaw dropped. =E2=80=9CIt will be= just a=20 minute, Mr Wayne.=E2=80=9D He quickly walked away. After a couple of minutes, he came back and led them to their table. Bruce=20 held the chair for Lois as she sat down. He then moved to his chair. The=20 maitre d=E2=80=99 walked away. >tbc< * * * * Re: Back in the Manor =E2=80=9CYeah sure CK we can talk later,=E2=80=9D Jimmy winked at Clark whil= e he was leaving. Jimmy decided to go back to the dining room and look for Lucy. He was=20 seperated from her the night before and he didn=E2=80=99t ever want that to=20= happen=20 again. She was sitting in the same spot where he had left her. Lucy got up= =20 and gave him a hug. =E2=80=9CI misssed you Jimmy,=E2=80=9D she sighed as she wrapped her arms ar= ound him. =E2=80=9CIt was only a short time, Lucy,=E2=80=9D he replied but then added,= =E2=80=9CI missed you=20 too.=E2=80=9D The pair decided that they had their fill of the food and walked out togethe= r=20 into the next room. No on they knew was around so they just wandered from=20 room to room until they came across the den. =E2=80=9CI slept in here last night,=E2=80=9D Jimmy said. =E2=80=9CAt least= I think I did. I=20 don=E2=80=99t really remember much about last night.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CI don=E2=80=99t remember that much either. I guess we=E2=80=99re b= oth in the same boat. =20 Well there isn=E2=80=99t anyone we know around here to tell us what happened= so why=20 don=E2=80=99t we just cuddle on the couch over here and keep ourselves warm,= =E2=80=9D Lucy=20 added as she pulled him towards the couch in the middle of the room. =E2=80=9CI wouldn=E2=80=99t mind that a bit,=E2=80=9D Jimmy said as they sat= down. =20 As soon as they hit the cushions, they instantly fell asleep in each other= =E2=80=99s=20 arms. >tbc< * * * * Re: To the Restaurant =E2=80=9CI just loved the look on his face when he noticed who you were, did= n=E2=80=99t=20 you?=E2=80=9D Lois commented. =E2=80=9CIt reminds me of when I try to go to= restaurants. =20 When Clark tries to get the reservations, nobody even cares. When I step up= =20 and take over they are falling over backwards!=E2=80=9D she laughed. =E2= =80=9CI told Kent=20 that he should let me do the talking, but does he listen? No! He just keeps= =20 going on and on...=E2=80=9D Lois babbled. Bruce smiled. =E2=80=9CI do like that, most of the time. Sometimes not bei= ng known=20 would be nice.=E2=80=9D >tbc< * * * * Look for Week #38 coming to PC near you! Enjoy! Alexis ;-.) {"ADITLOM" arbitrator} "Clark, you idiot. It's taken me a year to get this close..." (Lois) [Clark pulls her into his arms as they start to dance.]=20 "This close?" (Clark) "I would have thought square dancing was more your style." (Lois) {Lnc, Pilot} =20 =20 ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 00:58:20 -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: "ADITLOM" (RPG) Thirty-Sixth Installment, Week #37 (Part 1 of 1) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Good installment Alexis. more soon please - that's SOON! merry "Alexis W." wrote: > This is the thirty-sixth installment of my rpg on yahoo called, "A Day in the > Life of Metropolis." > > Public and private feedback is more than welcomed! =) > > ===================== > Cast List > > Lois Lane: Alexis W. > Clark Kent: Alexis W. > Bruce Wayne: Sam F. > Jimmy Olsen: Tina T. > > ================ > > * * * * > WEEK #37 > (6/26 TO 7/2) > > Re: To the Restaurant > > Bruce looked out the windown. “There it is.†> Alfred pulled up in front of the restaurant, then opened the door. Bruce got > out first and offered Lois his hand > > Lois smiled as she laid her hand within Bruce’s. *Man he’s got some nice > fingers...* she thought to herself. > > >tbc< > > * * * * > Re: Back at the Manor > > Clark shifted his feet uncomfortably as Jimmy was waiting for him to explain > himself once again. > > “Uh, I think I hear the phone ringing...excuse me!†> For once the phone was really ringing, so it was one of the best excuses > Clark had ever made in his whole life! > > >tbc< > > * * * * > Re: To the Restaurant > > He helped her out of the car and offered her his arm. > Lois grabbed onto his arm so she could get out of the car. She then moved > her hand down to his fingers and started massaging them. Bruce pulled away > and laid her hand back on his arm. *Hmm...I guess he’s not ready for that > just yet!* she thought. > > *Did it just get warm out here...I think I’m going to call and check-in on > Sam, if she saw me leave she could be a little annoyed. Not that I’m not > feeling the same way, but I know how she gets. I want to make sure and talk > to her before I go out tonight.* > > With Lois’ arm in his, they walked into the restaurant together. The maitre > ‘d looked up at their approach. > > “How may I help you?†> “Table for two for Wayne.†> “Do you have a reservation?†> “No.†> He stopped for a minute, then suddenly his jaw dropped. “It will be just a > minute, Mr Wayne.†He quickly walked away. > > After a couple of minutes, he came back and led them to their table. Bruce > held the chair for Lois as she sat down. He then moved to his chair. The > maitre d’ walked away. > > >tbc< > > * * * * > Re: Back in the Manor > > “Yeah sure CK we can talk later,†Jimmy winked at Clark while he was leaving. > > Jimmy decided to go back to the dining room and look for Lucy. He was > seperated from her the night before and he didn’t ever want that to happen > again. She was sitting in the same spot where he had left her. Lucy got up > and gave him a hug. > > “I misssed you Jimmy,†she sighed as she wrapped her arms around him. > “It was only a short time, Lucy,†he replied but then added, “I missed you > too.†> > The pair decided that they had their fill of the food and walked out together > into the next room. No on they knew was around so they just wandered from > room to room until they came across the den. > > “I slept in here last night,†Jimmy said. “At least I think I did. I > don’t really remember much about last night.†> > “I don’t remember that much either. I guess we’re both in the same boat. > Well there isn’t anyone we know around here to tell us what happened so why > don’t we just cuddle on the couch over here and keep ourselves warm,†Lucy > added as she pulled him towards the couch in the middle of the room. > > “I wouldn’t mind that a bit,†Jimmy said as they sat down. > > As soon as they hit the cushions, they instantly fell asleep in each other’s > arms. > > >tbc< > > * * * * > Re: To the Restaurant > > “I just loved the look on his face when he noticed who you were, didn’t > you?†Lois commented. “It reminds me of when I try to go to restaurants. > When Clark tries to get the reservations, nobody even cares. When I step up > and take over they are falling over backwards!†she laughed. “I told Kent > that he should let me do the talking, but does he listen? No! He just keeps > going on and on...†Lois babbled. > > Bruce smiled. “I do like that, most of the time. Sometimes not being known > would be nice.†> > >tbc< > > * * * * > Look for Week #38 coming to PC near you! > > Enjoy! > > Alexis ;-.) > {"ADITLOM" arbitrator} > > "Clark, you idiot. It's taken me a year to get this close..." (Lois) > [Clark pulls her into his arms as they start to dance.] > "This close?" (Clark) > "I would have thought square dancing was more your style." (Lois) > {Lnc, Pilot} > > > > ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 23:43:20 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Courtney ^Å^" Subject: New: The Ultimate Source of Power NOTE: I wrote this little piece to be nothing more than a short, cute joke, and I wrote it at like 1:30 in the morning, and this is only my second attempt at fanfic writing, and I'm only 19 years old so please be gentle! THE ULTIMATE SOURCE OF POWER By Estrellita (email all FDK to estrellita99@collegeclub.com) It was a calm, quiet Saturday afternoon in Metropolis, and Clark Kent was very much enjoying this golden opportunity to relax with his fiancee, Lois Lane. She had found out about his big secret about a month ago and started speaking to him again about three weeks ago. Her anger had finally subsided about two weeks ago, and had just recently pretty much returned back to the land of sanity where Clark was concerned, much to his relief. “You know, Clark, I’ve always wondered about something. Where do your powers come from?” He cocked an eyebrow at her and asked, “Do you really wanna know?” “Well sure I do! I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know, lunkhead!” “Okay, then come with me and I’ll show you.” He opened his cabinet and Lois burst into a fit of giggles. “Clark Kent, you never cease to amaze me. Now tell me the truth. Where do your powers come from?” “Lois, I am telling you the truth. I promised you no more lying, remember? I meant it.” “You’re serious? You mean to tell me that THIS is the source of your powers?” “Yeap, sure is.” “Man, can you imagine what would happen if the world found out that the only reason Superman is so strong and as fast is because he eats his (Super)Wheaties?” The End! *ducks from flying tomatoes and such* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why is College Club the largest and fastest growing college student site? Find out for yourself at http://www.collegeclub.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 08:50:39 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: When Lightning Strikes Twice Part 20/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 7/2/00 7:04:03 PM !!!First Boot!!!, wendy@KINGSMEADOWCR.FREESERVE.CO.UK writes: << This is only about half-way through, I'm afraid, but posts will continue at two- or three-day intervals until I'm finished. Wendy >> Just don't stop. This is so good. Charlotte ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 15:54:12 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nicole Wolke Subject: Re: NEW: Tryst (4/?) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wow, Pam! I've given up on trying to follow the many stories that are being posted to the MBs and this list for a few months now. I can't keep up anymore and usually wait until they're uploaded to the archive. So it was pure coincidence that I even took a look at your "Tryst" and - I was totally entranced! I can't promise too much feedback for RL is keeping me just too busy right now, but I promise you one thing: I'm hanging on your lips! What a wonderful premise! keep the parts coming :-) Nicole -- AKA CKgroupie on IRC NKWolke@t-online.de 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 Jul 2000 00:59:16 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: -= LuC =- Subject: Bitter Sweet Actuality, Pt 2/? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed -------------------------- Bitter Sweet Actuality - Pt 2 by Luc Di Gregorio -------------------------- -=Alternate Metropolis=- The light vanished and she opened her eyes. Her jaw hurt and her head ached beyond imaginable belief and, coming to her senses, she squirmed as she realised her mouth had been stuffed with a vile tasting rag. Spitting it out, a wave of nausea overcame her and she coughed and spluttered as bile rose in her throat. Hearing her discomfort, the man smiled with immense pleasure. He was going to love this. Lois looked ahead of her but could not see more than a few streaks of sunlight and some half-chewed hay- she could only hear a cold, evil and bitter laugh. A laugh she could say was…almost…familiar. “Tempus?!” Lois spat the name out with hatred from the pit of her stomach. He came forward and laughed louder. “Duh!” With that he laughed some more, and disgust began to overcome Lois. She hated him. “Where did you come from, you…you… untamed beast.” ”Why Lois, you haven’t changed a bit. But, I daresay, I’m in no mood for your verbal diahorrea. Oh, and Lois,” he continued, “incase you’re getting some idea to shout your two little favorite words- I wouldn’t waste an ounce of energy on it.” She looked at him trying to hide her fear and confusion, but it seemed as if he had read her mind. Suddenly taken by the strange surroundings in which she found herself, she winced. She could be anywhere. More to the point, thought Lois, I could by anywhere, anytime. “Do you remember…the alternate universe, Lois? Where your clichéd efforts as Lois Lane, independent career-woman of the nineties and first class American citizen, created our hope for the future, superman?” “No, I don’t. I’m galactically stupid, remember?” Her tone was sarcastic, and he laughed. “Yes, good.” Lois’ fear and disgust merged together to create the anger so quickly rising in her throat. “Even if this is where we are, there is a superman here. Huh! Now who’s galactically stupid?” Regaining composure and a little confidence, Lois felt a small flicker of hope and held onto it. “Lois, Lois.” He said, pulling up a chair and sitting in front of her, legs crossed and hands together. “How dumb do you think I am?” “Very.” She responded, daringly. As if prepared for such a response, Tempus had already risen and walked towards her, swinging his right arm and snapping at her jaw with the back of his hand, never relinquishing the sadistic smile across his face. Determined not to be defeated by him, and resisting the urge to cry as she felt her whole face become numb, her head remained high and her eyes never left his. “Pity, Lois. If only it wasn’t the year…1744!” A slight pause was quickly broken by the man’s wicked laugh as he registered her look of confusion and then understanding. “Yes, Lois. There’s no superman here. Heck, there isn’t even a Daily Planet!” Getting up, he began to pace slowly back and forth. “No, Lois. Here, you are nothing.” Not able to resist any longer, the first of her tears trickled down her cheeks and stung her eyes. Screwing up her face she cried softly at the thought of the pain this man had created them. But Lois’ grief was not for herself. It was for her husband, who would be left alone, to guess where she was and what had happened to her. “I had to think for this one, Lois. If I can’t rule the world in my future,” he continued matter-of-factly, “well, I still have to destroy it.” Raising her head and gaining confidence at the thought that Clark would come for her no matter what, as he had done so many times before, she spoke adamantly. “You’ll *never* win this battle, Tempus. If a utopian future is what you’re trying to destroy, you forget that it is something mankind will always strive for.” She looked at him as if she had struck a blow to his head. “With or without Superman.” As if anticipating her weak and boring line of argument, Tempus remained untouched by her speech. He had read this novel. “Ah, but you see Lois, there will still *be* a Superman, so you needn't worry. But by taking YOU away from superman, seeing as though I can’t kill him…who will he have pretty little babies with??” Lois looked at the man before her. “Your dear husband has morals! Quite the scandal- His downfall I’m sure. So, unless he’s planning to go and…find himself another galactically stupid woman, he’s not going to have pretty little tots, now is he?” He stopped and smiled. “Yes, Lois. No descendants… no utopia!” -=Metropolis, 1993=- Staring impatiently at her watch, Lois wondered how she had come to be persuaded by this man who had rambled about aliens in tights and time-machines built by long dead fiction writers. As they turned the corner into 45th and Cannevero, he broke their spell of silence and mumbled to her that the time machine was not far. “Is it fully equipped?” She asked mockingly, “I’m pretty tired so I hope I can sit down.” “Oh, yes, quite! She’s very comfortable.” He noted, cheerfully. She rolled her eyes at his apparent lack of understanding for sarcasm, and chose to remain silent. Maybe there was a story here. Yes, of course, she thought. “The failing system of Psychiatric hospitals and them men who escape from them.” And then she remember that, stuck for a decent story, she had pursued a similar investigation a year ago and what a flop that turned out to be. Definitely not a Kerth winner, she thought grimly. “We must hurry, Ms Lane.” Her thoughts broken, they turned into a dark, dirty alley. Lois screwed her face and put her hand to her nose as the unpleasant stench, clearly resulting from lack of public toilet facilities, engulfed them. Not the place for high tech machinery, she thought grimly. -=Hyperion Ave, 1996=- Clark’s head was splitting and he found it hard to focus on his thoughts. For the hundredth time, he went over the event as it happened. They were standing there. Right there, he thought. And then… and then she disappeared. His head spun and his mind recalled the strange things that he and his beautiful wife had been through. Time travel, alternate universes, ghosts. He had even once found himself stuck in a void of time that seemed to flow for eternity. He had felt lost then. A bit like he felt now. He reached for the phone, grimly, and was barely able to dial the telephone number, his hands shaking violently. Martha Kent answered and straight away she knew something was wrong with her boy. Clark relayed the story to her swiftly and in as much detail as he could muster. Martha had long ceased to be surprised by anything Clark and Lois were put through, and, telling him to sit tight, she instructed Jonathan to back their bags. