From: "L-Soft list server at Indiana University (1.8d)" To: "ARTF@MemoryAlpha.nil" File: "LOISCLA-GENERAL-L LOG0104A" ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 10:18:12 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: First Night VI: Revelation, 5/5 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This is great, but how can you leave us hanging like this? Bring on the next chapter and fast. Charlotte. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 15:18:37 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carol L Moncado Subject: The Case of the Disappearing Clark, 4/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Well, this started out as a semi-pleasant distraction from my homework, but is turning out to have an Aplot - something I don't think I've ever really done. It's taking me longer to resolve this story than I had planned - I guess I thought CLark would be off buying Lois a present or something and surprise her with it, but these darn characters seem to have a mind of their own. The title seems to have grown on me as it really does become more of a mystery. Oh, well. I'll see where they take us! CM ***** Lois' first stop was Clark's apartment. She banged on the door with her fist, making enough noise to wake the dead. But there was no answer. She dug into her purse and found the key that Clark had given her. She opened the door and looked around. "Clark?" She walked inside and called again. "Clark?" She saw the glass that she had used just before they left on their stakeout two nights earlier. He had complained because she hadn't rinsed it out and placed it in the sink. She had told him to lighten up and pushed him out the door before he could take care of it. No matter how tired he was, the first thing he would have done when he came home would have been to clean the glass. He couldn't have been home. Lois borrowed the phone to call Perry and told him what she suspected. He insisted on sending Jimmy to meet her before going to the warehouse to look for clues. Lois locked up and drove off to meet the young photographer. ***** Clark rolled over and groaned. At least he was still alive. The effects of the Kryptonite must be starting to wear off, but they hadn't worn off that much. Rolling over had taken all of his strength. He managed to open his eyes and try to look around. His vision gizmos weren't working and the room he was in was dark. Pitch black. He couldn't even see a crack of light under a doorway. He had no idea how long he had been out but knew it must have been quite a while. He tried to send a silent plea to Lois or anyone else to come and get him. He couldn't take much more of this if they brought back that Kryptonite. If they left him alone for a while, he might be able to do something, but not anytime soon. ***** Lois and Jimmy met at a cafe just around the corner from the Planet. Lois' reporter instincts were kicking in and she had a feeling that this wasn't going to be easy. They would need their strength. They grabbed a couple of sandwiches and ate in the car. Lois drove to the Hobbs Bay area. She parked down the street from the warehouse and they cautiously made their way towards the last place Clark had been seen. "So, Lois, what exactly are we looking for?" "I don't know, Jimmy, but if there's something here, we'll find it. Just look around and see if you see anything suspicious." "Define suspicious, Lois. This is Hobbs Bay. Everything is suspicious." Jimmy hurried off as he saw the look Lois gave him. Lois and Jimmy looked around the alley next to the warehouse, careful to never get too far from each other. Brave as they were, they weren't stupid. They found nothing. "There's nothing here, Lois." Lois sighed. "I know, Jimmy. Let's go inside." "Whoa. Inside? I don't get hazard pay you know." "Now, Jimmy." Lois led the way towards the door. She cautiously opened it and looked inside. It was darker than she remembered. She took her flashlight out and motioned to Jimmy to stay right behind her. "What are we looking for?" Jimmy whispered. "I don't know. Something that doesn't look right," Lois whispered back as she moved farther inside. "Could you be a little more vague?" Jimmy landed on top of her as they fell over a box. "Lois, are you okay?" "I'm fine. Get off me." Jimmy gladly complied and helped Lois to her feet. "There's something wrong here, Jimmy." "What?" "All of these boxes were stacked neatly when Clark and I left the other day." "So? Someone couldn't find what they were looking for." "No, there's something odd about this." Lois flashed her light around. "There's been a fight here." "How can you tell?" "Really, Jimmy, if you want to be a reporter, you need to learn these things." "So teach me, oh wise one." "Look over there." Lois pointed. "And over there. See the scuff marks on the floor? And the blood on the side of that crate? All of the crates over there are marked 'fragile' but they look like they were knocked over carelessly. Someone was probably pushed into them." "What does this have to do with Clark?" "I don't know. I didn't think there was anyone in here when we left." "So you left and someone jumped Clark?" "Maybe. I don't remember anyone ever jumping Clark before. He's too well-built. Usually he just looks really sternly at someone and they back down. He doesn't look like a guy to mess with. You and I know he'd never hurt a fly but most other people don't." Lois continued to look for more clues. "Look at this, Lois. Does it mean anything?" In the dust on the crate Jimmy was looking at was the impression of a rectangular object. Lois moved to investigate. "Maybe. There wasn't anything there when I was here with Clark." She looked more closely at the dust imprint, shining her light on it. The rectangular shape was about the size of a briefcase. "Jimmy, take a picture of this. There seems to have been something written on it or maybe raised print. The dust isn't even. Maybe we can figure out what it said." Jimmy obliged and the two continued to look around. When they found no other clues, they left. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 15:40:45 -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: Alt-Kerths again! Posting this for Pam and me... Hey guys, we have a problem ... people told us they wanted Kerth awards for things other than fanfic that enrich us all, like websites and music videos, and Wendy and Pam thought that was a great idea, so we volunteered to coordinate an awards for those sorts of things. FOLCs put in an amazing amount of volunteer effort just to amuse us :) and we wanted to recognize that hard work. All we asked was for webmasters and video-makers to make sure their efforts were listed with Anne (on Annesplace - http://www.annesplace.net/altkerths.html) so that we would be sure not to miss anyone. Now, Anne had already listed a lot of music videos (all of them? I doubt it, so make sure yours is there, or linked from there), so we're okay there... but hardly anyone has sent in website URLs! If we don't get enough eligible sites/lists, we're going to have to scratch those categories, because we don't think it's very interesting to vote from a ballot of one! :) So webmasters, we're asking ya... don't you want to at least be eligible for an award here? Even apart from the chance of winning, it's a way to promote your site, and we thought everyone with a website was desperate to get their links out there It's really very easy ... write to Anne (mailto:AMCiotola@aol.com) and give her your website URL, site title, and an idea of which category it falls into -- is this a fan website for the show in general? For Teri? For Dean? For gossip about the two of them? Do you host fanfic by lots of authors, or is it a showcase for your own fanfic? We realize that websites tend to cross over those lines, so hey, put yourself in multiple categories if you think you qualify :) And remember, we're considering mailing lists here, too -- *this* list would be eligible as a Lois & Clark site/list -- if someone wanted to send us the list info. Here's the list of categories again, to refresh your memories: > A Lois and Clark site/list > A Dean Cain site/list > A Teri Hatcher site/list > A Gossip site/list > A General (ie multi-author) fanfic site/list > A Personal fanfic site/list We're also considering adding a "Best FOLC Gathering" category -- that would cover FOLC fests and IRC channels :) So if you have one in mind (you don't have to be an organizer), send it along, please. But we cannot do this without your help, guys. Yes, we know of lots of good sites, but we don't know them all, and we don't want to practice favoritism in only listing our favorite sites ... we're trying to reach as many people as we can, to make this the most comprehensive list possible. If no one is interested, however, we may have to lose these categories. And that would be a shame. It's up to you, really. So send us those links! :)) Pam Jernigan and Wendy Richards The Management ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 13:58:10 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: lcfic Subject: LL&SC:TAOS Part 1 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi FoLCs, I posted this story on Zoom’s board not too long ago and thought I’d post it here for those who don’t visit there but might be interested in reading it. Hope you enjoy, Dawn ***************** Lady Loisette & Sir Charles: The Adventures of Soulmates D. Field February 2001 First, I want to thank my editors, Carolyn and the Lurker, and folcs who have given me feedback on my other stories. Also to Debby for providing the scripts for episodes. The character names and the scenes from the show were valuable references for this story. I started this story back in October of ’98, and other things, including real life, kept interfering. I recently dusted it off and decided to see where it would end up. I hope you enjoy. Usual disclaimers apply. Please do not redistribute without my permission. *** “I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man on Earth!” With that proclamation, Loisette turned on her heel and marched out of the great hall, lifting the hem of her gown as she went. Lord Samuel watched as his daughter made her dramatic exit. Turning back to his guest, a very powerful individual he didn’t wish to offend, he attempted to placate the situation. "Please excuse my daughter, Baron. I do not know what has gotten into her. She is head-strong, like her mother I fear." "Think nothing of it, M’lord. M’lady is probably overcome with surprise." "I dare say that may be. Nevertheless ..." Tempos waived his hand in a gesture of dismissal. "I will call another day, when M’lady has had opportunity to consider my proposal." Lord Samuel bowed graciously to his guest. He would have to have a stern talk with Lady Loisette. The baron was not a man to be crossed. With that Baron Tempos took his leave of Lane Castle, taking the opportunity as he rode off with his guard to once again survey all of its splendor. This would be his, he vowed. The castle, though not large by local standards, would suit him well as an additional home. Of course, the Lanes and their household would be displaced when he found the urge to reside there, but in the meantime he would allow them to stay, for a fee. Gentle rolling hills disappeared into a dense wood; a perfect spot for riding. And the well-tended gardens surrounding the castle proper were nothing short of majestic. The scent of rose mixed with boxwood drifted to him as he passed. But what he was more concerned with were obtaining the lands for their strategic location. With renewed determination he resolved to summon an audience with his sorcerer upon his return to his own lands. Maybe the evil little wizard could cast a spell on the reluctant maiden. *** Striding determinedly through the castle halls, Loisette barely noticed the servants lurking in the shadows trying to avoid her path. She didn't pause until she reached her chambers, slamming the heavy wooden door behind her as best she could. "How dare he! How can Father be so blind as to not see this man's true motives!" She flung her arms in the air as she ranted, emphasizing more her distress. Stopping to catch her breath, her anger cooled. No, Father wouldn't believe such a thing about a respected nobleman. She nearly choked on that word. But neither would she if she hadn't overheard him talking with his sorcerer. She let her mind drift back to events of the past fortnight. The baron had paid a visit to her father, suggesting that the joining of their two houses would be a benefit to all and requested Loisette's hand. After some consideration, and discussion with her, which she knew he had every right as her father not to, they decided it would be advantageous to their house. The baron had much he could offer them in monetary support, and he was a powerful and respected man in the land. In a gesture to show the Lane House’s favorable acceptance of the arrangement, Loisette, accompanied by one of her handmaidens, rode to Castle Tempos to see the baron and share a meal two days ago. It was during this visit that Loisette learned of the baron's true intentions. Following an elaborate dinner, which she was sure was not the norm by the reactions of several of the household present, many of his knights left to join a few others who were on patrol. Word had reached them toward the end of the meal that the scouts had spotted a band of marauders looting and robbing, and reinforcements were needed. Loisette, who was at Tempos’s side when the message was delivered, could tell he was not pleased with the news, but he’d indicated the necessary men should leave at once to deal with the situation. The baron made his apologies to her, explaining that he had a pressing matter he needed to attend to as well, and motioned for one of his remaining knights to escort her to her room. With the castle virtually unguarded, Loisette seized the opportunity to look around what could be her new home. Leaving her handmaiden in their assigned chamber to cover for her, she snuck out into the hallway. She headed back toward the dining room, hoping to overhear news about the raiders. As she neared the great hall the doors were flung open and Tempos emerged, appearing to be lost in concentration and non too pleased. Pressing herself as flat against the wall and as far into the shadows as she could, she waited for him to get a little ahead of her, then followed him at a discrete distance. Staying out of sight became easier the further they went, as Tempos made his way into the dark, dank corridors in the lower portion of the castle. It was in one of these corridors that a rat scurried across her path, and Loisette bit back a scream. How she hated rats! She froze, fearful her sudden movement had alerted Tempos to her presence, but when he didn’t immediately turn around and demand to know what she was doing, instead continuing on his distracted path, she silently breathed a sigh of relief. Once the creature had passed, she resumed her course, going deeper into the darkness. Rounding a corner she spotted a light up ahead, the faint sound of voices drifting back to her. Inching her way closer to the door, she stopped out of sight behind it. Here she was better able to hear the conversation within. “ … just a temporary setback. What I need is that land. I will have that land.” “Sire, if I may, why are you so determined to acquire this land? Surely there are other pieces that would be easier to obtain, and still allow you the power you seek.” “Possibly, but obtaining Lady Loisette in the process will be an added bonus. Besides, her father needs this. I’m offering him a tidy sum for this exchange.” Loisette could barely contain her rage. She was merely a pawn to be traded for land? Was her father in on this? She thought she’d heard enough, until Tempos spoke again. “No, raiding isn’t bringing in the profits it once did. It’s getting too expensive to maintain a legitimate legion of knights and pay off bandits. I hate to admit it, but my knights are getting the better of these high paid robbers, and the return isn’t worth the cost. No, this deal will prove to be much more lucrative so I can continue to fund my thieves and take care of the problem in the forest.” So Tempos was behind the thieving in the forest! She had to warn Friar Harry! But first she had to get out of here without Tempos finding out she knew what he was up to. And she needed to talk to her father. Carefully she retraced her steps back to her room, and counted herself fortunate that she had run into no other person on the journey. The following day before taking her leave, she had managed to face Tempos without letting on she knew his plans, or having the contempt she now felt for him show on her features. She could have been a thespian, if women were allowed to, she smiled to herself at the memory of her great performance. Upon her return home she had tried to talk with her father, but without proof he was reluctant to believe her. Why would such a powerful man as the baron need to obtain their lands? He owned far more then they did, and surely what they could offer him wouldn’t be that significant to him. She had barely begun to explain what all she had heard when they had been interrupted and informed they had a guest, the baron. As her father left his study to greet Tempos, Loisette surmised he’d come to move up the timetable on their arrangement, since the day before his knights had managed to stop his thieves. Sure enough when she’d been summoned to greet their guest her father had explained the purpose of the baron’s visit. Still not over her anger of the previous day from what she had overheard, she had blurted out her refusal without really thinking it through. But what did it matter? Her father didn’t believe the baron was evil. Now that she was a bit calmer, maybe she could reason with her father, tell him all that she’d learned at Castle Tempos. But would he believe her? She knew now he wasn’t in on this scheme, even so much as to get the payment to make things better for those at Castle Lane. No, he was only doing what he thought best for his youngest daughter, and to have her married to one of the most powerful men in the land could only improve her station in life. If her father hadn’t believed the baron was only after their land, he certainly wouldn’t believe the reason for his desire to acquire it. He would never believe that the most powerful man was behind the thieving in the forest. But Friar Harry would. It was his men, and her friends, who were being blamed, and hunted and hanged, or imprisoned for crimes the baron was orchestrating. She had to warn them. Friar Harry would listen to her, even such a tale as she had about the baron. He was more like a father to her than her biological one. When she’d accidentally stumbled upon their camp a little over a year ago while out riding, he’d immediately taken her under his wing, and seen that she’d needed a father figure. Someone she could talk to, who would really listen to her, and support her for the person she really was and not make her into what he wanted her to be. He’d taught her to ride like a man, how to shot a bow and arrow, how to hunt, and how to move stealthily through the forest. Over the past year she’d spent as much time with him and his group as she could. They were more like a family to her. And now they needed her. She had to get to them, and soon. *** Sir Charles walked down the long corridor to the baron’s study. As he approached the door, he saw the sorcerer leaving and head in the other direction. He paused in his step, shuddering slightly. There was something just not quite right about that … man. He pushed the thought aside. He’d been summoned by his liege and he had to be focused on the task at hand. He knocked on the door and entered at the baron’s call to come. The baron rose from behind his desk and moved to meet him at the door, and as was customary, Charles bowed to kiss the baron’s ring, hesitating only briefly. It was a custom he didn’t particularly care for. He’d never thought it right for one man to be considered superior to another, especially when that man abused that position, as Tempos often did to get what he wanted. But that was the way things were, and there was nothing he could do to change that. “So, how is my most trusted knight?” Tempos drawled as Charles rose. “Well, M’lord.” “Sir Charles, I have an assignment for you.” “Yes, M’lord.” Handing Charles a scroll he ordered, “Deliver this contract to Lane Castle, then report back to me.” “Yes, M’lord.” Charles was puzzled, but didn’t question his orders. Normally