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 10:44:17 -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: Fanfic Recommendation MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit As usual, I'm late on this, but I'd like to recommend the new story on the Archive this week, along with a couple of other people who have recommended it. If you haven't read C Leuch's story, "The Dawn of Discovery" on the Archive yet, get on over there and read it. It's definitely worth your time. Nan ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 13:44:15 -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 5 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Best Laid Plans--Part 5 by Nan Smith "Why couldn't Superman have just flown us out?" Lois grumbled a few minutes later as they waited by the fire exit. Clark checked his watch. "One more minute. You know why, Lois. If there's a spy in the office, the tail will be waiting for us to leave. We'd be unaccounted for, and since it's broad daylight, and I'd be carrying you, I couldn't fly fast enough not to be seen. I can't risk it." "Oh, I know. I just--" She sighed. "You're right. I just hope Jimmy's careful." "He will be. He knows what'll happen if he gets a scratch on the paint." "I'm more worried about *them*," Lois said. "I don't want them to get hurt." "Time," Clark said. "Go." They slipped out the door and walked briskly toward the back of the Daily Planet. Twenty minutes later they entered the office of Dr. Heller, and one look around told them that they hadn't arrived a day too soon. Boxes sat everywhere, file cabinets gaped open, and on every surface stacks of folders lay, waiting for the attention of the lone young woman moving briskly among the chaos. She looked around as they came in, her arms full of folders. "I'm sorry, the office is closed." "I just want my file," Lois said. "Oh." She looked uncertain. "I don't know if you knew about it, but Dr. Heller died. All of his stuff's being moved to storage." "Well," Lois explained, "that's why we're here. I need my records. This--" she gestured to Clark, "is my *new* doctor, and he needs to look them over for medical reasons." Clark stepped forward, endeavoring to look professional. "Yes, I need her records. My patient is suffering some side effects from the operation Dr. Heller performed on her, some physical--" He glanced wickedly at Lois. "--Some mental." Behind the counter, Lois kicked him lightly in the shin. "So...?" She glanced at the woman's name tag, "Uh...Linda?" "Oh, well..." Linda hesitated uncertainly. "I guess it would be okay. Name?" "Name?" Lois said. "Yeah, your name." "Well...don't you recognize me?" Lois asked. "I come here a lot." Linda shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I'm just a temp." "Oh." Lois glanced at Clark, who had lowered his glasses slightly and was looking around. "She's a temp!" She started around the counter. "Well," she said brightly, "you're obviously really busy, so why don't I just go through some of these boxes, myself?" Linda moved in front of her. "No, if you want it, I need to know the name on the file." "Well," Lois said, "I wouldn't presume to know the name on the file. How would *I* know how Dr. Heller's filing system works? Maybe it's in here." She dodged around the temp and headed for a door that opened behind the front office. "Hey!" Linda hurried after her, protesting. "Hey! You can't go in there!" As she entered the room after Lois, Lois shoved her past, ducked outside and pulled the door closed. With a triumphant gesture, she locked it and turned to see her partner grinning slightly at her. "Very subtle, Lois. Was that really necessary?" "You're the one who pointed out that someone's trying to set me up," Lois said. "I don't have time to be clever." He glanced at the closed door, which resounded with blows from the prisoner's fists. "Come on! Let me out!" Linda's voice wailed. Clark shook his head. "That folder," he said, pointing. "It's marked 'year to date'." Lois lifted it from the top of a stack and opened it. On the very top of the papers thus revealed lay the one they sought. "Aha! Look at this! Dr. Heller's last patient." Quickly, she scanned the document. "Clark, you're wonderful! Female, my height, my weight--" "Full facial reconstruction," Clark said, "but no patient name." "The last entry here is dated the day he died," Lois said. "The operation was performed six weeks ago...that makes sense. Plastic surgery takes a while to heal. It looks like it was done right after Lex escaped. He didn't waste any time, did he?" "Paid for by ACL Corporation," Clark said. He was checking the insurance records. "I've never heard of them." "Me, either," Lois said. "There's the Xerox machine. I'm going to duplicate this. Maybe Jimmy can locate them for us." Some minutes after leaving the office, Superman made a fast return to release the imprisoned Linda. Leaving her to draw her own conclusions about the door that mysteriously unlocked itself, he returned to the street and they hailed a taxi. It was some ten minutes after their return to the Daily Planet that Jack and Jimmy entered the newsroom. The two young men had a satisfied air about them that was hard to miss. "How'd it go?" Clark asked. "Perfect," Jack said. "She never got close enough to get a good look at us. She did get a nice tour of Suicide Slum, though." "And," Jimmy said, quietly handing Lois her keys, "your Jeep doesn't have a scratch." "Jimmy, I wasn't really worried about that," she said. Jimmy grinned. "I know," he said. "Good work, both of you," Clark said. "I don't have to tell you not to talk about it to anybody but Perry, do I?" "Nope," Jack said. "My lip's zipped." "Good," Clark said. He clapped the young man on the shoulder. "You were a great help. We found what we were looking for. Jim, we need you to track down an ACL Corporation. They paid for the double's surgery. I've never heard of them, but that doesn't mean anything." "On it, CK." Jimmy headed for his desk. As the others walked away, Lois sank into her desk chair and put her face into her hands. This whole situation was spooking her much more than she would ever admit to anyone, except maybe Clark. It seemed that the more they investigated, the more intricate the thing got. "Lois?" Clark's voice said, softly, and she felt his hand touch her shoulder. "Are you all right?" She raised her head. "Yeah. Just...confused, I guess. And tired." "I don't blame you." He moved behind her and began to rub her shoulders. "How about tonight we pay a visit to Smallville?" "That sounds nice." "Uh...guys?" Jimmy approached the desk. "I just found out the stuff on Gretchen Kelly. She's...or was, I guess...Luthor's personal physician." "*What*?" "And the other car...the one that Jack saw? It's registered to a Nigel St. John." "Lex's butler," Lois said. "I guess that clinches it." "Yeah," Clark said. "I guess it does." ******************* The Kansas farmhouse, surrounded by spreading fields glittering with ice and snow, and snow covered trees, all tinted a faint pinkish color by the setting sun, looked like something out of a Christmas card, Lois thought as she and Clark approached it from the air some two hours later. Not far away, to the east, she could see the little town of Smallville, and in the silence, she heard the faint, but distinct music of carols being played over a loudspeaker. Clark landed them in the side yard of his old home and spun back into his civvies. Lois looked around at the tranquil scene, feeling her taut nerves relax for the first time in hours. Here she wasn't under observation, here she and Clark could be themselves without the fear that Lex Luthor and his tools were waiting to maneuver her into whatever trap they had set. The side door of the farmhouse opened and Martha Kent emerged, drying her hands on a dishtowel. "Lois! Clark!" Lois couldn't mistake the real delight in her voice. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming? Clark, bring her into the house before she freezes." "Hi, Mom." Clark hurried forward to envelop his mother in a hug. "I hope you don't mind us dropping in unannounced." "Of course not," Martha said, looking her tall son over as sternly as she could, allowing for the smile on her face. "You know you two are always welcome, no matter what. As a matter of fact, I was going to call this evening and ask about Lois, but I guess I can ask in person." She turned to Lois. "Are you going to be able to come for Christmas?" "If it's not too much trouble," Lois began. "Oh, honey, of course it's no trouble. We were hoping you'd come." Martha smiled widely. "Come on in and have some tea. I've just put it on to boil. I'm about to start dinner as soon as I finish cleaning up my art project." In the kitchen, Lois blinked at the sight of an oddly shaped metal structure sitting in the middle of the kitchen table. Lying beside it on a heavy piece of cloth, was a welder's mask and on the floor an oxyacetylene torch leaned against the table leg. Little shreds of metal were scattered here and there on the floor. "How do you like it?" Martha asked. "It's not finished yet, but I think it's coming along really well." Clark eyed it narrowly. "What is it?" Martha threw him a Look. "It's going to be an abstract sculpture--when it's finished. I haven't named it yet. Why don't you make yourself useful and move it over to that side table for me?" Clark obliged, raising his eyebrows at the weight. Martha threw a cloth over it and set her equipment in a corner. "Now," she said, "why don't you have a seat, Lois? The tea will be ready in a few minutes." "Where's Dad?" Clark asked. "In the barn, repairing the tractor. He's been renovating all the farm equipment for the spring planting while he has the time." "I'll just see if he needs any help." Clark bent to kiss Lois on the cheek and hurried out the door. Martha looked after him for a minute, then turned to Lois. "Men! Give them a chance to tinker with an engine--" She shook her head. "Well," Lois said, "he did fix my Jeep a couple of months ago." "Oh?" "Yeah. That guy, John Black--you remember we told you about him?" At Martha's nod, she continued, "Well, he disconnected something so we'd have to walk and give him the chance to kill Clark. Clark fixed it for me." Martha smiled. "The life around here is exciting enough what with the occasional loose cow from Jim Barnett's pasture, or something. I don't know what I'd do if I had your job. So, what brings the two of you here in the middle of the week? Is everything all right between you and Clark?" "Clark and I are doing fine," Lois said. "I think Clark suggested we come out here because he thought I needed a break." "Oh?" Martha turned her head as the kettle whistled, and rose to turn off the flame. "What happened? It isn't Lex Luthor again, is it?" "We think so." Lois gave Clark's mother an abbreviated version of recent events and Martha shook her head in disgust. "What a horrible man! Does he have some perverted idea that he can force you to love him, or something?" "I don't think he cares if I love him or not, to tell you the truth," Lois said. "I think he just wants to control me." Martha set teacups on the table. "I know the sort," she said. "Manipulative, controlling--they don't let you call your life your own, and see nothing wrong with it." Lois nodded. "That's it, all right, but Lex takes it to a new level." "So I've been led to understand," Martha said. "But why create a double of you?" "I don't know. So far, she's gotten the Planet's new staff psychiatrist thinking I'm insane. She's trying to get me on her couch for some psychoanalysis." "Oh, for heaven's sake," Martha said. "You don't need psychoanalysis." "Tell that to *her*! She's convinced I'm on the edge of a breakdown." "Who *is* this woman? She sounds awfully pushy." "Her name's Arianna Carlin. She writes a syndicated column that appears in the Planet, and a number of other papers." "Oh, *her*." Martha's expression changed to one of distaste. "Her column's in the Kansas City Sentinel. I've seen it a couple of times recently. I didn't like it...or her." "Really?" Lois brightened. "Why?" Martha shrugged. "I don't know, really. Just an impression, I guess. Something about it struck me as unpleasant." "I guess that's better than the Superman haters in Metropolis," Lois said. "They don't even know why they don't like him." "We've had some of that, too. They don't seem to know why they feel the way they do, they just don't like him." The older woman shook her head in disgust. "It makes you wonder what the world is coming to, doesn't it?" "It sure does." "So," Martha said, changing the subject abruptly, "speaking of Superman, how are things now that you know all about him?" Lois giggled. "I'd hardly say I know *all* about him, but it's wonderful knowing and being able to help him out--and *not* having him hiding things from me. Except--" "Except what?" "Oh, except when he's trying to protect me from things for my own good." Martha rolled her eyes. "Don't I know it! He's done that to Jonathan and me since I don't know when." "*Really*?" Martha nodded. "It just means you're very important to him, honey. He's always had this need to protect those who are smaller and weaker than him. I'll never forget the day I got a call from the principal when he was in first grade. He'd tackled two, big fourth grade boys who were picking on a little kindergartner named Sara Braxton. She's a teacher over at Smallville Elementary, now. Of course he lost, but he stopped the teasing." She chuckled. "He got suspended for the day. He wasn't a bit sorry though, and neither was I. I was proud of him." "I can see why," Lois said. "Still, I wish he wouldn't do it to me." "I know. You'll just have to be patient and convince him he has to trust your judgement. He can be a lunkhead, sometimes, but he can be taught." Lois laughed. Somehow, Superman's mother calling her son a lunkhead wasn't exactly what she expected, but then very little about Martha was what Lois had expected in the beginning. Some time later, the two Kent men entered the kitchen to find Martha putting together a meatloaf, and supervising Lois's preparation of a salad. "Hi, Lois," Jonathan said. "Clark tells me Metropolis is getting a little more exciting than usual." "I guess that's one way to describe it," Lois said. "Is this right, Martha?" Clark's mother checked the bowl. "Perfect. Just tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. The cherry tomatoes and other veggies are in the crisper." "Okay." Lois smiled a little uncertainly at Clark and his father. "I hope I don't poison everybody. Martha's showing me a few of the basics. Who knows, I might need to know how to do this, someday." She couldn't help meeting Clark's eyes as she said that, and was rewarded with a wide smile. Jonathan chuckled. "Well, Martha's the one to teach you, I can tell you that." He glanced down at his clothing. "Give me a few minutes to get cleaned up, Martha. Clark speeded up the tractor repair. Better than a fully equipped garage." He turned and left the kitchen. Clark excused himself and followed; there was a whoosh in the other room, and a few moments later he reappeared in clean clothing with his hair damp and slicked back. "Can I help?" he asked. His mother waved at a large bin. "Could you wash the potatoes and get them ready for the oven?" "Sure." Lois finished with the lettuce and hunted around in the refrigerator for the remaining ingredients. She was doing her best to follow Martha's directions closely; it would be humiliating, to say the least, to manage to ruin a garden salad. Martha, apparently experienced in the ways of fledgling cooks, was, fortunately for them all, watching her closely and intervened in time to prevent the addition of the okra and the horseradish root to the salad. All in all, Lois thought later, it wasn't bad for her first successful try at food preparation--other, of course, than the macaroni salad and the two chocolate dishes she had learned how to make years ago from a college roommate. After dinner, while Jonathan and Clark did the dishes, Martha and Lois retreated to the living room. Martha sank into her favorite chair and picked up the TV remote. "Do you feel like watching something?" "Not particularly." Lois sat down on the sofa across from her. "Martha, are you sure I won't be a bother at Christmas? I mean, it's a family occasion, and I don't want to intrude." "Oh, Lois." Martha set down the remote control. "As far as we're concerned, you *are* family. Do you have any idea how happy Clark has been since you told him you'd figured out his secret? My boy is literally walking on air! I've never seen him quite like this." "Like what?" Lois asked. "It's hard to describe. I mean, I knew from the minute I saw him after he met you that he'd tumbled head over heels in love, but I've never seen him so completely happy before. There's no other word for it." "I'm glad," Lois said. "I do love him, Martha, and not because he's Superman. You know that, don't you?" "Of course I do." Martha spoke seriously. "So, like I said before, you're family. Unless you have somewhere else you want to be, we expect to see you and Clark here at Christmas." "I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be on Christmas than here," Lois said. "Thank you, Martha." ******************* (to be continued) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 21:16:21 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Lanna Torra Subject: No Subject MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit UNSUSCRIBE Lanna Torra ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 22:15:37 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Pat Subject: A last chance to LAFF with us in Los Angeles ;) Comments: To: lcnfanfic@egroups.com, LoisandClarkNAOS@egroups.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Apologies to those of you who get this more than once; I'm sending it to all three Lois & Clark lists. Registration for LAFF officially closed in June, but due to a couple recent cancellations, we have room for a few more LAFFers. If you think you might like to join us, please read on. LAFF 2000 is the acronym for the Los Angeles FoLC Fest 2000, a international gathering of Lois & Clark fans. The last LAFF was held in August 1997; about 100 FoLCs attended. We toured Warner Brothers, visited Los Angeles amusement parks, held a costume party and banquet, watched Lois & Clark tapes and interviews, hung out at the hotel swimming pool, and had a lot of fun talking about Lois & Clark and getting to know each other in the process. LAFF 2000 will be held at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn: http://www.beverlygarland.com/ from Aug. 2nd through Aug. 6th. It's a great opportunity to meet fellow fans of L&C and be able to put faces to those mysterious email addies and IRC nicks. It will primarily be a gathering of FOLC, but we hope to have some guests, and we will definitely have some fun activities. Once again, we'll be touring Warner Brothers, visiting amusement parks, and holding a costume party and banquet. We've added a couple new activities, too, including a beach party, and a (live) performance of "The Taming of the Shrew" with Lane Davies as Petrucchio. The tentative schedule has been posted at: http://www.ixpres.com/chrispat/LAFFschedule.htm You can find additional information (attendees, official LAFF 2000 T-shirt, etc.) on the LAFF 2000 website at: http://www.ixpres.com/chrispat/LAFF2000.html The registration cost for LAFF is $110.00 per person, and includes lunch at the beach picnic, hot hors d'oeuvres and snacks at the costume party/auction, dinner at the banquet on Saturday evening, LAFF memory book and souvenir, and access to the conference suites from Wed., August 4th through Sunday, August 6th. Cost per room at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn *was* $115.00 per night. I don't know if any rooms are left at this LAFF rate, (the hotel couldn't guarantee our special rate after July 2) but you can find out what is available by checking with the hotel's reservations staff at: 1-800-Beverly (if you're interested in attending, I'd suggest reserving as soon as possible. The Democratic National Convention will be held in Los Angeles from Aug. 12-17, and hotel space is likely to be in short supply even the week before the official start date) If you are interested in attending or just want more information, please email Chris at: cp13607@aol.com There are also a few registered LAFFers looking for room mates. If you're interesting in sharing a room to cut expenses, and would like to be put in touch with potential room mates, please email me at: peabody@mcs.com American Airlines and Avis are offering discounted rates to LAFF attendees for airfares and car rentals. If you'd like more information on either of these, please email me at: peabody@msc.com Pat peabody@mcs.com pattijean@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 23:03:15 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin H Subject: Re: A last chance to LAFF with us in Los Angeles ;) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 7/3/00 10:53:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time, peabody@MCS.COM writes: << "The Taming of the Shrew" with Lane Davies as Petrucchio. The tentative schedule has been posted at: >> Oh my! I wish I could go, but my mom would object. I live in NJ! Anyway, it's funny, because TTOTS is my summer reading book for school! eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee e eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeee #1 SUPERMAN / DEAN CAIN FAN e-mail < A HREF="www.cainconnection.com">obsession web magazine ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 20:10:18 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: StarKitty Organization: Star Alliance Subject: Re: New: The Ultimate Source of Power MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit lol! I love it! This is so funny! Tara ----- Original Message ----- From: Courtney ^Å^ To: Sent: Sunday, July 02, 2000 11:43 PM Subject: New: The Ultimate Source of Power > NOTE: I wrote this little piece to be nothing more than a short, cute > joke, and I wrote it at like 1:30 in the morning, and this is only my > second attempt at fanfic writing, and I'm only 19 years old so please be > gentle! > The End! *ducks from flying tomatoes and such* > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Why is College Club the largest and fastest growing college student site? > Find out for yourself at http://www.collegeclub.com > ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 06:22:32 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Alexis W." Subject: We need writers! Comments: To: afolcslife@egroups.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi... I'm looking for anyone who's interested in portraying Dr Sam Lane in my RPG titled, "ADITLOM" If interested please email me privately at LoisLane9397@aol for my details. Thanks! Alexis ;-;) {"ADITLOM" arbitrator} "Clark, you idiot. It's taken me a year to get this close..." (Lois) [Clark pulls her into his arms as they start to dance.] "This close?" (Clark) "I would have thought square dancing was more your style." (Lois) {Lnc, Pilot} ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 10:24:41 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Marilyn L. Puett" Subject: Happy July 4th Just wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SuperMom I fight for truth, justice, and the last slab of ribs on the grill!! ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 02:12:09 EST Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: -= LuC =- Subject: Bitter Sweet Actuality, Pt 3/? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed ----------------------------- Bitter Sweet Actuality, Pt 3 By Luc Di Gregorio ----------------------------- -=Metropolis, 1996=- A world without crime was a world lacking in ideologically peaceful objectives, he thought. He tugged at his beard as he smiled. It would simply be no fun. Joseph McHill’s pleasure had always derived from watching the countless do-gooders of this mundane world strive for peace and justice, for something far greater than the myths of religion offered them. It was somewhat selfish, he noted, and extremely unrealistic. If only there were more like me, he thought as he smiled. A faint knock at the door interrupted him and he regained his professional composure. “Come in,” he commanded. The door opened and closed, and a young man shifted uncomfortably about the room. “Boss, we’re having … a slight problem.” Joseph considered his junior associate thoughtfully. A man in his early twenties with golden-blond hair and a strong chiselled face, Marcus was well built and quite an attractive boy for his age. He was, however, Joseph reflected, quite innocent in the ways of this world, but quick and very efficient when it came to do the work with which he, as a professional crime-boss, had learnt to disassociate himself with. Joseph hoped, in a way, that Marcus never failed. He smiled inwardly. Not because he worried about a job done wrong that could somehow be traced back to him, as there was no way this could happen: he simply had access to too wide a range of contacts and resources, and chose less than honest methods when dealing with the law. But because if he were ever caught red-handed in the act, Joseph would feel he had failed. Although he would never admit it, he liked this boy who had become somewhat like a son to him. “What is it?” He spoke softly, looking idly towards the direction of his junior. “Ahh … that reporter, boss. Lois Lane, Daily Planet?” Marcus sucked in his cheeks in fear of his boss’ reaction. Joseph was not a man anyone would want to cross or investigate too thoroughly, he thought. He had deep pockets and a very long list of contacts which he paid quite healthily when asked to carry out some gruesome task. “Yes, of course.” Joseph noted. He had been warned about her upon his arrival in Metropolis and had watched her from a distance ever since. This was a reporter that had a knack for sticking her nose in where it didn’t concern her. But, he thought, she was only a reporter. One of those chronic do-gooders that he so fascinatingly watched from the side lines. How he loved to laugh at their pathetic lives. “Would you take care of her.” It wasn’t a question, Marcus understood. He looked away and clenched his fists. Normally he would not hesitate, it would be done in a matter of twenty-four hours. But this, this was different. There were other issues involved that could not be ignored. One of these issues was big- infact, about six feet tall, quite handsome but ridiculously childish in that red cape and those red boots. Marcus laughed unconsciously, and, realising what he had done, straightened up with his head down. “I’m glad you find this funny.” Joseph swung to give Marcus a menacing look, one which made Marcus flinch. “This woman,” he continued, never dropping his gaze from the boy’s, “could well be more dangerous than we give her credit for.” Licking his lips, he walked to the window and peered out at the city below. “We’re too close, now. Too close. Marcus, this woman,” he recalled, “was partly responsible for exposing Lex Luthor.” He smiled as the city thrived down below him. Turning to the boy, Marcus noticed the flickering of evil in Joseph’s eyes- a fleeting look he had seen often before- and knew that it only meant one thing. He would get his way. Joseph turned back to the window. “Rubbish,” he spoke softly, “is only to be disposed of.” -=Alternate Metropolis=- Lois regained consciousness to find herself alone in the old, empty stable, her hands and legs untied. Her cheek was red with streaks across it, as a result of the uncomfortable pile of hay she had so unpleasantly been dumped on. Much to her chagrin, her head throbbed and her entire body ached. If she was going to think clearly she would need the use of her head. More importantly, if she was going to escape from wherever she was, she would probably need to have her body responsive and efficient: somehow she didn’t think that Tempus would let her escape so easily. Getting up and brushing the hay off her clothes, she looked around for a possible structural weakness in this pile of rotting wood that resembled a stable. But no. First she would need to work out exactly what had happened. Yes, that was it. She had been just about to type up her notes on the investigation into Joseph McHill, when her and Clark had become a little sidetracked. Despite the physical pain and mental distress she felt, she managed a smile at the thought of their behaviour. Try as she might, Lois could not get her head around what had happened next. All she could remember was waking up and not knowing where she was. She hadn’t then known the full extent of the mess she had gotten into, and hadn’t panicked. As fear began to claw at Lois and a lump at her throat made it hard for her to swallow, she conceded that now was definitely not the time to panic. She needed to remain calm. Walking to the door and hoping against all odds that somehow Tempus was stupid enough to have forgotten to lock it, she pulled frantically at the padlock, but with no luck. “Damn!” She shouted and kicked at the wooden door. Relaxing herself, she looked about the stable. All Lois could see were a bunch of stable tools and a wheelbarrow. What is this, she thought, the stone age? Isn’t it bad enough I’ve had my head smashed to bits by a psychopathic moron from the twenty-fifth century? Sighing, she put her hands to her head. Suddenly remembering something, she jerked her head sideways. She hadn’t thought much of it before, but now realising that sunlight meant that there was an opening somewhere in the structure, and realising grimly that she had not really looked above eyelevel until now, she found a perfect little window. Eight feet off the ground. Not put off by the fact that she was going to have a hard time trying to actually get high enough to be able to fit her body through it, she acted quickly. She ran to where the wheelbarrow was and brought it directly underneath the window, turning it over so that the rim was resting on the ground and she could somehow stand on the wheelbarrow’s underneath. She stepped up and supported her feet on the sides of the wheelbarrow. Hugging the log wall as best she could, she propped one foot carefully on the wheel. It gave way and she tumbled backwards onto a pile of hay. Angry and shouting obscenities, she got up, gathered piles of hay and threw them onto the wheelbarrow with little thought for finesse. Once she felt she had gathered enough to be able to stand on the wheelbarrow without falling off, she carefully made her way up the pile of hay. Realising she couldn’t go any further, and hoping with all her might that she didn’t fall, she straightened her knees and found that her head was level with the window. Taking her jacket off and wrapping it carefully around her hand, she bashed it in, not really caring whether or not the noise she was making was going to attract attention. Once all the glass had been cleared from the frame, she mustered up all the strength in her arms and tried to heave herself up to be able to fit her upper-body through the window. Come on Lois, she thought, think gym. Think chin-ups. Supporting herself and amazed by her own strength, she propped herself up and found that she was breathing fresh air. Once her upper-body was comfortably free, she looked down. Just do it, she thought. Closing her eyes and putting her hands before her, she let herself fall to the ground. -=Hyperion Ave, 1996=- Martha Kent considered her boy thoughtfully. How he loved Lois. She had raised a perfect gentleman. Kind, loving, caring … the list went on. Feeling a pang of sorrow as she realised the extent of the pain she could read across Clark’s face, her heart sank. They had been through enough. And it was ironic that all Clark had ever wanted was to lead a normal life. To have a loving wife and kids. A career. But of course her and Jonathan had known since the days when Clark began to discover his superpowers, that he had a different calling in life. And with the decision of creating a superman, his responsibilities towards people in danger had multiplied by a thousand. At least, she thought, when there was no superman there was a limit to what he could do. But now, every call for help, every painful scream he heard attracted his attention and he felt a duty to act. But even superman needed help at times. And for that help he would normally turn to the woman he loved more than life itself. To the woman he had pledged the rest of his life to- Lois. He had, much as he hadn’t admitted to them at the time, fallen in love with Lois from the very first moment he had laid eyes on her. And ever since, he had not been able to live without her. Jerked back to reality by realising Clark was talking to her, Martha put down her mug of coffee. “Mum?” Clark said. “Could you get the door? I’m not in the mood.” Hearing the knock at the door she rose from the couch and went to open it. “Can I help you?” Martha asked, politely. The man before her was an elderly man, dressed in a funny looking suit, she noted, and a top-hat that didn’t match in color. “Erm… Martha Kent. I do believe we’ve met before—“ “Mr Wells!” Martha interrupted, grabbing his arm and almost jerking him inside the house. “Boy, am I glad to see you!” Clark had come to the door and had quickly launched into an explanation of what had just happened, sighing with relief as he realised Wells may be the only one who could help him, when another figure appeared at the door. Looking up, he saw— “LOIS?” His jaw dropped to the floor as he stared at the woman before him. It was Lois! It was, and it wasn’t. Her hair was different, and she seemed …younger, and somehow… less touched by the mishaps and experiences of life. Wells came forward, motioning for Lois to come in. He closed the door, and for the first time, Lois spoke. “Is this… Kent? The one I just met before?” Lois stared at the man before her. This had been too much for her. Her sudden rush of fear as she sat in the timemachine she was so sure was not going to work , her excitement as she had picked up a Daily Planet newspaper and realised that it had indeed worked, and it was indeed, 1996. Frustrated, she turned to the old man. “What is going on?” She said, taking the words right out of Clark’s mouth. --------- ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 12:29:09 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: Happy July 4th MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit You, too, Supermom! Happy Fourth of July everyone. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 15:26:30 -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 21/? 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: 21 of ? Comments: much appreciated, publicly or privately. -------------------------------------------------------------- Presumably Luthor had no idea how long it took him to recover his powers after Kryptonite exposure, Clark thought as he leaned back against the wall, breathing heavily, hoping Luthor wasn=92t about to return any time soon. Luthor must have thought Superman had flown off; well, if so, that was good. Perhaps it was safe to move now, to get away from this area - but there was Jimmy. He had to find Jimmy. But Jimmy had the Kryptonite with him - if he found Jimmy, he=92d be in pain= and incapacitated again, Clark reminded himself. But he pushed that thought away. Jimmy had sacrificed himself to save Superman, and there was *no way* that he would leave his friend here, to rot in the undergrowth or to be found by strangers. But where should he start looking? St John and Luthor hadn=92t been able to see Jimmy when they=92d been looking out of the window, and Luthor had the benefit of telescopic vision. Clark walked over to the ground beneath the window, noting the shattered glass littered around. But what was...? He bent down to look more closely at the dark patch which had caught his eye. It was blood... and what was more, it was fresh. It looked as if it had fallen onto the broken shard of glass *after* the glass had landed on the ground, rather than having been there by virtue of the glass cutting into Jimmy as the young man had jumped through it. And... there was more blood - there, and there too! Now that he started looking, Clark was able to see a trail of dark spots, and he began to follow it. It led to a clump of trees further down the garden - the perfect place to hide, he realised. A few more paces, and he could see the outline of something lying on the ground. There was a flash of yellow - the yellow sweatshirt Jimmy had been wearing! In less than a second, he was crouched beside his friend, uncaring if the Kryptonite was still in Jimmy=92s hand. =93Jimmy... you were so brave, so unselfish... I wish I could=92ve done thin= gs differently, that you hadn=92t needed to do this,=94 Clark murmured, his voi= ce choking up as he rested his hand on his friend=92s shoulder. =93C...K?=94 The voice was little more than a ragged whisper, but Clark hear= d it. Staring at Jimmy in amazement, he reached out his hand to feel the younger man=92s face. It was warm. =93My God, you=92re alive!=94 Clark exclaimed, barely able to believe it. Ho= w could Jimmy - who=92d already been pretty badly beaten by the look of things= - have survived a fall from that height, onto hard ground? Jimmy blinked and looked up at him. =93Super...man?=94 =93Yes, it=92s me, Jimmy.=94 =93You=92re... okay? Luthor didn=92t...?=94 =94Thanks to you, no. I owe you my life, Jimmy,=94 Clark said heavily, doing= his best to keep his voice deeper, more formal than Clark Kent=92s. He was pretty sure Jimmy=92s initial identification of him as =91CK=92 was down to confusion and the fact that he was probably only semi-conscious at the time. But he couldn=92t afford to take any chances. But another thought occurred to him: he realised the pain of Kryptonite exposure wasn=92t returning. =93Jimmy- the Kryptonite?=94 =93...=92s okay... threw it... drain, Superman,=94 Jimmy explained between g= asps of pain. Shaking his head in disbelief at what Jimmy had managed to achieve, Clark said determinedly, =93You need to get to a hospital.=94 He hesitated, then tried his X-ray vision. To his surprise, it worked. He quickly scanned Jimmy=92s body, determining that he had a couple of broken ribs, an injured wrist which was probably just a sprain, a broken ankle, and numerous cuts and bruises, some more serious than others. A quick experiment told Clark that he could fly again, and he debated briefly with himself whether it would be better to call an ambulance or fly Jimmy to hospital himself. Would a Super-flight cause any further injury to the ankle? Probably not, he decided; Jimmy was wearing strong boots and as long as they stayed on the ankle would be supported. And he would try to hold Jimmy rigidly enough so that his ribs didn=92t receive any jolting during the flight. His decision made, he gently and very carefully scooped his friend up and drifted cautiously into the sky, just hoping Lex Luthor was nowhere around. ************** Lois spent a restless night, punctuated by strange dreams in which Clark and Superman appeared in front of her, switching places back and forth and merging into one, only to separate and become two people again. One minute Superman was sitting next to her at the Planet in her dream as they worked on a story; the next Clark had scooped her up into his arms and was taking her flying. Next, Superman was saying goodbye to her late one night at the Planet, and with a shock she realised that it had been *Clark,* her gentle, considerate partner, who had briefly become a hate-figure in Metropolis when he=92d been= accused of causing a heatwave. Clark had been held in contempt of court and ordered to leave Metropolis; no wonder he=92d acted so out of character when= he=92d said goodbye. In another dream, images from the more recent past replayed themselves in her mind, but with her new knowledge reality was altered. Suddenly it was Superman who told her, in Centennial Park, that he had been in love with her for a long time, and Clark who stood in her apartment and told her, his face frozen in an expression akin to pain, that he wished he could believe her, but he didn=92t see how he could. But it *had* been Superman whose impassioned declaration of love she=92d rejected, and Clark, in disguise, whom she=92d told she would love even if h= e was an ordinary man with no powers at all. No wonder he=92d looked at her as= if she=92d whipped him when she=92d said it; no wonder he=92d lashed out in = that hurtful way when he=92d arrived at her apartment. No, now that the memories were flooding back and she could see the past in a new light, it was clear that Clark was by no means the only bad guy here. Okay, he=92d chosen to adopt a secret identity and get to know her in both guises, but how had he been able to stand the different ways she=92d treated= his two identities? Dismissive of Clark; falling over herself to get Superman=92s attention. Treating Clark as if he was an idiot or worse; hanging on Superman=92s every word as if he was some sort of demi-god. And worst of all, taking Clark=92s genuine affection for her for granted and rejecting him as a possible romantic partner as if he wasn=92t good enough for her, while at the same time swooning over Superman and practically offering herself to him on a plate. But Clark had... he had actually seemed to *dislike* Superman a few months ago! All those snide remarks whenever she or anyone else had mentioned the Man of Steel, the rolled eyes if she mentioned having seen him or going flying with him. She=92d been convinced Clark was jealous of Superman - and not just because of her own feelings for the Super-hero. She=92d thought tha= t it had to be some sort of inferiority complex on Clark=92s part. And yet, more recently, Clark=92s attitude had changed and gradually she=92d become aware that he, far more frequently than she, had access to Superman exclusives. Somehow, without her realising it, Clark appeared to have become a close friend of Superman. Okay, that was all explained now that she knew Superman *was* Clark; but why the initial jealousy? Unless... unless Clark had still been getting his own head around the practicalities, as well as the implications, of a dual identity. It must have been very galling for him to experience people=92s differing reactions to him in his two guises. No, not *people=92s* reactions= ; Lois Lane=92s reactions. He must have been very chagrined, if not hurt, at the marked difference between the way she=92d treated Clark and Superman. Because he wanted to be accepted, liked - *loved*? - as Clark, she understood that. *Clark* was who her partner really was; she hadn=92t needed= Martha to tell her that. She=92d instinctively understood it, which was why almost subconsciously she=92d reached for the most hurtful thing she could have done to him as he=92d left earlier: she'd called him Superman rather than Clark. Lois grimaced: she would have to make up to him for that. After all, no matter how much he=92d deceived her, he was still her best friend. And why should she be unhappy to discover that Superman, the remote Super- hero she=92d always wanted to get to know better, was really her best friend= ? It was so easy to understand, now, why Superman had kept his distance so much. If he=92d allowed himself to become close to her in that guise, he could have run the risk of Lois seeing through the disguise. Or, perhaps more dangerously from Clark=92s point of view, it could have led to Lois becoming even more infatuated with - no, in love with - the Super-hero than she already was, and thus leading her to ignore Clark still more. Except that she hadn=92t been ignoring Clark lately.... Did this discovery make a difference to the possibility of a closer relationship between them? Lois wasn=92t sure. She hoped it didn=92t, unless= it made such a relationship more rather than less likely. Apart from anything else, she now knew Clark=92s secret, understood why he kept running off at inopportune moments and seemed to be hiding something from her. That, surely, removed one major barrier to a closer relationship? He no longer had to lie to her. How did he feel about her? *Did* he love her? Or did he really just see her as a friend? Was there any hope for a closer relationship between them, or should she just get accustomed to the idea that the best she could hope for was being his best friend? He=92d said they needed to talk; she hoped that meant he was as eager as she= was to get this behind them and move on. There was so much she wanted to ask him, so many memories of two men which she now had to merge into one, and it wouldn=92t be easy. But if he was willing to help her, to answer her questions and give her time to put it all together, it should be possible for them both to move on from this. And, she had to admit, it was going to be pretty exciting knowing from now on that she had Superman for a partner. But that talk was going to have to wait. The most important thing, right now, was getting Lex Luthor out of the way. The man was not only ultra- dangerous, he was clearly deranged; in that state, there was no knowing what he might do. If their guesses were right, he had already caused three disasters, and the only reason there hadn=92t been very high losses of life in all cases was the quick reactions of Superman. Luthor had also killed six people, if not more by now, and he wanted to kill Superman. She had to think of a way to stop him. Could Clark beat Luthor in single combat, if no-one else was around for Luthor to use as a human shield? From what she=92d seen on the night she=92d= been hurt, she thought that was very likely. So they needed a means of drawing Luthor out, getting him into a situation and a location where there would be no observers, no-one to get in the way. That was something she could apply her mind to, she thought; she was feeling singularly useless stuck out here in Smallville, even though she agreed with Clark=92s reasonin= g about the need for her to stay there. Just how was Clark feeling right now? That question suddenly crossed Lois=92s mind for the first time since her discovery of his other identity, and she bit her lip as a surge of guilt flooded through her. Clark was no doubt suffering agonies over the trauma he=92d been through the previous day, to say nothing of being very, very tired - did Superman get tired? she wondered suddenly. She=92d have to ask Martha. It struck her suddenly that, while she might not know that much about Superman, she certainly knew Clark well. Clark had a very deep-rooted humanitarian streak. He really cared about other people; that was one of the things which made him so good at writing the kind of stories which touched the lives of ordinary people. And Clark would be torn up inside over the people who had died, all because Lex Luthor had wanted Superman kept busy for several hours. And with that thought came the realisation that what Clark had really needed from her the previous evening was support and understanding, yet all she=92d given him was a hard time. She=92d run away - again - and then argue= d with him when he=92d wanted to take her to safety; she=92d forced him into a= position where he had to tell her about his secret identity - and she did actually believe what he=92d said about intending to tell her soon anyway; and then she=92d been selfishly angry with him, treating him coldly and making it clear that she wasn=92t about to forgive him any time soon. After everything he=92d been through, he hadn=92t needed that. And her behaviour was such a contrast to Clark=92s idea of friendship. Oh, h= e wasn=92t perfect by a long way, but when she was upset, or frightened, or just needed someone to talk to, he was always there for her. She could call him in the middle of the night - and had done so on occasion - and he never minded. He was supportive and encouraging in a myriad of ways; and now, when he=92d needed her support in return, she=92d failed to provide it. She would definitely make up for that the next time she saw him, or spoke to him - at least, she hoped he=92d make contact with his parents, and she=92= d ask Martha or Jonathan to let her talk to Clark when he called. Explanations could wait, but she wanted him to know that she was there for him and that she intended to be a better friend than she had been in the past. *************** A couple of hours later, showered and dressed if not completely refreshed, Lois headed downstairs in search of coffee and breakfast. As she rounded the corner from the stairs and entered the living-room, she halted in surprise. Superman - no, Clark - stood in the middle of the room, talking to his parents. He looked haggard, she thought: very tired, unshaven, and as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Her guilt at being unsupportive intensified, and all the love she felt for him, in either guise, returned in one fell swoop. His head turned, and the full force of his dark gaze hit her; he looked as if he was anticipating another attack from her. Unable to let him think that, she stepped forward quickly, laying her hand on his arm as she reached his side. =93Hi, Clark - you look tired.=94 Deliberately keeping all emotion out of he= r voice apart from simple concern, she smiled briefly up at him. He turned to look at her, his expression hesitant; it was clear to her that he thought she intended to fight with him again. =93Lois... look, I=92m sorr= y about yesterday, okay? I really didn=92t mean to tell you like that - =94 =93Clark, stop,=94 she interrupted, her tone insistent, and she squeezed his= arm for emphasis. It was hard; very firm and solid. How had she never noticed that before? =93It=92s okay, Clark, really. We can talk about all of= that another time. Right now, we need to figure out what to do about Luthor.=94 He seemed relieved, but she got the impression that his attention wasn=92t wholly focused on her or even Lex Luthor. =93Clark, what is it?=94 she asked= him quickly. He sighed heavily, pain now evident in his eyes. =93Lois, Jimmy=92s hurt. He= =92s going to be okay, but it=92ll take a while.=94 =93Jimmy? What happened?=94 She clutched at his arm again, and this time he laid his free hand over hers briefly. They moved to the couch, and in a voice which rarely altered from a monotone Clark told Lois and his parents what had happened the previous night. At the mention of Kryptonite, Martha gasped in horror and Jonathan quickly demanded, =93Are you okay, son?=94 =93I=92m fine, Dad,=94 he answered quietly. =93It wasn=92t a very large piec= e, and thanks to Jimmy getting rid of it so quickly I wasn=92t exposed all that long.=94 =93What did Jimmy do? You said he was in a bad way when you got there,=94 Jonathan asked. =93He told me later he was pretending to be worse than he really felt, so that they wouldn=92t pay him any attention. Then, when both Luthor and St John were concentrating on me, he grabbed the Kryptonite and made a dash for the window.=94 =93But you said you were on an upper floor!=94 Lois interjected, aghast. =93Yeah, but he jumped all the same. And he broke his ankle and got plenty o= f cuts from the glass, but that didn=92t stop him. He managed to throw the Kryptonite down a drain and then dragged himself over to some trees so he could hide. He was almost unconscious from the pain when I found him.=94 Lois bit her lip as Clark outlined the extent of Jimmy=92s injuries and related the story of his second visit to an emergency room with one of his close friends in as many days. It was only then that it hit her that it had been *Clark* who had brought her to the ER two days before, Clark who had handed her over to the medics, barely speaking but with a look in his eyes which spoke volumes about his concern for her. Now she knew the truth behind the costume, Superman=92s silence was understandable; she knew Clark well enough to know that he=92d no doubt been choked up with worry. And now he=92d had to do it again, with Jimmy, who by the sound of things wa= s in a much worse condition. =93Clark... you saw him later? You said you=92d spoken to him, or was that on the way to the hospital?=94 =93No, it was later,=94 he explained. =93I had to leave him with the medical= staff, and I flew back to Luthor=92s house to see whether he or St John had come back - I still have to catch the guy. But there was no sign of them. I guess now I know about the place they won=92t go near it again, but I left a= message for Henderson all the same, to tell him Luthor=92d been there.=94 Martha shifted to sit on the arm of the couch, beside Clark, and wrapped her arm firmly around his shoulders; as Lois watched, she wished she=92d had= the courage to offer comfort to him in that way. But she still felt awkward after their fight last night. =93Are you sure you=92re okay, honey? Luthor didn=92t hurt you?=94 Martha as= ked. =93Other than the Kryptonite, he didn=92t get a chance,=94 Clark answered reassuringly, though Lois could see that his eyes still held a tension he was clearly trying not to communicate to his mother. =93I think he was savouring the moment - he had me at his mercy, I was weakened, beginning to feel dizzy, and he knew it. He was right in front of me, debating aloud with himself how he was going to kill me - and then Jimmy jumped out the window. That distracted him, and he and St John were so busy arguing with each other about whose fault it was that I was able to sneak out of the room.=94 Clark fell silent then, and Lois felt almost like an intruder as she watched the exchange of glances between him and his parents. She was sure that there was a lot he wasn=92t telling them, such as exactly how much pain= he=92d been in, and how he=92d felt when he realised what Jimmy had done for= him. He must have thought that Jimmy could be very seriously injured, even dead, and that would have torn him apart inside. And, of course, he=92d have= felt bad enough in the first place about Jimmy being used as bait to get him there. Yet another reason to make her feel completely selfish for concentrating on her own feelings last night when Clark had brought her back here. He was her friend, and he needed her support right now, not rebukes. She loved him; why did she seem to find it so hard to behave as if she did sometimes? **************** ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 17:16:05 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Felix E. Sung" Subject: NEW: John and Lois and Clark and Joan (21/?) (John & Lois & Clark & Joan, Part 21) [Somewhere in the Streets of Metropolis] [5:41 P.M.] It was a dark and stormy afternoon. After two weeks of hot, scorching, and unrelenting weather, it had seemed that the skies had opened and the rain would not stop. As always, this was not bothering Clark, who was again wondering the streets, lost in thought. He was sad. He was depressed. He was brokenhearted. After calling in sick earlier this morning, Clark went out, walking all day, not paying much attention to what was going on around him. Most of his time had been spent around Centennial Park, thinking and watching other people. Despite the weather, a few brave people were up and about, and to Clark's dismay, most of them were couples -- married or in love, he didn't know. He had seen one couple walking slowly down the path, sharing an umbrella, holding hands, and smiling at one another. There was another couple wearing ponchos, running through the park, and laughing as they had tried to get out of the rain as quickly as possible. There was yet another couple trapped under a huge oak, clothes drenched, and making out as if there was no tomorrow. After witnessing all of that, Clark had had enough. Why oh why was he being tortured by witnessing things that he couldn't have, things that he wouldn't be able to experience himself? He had spent the rest of the day in places where there weren't many people about. A few times, however, he had performed some rescues -- in secret, of course -- because his super-hearing wouldn't turn off. While helping people was the right thing for him to do, today he had not felt completely *satisfied* in performing those rescues. What point was there to everything when there would be no one for him to share his life with? He remembered the dream, the darn dream that would not go away. The 'hallucinations' at the townhouses in his dream were just that, hallucinations. If Clark had told someone of his heartbreak, he or she might tell him to move on, that there were other women out there. Despite his lack of experiences in relationships, he somehow knew that Lois *was* the one. And since she was engaged to marry someone else, there would never be another woman in his life. That would mean no one to share a romantic candlelight dinner with, no one to cuddle with, no one to play musical duets with, and no one to make love with. Was he sounding defeatist? Probably. Was he obsessing? Most definitely. He was finally on his way back to the hotel, without using any superpowers, so that he could get ready to visit his parents. He had mentioned the idea of a disguise to them, and while they had been skeptical of the idea, they had agreed to help him in designing the outfit, after supper. What he had not told them, however, was the fact that he was considering assuming the disguise full time. Maybe he would just let Clark Kent disappear without a trace. Or maybe he would fake an accident that would kill Clark Kent while he was on assignment for the Daily Planet. He would talk about it with his parents, of course, but knowing them, they would not like the idea. But more and more, Clark was thinking that it would be his destiny to spend the rest of his life alone. He might be a little apathetic about performing rescues today, but perhaps using his powers full time might let him forget the wonderful, engaging, brilliant woman who had stolen his heart away a mere five days ago. Just as Clark reached the street the hotel was on, lightening struck, and he saw all of the lights on the block go out. Instinctively, he lowered his glasses, going through each building, using his X-ray vision and making sure that no one was in danger. Fortunately no one was on the street at the time to witness such an odd gesture. So far he only saw people (especially small children) looking scared, others reaching for their telephones (they were reporting the outages to the power company, of course), and nothing else. As he made a sweep through the Hotel Apollo he froze in his tracks. Pacing in the lobby was an agitated Lois Lane. Part of Clark didn't want to see her, because seeing her would only compound his pain and unhappiness. Another part of him, however, realized that he should congratulate her on her engagement, and to give her his best wishes. He streaked across the street in less than a second. Realizing that barging in at this speed would raise questions, he paused, took a deep breath, and opened the door. He slowly made his way through the small corridor and entered the lobby. When Lois saw Clark, she did not change her expression. Lois had been waiting in the lobby for nearly two hours, and she was angry. Angry at herself, not at Clark. She had went to the hotel after leaving the celebration, only to find that Clark had went out and that he had not yet checked out. After feeling very foolish, she had decided to wait at the hotel, leaving only to make a couple of phone calls regarding the launch of the colonist transport tomorrow morning (Lois still had something up her sleeve), and to eat at the small cafe around the corner. And it was all because of Jimmy's mix-up about John's proposal. Lois and Clark merely stood in the lobby, looking at each other, not saying a word, not making any attempts to move. A few eye-blinks and some labored breaths later, Clark spoke first. "Lois... What are you doing here?" Lois ignored his question, for she had one of her own. "You weren't really sick today, were you?" she returned. Clark took a small step backwards and sighed. He really had to cover himself better if he was going to lie. But he wasn't lying. Not really... "I was sick," he answered truthfully. "Just not in the way you think." He wasn't going to mention that he had been, and still was, sick in the heart. Lois nodded as if in understanding, causing Clark to almost frown. How could she understand? "Lois..." he started to say. "Clark," Lois said at the same time. Both chuckled at their nervousness. "You first," Clark said, sitting on of the arms of a frayed couch. Lois resumed pacing. "Something happened on my way here. Actually, on the way back here from lunch, because I was waiting here for a while, and had to leave to eat and make some phone calls..." 'Could I ever stop babbling?' she asked herself. "Anyway, I was crossing the street right out here when I almost got hit by a car which had lost its brakes." Clark jumped up and took a step closer, concern clearly written on his face. "I'm fine," Lois interjected, waving him off. "Just sort in a couple of places. You would think that after years of life-threatening incidents on the job for the Daily Planet that I would have learned this lesson by now. But *no,* it took almost being hit by a car for me to realize that life is too short. You gotta live for the moments." She stopped pacing and took a step towards Clark. "'Carpe diem', 'seize the day', that sort of thing." Another step, and then another. By now she was right in front of Clark. Lois was about to do something she had never done before: taking the initiative when it came to love. It scared her to no end, but she knew she had to take the chance: she didn't want to live the rest of her life in regret. She grabbed his hands and pulled him up. Then she grabbed his head and pulled it closer. "'Carpe diem,'" Lois repeated softly. Her arms snaked around his neck as her lips met his. Clark tensed slightly at first, and his eyes widened. Their first kiss of last Thursday was the most wonderful thing that had happened to him. He had expected that it would never happen again, so he had intended to file it away into his memories. He relaxed and closed his eyes as he began to reacquaint himself with the love of his life in an intimate way. Lois held on, as if he was her lifeline, never wanting to let go. A small noise in the back of her throat crescendoed into a full-fledged moan as they initiated a conversation between lovers. Clark pulled back first, not because he was running out of breath, but because he was confused and was starting to panic at what he was doing. Lois sensed this, of course. She had a speech all rehearsed before, but once she had seen Clark, she had forgotten every word of it. Consequently, she had neglected to explain a few things first before attacking him with her kisses... Without a word, Lois lifted her left hand so that Clark could see it up close. There was a catch in his breath as he noticed that there was no ring. He gave her a questioning glance. "I wasn't ever engaged," Lois said simply. She was in no mood explaining what had happened last night, so she gave the Reader's Digest version. "Jimmy thought I was, but he was wrong." Clark was about to speak when Lois put a finger on his lips, shushing him. "And I know about you and Joan, and I'm sorry to have mess things up," she said. "I was going to wait, but after talking to Jimmy this morning I couldn't. I was afraid that if I did I would be too late." Lois continued to babble again, not noticing that Clark was smiling. "I hope you're not mad for me being a little aggressive about this. I'm not usually this way, you know..." Lois' babble was cut off when Clark swiftly, but gently, took hold of her face with both hands and latched his mouth onto hers. The sounds of thunder outside barely registered in their consciousness as they retreated into a world with only the two of them in it. Both of them sighed happily as they alternated invading the other's mouth with their tongues. Lois tightened her arms around him, knowing that if she let go she might fall into a heap onto the floor because her legs now felt like Jell-O. 