a squire handled such matters for the baron. This must be something of extreme importance for the baron to send his favorite knight. Charles nodded and left. Tempos smiled to himself. Charles, like a loyal follower, hadn’t questioned the request, and as his best knight, Tempos was sure Charles would leave Lord Lane with a favorable impression of the baron and his intentions, quashing any doubts he may have after Lady Loisette’s bizarre outburst. Charles was well liked and well respected in the land. His endorsement should help sway Lord Lane that his daughter just had pre-wedding jitters. *** As Charles prepared his white stallion for the journey, he puzzled over his assignment. Why would Tempos send him on such a mission? It was only just the other day that Tempos had chosen him to lead the patrol to catch the marauders that had been terrorizing the countryside. So why this task? It appeared to be simple enough, but there must be something more to it. Charles mounted his horse and set off. An hour later, as he made his way through a grove of trees beside a wide meadow, he spotted another horse in the distance. Even from this far away he could tell the other rider was a skilled horseman. The brown mare was at full gallop, the rider low against the horse’s neck. As the pair neared his position, Charles realized with astonishment that the rider wasn’t a man, but a woman, dressed in a man’s riding habit. She obviously didn’t expect to be seen, dressed like that, and she hadn’t spotted him yet. She was too intent on her ride. He studied her from his hiding place in the trees. Not only was he impressed with her skill, but her beauty nearly took his breath away. Her creamy skin was set off by raven hair, flowing over her shoulders from under the riding cap she wore. She was petite, but her command of her horse would put many a man to shame. He wanted desperately to approach her, to find out who she was. But he didn’t want to disturb her, or break the spell that she was weaving around him. He watched her for a bit longer, then, with a sigh, recalled his assignment and continued on his way, careful not to alert her to his presence. *** Loisette prompted her horse to gallop faster. Riding fast helped her to think. She needed to warn Friar Harry, but it was too dangerous for her to make the trip through the woods on her own right now after the recent raids. Even if the robbers did work for Tempos, there was no guarantee that he would have instructed them to leave her alone, or if they would have heeded such instructions. And she wouldn’t risk sending her trusted friend and handmaiden, Sarah. This was her problem. Besides, no one else believed her, not even Sarah. Upon their return to Castle Lane and in the privacy of her bedchamber, Loisette had told Sarah what she’d told her father, testing her reaction before revealing more. Sarah couldn’t believe such a thing of the handsome baron who was interested in her lady; surely she’d misunderstood what she’d heard. No amount of convincing could change Sarah’s mind, so Loisette had finally given up. No, she had to find a solution on her own. And fast. *** A short time later Charles entered the front grounds of Castle Lane. Pulling his horse to a stop before the massive door, he dismounted and handed the reigns to a waiting servant. He approached the door and only had to knock once before it was opened and he was shown into the great hall. Explaining the purpose for his visit to the castle to the servant who’d seen him in, he requested an audience with its master. As the servant left to announce him, Charles took in his surroundings. The castle wasn’t as ostentatious as the baron’s, but it was well decorated and maintained. A large crystal chandelier hung above the foot of a wide, dark wooden staircase that led to the second floor. At the top of the stairs were rich tapestry covered windows that would look out over the rear grounds. The servant had returned at this point, and Charles was lead past the stairs down a long, ornate hallway to the main study, where Lord Lane met him. The lord of the castle, who was seated behind his desk, rose to greet Charles as he was shown in. For a moment Charles was taken aback by the sheer number of books that filled floor to ceiling cases on three of the room’s walls. There was even a staircase leading to a second level of more overflowing tall cases. Charles knew he would be content to spend days on end in this very room. His gaze returned to his host, and he presented Lord Lane with the contract bearing the baron’s seal. “Thank you, Sir Charles,” Samuel began as he came around his desk to greet the young knight and accept the parchment from him. “Please extend my apologies to the baron for my daughter’s behavior before. I don’t know what has come over her. She has this strange notion that the baron has less than honorable intentions.” Charles merely smiled, unsure of how to respond. Tempos hadn’t done anything overtly questionable outside the walls of Castle Tempos to his knowledge, so he himself wasn’t sure where the lady would get such a notion. And the orders Tempos did give that Charles felt were unsavory were to those under his command, and even though Charles disagreed with Tempos’s treatment of some, he acknowledged that the baron was well within his rights as their liege. He also did kept counsel with that sorcerer that didn’t seem quite above reproach to Charles. Lord Lane motioned for Charles to sit in one of the room’s tall-back chairs while he read the missive. “I wish to discuss this with my daughter before you return to Baron Tempos. Can you remain while I speak with her?” “Of course, M’lord.” “Thank you. Please make yourself at home.” He motioned around the room with a wave of his hand. “I hope to not keep you waiting long.” “Please, take all the time you need, M’lord.” Charles was curious as to the content of the scroll, and why Lord Lane would need to talk to his daughter first. He knew Tempos was seeking the lady’s hand in marriage, and if the contents outlined the details of that, he could understand the importance of it; maybe not enough to send his top knight, though. And Lord Lane could have simply ordered his daughter to comply with whatever the contents were. That he was discussing them first with her impressed Charles. What also impressed him was this room, and he set about taking it all in as its other occupant exited. Samuel sent the servant waiting outside the library door to request Loisette join him in his smaller study, a few doors down the hall. Timothy nodded to his master, then made his way through the castle to Loisette’s room. Sarah was just opening the door to enter to attend to her lady, and friend. “M’lord requests the presence of M’lady in his study.” Sarah smiled at Timothy, amused by his formalness with her. “Thank you, Timothy. I’ll inform M’lady.” She turned back to the door in a form of dismissal, but waited until Timothy turned to retrace his steps back down the corridor before opening the door. She’d seen Loisette return from her ride through the great windows, and hoped she’d managed to slip into the castle and her room without being seen by anyone else. Cautious, even with Timothy, Sarah wasn’t about to give away her lady’s secret. Once Timothy was out of sight, Sarah slipped into the room. Loisette was just changing out of her riding habit and into a burgundy gown. Sarah moved to assist her. “Your father requests to see you in his study.” “I heard.” What could he want, she wondered as she finished slipping on her gown and allowed Sarah to fix her hair. She wasn’t really in the mood to discuss the baron with him right now. During her ride she’d been able to think through the situation and knew what she needed to do. She’d decided it would be best not to even tell Sarah what she intended; her friend didn’t believe even the less evil of Tempos’s schemes. Still she would do as Loisette asked without question; not because she was supposed to as her servant, but because she would want to as her friend. Loisette wasn’t willing to risk Sarah getting hurt because of her. Besides, this was her problem. Gathering her gown up so it wouldn’t drag the floor, she headed for her father’s study. Loisette was absorbed in her thoughts as she exited her room. She didn’t even pause to look out the drapes at the top of the stairs that was her normal custom. It was usually with a sigh of longing that she’d rather be out in that back field that she could barely see from the window, riding her horse at full gallop, or with her friends, far out beyond there, than inside, dressed in a confining gown and required to be the lady of the house. Negotiating the stairs with much practice in her long gown, she turned at the bottom to head for the study. She’d been so absorbed in her thoughts of not talking about the baron and wanting to be out riding, that she couldn’t recall if her father wanted her in the large study-library, or his smaller study. As the library was the first door she came to, she tried that first. Opening the door, she discovered the room did contain one lone occupant, but it was not her father. There, gazing at one of the bookshelves, his profile toward her, was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. He was tall, but not too tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular chest outlined by his black leather tunic that left his muscular arms bare. A small, flowing black cape hung down his back, just touching the waist band of black pants that outlined his muscular thighs, and calves. The pants were tucked into black leather boots. A sword hanging by his side completed the outfit. He turned at her slight gasp of surprise to reveal to her black hair framing a very handsome and honest face, with a lock threatening to fall into deep brown eyes. “I’m … pardon … “ she stumbled over her words as she made a hasty retreat and closed the door. Charles couldn’t believe his eyes. He’d only gotten a brief look at her but he was sure: it was her! The mysterious rider from earlier. And she was even more beautiful up close. He could drown in those brown eyes. If this was who Tempos was betrothed to, Charles could certainly understand his haste to wed her. She was a vision. He suddenly hope she wasn’t; that maybe she was the lady’s sister and that he hadn’t found himself smitten