'This is heaven,' a small voice declared in her head. 'This is what I was looking for my entire life.' How on earth would she be able to finish her romance novel now? The thunder outside grew more distant as Lois and Clark continued kissing. The storm outside was receding, but what was happening inside the hotel lobby maintained its intensity. The kisses were aggressive. The kisses were high electricity. Yet neither Lois nor Clark minded one bit. Suddenly, the lights came back on, and the squeak of a door opening echoed through the lobby. "Hey you!!" Lois and Clark jumped and pulled themselves apart, looking for the source of that voice. They found the burly sized hotel manager standing near the front desk with his hands on his hips. "This isn't a kissing booth, people! Take it to your room, you hear?" Without waiting for a response from either of them, he went into his office and slammed the door. Lois and Clark looked at the office door, and then at each other. The only thing they could do was to burst into laughter at the latest display of the hotel manager's rude behavior. After the laughter subsided, Clark gathered Lois into his arms and kissed her again, a short peck on the lips. "Let's do what he says," Clark suggested. "Wanna come up to my room? There's so much I want to say to you." "And I, you," Lois beamed at him. Grasping his hand into hers and squeezing it, she allowed Clark to lead her to the hotel elevators. * * * * * * * * -- Felix E. Sung fsung@justice.loyola.edu ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 17:23:02 -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: Happy July 4th MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit you too merry "Marilyn L. Puett" wrote: > Just wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July! > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > SuperMom > > I fight for truth, justice, and the last slab of ribs on the grill!! ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 23:02:00 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Alicia Utowski Subject: Re: Unconditional (1/1) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Bethy, I enjoyed this story :)... It definately reminded me of the song, and I recognized all of the modified lyrics. You did a good job with this becuase you didn't use the song exactly, and those of us that do know the song can see Clay Davison singing it, but those that haven't heard the song don't lose anything and can still understand the story. Alicia :) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 08:14:44 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: New story parts MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Just wanted to thank everyone who keeps posting new parts to their wonderful stories including Felix, Wendy, Luc Di Gregorio and everyone else who didn't post today but do when they have a story or new part in the works. It was a great pleasure to wake up to three new parts. Charlotte - who is enjoying all the stories on the listserv even if she's reading them (for her) *backwards* since she usually starts at the end. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 08:18:05 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: The fugitive. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 7/2/00 4:26:11 PM !!!First Boot!!!, Larus2407@AOL.COM writes: << Oh, and Mobile Richard says she is working on the sequel to Fugitive! I told her if she didn't, she'd have a rebellion here and we'd all go and raid her computer to see if there was any more. ;) >> Yeees!! Charlotte ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 08:18:55 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: Penfriend MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I read it when it first came out and loved it. What a wonderful story and very different from any other Superman story. Charlotte ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 06:52:06 -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 6/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Best Laid Plans--Part 6/? by Nan Smith "Before we go to your place, I'd like to stop at my apartment to pick up a few things," Lois said. "Your wish is my command." Clark suited the action to the word and changed course slightly. "Did you leave the window unlocked?" "Always." She put her head on his shoulder. "Nice," she murmured. "It definitely is." Clark wasn't exactly protesting, she noted. "What time is it?" "I can't see my watch in the dark." As if in answer, the clock at City Hall chimed eleven. "It's late," Clark said. "I don't see anybody watching, but we better make this quick." He brought them to a stop, hovering just outside her fifth story window, and pushed it open. They drifted gently inside. A nightlight that she had placed in one of the wall sockets gave enough light for her to find a table lamp without knocking anything over, and she blinked in the sudden illumination. "I'll just be a few minutes," she told Clark. "Make yourself at home. I need to find something to wear at work tomorrow." "Sure." In the bedroom, Lois started toward her dresser, only to pause uncertainly, looking around. Something wasn't right. What was it? Turning her head back and forth, she surveyed the room, trying to pin down that vague feeling. Someone had been here. How she knew she couldn't have said. Perhaps it was a subconscious sense that detected what her conscious mind did not, but she knew someone else had been in this room since this afternoon when she had come here to change for the trip to Kansas. Slowly she turned in a full circle, searching for some more concrete clue. Nothing she could see had really changed in any obvious fashion. The scent of some perfume seemed to linger on the air--was that it? It wasn't a scent she recognized, and it was barely detectable but it might have been what alerted her to the intrusion. Slowly, Lois moved to her dresser, still searching for something more tangible to prove or disprove her conviction. Her jewelry box had been moved. Normally, she kept the little antique box on the far right corner of the dresser. Its position had shifted by perhaps no more than an inch--but that much was significant to Lois. She was rarely meticulous in her habits but the little mahogany jewel box had been a gift from her great-aunt Lois, and she had always treasured it. With that clue to guide her, she opened the lid. The order of her earrings had changed, and the jade ring she sometimes wore was gone. "Lois, is everything okay?" Clark stood in the doorway, concern on his face. "Clark, someone's been here." "Are you sure?" "You have a super sense of smell, don't you?" "Yes." "Do you smell perfume?" Clark inhaled slowly. "Yes. It's some flower scent." He sniffed again. "Gardenia, I think." "Clark, I don't *have* any gardenia perfume. I wear Chanel. And someone's been into my jewelry box. My jade ring is gone and so is a pair of my earrings. I always keep them in the same order on their hooks. Someone put another pair in its place so there wouldn't be a gap." "Do you know which ones?" Clark, she could see, was taking it seriously. "Yeah, my mother-of-pearl shells. Someone put a pair of white button ones in their place. My jade ring is definitely gone, too." "Is anything else missing?" She could see him squinting around the room and guessed he was using his special vision to search for anything unusual. "I don't know." "Okay, look around, but try not to disturb anything, okay?" "Okay." Some minutes later she said, "Someone's been in my closet, too. I think a pair of my shoes is gone, and so is that beige pantsuit you like. I might not have noticed if I hadn't been looking." "You're sure?" "Positive. I just got it back from the cleaner on Friday. It was still in its wrapping." "I don't like this," Clark said. "Neither do I! What should we do about it, though?" "I don't know." Clark scowled at the jewel box, obviously worried. "Yes, I do. I'm going to talk to Inspector Henderson first thing in the morning. It's late, or I'd do it now, but I'm not sure anyone else who didn't have some idea about what's going on would give it serious attention. Ten to one this is connected to all the rest of this wierdness." "Do you suppose it was my double?" Lois asked. He didn't pretend to misunderstand. "Your clothing and jewelry for her? Maybe. She could have easily gotten in here by impersonating you. Lois, this is really beginning to scare me." "Me, too." She moved over to him and he put his arms around her. "Let's go back to my apartment," Clark said, finally. "We'll talk to Henderson in the morning." "Before we do, I'm going to put up the chain and bolt the sliding lock," Lois said. "You'll have to bring me in by the window when I want to come back. It's probably locking the barn door after the horse is long gone, but I'll feel a little better knowing they can't get back in without leaving traces." "I'm at your service," Clark said, but there was no lightness in his tone. He waited while she bolted every lock on her door and slid the chain into place. "All ready?" he asked, when she had finished. "Got everything you need?" "For now, yes." He held out his arms. "Then let's go." It was close to midnight when Lois and Clark, who was now in his civvies, entered his apartment. "I wonder if our tail is still watching this place," Lois said. Clark closed the door and locked it behind them. "The station wagon is parked up the street," he said. There was a grim note in his voice that Lois recognized. Superman was getting angry. He turned suddenly and put his arms tightly around her. "I'm going to get Luthor, Lois," he said. "I promise you I'm going to get him, and when I do I'm going to see to it that he's locked up for several lifetimes. You'll never have to be afraid of him again." She said nothing, merely stood leaning against him, feeling his arms around her. Independent career woman that she was, it was immensely comforting to have him hold her this way. Here, the games and plots of her enemies couldn't harm her. Here it was safe. Clark's head came up suddenly; abruptly he was a streak crossing the room, a streak that changed from grey to blue in the space of an indrawn breath. The doors banged open and a split instant later a concussion rattled the windows. Two books and Clark's fertility statue fell from the bookshelf to the rug. Lois ran to the door in time to meet a white-faced Superman, returning. "Are you all right?" he demanded, grasping her by the shoulders. Numbly, she nodded. "What was it?" "A bomb. It was planted behind the couch. I heard the timer start up." He kicked the door shut with one foot and strode to the phone. "I'm going to call the police." ****************** It was two AM before the police investigators finally left. Lois sat huddled on the couch as Clark closed the door behind the last man and turned to look at her. "Are you okay, Lois?" "I think so," she said. "You look like you haven't slept in a week," he said. "Go to bed. I'll see to it that nothing happens." "Not yet." She picked up her cup of the long-cold coffee that Clark had made while they waited for the police and swallowed the last of it, grimacing at the taste. "Is the station wagon still there?" Clark shook his head. "It left a while ago. I didn't really notice when." He sat down beside her. "I'm going to talk to Henderson first thing in the morning. I couldn't exactly explain what I really thought was going on." "No." She leaned against him and Clark slipped an arm around her. They sat in silence for several minutes. "Clark," Lois said, "if Lex's people are following me, why would they try to bomb your apartment while I'm in it?" "I don't know." Clark's arm tightened slightly. "Since you're staying here, maybe he thinks we're--you know--and has decided you've betrayed him or something." Lois had already considered that alternative and rejected it. "No, Clark, I don't think so--not Lex." "Lois, you know what he's capable of." "Yes, of course I do; I just don't think it would matter that way to him, Clark. I think, if anything, it would add spice to the game--it would be more amusing for him to take me away from you if we were--well, you know. More of a triumph." Clark appeared to consider that. "You're probably right," he said. "I hadn't thought of it that way, but it makes sense. But in that case..." "Why the theft at my apartment, and the double's appearance at the anti-Superman rally?" Lois asked. "If Lex wanted me dead, why all the games? There's something else we're not seeing here, Clark. It just doesn't add up." "I know. I suppose the bomb could have just been a trap for me," Clark said. Again, Lois vetoed the suggestion. "Lex knows we're partners and that I'm often with you. He wouldn't set an indiscriminate trap like that--not if he wants me alive." "Maybe it wasn't," Clark said, unexpectedly. "That bomb had a countdown mechanism that started *after* we came in. It may have been remotely triggered. The bomb squad couldn't find anything we might have tripped. That was what they were looking for while you were changing in the bathroom. I didn't find anything either, and you can bet I looked." "You mean someone waited until we entered the apartment and started the timer?" "I think so. I agree, it *doesn't* add up. And what if that car that nearly ran us down wasn't just a reckless driver? It's like somebody else out there is trying to get rid of you--or me--or us." He broke off and they stared at each other. "That's it!" Lois half shrieked. "Clark, you're a genius!" "How could we have missed it?" he asked. "Lex is doing part of this, and someone else is doing the rest--probably the attempts to kill us," Lois said. "But why?" "Good question," Clark said. "But it sure makes more sense this way." "Yeah, it does. Only who could it be? We haven't made anyone mad at us for a couple of months," Lois said. "Well, more like two weeks," Clark amended, "but they're in jail, so it couldn't be them. Lois, I have a really out-there kind of idea. Suppose someone is targeting you because Luthor wants you?" "What do you mean?" "Luthor's made a lot of enemies in the past," he said, "and not all of them were upright guys. What if someone out of his past has decided the best way to get revenge on Luthor is to keep him from getting the woman he wants, by killing her?" Lois mulled that one over for a few minutes. It *was* a bit melodramatic, still, it *did* make sense. "How do we find out? I'm not eager to be killed so someone can get even with my would-be boyfriend." "The idea doesn't exactly thrill me, either." Clark frowned thoughtfully at nothing. "I wonder..." Lois was completely silent while he thought. "Luthor had lots of female companionship," Clark said, "but no wife. Was he ever married, do you know?" "If he was, he didn't say so. He did say he had a son...illegitimate. He and the child's mother were killed in a car crash." "Hmmm..." Clark was still frowning. He glanced at his watch. "It's past two--too late to call Jimmy, now. I'll have to do it in the morning." "What are you going to do?" "I'm going to have him check into Luthor's history--was he ever married or even just engaged--and if so, what happened to the wife or girlfriend? I'm just working a funny hunch here, but if it pans out it might explain some of this." "You're saying it might have happened before." "Maybe. That's what we need to find out." "Well," Lois said, "at least we're acting instead of reacting for once." She smothered a yawn with the back of her hand. "All of a sudden, I'm sleepy." "It's been a long day," Clark said. "Go on to bed. Superman's taking the night off, unless something happens that the emergency services really can't handle." "Clark, you need sleep, too. Even Superman can't stay awake forever." He nodded. "I'll sleep in here. I don't really need the sofa, you know, but I'll wake up if anyone tries to break in." "You could sleep in there with me, Clark. I trust you." He smiled wryly. "You may trust me, but *I* don't trust me. I think it's probably best if I stay in here." He bent his head and kissed her. "Go on, honey. Get some sleep." "What did you say?" She looked up, startled. "I said you should get some sleep." "No, before that." "I...you mean, 'Go on, honey'?" "Yeah. Honey." She smiled slowly. "I never thought of myself as a honey. I like it." "You do?" "Yeah." She giggled. "I didn't think I would, but I do. If you want to call me 'honey' after this, you can." "Okay, I will. Go on to bed, honey. I'll be right here." ****************** (to be continued) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 12:10:13 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Laurie Dunn Subject: Re: When Lightning Strikes Twice Part 21/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This continues to be great, Wendy! More, please. LaurieD ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 15:29:56 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chris Carr Subject: NEW: Revelation Reaction (1/1) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 TITLE: Revelation Reaction AUTHOR: Chris Carr (c.carr@virgin.net) RATING: G (I think.) FEEDBACK: Comments welcome privately or via the fanfic mailing list SUMMARY: Clark has something to tell Lois; she reacts. Introduction: Not a lot to say really. I wrote this last weekend and have been encouraged to post it by my two helpful guinea pigs. (Thanks guys!) REVELATION REACTION Chez Michel was a deservedly well-regarded restaurant located in one of the older neighbourhoods of Metropolis. The setting was intimate and the ambience tranquil. Moreover, its chef was widely regarded as being one of the best in the city; his chocolate desserts in particular were legendary. Chez Michel was popular with couples; diners had to book months in advance for a table on Valentine=92s Day. For a normal weekday evening, such as tonight, it was still necessary to make a booking several days ahead. Fully cognisant of these facts, Lois had been charmed by Clark=92s choice of= venue for this particular date. Of course, what she hadn=92t realised was that Clark=92s careful planning had gone beyond the choice of venue. He had= also spent the last few days preparing himself for the precise moment when he would tell Lois the truth. It had taken more courage than Clark had thought he possessed to do let Lois= in on his secret, finally blurted out inelegantly over dessert. As far as Lois was concerned, his announcement had come as a complete shock.= Clark had watched in horror as the dream-like delight that had suffused her= face as she took her first mouthful of the rich brown concoction dropped from her face in an instant. Her half-closed eyes had jolted open and she had let her fork clatter against the fine porcelain of her plate. Then she=92d begun to speak. No, Clark amended, she=92d begun to rant. Clark watched her, the look on his face a curious mix of disappointment, fear and vulnerability. He hadn=92t known how she would react to this most personal of secrets. He had feared she would be disbelieving, embarrassed or bewildered. He had hoped she would be understanding. What he hadn=92t accounted for adequately was that this was Lois. Lois, who= reacted to every unsettling nugget of information with a defensive anger. And right now she was very angry indeed, accusing him of having been unduly secretive and of engaging in calculating behaviour. "Calculating?" asked Clark. He couldn=92t deny the charge of secrecy, thoug= h he=92d hoped that she would have been more sympathetic about that; after all= , it hadn=92t been easy for him to lower his barriers enough for her to tell h= er his secret. "Yes! Calculating! If you=92d wanted talk properly about this, you=92d hav= e found a nice quiet spot. Somewhere private. You wouldn=92t have told me in= the middle of a crowded restaurant! How can we discuss this with all the seriousness it warrants, when anyone might overhear us? I mean, this is big! Really big!" "Lois..." protested Clark weakly. "It wasn=92t a calculated choice. I mean= , it was, but not in the way you=92re implying. I just wanted to create a nic= e atmosphere... I wanted=97" "You wanted to soften me up, you mean. You wanted=97" "Okay. I admit that I wanted you in a good mood. I mean, it wasn=92t going= to be easy to tell you... Well, you know. And I knew this wasn=92t going t= o be an easy discussion=97" "That=92s the point, Clark! We=92re not having *that* discussion here. We can=92t, because if I tell you what I really think about your... your... revelation, the whole restaurant would hear, and your secret would be out. I think you didn=92t know how I=92d react, and you thought that I would be l= ess likely to be... difficult... if we were somewhere public. You knew I wouldn=92t want to make a scene. And I bet you thought, if you told me here= , that by the time we got somewhere more... intimate... I would have calmed down. Of course, you=92re quite right. But that doesn=92t make it fair!" Clark frowned slightly. He hadn=92t set out to ensure things happened that way, no matter what Lois thought. At least, he hadn=92t done so consciously= . Subconsciously, however? He didn=92t know. Feeling unaccountably guilty, = he said, "Look... do you want to go somewhere else now?" "I=97 That=92s just my point! No. I don=92t want to go somewhere else to discuss this. I want to feel free to react to this news now! I want to be able to sit here and talk about it. But we can=92t, because you=92ve chosen= to tell me something so deeply personal *right in the middle of Metropolis=92s most popular restaurant!*" Despite her best efforts, Lois=92s voice was beginning to rise. "Lois," said Clark, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "People are beginning to stare." "So, let them stare!" "I thought you didn=92t want to make a scene." "I don=92t. Didn=92t. Whatever. Why didn=92t you tell me this before? I = mean, I can understand why you didn=92t tell me in the beginning... but what about= when we started dating? Didn=92t you think I might want to know? Did you think I=92d see you differently? Change my mind about you? About us? Abou= t our relationship? Just because=97" "Lois... I told you =96 it=92s not something I felt comfortable talking abo= ut. I mean..." Clark trailed off into silence. He ducked his head, allowing his shoulders to slump dejectedly. He focused on his hands, watching his fingers as he plucked desultorily at his napkin. He didn=92t look up again until he felt Lois=92s hand lightly touch his forearm. "I=92m sorry, Clark," she said softly. The change in her tone suddenly made Clark hopeful that this conversation wouldn=92t end in unmitigated disaster after all, that they could get things= back to normal =96 or as close to normal as things ever got for them. Lois smiled gently, sympathetically, a hint of embarrassment tingeing her cheeks with pink. "I don=92t mean to be hard on you. It=92s just... it=92s= just... Well, it=92s not every day a girl finds out the man in her life is,= " she mouthed the last words, "a virgin." END ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 23:11:40 +0100 Reply-To: "yconnell@ukf.net" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: yconnell Subject: Re: Revelation Reaction (1/1) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit S P O I L E R S P A C E LOL, Chris! Brilliant - you caught me out, you rat! And your Lois rant was superlative. Yvonne (yconnell@ukf.net) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 01:23:10 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Marilyn L. Puett" Subject: Re: Revelation Reaction (1/1) You really had me going! I just KNEW he'd told her he was Superman! Thanks for the good giggle. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 06:50:42 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jo Murf Subject: Re: NEW: Revelation Reaction (1/1) S P O I L E R Oh, Chris! That was classic! You totally had me going there!! I had to reread that last line just to make sure I read it right!! And your characters were so accurately portrayed! Loved it! Thanks! JoMurf ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 13:14:48 -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 22/? 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: 22 of ? Comments: much appreciated, publicly or privately Sorry this one's a little short; the next instalment will be longer. -------------------------------------------------- Clark, for his part, was trying hard to keep himself together. He hadn=92t slept for several days now, and besides the inevitable weariness was beginning to feel very despondent about his chances of defeating Lex Luthor. Now that Luthor had Kryptonite, the task was so much harder - at least, assuming the piece he=92d had the night before was not his only one; if it hadn=92t been for Jimmy=92s courage last night he would already be dea= d. He was well aware that the other occupants of his parents=92 living-room kne= w that, though they were all being very careful not to mention it. Lois interrupted what were rapidly becoming very depressing thoughts. =93So when did you talk to Jimmy, Clark? You didn=92t say.=94 =93Later,=94 he explained. =93I went back to the hospital to see how he was doing, and he=92d been moved to a room by then.=94 He didn=92t add anything = about the way he=92d felt when handing the battered and injured Jimmy, who had bee= n drifting in and out of consciousness during the short flight, to the duty ER doctor. He=92d been assured that his friend=92s injuries were unlikely to= be critical unless there happened to be internal injuries, but it was the possibility of internal injuries which had worried him. Clark=92s medical knowledge was competent for an amateur: he could spot a broken bone or a sprain, he knew a reasonable amount about head injuries and he had even learned enough to be able to deliver a baby safely, the latter very much an on-the-job crash course. But he was not very familiar with internal organs, and given the kicking to the ribs and stomach Jimmy had sustained, was very much afraid of serious damage. But when he=92d returned to the hospital in the very small hours of morning,= having given up for the moment on his search for Luthor, the news from the doctor had been encouraging. No internal injuries beyond bruising, the three broken ribs and the broken ankle Clark had already known about, bruising and a number of cuts, some of which had needed stitches. Jimmy would need a hospital stay of several days, followed by a period being cared for by family or friends after his hospital discharge. Clark relayed this information, and Martha instantly responded, as he=92d guessed she might. =93He can come here, of course, honey. We=92ll look after= him - he can=92t stay with you, it=92s too risky, even if -=94 She broke off= without finishing, but Clark knew what she=92d been about to say. Even if he= had managed to deal with Luthor by then. And Jimmy staying with him would be too risky because he was Superman. He couldn=92t take the chance that he would somehow give himself away. =93It=92s okay, Mom, Perry=92s already offered,=94 he answered quickly, and explained how, as Superman, he=92d then gone straight to see the Planet editor, since the doctor had asked him to wait half an hour or so before visiting Jimmy. If he hadn=92t been there as Superman, Clark mused silently,= he wouldn=92t have been allowed to see Jimmy at all - Perry, who had arrived= at the hospital as he himself was leaving, had been refused permission. =93I went to see Perry because - well, apart from the fact that we know Perr= y sees Jimmy like a surrogate son, even though he=92d deny it, he=92s the only= person I could think of who=92d know how to get in contact with Jimmy=92s parents. Anyway...=94 He paused for a moment, grimacing and giving a faint shrug, =93Perry said he has no idea where Jimmy=92s father is. The guy walke= d out on Jimmy when he was just a kid - I guess you knew that, Lois,=94 Clark added, seeing Lois nod. =93Jimmy never really talked about his parents to me= . Perry=92s going to check Jimmy=92s file today and try to get hold of his mother.=94 =93How did Perry take it?=94 Lois asked softly. =93Not well,=94 Clark replied heavily. =93He was angry - with me as well as Luthor - but that was just because he was worried.=94 It had been quite a surprise for him to be on the receiving-end of a harsh diatribe from Perry when dressed as Superman; although Perry=92s attitude to the Super-hero coul= d never be described as sycophantic - and there was no way Clark would want it to be - the editor was usually polite, if not openly friendly, and generally respectful. But Perry=92s normal demeanour had been breaking down under the stress of worry about his staff, that was clear. In fact, Perry had also asked anxiously about Lois=92s well-being: it seemed= the editor had called the hospital around eight-thirty or so to enquire after Lois, and had been told she=92d discharged herself, but he then hadn=92= t been able to contact her, either at Lois=92s own apartment or Clark=92s. He must have called after they=92d left to return to Smallville, Clark had concluded, and had reassured his boss that Lois was somewhere safe. =93And Clark?=94 Perry had asked. =93He=92s fine,=94 Clark had responded, again hating the lying and unable to= come up with any convincing explanation for his absence from the scene. Pushing that from his mind, he summarised his discussion with the editor, unable to resist a pointed glance in Lois=92s direction to emphasise that people did worry about her well-being. =93I=92ll call him later,=94 Lois murmured. =93But what about Jimmy?=94 =93Yeah, I saw him. He was pretty doped up, but awake.=94 Awake, and lying propped up in bed, dark circles beneath his eyes because the medication hadn=92t dulled the pain completely. Jimmy=92s ribs were bandaged, and his ankle was on top of the bed-sheet, covered by a protective shield. His expression had brightened at the sight of his visitor, though he=92d anxiously asked whether Superman was okay. Clark was still amazed at his friend=92s courage and resilience: his refusal= to call for help in the first instance, knowing that Luthor had Kryptonite, and his quick thinking in deciding to act as if he was barely conscious, hoping St John would ignore him. The jump out of the window had been an impulse, Jimmy reasoning that if he simply tried to run through the house his chances of escape were zero. Apparently Jimmy had been fairly athletic at school, and was well-versed in the correct landing techniques; this was how he=92d managed to survive the drop with nothing more than a broken ankle= and some additional bruises. "We talked for a while," Clark continued. "Not long - the doctor only allowed me five minutes with him - but he told me how Luthor had grabbed him in the first place, and how he'd been determined not to be used as bait to get me there." He paused, then grimaced. "He wanted to know how Luthor got Super-powers. I said I couldn't tell him." Clark hadn't been altogether happy about having to be evasive on that point, since he'd thought himself, and he suspected Jimmy had as well, that he owed Jimmy an explanation after the young man had risked his life for Superman. But he was determined that no-one else should find out how it was possible to transfer Super-powers. His mother got to her feet then, saying, =93Go on, honey, you go upstairs an= d get cleaned up. I=92ll have some breakfast ready for you when you come back down.=94 Shaking his head reluctantly, Clark stood as well. =93Mom, I don=92t have ti= me. I need to get back to Metropolis, to make sure Luthor isn=92t up to anything= else I need to prevent. And I need to stop him permanently somehow. Assuming I can find him,=94 he finished with a sigh. =93And you=92ll do that much better with a decent meal inside you,=94 she retorted. =93Clark, I bet you=92ve barely eaten these past couple of days.=94= She was right, and he couldn=92t deny it. =93Mom, you know I don=92t need to= eat.=94 =93You don=92t need sleep either, but after a couple of days without it you begin to notice the difference,=94 she pointed out. =93Now, you go on. Lois,= I=92ll get your breakfast at the same time,=94 Martha finished, already head= ing for the kitchen. His father stopped and laid a hand warmly on Clark=92s shoulder. =93You do a= s you mom says, son. You know she=92s usually right.=94 Clark couldn=92t help it: he grinned. =93I know, Dad. I don=92t know why I b= other trying to argue with her.=94 He caught sight of Lois=92s expression as he finished speaking: she was looking dumbfounded. She saw him watching her, and made an expressive gesture. =93I=92m just not used to seeing anyone bully Superman like that!=94= =93Apart from you, you mean?=94 he teased her gently, and was rewarded with = a familiar smile. Lois definitely seemed to have calmed down since he'd brought her back last night, he recognised with a distinct sense of relief. Of course, he knew Lois well enough to know that once she had got over her anger she could be very magnanimous, but he=92d been afraid that in this instance she might not= be. After all, her best friend had been deceiving her for a year and a half.= When he=92d first heard her coming down the stairs he=92d been half-tempted = to leave before she could see him, and arrange to talk to his father in the barn instead. But then he reminded himself that he wasn=92t a coward, and that Superman was not afraid of five feet six inches of woman, even if that woman was Lois Lane. So he=92d stayed, but he=92d been prepared for more hostility. Instead, he'd got a soft hand on his arm and a concerned voice telling him he looked tired - and calling him Clark! She seemed to want to save their much-needed talk and any recriminations for another time, for which he was grateful. It was what he wanted too, but he hadn=92t been too hopeful about getting it. He was about to leave the room and head for the stairs, but Lois stopped him. =93Clark, I need to talk to you.=94 He turned to her reluctantly. =93Lois, can=92t we do this later?=94 But it seemed he was wrong about what she wanted. =93Not about that, Clark. Look, you need to find Luthor and get him somewhere you can deal with him, and I think I have an idea about how you can do it.=94 Wasn=92t that precisely what he=92d been wishing he could do only a short ti= me before? Lois was usually the main =91ideas=92 person in their partnership, a= nd if she had a possible plan in mind it was certainly worth listening to. Before he could respond, his mother called from the kitchen, =93That=92s gre= at, Lois! Why don=92t you go upstairs with Clark and tell him all about it while= he gets ready?=94 Clark thought with an inward groan. What was she trying to do - push them together? Didn=92t she realise how bad an idea that was right now? =93Umm... Lois, I need to shower and get changed - okay, I know I can d= o that in seconds, but...=94 He trailed off with a shrug. =93I can wait in the bedroom for you,=94 she insisted. =93And we can talk wh= ile you shave.=94 They could.... No. Bad idea, Clark thought insistently. He shaved with heat vision, and he had no intention of putting Lois anywhere near heat vision again just at the moment. Not while the memory of her being hurt by Luthor was still so fresh in his mind, and hers too. =93Hey, how do you shave, anyway?=94 she asked, clearly interested. =93You k= now, there=92s all sorts of things I always wanted to ask Superman but never got the chance.=94 =93Maybe I=92ll show you some time,=94 he said, evading the question. =93Not= today, though. We can talk over breakfast - Lois, I really want to hear your ideas,=94 he added, in case she got the impression that he was giving her th= e brush-off. =93I could really do with your input here.=94 ************* ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 14:28:51 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: JaT Subject: 7 Days of Superman Part 15 Comments: To: 7days FanFic <7DaysFic@egroups.com>, BackStep Fiction , Tad Flowers , Marc Gartin , Dave and Debbie Harrison , Melanie , Backstep Operation , Travel Time , Dad Tull , Danny Tull MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Sorry for the delay. Title:Seven Days of Superman Author/pseudonym:Mr. D8A Fandom:Seven Days/Lois & Clark:The New Adventures of Superman Rating:PG-13 Status: PART 15 Archive: Yes E-mail address for feedback:mr_d8a@yahoo.com Series/Sequel: 7 Days/l&c:tTNAOS Crossover Other websites:BACKGROUND INFORMATION.SEVEN DAYS (Details supplied by http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/9329/SevenDays Disclaimers: Lois and Clark and the rest of the show's entourage are the property of DC, Warner, ABC, and Joanne Siegel and Laura Siegel Larson. Seven Days is the property of UPN. Summary:Superman fails to stop the nuking of Washington DC and gets some help from Frank B. Parker from Operation Backstep. Previously in Part 14 The photographer sat back down, crossed his arms and, contemplated his now out-of-film camera. When Frank turned his back again, he subtly pressed a combination of buttons on his watch. **Come on, be listening.** Frank noticed movement near the Sphere. From this distance it looked like a young woman in her early thirties and an African American looking all the world like a Secret Service agent. **Must be Lois Lane-Kent.** "Come on, junior. Time to go meet the rest of the gang." ~*~ Part: 15 A sound that rivaled the worst feedback possible started to invade Lois’ head. It was so distracting that she barely heard Keith talking to her. "Lois, we have company. And he's got Jimmy with him." Keith spoke into his lapel mike and had the others standing by. He noticed Lois’ pained expression and gave her a questioning look. “You can’t hear that horrid sound? It’s nearly deafening and it’s getting worse.” Shaking his head, he looked around and realized, “Jimmy’s signal watch. That must be it. Don’t worry, they're almost here.” As Frank and Jimmy approached, Keith caught the attention of the young man and tapped his own watch. Jimmy nodded slowly. Keith responded by shaking his head and then indicating Lois with a tilt of the chin. Frank, thought for a second that he was in a baseball game, and that he was about ready to get struck out. His hand started to go for his gun as he saw Jimmy move his hands. "Keep your hands where I can see them." "Oh for goodness-sakes! He's just turning off the signal watch to keep me from going deaf." "I don't hear anything." "Well, trust me, I can." Lois winced in pain and grabbed both of her ears. "Okay, junior, but no funny stuff." Finally, Jimmy played with his watch and Lois visibly relaxed. "Gee, Lois, when did you start hearing things at the ultra sonic level." "Just now, apparently. Jimmy, are you going to introduce your friend or leave us in suspence." "*He* is *no* friend of *mine*." “I am agent Frank B. Parker and I am with the NSA. I need a moment of your time Ms. Lane.” Lois took a long look at Mr. Parker. **Something vaguely familiar about that face.** She extended her hand to him, “It’s Mrs. Kent and anything you have to say to me can be said in front of Agent Jackson and Mr. Olsen.” Jimmy got a smug look on his face. “What I have to say is of a ‘sensitive’ nature 'Mrs. Kent' and a matter of national security. Since I’m new to the area, I don’t know who I can trust and who I can’t.” Indicating Jimmy Lois said, "Mr. Olsen here has been a friend of ours for the last eight years and is the God-father of our son. Agent Jackson has been our primary Secret Service man since Clark's mother became President of the Americas three years ago. As you well know, they find out a lot more than the public ever find's out…" "You got that right." Lois gave him an annoyed look, then continued, "…so you can take my word that anything you have to say to me you can say in front of them." "If you insist. First, we believe a man by the name of Tempus is going…" Frank never got a chance to finish his words. "*Tempus*! That no good, ego-centric, psychopath. I can think of no one in this world that I hate more than him." "What about Lex Luthor?" "Who?" **This quantum shade is *so* different.