with the intended of his liege. What was he thinking? Even if she were a sister, she would be unavailable to him, a mere knight. But he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about her. Suddenly the books were forgotten and his thoughts dwelled on the beauty who’d first entered his life a short time ago on horseback, and had just disappeared through that door. On the other side of that door the lady in question was trying to collect herself. From the outfit he wore, and wore well she couldn’t help but think, he was a knight. But why was he here? Maybe he was the reason her father had summoned her? Taking another deep breath, she proceeded down the hall to her father’s study. As she entered the room, her father acknowledged her with a nod and rose from his seat, but didn’t seem to notice she appeared a bit distracted. “You requested to see me, Father?” “Yes, Loisette.” He picked the scroll up off his desk. “Sir Charles was sent by the baron to deliver this request for your hand.” That was all Loisette needed to hear. She’d heard of the famous Sir Charles, first knight of the baron. In that position he must be in on the baron’s schemes. Part of her didn’t want to believe that possible. She’d looked into his eyes, if only briefly. They’d seemed so honest. But why else would the baron send a knight to do what a scribe normally would? Tempos had to have known that this particular gesture would impress her father and only bode well for him in what he sought. And if Charles didn’t know all that was going on, but had simply been given an order, he wouldn’t have refused it as a loyal subject. Still … She needed more time. Time to warn Harry, and to find the proof she needed to convince her father of Tempos’s true intentions. But she also knew she had to bide her time with the baron. “Please inform the baron that you have yet to make your decision, Father.” And with that, Loisette turned and left the room. She needed to be alone to revise her plans, and to think. Loisette paused outside the door, breathing heavily. She had never felt so attracted to anyone in her life before, but, if he worked for Baron Tempos, was he trustworthy? She hurried back to her room so he wouldn’t see her when he left. Samuel exited his study in time to see Loisette begin to ascend the stairs. Surely her reluctance to commit to the arrangement was her fear of the changes that would result from being the baron’s wife and mistress of his large estate, as opposed to his daughter and lady of this castle. He was certain she no longer held the foolish notion that the baron was merely after the lands she would gain by marrying her. He returned to the library, and his guest. “Sir Charles,” he began as he opened the door, neglecting to notice the distracted look on the young man’s face. “Please inform the baron I need a bit more time to make some arrangements. Thank you for your visit. Timothy will see you out.” And with that, Samuel opened the door wider to allow the servant to enter and returned to his study. As Timothy led Charles back to the door, he couldn’t help but look up the stairs toward where he imagined Loisette’s rooms to be. He was sure he hadn’t mistaken the look, even brief, of attraction in her eyes when she’d opened the door to the library. Once she’d spoken with her father, he’d hoped she would return to talk with him, and, even as improper as that would have been, he’d still hoped. She could have come under the guise of lady of the house entertaining a guest while her father was detained. But when her father had returned and mentioned the baron he knew that something in that scroll must have upset her. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but he was determined to find out. He absently nodded his thanks to Timothy as he left the castle, and to the servant who’d attended his horse while he’d been inside. He was still lost in his thoughts of the raven-haired beauty who’d entered his life today as he rode back to Castle Tempos. Even though she wasn’t the sister, and was a lady to his mere knighthood, he couldn’t deny that he was attracted to her, though he barely knew her. He knew enough to know that she was the kind of woman he had always thought he’d want. When he’d seen her riding earlier, she’d been one with her horse, an expert horseman, or rather woman. She’d ridden with skill, but also with caring for the animal. And she’d been dressed like a man, which told him she wasn’t afraid to be her own person. And, when she’d entered the library, she’d nearly taken his breath away with her beauty. He was doomed to love a woman who was betrothed to another. But he couldn’t stop thinking about her. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/?.refer=text ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 14:02:57 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: lcfic Subject: LL&SC:TAOS Part 2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii LL&SC:TAOS Part 2 *** As Loisette entered her room, Sarah knew something was wrong. “M’lady? What happened?” Loisette debated for a moment telling Sarah about the handsome knight and her conflicting feelings about him and who he represented, but decided to keep her own council for now. “Nothing, Sarah. It was nothing that you need to be concerned about. Now would you please assist me to prepare for dinner?” *** Upon his return to Castle Tempos, Charles immediately reported Lord Lane’s message to the baron, which didn’t seem to surprise his liege. Taking his leave of the baron, Charles was able to again be alone with his thoughts. He shouldn’t be thinking of Loisette, at least not in the way that he was. She was betrothed to his baron! And yet, something just didn’t seem quite right about that. Why would she not jump at the chance to wed the baron, Charles wondered a short while later as he cared for his horse in the stables. The baron was a powerful man, the lady would be in a better position than she was now. Maybe titles and position weren’t important to Loisette. She was certainly risking having any riding privileges taken from her if she’d been caught in that riding habit. And she won’t be able to get away with that married to the baron. She’d have a constant escort. Maybe that was it. Maybe she didn’t want her free spirit restricted the way being a baroness would force her to do. Maybe it had something to do with the baron. Charles had been out on patrol the night she’d been at the castle, but he’d heard about her visit. From reports the raven haired beauty who’d dined with Tempos that night had seemed impressed enough but not overly enthralled with her surroundings. For some reason he couldn’t fathom, Charles guessed that Loisette wouldn’t be taken in by appearances. Maybe she knew something about the baron she didn’t like and that was why she was putting him off. Lord Lane certainly hadn’t needed to consult his daughter to answer Tempos’s missive, but he had, and he hadn’t appeared too enthusiastic about the message he’d had Charles to relate. He also couldn’t imagine her looking at the baron the way she’d looked at him. The reports of her visit to the castle certainly hadn’t mentioned any look of that nature, and they certainly would have. In fact, rumor had it that upon her departure the look in her eyes was characterized by some as veiled contempt. But why? Surely Tempos wouldn’t have overstepped his bounds. No, something else happened during her visit, and Charles determined that he would try to discover what. But he didn’t want to think about that right now. Instead he wanted to play over and over in his mind the breath-taking beauty he’d seen riding her horse through the meadow wearing a black riding outfit and the perfect lady who’d opened a door and lit up the room wearing a deep burgundy gown that contrasted her creamy skin and flowing black hair. *** After dinner, Loisette returned to her chambers alone. She’d told Sarah she could manage on her own tonight, but in truth she wanted to be alone with her thoughts. She’d only been in the room with Sir Charles for less than a minute, and she wanted to dislike him just because he was one of Tempos’s men, but she just couldn’t stop thinking about him. He was perfect. Her father had spoken of him during dinner; how impressed he had been with the young knight in the brief meeting they had had. Charles had been polite and respectful, and if the baron had chosen him as his top knight, there had to be many good qualities to Charles. Loisette didn’t want to hear about Tempos. Now that she knew the truth she wanted nothing to do with him. But if being aligned with him would help her friends, it was something she had to consider. But she didn’t want to think about that right now. Her thoughts drifted back to Charles as she undressed for bed. Sliding in under her quilt and closing her eyes, she fell asleep with his face in her mind’s eye. *** As the bright morning dawned, Loisette awoke, remembering the dreams she had had of Charles, the handsome knight who’d come to sweep her off her feet. But that was the only place Sir Charles would be. He was in with Tempos and so against her. Steeling herself she resolved to keep her distance from Charles, except in her dreams. If she accepted the baron’s proposal, she would have her thoughts of Charles to help her through what she was sure to be a very lonely marriage. But if it helped her father and her friends, then she would do it. *** He had to see her again. There was something about the baron that had turned her beautiful features cold, and he had to find out what. Besides, he desired to take in her beauty again. Discretely asking questions around Castle Tempos hadn’t produced any results. Even his squire Jeremy, who seemed to know all that was going on, wasn’t any help. Maybe it was only something Lady Loisette knew? If so, then he would need to go to the source. He headed for the stable under the pretense of exercising his stallion. *** With Sarah’s help Loisette had dressed in her black riding habit and snuck out of the castle and to the stables. She needed to talk to Friar Harry. He would help her sort this all out. And he needed to know that the crimes of the forest that his people were being blamed, imprisoned, and murdered for were Tempos’s doing. That made her more angry than Tempos deceiving her father for her hand to gain