** Shaking his head, Frank continued, "Maybe later. Let's get back to Tempus. In two days we think he is going to nuke Washington D.C. and effectively re-decorate the East Coast in early fallout. Second, he plans to expose your husband, Clark Kent, as Superman." This time Frank waited for the reaction. He wasn't disappointed. "Expose my husband as Superman! That is the most preposterous thing I heard of!" Lois and Jimmy both started laughing and Keith managed to suppress a grin. "He has quite good evidence to back it up." This got even more laughs. Frank was now very perplexed. "I'm sure he does. All he has to do is play the speech Clark made shortly after Martha's inauguration. After discussing it with those that knew, he felt the time was right. We would have protection the rest of our lives due to Martha’s political position. That and with the ever increasing scrutiny of some 'reporters,' keeping a dual identity was going to become next to impossible. So, he announced to the whole world that he was Superman. Where have you been hiding?" Frank sighed, "This is just great. I'm supposed to keep this big secret and everyone knows." **Wait a minute. If I didn't know and my counter-part in this universe did know, and we possibly switched places…I hope he finds out that Martha Kent is not the President before he opens his big mouth.** Taking a deep breath, Frank muttered under his breath. "I knew something like this was going to happen. This has got to be the worst Backstep…" Lois, however, over heard what he said. “Mr. Parker, you are not making any sense. Why is Clark’s Superman identity a big secret? And what is a 'Backstep?'" He shook his head, as if to clear it. "I'll get to that in a moment. Let me finish. Third, he plans to kill you, Mrs. Kent, and your super child, which doesn't…" "Alex! Oh, no!" Lois looked like she was going to bolt straight to the Daily Planet, but paused as she remembered that Agent Smith was with her son. Frank threw up his hands in frustration. Keith started to marshal his resources. "Nanny, CODE RED! I repeat, CODE RED! One-Sick-Puppy is on the loose. His target is Lex-a-chu. Eagle III split into two teams, Chocolate, Mousse, go back up Nanny. Éclair, Long-John, meet up with us." Keith turned toward Frank, all business. Even though Keith scrapped the bottom of the height requirement necessary for field work, he could be a fairly intimidating individual when he needed to be. This was the Keith Jackson that faced Frank Parker now. "Mr. Parker, I suggest that you tell us *everything* you know and make it quick." "That's what I've been trying to tell you. Okay from the top…" ===== The D8As - AIM id is mrd8astl Matthew 23:37-39, Romans 1:19-32, 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 Go to WWW.FREEWWWEB.COM for the best Free Internet access! __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com/ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 17:35:03 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chris Carr Subject: Re: NEW: Revelation Reaction (1/1) Thank you, Jo Murf, Yvonne and Marilyn for the feedback! Glad you enjoyed this one! Chris ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 18:28:00 -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: NEW: Tryst (4/?) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit PAAAAAAAAAMMMMM!!!!!!!! PAM PAM PAM! PAM! PAM! You can't do this! These things are illegal! You should be banned from this list, from human society! This is not fair, you listen? NOT FAIR! You can't just write such a wonderful story, and then, at the end of part four put in a line like 'More to come, as soon as I get it written'. At least I know you're not totally cruel -cruelty is to have to next parts written and not post them, but that's for another discussion. My point is - it's the middle of the night, the temperatures today neared 40c (which is about zillion and two Fahrenheit), the humidity here is 80% (80%! My brain drowned), the cat is walking all over my keyboard, making me retype every third word, and now I found the little question mark in the title: NEW: Tryst (4/?) Pam, please, PLEASE, be kind to a miserable creature and post the rest of the story soon, okay?... (read the last sentence in the most whiny, pathetic voice you can imagine) Yael. (who just reread her post and decided she must get her air-conditioner fixed, and fast) ----------------------- - Oh, god... - Zod. (Superman II) ----------------------- ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 17:30:11 -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 23/? 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: 23 of ? Comments: very much appreciated, publicly or privately. - Posting again today since I'm nearly finished writing this monster, and yesterday's instalment was short. - --------------------------------------------------------------- Deciding to let Clark have it his own way - this time - Lois wandered into the kitchen where Martha was busy making pancakes. =93They=92re his favourite,=94 she explained as Lois dipped a finger in the = maple syrup. =93He looks so tired, Martha,=94 Lois said, concern evident in her voice. =93= I=92ve never seen Superman look like that before - I don=92t think I=92ve ever seen= Clark look so exhausted.=94 =93Like I said, he doesn=92t need to sleep as much as we do, but he does nee= d to rest sometimes,=94 Martha explained, moving away from the pancakes and getting out a first-aid kit. Continuing the conversation, she changed the dressing on Lois=92s arm while they talked. =93And he=92s had hardly any sle= ep, plus he was working hard all day yesterday.=94 =93Yeah, and he=92s had a lot to worry about,=94 Lois added. =93Don=92t worr= y, I won=92t give him any more hassle.=94 =93I know.=94 Martha smiled warmly at her. =93For now, at any rate - I know things will be back to normal between you two soon enough.=94 =93Yeah, except now I know he=92s Superman.=94 Lois poured herself a coffee = and leaned against the counter while sipping it cautiously. =93It=92s going to b= e really strange, working with him while knowing that.=94 =93I=92m sure you=92ll get used to it.=94 Martha surprised Lois by winking a= t her. =93And I=92m sure you=92ll find his powers come in handy from time to t= ime!=94 =93Oh, I=92ll bet...!=94 Lois exclaimed on a soft sigh, as she considered th= e kind of circumstances in which a Super-powered partner would be very useful indeed. =93But he=92s *got* to do something about those stupid excuses he us= es when he runs off!=94 =93Oh, you=92ve figured that, have you?=94 The sound of Clark=92s voice made= Lois swivel her head quickly towards the kitchen door. Her partner had just entered: he was clean-shaven and dressed in blue jeans and a soft blue cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up to just above his elbows; she suspected that it was the same one he=92d worn when she=92d been in Smallvil= le with him over a year before. His hair was damp, and his glasses were tucked into the top pocket of his shirt; he looked like a very strange, yet very familiar - and incredibly attractive - cross between Clark and Superman. Again, she couldn=92t help catching her breath as the reality of the dual identity hit her once again. Determined not to let him notice just how his appearance affected her, she pulled a face at him. =93Come on, Clark, how many visits to the dentist in the last year? How many emergencies at your neighbour=92s apartment? And the= *Cheese of the Month Club*?=94 =93Okay, so some of them were a bit dumb,=94 he admitted, grinning. =93But I= did have to think them up on the spur of the moment - it wasn=92t easy!=94 =93Bet I could do better,=94 she challenged him, almost without thinking; it= struck her a moment later just how quickly she=92d fallen back into their normal banter. And that was a relief: despite the hurt which she still felt to some degree, the last thing she wanted was to lose Clark as a friend. He strolled to the counter to pour himself a coffee, his movements economical; watching him, Lois was suddenly aware of the restrained power in this man=92s body. She=92d always known Clark had a great body and that h= e was pretty strong, but now, thinking of that same body she=92d once seen dressed only in a towel displayed to perfection in his Superman outfit, she felt herself grow warm and had to turn away to avoid Clark seeing. Martha interrupted then, putting the dish of pancakes on the table. =93There= you go. I=92m sure you can help yourselves - Clark, I=92m going to get start= ed outside. I=92ll see you before you go?=94 =93Sure, Mom,=94 Clark answered, already taking a seat at the table. He gestured for Lois to join him, sliding two pancakes onto a plate for her. =93So, Lois... you sleep all right?=94 He sounded nervous suddenly. =93Um... sure. But you didn=92t - Martha said you=92ve barely slept since th= is thing started?=94 Lois saw him shrug, but she wasn=92t entirely convinced. His =93I don=92t re= ally need to sleep much,=94 didn=92t convince her all that much either. Despite h= is having showered and shaved, Clark looked very tired, and she ached to hug him and send him off to get some sleep. That was a very new sensation for Lois Lane: she had never before been tempted to mother any man she knew. But somehow Clark Kent seemed to bring out a latent - in fact, very deeply buried - protective instinct within her. And it was Clark, not Superman; that was strange too. Although for a long time she=92d thought herself crazily in love with Superman, she'd never wanted to take care of him. If anything, she=92d envisaged him sweeping her off her feet and taking care of= her. But Superman in the guise of Clark Kent certainly did arouse those instincts. Clark Kent was a real, living, breathing person who had somehow insinuated himself underneath her protective shell. And she wanted to tell him to take better care of himself. But his response to her enquiry made it clear that he didn=92t want to be fussed over. So if she wanted to help him, it would be better to concentrate on practicalities. =93Clark, I=92ve been giving a lot of thought= to the Luthor thing - how to catch him, I mean.=94 =93You have?=94 Her partner raised his head from the pancake he was attackin= g with gusto. There was a flash of something like hope in his eyes, before he frowned. =93Lois, you=92re not planning on getting involved, are you? After = the last time, I couldn=92t take it - =94 She shook her head quickly. =93No, I=92ve learned my lesson there, Clark. If= he has someone he can use to blackmail you, or to distract you, he=92ll do it. You need to get him far away from anyone else.=94 He grimaced. =93Like where? The Sahara?=94 =93Well, why not? Somewhere like that, anyway.=94 Lois paused, took a sip of= coffee, and launched into speech again. =93Clark, I need to know, first - ca= n you beat him, one on one, with no-one around to get in the way?=94 He was silent for a moment or two, clearly thinking about her question. =93Yes, I=92m sure of it,=94 he answered softly, firmly. =93He may= have my powers, but he doesn=92t have my length of experience with them. He misjudges how much, or how little, effort is needed. So he makes mistakes, and then he over-compensates. I took him down the other night, remember.=94 =93Yes, I remember,=94 Lois answered with a grimace. =93And I=92m sorry, Cla= rk - I know if it hadn=92t been for me you=92d have had him.=94 But he shook his head swiftly before she could continue, stretching his hand across the table to cover hers. =93Lois, it=92s okay. I understand - if= our positions had been reversed, I don=92t think I could have left either.=94= The pressure of his hand was quickly removed, but although it had been brief it was immensely comforting. =93But he=92s prepared to kill you, Clark,=94 she objected then. =93I know. But I think I can stop him getting that far,=94 he returned quick= ly; too quickly, Lois thought. His response was almost glib, as if he was just saying it to convince her rather than as if he really meant it. Her other major fear came to the fore then. =93What if he has more Kryptonite? I mean, I don=92t know where he got that piece from, but who say= s it=92s the only one he has?=94 This time Clark took longer to reply. =93I don=92t know, Lois. I=92m hoping = it is, but I=92ll just have to take that chance.=94 =93Where did he get it?=94 Suddenly Lois was avidly curious - no, not curiou= s, so desperately worried that she needed to know everything there was to know about this situation. He sighed. =93I=92m guessing from the Kryptonite cage he imprisoned me in months ago. No, don=92t ask me about that now,=94 he added. =93I=92ll tell y= ou, when all this is over. Add it to the list of things I=92m sure you want to ask me about.=94 A cage made of Kryptonite? - or, at least, coated in it, or with Kryptonite somewhere in its construction. When had that happened? It had to have been before Luthor=92s death, but how long before? And if Superman had been imprisoned in it, how had he survived? Lois suddenly remembered the speculation, in the immediate aftermath of Luthor=92s death, about why Superman hadn=92t saved him. Not that she had be= en distressed about that at all, but there had been an attempt to stir up some anti-Superman feeling, and Luthor=92s death had been the focus for that attempt. Superman had actually said at the time that he would have helped if he could have, but he=92d been prevented from doing so. What if it was because he=92d still been weak from the Kryptonite? Where was Superman when Luthor jumped to his death? Holding her in his arms. Clark had been there - he had appeared outside LexCorp just as they=92d all exited. He=92d looked pale, now she came to thi= nk of it: could that have been from Kryptonite poisoning? He=92d been holding her... and he=92d almost pulled away from her, muttering something like, =93= I can=92t...=94. Couldn=92t fly? Couldn=92t use his Super-strength? If her guess was right, Luthor had tried to kill Superman - tried to kill Clark - on the morning of their wedding. Or perhaps the night before: after all, she=92d tried to call Clark, to make one last attempt to persuade him t= o come to the wedding, the night before, and he hadn=92t answered his phone. =93Lois?=94 Clark=92s puzzled voice entered her thoughts. =93Are you okay?=94= =93Um... yeah, just thinking,=94 she told him. =93Look, what occurred to me before is that both times you=92ve been confronted with him so far, he chose= the time and the circumstances. You have to make sure that next time the meeting=92s on your terms.=94 He nodded slowly. =93That makes sense, but how in the heck do I do that, Lois? Not without playing him at his own game and using some kind of bait, and I won=92t do that. Well, unless it was Nigel St John,=94 he added dryly. =93But somehow I guess Luthor would consider him expendable.=94 =93I think you=92re right,=94 Lois agreed. =93But I wonder whether if we mad= e him angry... Lex doesn=92t always think altogether clearly when he=92s angry, especially as I=92m more and more convinced that he=92s not entirely sane no= w - what do you think?=94 Clark grimaced, his eyes suddenly cold. =93I never thought he was sane.=94 =93Well, okay, you knew what he was up to and I didn=92t,=94 Lois acknowledg= ed, feeling a faint twinge of hurt that Clark *had* known more than he=92d let on - because he was Superman - and he hadn=92t told her. =93Lois....=94 His tone was wry, and she saw the tentative apology in his expression, along with the hope that she=92d save that one for later too. He= was right: this wasn=92t the time. =93Anyway, Clark, you need to have this confrontation on your own ground, an= d we need to make him so mad that he=92ll just take the bait.=94 =93How do you suggest I do that?=94 he asked. =93*We,* Clark,=94 she reminded him. =93Have you noticed how careful he=92s = being to avoid being recognised? Okay, he let me see him, but I don=92t think he planned to let me go. Jimmy either. He=92s got that silly cloak and mask, so= he doesn=92t seem to want major news stories saying Lex Luthor=92s returned from the dead.=94 =93Yeah, that makes sense,=94 Clark agreed, =93but I=92m not sure where you=92= re going with this, Lois.=94 =93The one thing Lex Luthor hates above everything else is not being taken seriously,=94 Lois pointed out. =93So if I was to write a story for the Plan= et about a Luthor-clone, a genetic and cybernetic experiment gone wrong, someone who looked and sounded like Luthor but was actually only partly sane and had turned openly to crime, using his powers as a weapon...?=94 =93It=92d irritate him,=94 Clark agreed, =93but I don=92t know about making = him mad. He might just decide to stage a demonstration of what he could do and announce himself to be the true Lex Luthor.=94 =93With the police ready to arrest him if he did?=94 =93Yeah, and they=92d have to catch him first,=94 Clark pointed out dryly. =93Yeah, well, the story would contain some Superman quotes. About the Lutho= r clone thinking he=92s as powerful as Superman, when he isn=92t?=94 =93That might work,=94 Clark agreed slowly. =93It=92d make him more determin= ed to kill me.=94 =93Well, you give me a couple of quotes before you go, and I=92ll write up t= he story to send to Perry. It=92ll make the afternoon edition.=94 =93I=92ve got a better idea,=94 Clark announced firmly. =93Where=92s your la= ptop?=94 =93Upstairs in the bedroom - =94 Lois broke off as, with a sudden rush of wind, Clark was no longer in the room with her. In barely more than a second, he was back, however, and she could only stare as he placed her laptop on the table, connected it up to the nearest power-point and switched it on. He caught her staring at him and grinned faintly. =93Sorry - no point hiding= what I can do any more now that you know.=94 =93Sure - it=92s just a shock to see Clark do Super things,=94 she replied, trying to sound blase but knowing she was failing miserably. Clark was now sitting in front of her computer and was loading her word processor, however, so she hoped he hadn=92t seen her expression. =93Okay, let=92s write,=94 he said firmly. =93How should we start it?=94 Lois began to dictate, only to stop abruptly as she watched her partner=92s hands fly across the keys at such a rapid pace she could barely see them move. He had to stop after a few moments, however, as the laptop bleeped alarmingly at him. He glanced up and gave her a wry grimace. =93I long for the time when someone builds a processor which can cope with information at the sort of speed I want to feed it into a computer.=94 =93You must go through a lot of keyboards,=94 she observed in amused disbeli= ef. He shrugged. =93I guess I=92ve worn a couple out.=94 Shaking her head and trying to concentrate instead at the task at hand, Lois began to pace up and down the kitchen, her hands gesticulating rapidly as she sketched their article out aloud, Clark interrupting from time to time with alternative phraseology. About twenty minutes later, thanks to Clark=92s swift typing and the back-and-forth of their quickfire exchange of= ideas, the article was written. Clark read it back aloud as they edited and finalised it; for something written in such a hurry, Lois was confident that it was excellent. =93You think this=92ll work?=94 Clark asked. =93This bit: =91In this exclusi= ve interview for the Daily Planet, Superman - on his way to investigate reports of strange events over the Bermuda Triangle - told us that the pseudo-Luthor is demonstrating megalomaniac tendencies even greater than those of the original.=92 Think that=92ll do the trick?=94 =93That should get him pretty mad at Superman all right!=94 Lois agreed. =93= I=92ll get it off to Perry and make sure he knows how important it is. This has to go on the front page if it=92s to work.=94 *************** Lex Luthor glared angrily at Nigel St John, only barely restraining himself from wrapping his hand around the older man=92s throat and squeezing. It would only take a second for the neck to snap.... =93How could you be so *stupid,* Nigel?=94 =93I would hardly call it =91stupid,=92 sir,=94 Nigel objected in that smoot= h, ultra-high class English accent which, just occasionally, really aggravated Luthor. He suspected that Nigel knew it, too, which was why he cultivated it even though it had been many years since he=92d set foot in the United Kingdom. =93After all, you could easily have dealt with the Olsen boy once Superman had arrived, and this wouldn=92t have happened.=94 =93You were supposed to be guarding him!=94 Luthor snapped. =93And anyway, y= ou still haven=92t explained why you only brought me one piece of Kryptonite. Where=92s the rest of it? That cage might not have been solid Kryptonite, bu= t there was a lot of the meteorite used in the construction. I don=92t believe= that insignificant piece was all that=92s left!=94 St John=92s pitying stare only served to aggravate Luthor=92s anger. Didn=92= t the man realise how simple it would be to dispose of him? Did he really consider himself immune from SuperLex=92s avenging wrath? But on the other hand, he did need Nigel for the time being. However, later, once he had no further use for his insolent underling.... =93You may think that, sir, but do please consider how difficult it was to reclaim any of the Kryptonite from that cage, especially in the circumstances. The LexCorp building was crawling with police.=94 St John=92s= voice was full of distaste. =93I simply had to seize what I could and make m= y escape.=94 =93Just that tiny piece?=94 Luthor protested again. =93No, but then there was your ex-wife,=94 St John drawled, a hint of triump= h in his voice now. =93You haven=92t heard about the former Mrs Luthor=92s att= empt to kill Superman and frame the Lane woman for his murder?=94 Arianna? Luthor stared in disbelief as his former assistant related the story of how his divorced wife had managed to create a double of Lois Lane, get hold of Kryptonite, and ultimately almost succeeded in getting rid of the SuperFreak and Lois simultaneously. =93How do you know of this, Nigel?=94= he demanded snippily once St John had finished. =93It certainly wasn't in an= y of the newspapers.=94 =93Superman apparently persuaded the Lane woman not to mention the Kryptonite, or the murder attempt,=94 Nigel replied. =93And Mrs Carlin Lutho= r herself chose not to mention it, on the basis that her sentence would be shorter as a result.=94 =93She told you about this?=94 =93Indeed. I visited her in prison, while she was awaiting trial,=94 Nigel explained. =93Heavily disguised, of course. I offered her my assistance in..= . arranging for her prison stay to be rather more comfortable than it otherwise might, if she agreed to tell me everything.=94 Unwillingly, Luthor found himself smiling in admiration at his assistant=92s= actions. He knew there had been a reason why he=92d kept Nigel on the payrol= l for so long. =93And just what did you mean by =91more comfortable,=92 Nigel?= =94 =93As far away as possible, sir,=94 St John confirmed. =93She is still alive= , according to my last bulletin, but I gather she pleased my contacts on the inside rather more than they had anticipated. They will tire of her sooner or later.=94 =93And the Kryptonite bullet?=94 Luthor demanded. =93Never seen again. I suspect that between them the Lane woman and the Man of Steel managed to dispose of it.=94 That news most certainly did not please Lex Luthor. Without Kryptonite, how was he going to succeed in overpowering that mighty paragon in the Spandex? He might have powers equal to Superman=92s, but he had no intention of relying on those alone. Superman had proven more resilient than he=92d anticipated, and he wasn=92t going to risk that again. And Jimmy Olsen had also managed to get away, which was an eventuality he had not wanted. He=92d only revealed himself to Olsen because he=92d known h= e would kill the boy once the alien was in his grasp and dying. He=92d originally thought Olsen had to be dead, but when he and Nigel had returned to the house the previous evening, having given up on their search for what he=92d been hoping was a weakened Superman, he had searched the grounds to n= o avail. There had been a trail of dried blood leading into the trees, and then a depression and plenty of flattened grass; that had told its own story. No doubt the Freak had found Olsen and carried him off to the nearest hospital. As for the Kryptonite, a full search of the grounds had revealed precisely nothing, and Lex Luthor was justifiably furious. He had been tempted to kill St John, who he entirely blamed for last night=92s fiasco, to relieve his frustration, but for the fact that he needed Nigel at the moment. Once Superman was dead, though; once there were no further barriers to the domination of SuperLex, Nigel would become expendable. And then he would die. And everything Lex Luthor wanted would be his... including Lois Lane, once he discovered where that interfering alien had put her. ************** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 18:38:49 -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: When Lightning Strikes Twice - Part 23/? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wendy wrote: >>...since I'm nearly finished writing this monster...<< That's wonderful news Wendy. I know I haven't told you yet how wonderful this story is, but that's just 'coz I'm lazy... it *is* wonderful,heart-warming, charming as always. You always make your story so fluent, you can actually hear the words when you read them. Yael. ----------------------- - Oh, god... - Zod. (Superman II) ----------------------- ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 17:51:13 -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: Re: NEW: Tryst (4/?) Yael... ROFLMAO!!!! Have to say, I concur with every word of that anguished cry! Pam, WHERE IS THE NEXT PART OF TRYST?!!! This is cruel and unusual punishment, and is contrary to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights... so stop being so cruel to us humble, eager fans and POST NOW!! Wendy ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 18:48:36 -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 7/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Best Laid Plans Part 7/? by Nan Smith When Lois woke the next morning she blinked sleepily at the clock, then sat up straight. The hands pointed unbelievably to nine-seventeen. Clark knocked gently on the partition. "May I come in?" "Clark, it's after nine!" "I already took care of calling Perry. May I--" "Come on in," she said. Clark appeared around the partition, a coffee cup in his hand. "Non fat creamer and two Sweet 'n Lo's, right?" "Right." She accepted the cup and saucer, noting with amusement that Clark's eyes flicked toward her cleavage before he brought his gaze back to focus determinedly on her face. "Thanks, Clark. What did you tell Perry?" "The truth. I let him know we'd be in after we finished some other business this morning. I've already talked to Jimmy but when I called Henderson's office they said he wouldn't be back until ten. I thought we could go over there after you were dressed." "Oh. Okay, I better get ready." "I'll be waiting for you out front. The blue car is parked down the street, by the way." "They're still watching." "Yeah." Half an hour later, they entered the police station on their way to see Inspector Henderson. A milling crowd of protesters occupied the sidewalk in front of the building, shouting and waving signs protesting Superman and the arrest of Lex Luthor. Lois let Clark carve their way through the demonstrators to the steps of the station. "Honestly, this is really getting out of hand," she said. "Clark, how do you suppose he's doing this?" "I wish I knew." He held the door for her, and followed her in. ***************** Henderson was his usual self; his deadpan expression didn't change as they told him the events of the past couple of days, but when Clark finished speaking, he shook his head slowly. "You know," he said, "it seems to me that every power-crazed criminal, psychotic, and mad scientist in the country has it in for you, Lois. Do you go out of your way, for some reason, to tick them off?" He smiled a trifle sourly. "Thanks for the information. I can't pick these people up until I have some concrete proof, but it's a start. And Lois, for the sake of my grey hairs, stick close to your partner, will you? I don't really fancy the idea of fishing you out of the bay, believe me." "Neither do I," Clark said, and there was a grim set to his jaw. "As for the double," Henderson said, "I'm keeping that information quiet, except for the Luthor task force. There's a possibility we can use the knowledge to our advantage. On the off chance you're arrested for something she's done, don't make a fuss. Kent, you or Perry White can contact me and I'll handle it quietly. The less Luthor thinks we know, the better chance we have to nail him. Got it?" "All right." Lois swallowed the nervous lump in her throat. "Do you expect her to do something?" Clark asked. Henderson shrugged. "I don't know what I expect, but there's some reason she was made to look like you, Lois. I don't want to throw away a possible advantage." "I guess I see your point." Clark clearly did not like the idea. "I'll be sure my assistant knows what's going on, in case I can't be reached for some reason." The Inspector shook his head. "You two have more lives than a cat, but try not to take any unnecessary chances. And keep that rabbit's foot of yours handy, just in case, Kent. You may need it before this is over." ****************** The newsroom of the Daily Planet was its usual chaos when they arrived just before noon. Perry, Clark noted, was on the phone in his office, arguing vigorously with someone in Accounting. He looked up as they crossed the Pit toward Jimmy's desk, spoke a final pithy phrase to the hapless individual on the other end and hung up. "Where's Carlin?" Lois whispered. Clark had to sympathize. He wouldn't care to have the psychiatrist zero in on him, either. He scanned the office with his x-ray vision. Arianna was also in her office, the telephone receiver wedged between her shoulder and left ear, and was making rapid notes on a sheet of paper. "In her office. Hi, Chief." "Clark, what in the name of the King happened to you two last night?" Perry demanded. "You said something about a bomb in your apartment?" "Superman got rid of it," Lois said, as if that explained everything. Perry rolled his eyes. "There was a bomb, Chief," Clark said. "Like Lois says, Superman grabbed it, and the damage was pretty minor. The police are investigating." "You got any ideas?" "Some. Jimmy's been checking on some things for us." They stopped beside Jimmy's desk and the young computer expert looked up at them with a pleased grin. "Hi, CK! I finished that research you asked for." "Did you find out about ACL Corporation?" Jimmy nodded. "And the other stuff you asked for this morning. ACL Corporation is a part of LexCorp that administers the annuity for Luthor's ex-wife, Mrs. A.C. Luthor. It's based in Jamaica, which is why there wasn't any record of it here in the U.S." "Bingo," Lois said, softly. "Sometimes I think you're psychic, Clark. But why would Lex Luthor's ex-wife create a double of me?"" "Good question," Jimmy said. "It gets better, though. I didn't have a name, but I started looking around and found out some other stuff that might have something to do with everything that's happening. There was no record of the marriage at the Bureau of Vital Statistics, but eventually I dug up a wedding announcement that ran in the Planet ten years ago. They were married on a ship in the Caribbean. I'm still trying to track down the ship's captain who performed the ceremony. Maybe we can find out more from him." "Good idea," Clark said. "Thanks. I did find out a little more, though. Luthor was just starting to build LexCorp back then. He came into some money at the same time he married, possibly from his wife. About seven months later, ACL Corp was incorporated to handle her annuity--as his divorce settlement." "Not exactly a long term relationship," Perry said. "Apparently not." Clark felt a little sorry for the former Mrs. Luthor, though that was tempered by the knowledge that the woman could well be behind some of the threats to Lois that had surfaced over the last few days. "Do you have the name of the ship they were married on?" he asked. "Yeah--uh--I wrote it down." Jimmy picked up a book that lay on his desk and removed a slip of paper from between the pages. "Yeah. She was the Sun Princess." "I've got a few contacts I can ask," Clark said, "and you keep trying from your end." He glanced at the book. "What's this? 'Subliminal Advertising' by Arianna Carlin?" "Yeah," Jimmy said. "I'm going to get Dr. Carlin to autograph it for me so I can give it to my mom for her birthday." "Whatever happened to candy and flowers?" Perry asked. "My mom's overweight and she has allergies," Jimmy said. "Oh. Better give her the book." "Yeah," Jimmy said. "Anyway, after I found out about Luthor's ex-wife, I started checking the archives for other announcements. Luthor's been engaged to two different women in the last eight years." "What happened to them?" Lois's voice sounded almost strangled. "One of them died in a car accident. Her car skidded on an icy road and rolled. She was killed instantly. The other one was killed when her apartment caught fire." "That's not a very good record," Perry said. "I'd say not." Clark felt Lois's hand grasp his and he squeezed it reassuringly. The elevator doors slid open at that moment and two men exited. They descended the ramp deliberately and approached the four persons at Jimmy's desk. The man in the lead spoke. "Lois Lane?" "Yes?" Lois said. "I'm Detective Ryder, Metropolis P.D." The man produced his identification. "Do you want to tell me where you were last night around three A.M.?" Lois looked at Clark, then back at the detective. "I was in bed, asleep." "Can anyone verify that?" "What's this all about, Detective?" Clark asked. Ryder didn't shift his gaze from Lois. "At three A.M. last night, a guard was assaulted outside Lex Luthor's penthouse by a woman he's identified as Ms. Lane." "That's ridiculous," Lois said. Ryder produced a photograph. "This picture was taken by a security camera outside the penthouse." Lois and Clark looked at the photograph of Lois's double and then at each other. "As far as we can tell," Ryder continued, "the only item taken was an engagement ring valued at half a million dollars that Mr. Luthor had purchased three months ago. His butler, Mr. St. John, reported the theft. Ms. Lane, you're under arrest for aggravated assault, breaking and entering, and grand theft." He snapped a pair of handcuffs onto Lois's wrists. Clark caught Lois's eye, made the flying gesture, and headed for the steps, hand on his tie. He hadn't expected this to happen quite so soon, but once again, the double had struck. He had to see Inspector Henderson at once. ******************** "Henderson sure took his time," Lois said, as she joined Clark and Perry at the front desk of the station. "Another minute and I'd have been judging a best tattoo contest." "Sorry about that," Clark said. "Henderson was out when I called, and his assistant was in a meeting. Superman had to track him down for me. Anyway, I brought your Jeep. It's parked outside." "Are you sure you're okay, Lois?" Perry asked. "Yeah, I'm fine, Chief--just really irritated," Lois said. She moved quickly aside to avoid a police officer who was wrestling a tattooed and bearded Superman protester towards a chair. "Oh, brother! This is really getting ridiculous! These people need to get lives!" "What in the name of Elvis has gotten into Metropolis?" Perry asked. "Half the city seems to have lost its marbles!" "No, only twenty percent," Clark said. "Lois and I have a theory about it, Chief. We think it's connected to Luthor, somehow." "Why doesn't that surprise me?" their boss asked rhetorically. "Anyway, Dr. Carlin is sure you're headed for a nervous breakdown, Lois. If you come back to the Planet today she's gonna be after you to schedule an appointment. I just wanted to warn you." "Great," Lois said. "When I get my hands on this woman, whoever she is, I'm going to break her neck. No, better, I'm going to stick her on Arianna Carlin's couch for some serious psychoanalysis." Perry snorted. "I don't blame you. Look, kids, I'm gonna head back to the office. I'll drop the word that we bailed you out and Clark took you home for some rest." "Thanks, Perry," Lois said. "You know, this is getting old, really fast." "Tell me about it," Clark said. "Don't worry, Lois. We'll get to the bottom of it sooner or later." They made their way across the room, dodging several more shouting protesters being escorted by officers of the law, and Clark held the door for Lois and Perry then followed them out. The crowd of demonstrators on the sidewalk had thickened considerably since this morning, Lois saw. Most of them were behaving themselves, more or less, but a number were pushing and shoving at each other, and at unlucky passersby. One particularly obstreperous individual was struggling with two officers while one of them was cuffing him. Perry, Clark and Lois descended the steps, and gave the crowd a wide berth. Lois read the signs; nothing original there that she could see. "Free Luthor", one read, and another carried the "S" shield with a "no" symbol covering it. She shook her head as a voice bellowed louder than that of the other chanting protesters, "Free Luthor! Exile the alien!" and she saw Clark wince. She put a hand on his arm. "Ignore it, Clark. They're just puppets." "Hey! That's his girlfriend!" someone else, a woman's voice, screamed, and all at once bodies converged around them, pushing and shoving. Someone grabbed for her and got a handful of cloth. Lois knocked the hand away, but other hands grabbed, yanked and pushed, and the cries of the demonstrators became menacing. A violent shove made her lurch against Perry, who caught her. "Back off!" Her boss's voice sounded uncharacteristically ferocious as he faced down the offender, a tall, muscular youth wearing a leather jacket and heavy work pants. The two of them glared at each other for a long moment before the assailant stepped back. Clark moved in front of them, again beginning to gently, but firmly force his way through the mass of human bodies. Perry and Lois followed in his wake. When they reached open space, Perry removed his arm from around her shoulders. Lois turned to smile gratefully at him. "Thanks, Perry." "No sweat, honey. Some of these young studs need a swift kick in the rear if you ask me." "I'll go along with that. I guess they didn't see my so-called 'virtuoso performance' the other day." "I guess not. Are you gonna be okay?" "Yeah. Clark and I will see if we can dig anything up away from the office. I don't really feel like facing Dr. Carlin right now." "Can't say I blame you. All right, then. Try to stay away from trouble, okay?" "Okay, Chief." Lois glanced back at the protesters once more. "Don't worry about 'em," Perry told her. "They're a bunch of--" He bit off the words. "I'm not going to say what they are, but they're not worth gettin' upset about." "Thanks, Chief," she said. Clark's cell phone chose that second to ring, and Clark, who had remained uncharacteristically silent, answered. "Hello?" He listened for a minute. "Hi, Jim...You did? Where...? Right. Thanks. That was great work." He shut off the phone. "Jimmy located the ship's captain who married the Luthors. He's retired and living in a retirement home right here in Metropolis." "Then I'll leave you to get on with your work," Perry said. "Try not to get in too much trouble." "We won't--ah, will," Lois assured him. "See you later, Perry, and thanks for the help." "Don't mention it, sweetie." They stopped next to the editor's car, parked in front of the Jeep. Perry got behind the wheel, waved to them and a moment later had pulled out into traffic. Lois turned to Clark, who was looking sober. "Clark, what's the matter? You're not letting that bunch of idiots get to you, are you?" He shook himself. "A little. I guess I shouldn't, huh?" "Absolutely not!" She put her arms around him. "Alien or not, you're one of the most human men I know, and the man I happen to love. Those protesters are Luthor's puppets. He's doing something to their minds. We just have to figure out what, and how he's doing it." He laughed softly. "How come you're always able to make me put things in perspective when they seem so overwhelming to me? I guess it just proves my instincts were right on target when I decided you were the woman of my dreams." "Really?" "You better believe it." ********************* (to be continued)