her lands and money. He was killing innocent people – her friends. When she’d accidentally stumbled into their camp about a year earlier while she’d been out riding, they’d been reluctant to trust her, all but Friar Harry; but over time, with Harry’s support, they’d accepted her as one of their own. They’d helped her so much just by befriending her. Her only other friend was Sarah. And now she had a chance to help them. Setting out on an indirect course through the woods to their last known camp, Loisette hadn’t gotten more than a few miles when she sensed something was not right. She was being watched. Increasing her horse’s pace she rounded the next bend when she was brought up short by a man wearing dark tights and a hood standing beside his horse blocking her path. She pulled her horse up short and turned to flee back the way she came, only to find two more men dressed similarly on horses blocking her return. She started to head through the woods, but the foliage was too thick and impeded her progress, allowing the men to quickly catch up with her. “Well, what have we here?” The first man approached her on foot as his accomplices cornered her. A thought occurred to her. These were probably the hired thugs she’d overheard Tempos talking about with his sorcerer. Surely they wouldn’t hurt her?! The other two men dismounted and secured their horses as the first man reached to pull her off her horse. She squirmed to get out of his grasp. She was in fairly good shape; maybe she could outrun them if she could get away. Unfortunately she was too far away from Castle Lane or her friends to expect any help from either of them to come her way. “Oh, look at this! We have a spry one!” His grip tightened as his accomplices approached. He held her with her back tight against his chest as one of the other men reached for her riding cap, allowing her long hair to fall to her shoulders. “This has to be one of the prettiest ones we’ve come across,” he commented as he tossed aside her cap. “Do you know who I am?” she seethed as she tried to wriggle out of the grasp of one man and out of reach of the other. “Doesn’t matter to us, lassie,” the third man spoke as he eyed her up and down. “No one will believe a woman, and we intend to have our fun.” She tried to kick at any of the men as they moved in closer to her, but the one holding her had her too tight. Suddenly, a voice broke through her struggles. “Let her go.” He spoke slowly, punctuating each word. She hadn’t even seen him coming, she’d been so intent on getting free. Charles eyed the three men as they all turned to look at who was interrupting them. He’d heard her struggles as he’d approached the bend, and tying his horse near the road, proceeded the short distance on foot until he reached the group. When none of the men complied, he drew his sword. The man holding Loisette threw her hard to the ground, and she momentarily lost her breath. All three men drew their swords and took up a defensive stance, trying to surround Charles. Loisette watched the duel from her position on the ground, awed by the skill of Charles’s swordplay. He easily kept the three men in check, even getting in a few offensive parries as he defended their clumsy lunges. She briefly wondered why he was doing this. Could this whole thing be a set-up? But why? Charles was obviously superior, but none of the men looked like they were just putting on a show for her benefit. If Tempos had orchestrated this to get her in his debt, using Charles as his rescuer, it wasn’t going to work. One of the men got in a lucky shot and wounded Charles. Loisette drew in her breath as she saw red blood appear on his muscular bicep. Momentarily stunned, Charles dropped his guard. All thoughts of a conspiracy fled her mind as Loisette looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. Seeing a man she realized she cared for hurt spurred her to action. Spotting a large fallen limb nearby she picked it up and sprang at the man who was lunging at Charles with his sword. As Loisette moved out of the range of the swords, the man stumbled, giving Charles the break he needed to fight off the other two men, even mortally wounding one of them. Realizing defeat, the men staggered back to their horses, the one unharmed man helping his wounded cohorts. Charles lowered his sword, content to let them go now that the danger was over. “Thank you.” “I should be thanking you,” Loisette replied, before turning to check on her horse, wanting to avoid his gaze. She didn’t want confirmation that he was in league with Tempos and that this had all been an elaborate scheme. She also didn’t want him to see her attraction to him that would be obvious in her eyes. Charles was momentarily puzzled by her seeming lack of gratitude; after all he’d just risked his life for her and had been injured in the ensuing fight. But he cared for her, and he knew he’d do the same thing again to keep her from getting hurt. Loisette walked slowly back to her horse. She knew she should be more grateful – the man had very well just saved her life. But the whole incident could have been a ruse to make her indebted to the baron. Well, there was only one way to find out, but she’d have to play it carefully. Turning back to Charles she began hesitantly, “Thank you for coming to my rescue.” She looked at him intently, now more in control and able to mask her own feelings, looking for any signs of deceit in his eyes. It was then she noticed his cut again. “Here, let me tend that for you.” She walked back to him and began to clear the blood with her fingers, checking to see how deep the cut was. Charles watched her, involuntarily sucking in his breath as her small fingers gently touched his skin. He was barely able to respond to her. “It was my pleasure, M’lady.” Loisette realized she’d been touching him more than she needed to, but she couldn’t stop. The cut wasn’t that bad, only superficial, but it felt so good to touch him. He was so … male. And being this close to him she could smell him, so masculine. She didn’t want to believe that this had all been a trick; that he would risk marring that beautiful skin on such a scheme. But she had to know. Touching his arm one last time, she turned to walk away from him, asking over her shoulder, “Why did you do it?” Charles was again confused by her reaction. “It’s part of what I do. I can’t stand by and watch someone in need and not help when I can.” Loisette couldn’t help but smile. The sound of his voice sent a warm feeling through her. But she focused again on his response. Fairly general. That could mean anything. She decided to try another tactic. “Why did you rescue me? You barely know me.” He rushed to catch up with her. “That doesn’t matter. You were in trouble. You needed me.” Ah ha! Now she was getting some answers. He hadn’t rescued her because he’d wanted to, so maybe it was part of the set up. She’d needed him, not just help. “I was doing just fine on my own.” He raised his eyebrows at her. “Fine, so maybe I needed a little help, but I would have gotten out of it on my own if you hadn’t come along.” If at all possible, his eyebrows rose even higher. Loisette halted, placing her hands on her hips and faced him, exasperated by his mocking of her. “Why did you help me? You know those were Tempos’s men. Were you working together?” There. She’d said it. Now it was out there between them. Charles looked stunned. “How do you know they were the baron’s men?” “That doesn’t matter. Are you in on it?” “In on what? M’lady, I have no idea what you are talking about!” Loisette studied him for a moment. He looked so surprised by her revelation. Maybe she had caught him. But, no, there was honesty and complete confusion in his eyes. She was a good judge of character, and his reaction told her he was telling the truth. She decided she could trust him. “I have no evidence,” she began, pacing as she warmed to her speech, hands waving in emphasis. “No one believes me, not even my father. I’ve got to figure out a way to stop him, before he murders anyone else. Sir Charles, I’m the only one who seems to know! I have to do something!” Charles watched in amusement as Loisette launched into full babble mode. She was so adorable! Though what she was saying didn’t make much sense to him, her intensity and desire to do something about a wrong she perceived made him love her more. Approaching her slowly, careful of her flailing arms, he gently placed his hands on her upper arms. “Lady Loisette. Start from the beginning. Who’s been murdering people?” She paused for a moment, aware of his hands on her, then proclaimed, “Tempos!” “What?!” “It’s true! I overheard Tempos and his sorcerer talking!” Charles dropped his hands as he thought over what she’d said. He’d always been leery of that sorcerer. There was just something … evil about the man. But Tempos was involved in murders? He turned back to Loisette. “Maybe you better tell me everything.” “I heard Tempos say that the thieves he’d hired weren’t paying off any more. That’s why he wants me. He wants my land and the power it would give him.” Charles had expected to be more surprised than he was, but somehow he seemed to have already suspected something was wrong. “You obviously aren’t safe, even though Tempos wants your lands. I think you better let me handle this. It’s too dangerous for you.” Her hands were now fisted at her hips. “I don’t think so!” “Did you forget already what just happened to you?” He waved his hand back toward the spot of her attack in emphasis. “No! I didn’t! But you don’t understand!” “Then explain it to me!” She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to calm herself. An unwelcome tear formed in one eye. She brushed it away. “These are my friends that he’s killing.” He moved to take her in his arms. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” She let him hold her. It felt so good, so right, to be in his arms. Maybe she could let him help her. Maybe it wouldn’t be a weakness to admit that she needed his help, would welcome his help. It would be nice to have him on her side. She reluctantly moved back out of his arms to look into his eyes. “You could be in danger, too.” “True, especially after what I did earlier.” She gave him a quizzical look. “I had some suspicions of my own and asked some questions, but nothing came of it.” He couldn’t believe how much it affected him to watch her face light up at the prospect of finding some additional proof to her story, to fall again when it wasn’t forthcoming. “So where do we go from here?” “I need to warn Friar Harry. That’s where I was going before I was … interrupted.” She hesitated before continuing. “And I wanted to get Marta’s advice about my plan. She’s always given me good counsel,” she rushed to explain, almost hoping he wouldn’t pick up on it, but in a way wanting him to. “I’ll go with you. Wait. Your plan?” “No. I can’t risk it.” His hurt look tore at her heart. “You don’t trust me?” She reached out to place her hand on his chest. “No! It’s not that at all. It’s just that they are reluctant to accept strangers.” “I’m not letting you go alone.” He was having trouble thinking with her this close, but that was one thing he knew for sure. She sighed heavily. “Very well. Let me get my cap.” Loisette walked back to where her cap had been thrown in the struggle, and bent to retrieve it. Charles remained where they’d stopped, never taking his eyes off her. Loisette returned to Charles’s side. He fell into step with her as they walked in silence back to their horses. As they neared Loisette’s horse, Charles helped her to mount before leading her on to his horse that was tethered closer to the road. Once Charles was mounted, Loisette nudged her horse forward to join him and they rode on in silence, Loisette in the lead on the narrow road. As they neared the camp, Loisette was sure the scouts had spotted them by now and would have informed the others that she wasn’t alone. Sure enough, before they reached the camp, Friar Harry, with a few others in tow, emerged from the dense woods to meet them. Loisette knew there were others still hiding, prepared if there was a problem. She dismounted and ran to Friar Harry to give him a hug. “Loisette, honey.” He returned her hug. “Ah, who’s your friend there?” “It’s all right. He’s here to help.” “You know I trust you, honey.” Harry raised his voice to address all the scouts around. “Listen up, everyone! Back to camp!” Charles had remained on his horse, but dismounted to walk with Jon and Harry. Loisette hurried to catch up with Marta. “Marta, I need your advice.” “What is it, my child?” “I know who’s behind the thefts and other crimes.” Marta gave her a curious, encouraging look. “It’s Tempos.” Marta nodded thoughtfully. “You don’t seem surprised.” “I always suspected that there was something not quite right about the baron. But you mentioned you needed my advice.” Loisette nodded. “Tempos wants to marry me.” Marta visibly gasped. Loisette placed a comforting hand on her arm. “I know he only wants to marry me for my lands, to gain more power. But, Marta, if I married Tempos I might be able to help you all from the inside.” “My dear, what you propose is very admirable, but I do not think you could help us, or yourself, from inside the lion’s den. No, there must be another way.” Loisette sighed, relieved. She hadn’t been too crazy about her idea, either, but if it helped her friends she was willing to do what it would take. Now that Marta was working on the problem, she was confident a suitable solution would be soon in coming. They walked in companionable silence the remainder of the way to the camp. As they approached, Charles was able to view their home. It humbled him to see how simply these people lived. The clearing wasn’t very large. The focal point appeared to be a small cave etched into the rock of a cliff to his right. He could just make out the sounds of the small brook beyond that that he knew ran in this area. Odd how he’d never spotted that cave before. Everything about the camp was natural to the environment, and easily moved should someone get too close. The only visible sign of inhabitants were the remains of a fire, where it appeared they’d left camp quickly to avoid detection from someone approaching. It suddenly angered him what Tempos was doing to these people who were only trying to live the best they knew how. Once the group reached camp, Marta, Jon, Harry, Loisette, and Charles sat together on a rough circle of stumps and rocks to discuss what had brought the latter two to the woods, while the others resumed their duties. Loisette got right to the point. “Harry, Jon, I came here to tell you that I discovered that Tempos is behind the criminal activities in the woods.” “Great Caesar’s ghost! Child, are you certain?” “Yes, Harry, I’m afraid so. I overheard him talking with his sorcerer. I had thought to try and thwart him by accepting his offer of marriage.” “No!” Charles exclaimed, a little more vehemently than he intended. “I mean, you can’t. It’s too dangerous.” “Charles is right,” Marta agreed, secretly pleased at the handsome knight’s reaction to Loisette marrying another. Neither may know it yet, but she could tell they were meant to be together. “We will need to go about this a different way.” “Marta is right. What else can you tell us, Loisette?” Jon asked. “Not much. I heard Tempos tell his sorcerer that the thieves he’s hired were more costly than he anticipated and he needed my lands to continue to fund them so ... Harry, your people are being blamed for Tempos’s doings!” She intentionally neglected to mention what she had gone through to get here, and she pleaded to Charles with her eyes not to reveal her secret. She didn’t want her friends to worry about her. “Maybe we need to approach this from that angle,” Marta suggested. “Have them fight back now that we know the source.” “We have many able men, but they need a leader. Harry and I are much too old for the task,” Jon added, glancing sympathetically at his friend. “I’ll do it.” All eyes turned to Charles. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/?.refer=text ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 14:06:55 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: lcfic Subject: LL&SC:TAOS Part 3 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii LL&SC:TAOS Part 3 “But the thieves will know you!” Loisette protested. “They will report to Tempos and he will have you killed!” “Not if he wears a disguise.” Marta had been studying Charles since he had spoken, taking in his black tights and knight’s tunic. “I have an idea.” Marta rose and entered a nearby cave, returning a few minutes later, empty handed. “You two must stay for the noon meal. I think we are having one of your favorites, Loisette, wild boar. I should be completed with what I have in mind by then, and after the meal we will see.” “Can I help, Marta?” “No, dear, but thank you. This will be a surprise.” Marta smiled to the group then disappeared again into the cave. “Well, you all heard my Marta. Let’s see if we can help with the meal,” Jon encouraged. The others left Marta to her task as they made their way to the meal area. Each was assigned a task by the person in charge of the meal that day, and soon the preparations were ready. Marta returned to join them just as everyone was sitting down. She smiled encouragingly at Loisette and Charles, letting them know that she was pleased with the results of her efforts. Following the meal, Marta led Charles back to the cave, with the others following. The two entered, where Marta showed Charles her creation, then she exited to join the others while Charles remained inside. A few moments later he emerged from the cave to the astonished looks of the others. He was dressed in green tights and tunic, the color of the forest, with a green mask covering his eyes, obscuring most of his facial features. “This is ridiculous. I look ridiculous!” he exclaimed as he turned to go back into the cave. “No! Wait!” Loisette called. “I think you look … great. And I don’t think anyone will recognize you. They’ll be too … distracted by the outfit to really look at your face,” she ventured shyly, trying to hide her own reaction to the outfit. Charles looked down at himself. “You really think this will work?” “Yes,” Loisette encouraged while the others nodded. “Let’s give it a test,” Marta suggested. “There’s a patrol going out soon. Why don’t you go with them?” Charles looked doubtful, but agreed. Jon called the scouts over. “Stephen, Esau, Jeremiah, this is … a friend,” he introduced Charles. “He’ll be accompanying you on your patrol today.” The three nodded and informed Charles they would be leaving shortly. Charles returned to the cave to retrieve his sword which he’d left with his knight’s clothes, then sought out Loisette to speak with her before he headed out. He spotted her working with Marta. Approaching the two women he again voiced his concerns. “So, I guess this is it. Do you really think it will work?” “Yes, I do, dear,” Marta responded as she lightly patted him on the arm. “Don’t worry. You are doing a good thing.” “Thank you, Marta, and thank you for all of your help on this. I’m still not convinced this will work, but I like this plan better than the other option we discussed,” he finished, glancing at Loisette. “Me, too,” Loisette agreed, much happier to be working with Charles than the alternative. She started to reach up to give him a kiss on the cheek for luck, but then remembered her place. She barely knew this man, even though he was risking much to help her and her friends. Instead, she placed her hand on his arm and imparted him with a sincere “be careful.” Charles looked into her eyes. He’d seen her move to almost kiss him. He’d have liked that. Maybe soon she would feel comfortable enough around him to do that, even as a friend. He wanted more, but he would settle for that much. “Thank you. I will.” And with that he left them to join the other three men. Loisette watched as the men left on foot to begin their patrol. Taking horses would risk them being seen or heard, one of the men had explained to Charles. She turned to Marta with concern when they were out of sight. “Do you really think he will be all right?” Marta laid a comforting hand on her arm. “Yes, dear, he’ll be fine. Come. Why don’t you help me? It will take your mind off Charles until he returns.” Marta led Loisette back to the cave, pleased to see her young friend so taken with the handsome knight. As they worked, Marta would catch Loisette sneaking glances at Charles’s clothes neatly piled in one corner. Her expression would vary from one of worry to one of longing. Marta was so happy to see her friend so in love, even if Loisette didn’t know it. Marta often wondered if Loisette would find someone and be as happy as she and Jon, and now it seemed that she had. But Marta also realized she might have to help things along. “That Charles is such a nice man,” Marta began as she gathered more mending. “Hmm? Oh, yes, he is. And brave to stand up to Tempos like this. And, didn’t he look handsome in that disguise you made for him? Of course, he looked … great in his black tunic, but the green tights and what they represent … “ Marta smiled to herself as Loisette warmed to her subject. Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard after all. *** Charles had remained quiet as the group made their way through the forest, watching and learning how the men went about scouting for danger, and how that was different from what he did as a knight protecting Castle Tempos. Now that he knew the truth about Tempos he wondered if he would be able to go back to his former life. Maybe he could help his new friends from the inside. At least he’d rather be in that position than Loisette. And if this disguise thing worked out, maybe he could do both. He’d have to come up with excuses for his absences, but maybe Loisette could help him with ideas. He smiled at that thought. He’d like to work closer with Loisette. Suddenly, Jeremiah, who was watching point, motioned for the others to stop and stay quiet. They hid behind some rocks and bushes along the road and watched as three men dressed in black charged out of the woods at a carriage. Two of the men held swords on their unlucky victims while the third dismounted and relieved them of money and jewels. Charles’s eyes widened. It was the same three men who had attacked Loisette! Quickly completing their task, the one man returned to his horse and the trio headed off into the woods, in an indirect route to Castle Tempos, Charles noted. He knew these woods as well as anyone, and even on foot, figured he could get a jump on these three before they had a chance to get Tempos’s share to him. Once they were out of sight, he turned to his companions. “You three check on the passengers. Leave the thieves to me. I have an idea.” The others nodded and left their hiding place to go to the carriage while Charles headed into the woods. Moving as quickly as he could while still listening out for the thieves, Charles made his way to a spot where he was sure they would pass by in due course. Finding a tree with a good perch, he climbed up and waited. He didn’t have to wait long. The men didn’t seem to be too concerned with being overheard, as they were making a great deal of noise. Waiting until the last man was directly under him, Charles made his move, silently dropping from the limb and knocking the man off his horse. Charles tumbled to the ground with him, then rolled to stand in a defensive position. The others, hearing the noise, turned back their horses to see what had occurred. Charles, sword drawn, motioned to the one who he’d seen just moments before stash the money and jewelry they had taken into his saddle. “Hand it over,” he commanded. The men laughed. “I think not, friend,” the leader responded. Seeing their fallen comrade was incapacitated, he motioned to his companion to deal with the stranger. Dismounting from his horse, the thief lunged for Charles. Without causing permanent damage, Charles quickly dispatched of his opponent. Facing the leader, he repeated, “I say again, friend, hand over the goods.” The leader studied Charles, taking in his green costume and mask, and then glanced to each of his fallen men. Nodding at Charles, he asked, “Why the mask, friend? What have you to hide?” Charles couldn’t help but smile to himself. The disguise was working! “That is my business, and now I am making it my business to relieve you of your spoils.” “You’ll have to kill me first,” for he knew Tempos would do no less if he returned without the money. As he spoke this last, he jumped from his horse and lunged at Charles. After briefly sparring, the thief joined the others on the ground. As he reached for the pouch on the man’s sash, Charles looked him square in the eye and said, “I don’t work that way,” before turning to head back in the woods. If it were possible, the thief sunk closer to the ground. What was he going to tell his baron? *** Sometime later, the three thieves faced Baron Tempos. That he hadn’t had them killed for returning empty handed was a credit to the incredible story they rushed to tell of a masked man who ambushed them and stole the money they had just stolen. “One man ambushed all three of you.” Tempos was skeptical. “He was amazing, my liege. A better swordsman than … than even Sir Charles!” Charles was known to be a master of swordplay. Tempos had chosen this man to lead the thieves because he was almost as good, and Tempos knew he would be willing and able to do the job. Tempos still didn’t appear convinced. “He came out of nowhere, took us by surprise. He was a sly and cunning as a fox!” “Then get me this ‘Fox’!” Tempos demanded. *** Charles returned to the carriage where the other scouts where still tending to the injuries of the wounded. He approached the man who appeared to be in charge, and handed him the pouch. The man couldn’t believe his good fortune. “How can we ever repay you, kind sir?” “I seek no reward,” Charles replied. “But I insist.” The man reached into the pouch and withdrew a gold coin, a fraction of what Charles knew to be in the pouch, but an amount that would go a long way to helping his new friends. He accepted graciously. “Thank you.” Turning to the others, he inquired, “And if you have everything under control here, I will return to the others.” Receiving a positive affirmation, he left to return to the camp. It was getting late and he wanted to escort Lady Loisette home, as well as return to Castle Tempos before he was missed too long. When he reached camp, he quickly imparted the facts of what had occurred to Harry, Jon, and Marta, then explained his reasons for wanting to leave. Loisette agreed, and was very pleased when Charles offered Harry the gold reward. Harry and Jon each shook Charles’s hand heartily in thanks, and Marta placed a motherly kiss on his cheek. Charles blushed at the praise, and couldn’t believe how good it made him feel to defeat evil and help those in need. He escorted Loisette to her horse, then mounting his own, turned to bid a final farewell to his new friends. Motioning for Loisette to proceed him on the narrow path, he turned his horse to follow her. They rode most of the way in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Loisette couldn’t help but wonder what Charles was thinking. Had he regretted becoming involved? He hadn’t seemed to when he told them what had happened and gave Harry the gold piece. But why was he so silent now? Had he been discovered? Had the thieves discovered his identity and were now on their way to exposing him to Tempos? But surely he would have mentioned it. She hesitated to break the silence and ask him. She had gotten him into this, and now he could be facing death! Not if she could help it! Not even if it meant … marrying Tempos! Charles was lost in his own thoughts, trying to sort out the events of the day. It had started out so simply, a routine patrol, to end with him thrust into the role of a hero. Did he want that role? Yes, he did. All of his training as a knight had been to assist those in need, and up until today, he hadn’t felt like he’d been doing that. It had felt so good to help those travelers, and thwart the men who had stolen from them. To have his suspicions of his baron confirmed had been a bit of a shock, but to be able to strike a blow to his evil plan had felt right. And, now he knew, this was only the beginning. Charles noted they had almost reached Castle Lane. “Loisette,” he called to her, “we must take care from this point.” “Follow me,” she responded. “I know of a safe way to the stables.” The setting sun created shadows that helped to further hide their movements. Approaching the stables, Loisette motioned for Charles to stop. Leaning close to him, she whispered, “You can’t go any further or you will be seen. I will be safe from here. Sarah will have covered for my absence. Good night, Charles.” Loisette kept her comments neutral, unsure of how Charles felt. “Loisette,” he began. “I … I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me. I’ve never felt so good as I did today helping your friends.” Loisette smiled, and impulsively leaned over to kiss him quickly on the cheek. “Our friends. And thank you for helping them. And for rescuing me.” With that she pulled on the reigns and guided her horse into the stable, and out of Charles’s sight. Turning his horse, he moved slowly at first, then, as he gained distance on Castle Lane, rode harder back to Castle Tempos. Charles had a lot to think about. His suspicions about his baron had been confirmed and he’d donned a disguise of green tights and a mask to fight him, all in one day. And despite discovering he was in the services of an evil man, he felt good about what he had done today, better than anything he’d done as a knight. And better it be him that work on the inside against Tempos than Loisette. He knew she was much safer at Castle Lane. Loisette. He’d gotten to know quite a bit more about her today, and it looked like they would be able to see more of each other in the future as he helped her, and now his, friends. She was perfect. Caring, kind, considerate, beautiful, a little stubborn, no, a lot stubborn. And though she was above his station that didn’t stop him from thinking of her. She was everything he’d always dreamed of in a woman who he wanted as an equal partner. He knew he’d have to be content with his dreams. *** Loisette slipped into the castle and to her rooms. Closing the door softly behind her, she thanked Sarah for covering for her, then requested she take her leave. Loisette wanted to be alone with her thoughts of the day’s events. And Charles. He was perfect. Not only gorgeous, but willing to risk his life for relative strangers for something he believed was right. And he did look good in those green tights. But she was to be betrothed to Tempos, as much as she loathed the man and all his evil deeds. If she couldn’t make her father see that in time, then she would be forced to marry him. But if that were to happen then she would be in a better position to help Charles and her friends. Another thought occurred to her. What if Charles was eventually exposed? If that were to happen and she was on the inside, she might be able to save him, to convince Tempos to exonerate his first knight. She desperately hoped it wouldn’t come to that. As much as she would do anything to help Charles and her friends, she held on to the hope that Charles would expose Tempos for who he really was. And soon. *** The following day, Charles was in for a surprise. A meeting had been called of all the knights, but no one knew what it was regarding. They gathered in the open field where they perfected their skills. Baron Tempos would address them from the platform he’d had set up to watch his knights as they practiced. Charles turned to his squire who was standing next to him. “Jeremy, do you know what this is about?” “No, M’lord. There haven’t even been the usual rumors, and I have tried to find out, trust me.” “I know, Jeremy. If anyone could find out, it would be you.” Both fell silent, Jeremy basking in the praise from his mentor. They didn’t have to wait long. Baron Tempos soon appeared and took his place on the podium. “My knights,” he began. “It seems we have a new threat in the forest.” He opened the parchment he’d had rolled up in his hands. “I am offering a reward of 50 gold pieces for the capture of The Fox, who yesterday robbed a coach. He’ll be easy to spot; he dresses in green and wears a mask over his eyes.” Charles tried not to react to Tempos’s accusation. That edict was about him! Tempos had turned the incident around to blame him for what had happened. And now he’d given him a name. The Fox. He supposed it could have been worse. The name did carry a certain meaning of cunning to it. Maybe that could be a good thing. But he needed to know what was known about The Fox – or rather his other self. “Jeremy, find out everything you can about this Fox.” “Certainly, M’lord.” *** Over the next few weeks Loisette and Charles continued to sneak out to the camp. Charles would become The Fox before others in camp saw him, and then he would go out on patrol with several of the men. He and Loisette had decided on one of their earlier trips out that since Tempos had put a price on his head, it would be safer for everyone if fewer knew his secret. Only those who already knew could be trusted to keep it. It was on this particular day that a scout returned with some disturbing news for Friar Harry. Harry escorted the excited scout into the cave, along with Jon and Charles, disguised as The Fox. The scout explained that he’d been in a tavern near the waterfront, two days’ ride, when he’d overheard two men who’d had a bit too much ale. They’d been bragging to a third man how the baron had chosen them for a special job. As The Fox had been thwarting so many of the baron’s attempts in the area, he’d sent them to steal the cargo of a boat due in a few days’ time to help offset the losses. The men were honored to be chosen for such a task. Charles couldn’t help but be pleased at this confirmation that he was making a difference, but now that he was aware of this planned raid, he’d have to try and stop it. That Tempos was getting so desperate as to have to go so far outside the district was good news, so maybe if Charles could stop this it would severely impede Tempos’s plans. Charles approached Harry after the scout had been thanked for his report and dismissed. “I think I should go after them.” “I agree, son. But you should take Jeremiah or Esau with you.” “I think I should do this alone. This could be a trap to lure me away and they could be needed here.” “I hope you are wrong, son, but I concur. Be careful.” “I will, and thank you, Harry.” Charles left the cave, not surprised to find Loisette waiting for him outside. “Let me go with you. You need someone to watch your back.” “No! Certainly not! I could not risk you like that, and besides you are …” “A girl?” Loisette grabbed a bow from a stump near the cave entrance and firing, pierced a tree 200 feet away. She turned to him with a smug look. “The answer is still no. I can’t be worrying about you. I don’t know what kind of dangers there will be.” “Exactly! Which is why you need me to watch your back, and like you said, the others will be needed here.” Charles considered her offer, but only for a moment. He wouldn’t be able to concentrate with her there, and not just for fear of her safety. “I’m sorry, Loisette, I just can’t chance it.” Loisette accepted his decision. “Fine. When will you leave?” “First thing in the morning. It will take almost two days to get there and I want to be there before the ship docks. I think we should head back now. There are some arrangements I will need to make for my absence.” ‘As will I,’ Loisette thought, but merely nodded her agreement. They said their goodbyes to their friends, with Charles accepting well wishes from Harry and Jon, and left the camp. Neither spoke much on the ride back to Castle Lane; Charles planning his attack strategy and Loisette formulating her own plan. They parted at the stables, Loisette giving Charles a kiss on the cheek for luck then quickly disappearing to care for her horse. Charles rode back to Castle Tempos, intending to see Jeremy first thing to inform him that he would be leaving on a short scouting trip. Jeremy need not know that it was not for the baron, but if asked, at least he would not need to lie. Charles was very fond of Jeremy and feared what would happen to him should Tempos discover Charles’s secret. *** The next morning dawned bright and clear as Loisette started out on her journey. She’d informed Sarah that she would be gone for several days but would not require the girl’s assistance. Her cover story was that she was planning to visit her married sister that lived a short distance away. Lucille was close enough that their father hadn’t worried about Loisette going alone to visit for quite a few years, but far enough away that he wouldn’t try to confirm her story. She knew that Charles would have a good head start on her, which worked out well as she didn’t wish to meet up with him until they reached the seaport. Spending a night alone in the woods didn’t concern her; she’d just be more on her guard this time. The three men had caught her before unawares, but she’d be ready for any such eventuality this time. And Charles need never know she was there. She’d just needed to reassure herself that he was all right, and help him out, if need be, and preferably anonymously. Loisette took the main road through the forest toward the sea. She was sure Charles would stop around dusk to set up camp for the night, and she planned to stop far enough away from him so he wouldn’t detect her. As she rode she thought of Charles and all he’d done over the past few weeks to help her and their friends. He’d sacrificed much and asked for nothing in return. He seemed to be content in just helping others and knowing he was making a difference. And that only made Loisette care for him more. Over the course of that time she’d discovered her feelings becoming more and more intense for Charles. He was the man she never thought she’d met. He was kind, caring, generous, thoughtful, handsome, and so much more. He was ten times the man that Tempos would ever be. She knew now that she was in love with him. But she also knew it was something that could never be, even if Tempos was exposed and her arrangement to him dissolved. She was a lady and Charles was a knight. But that didn’t stop her from having feelings for him. The sun had slowly started its descent to the horizon behind her when Loisette heard a noise up ahead. She dismounted where she was and tethered her horse. Stealthily she moved closer, hiding in the growing shadows. Peeking over a clump of bushes she discovered the source of the noise. It was Charles! He’d stopped to make camp earlier than she’d anticipated. Making her way quietly back to her horse, she found a spot off the road where he wouldn’t see her and set up her own camp for the night. The next morning, Loisette again snuck to Charles’s campsite. She didn’t want to get ahead of him, but she soon discovered that he’d already left. Returning to her horse, she, too, resumed her journey. Sometime in late afternoon, she emerged from the trees to see the seaport up ahead. She’d worn her black riding habit, and, with her hair up in her cap, as long as she didn’t draw undue attention to herself, no one would look twice and discover that she wasn’t a man. She rode into the small town, staying as unobtrusive as possible. Riding through the streets, she headed for the wharf. There, docked in the port, was the ship the scout heard report of. Loisette looked around, but Charles was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he was in the tavern, trying to gather more information. She spotted the tavern a few buildings down from the dock. And there, tied out front with the other horses, was Charles’s stallion. Stopping at the building beside the docks and tying her horse there, Loisette crossed the path, and staying closer to the buildings walked to the tavern. Slipping in through the door, she kept her head down until her eyes adjusted to the dim room. She breathed a sigh of relief. Charles was sitting at a table with his back to the door. Making her way to the other side of the room, she was careful to keep her back to him, and chose a table where she could see him but he couldn’t see her. Not knowing what to order when asked, she requested, in as deep a voice as she could manage, the house special. The drink was strong, burning as the small sip she’d taken traveled down her throat. She pushed the drink away, not wanting to be tempted to take more; she needed to keep a clear head. Charles had apparently discovered all that he was able to because he was now making preparations to leave. She paid for her tab and followed him out at a discreet distance. The time they’d been in the tavern had given darkness time to fall, so she was able to follow him in the shadows without being seen. He was headed for the wharf. Charles walked down the street. He crossed the street leading to the wharf, and turning towards the dock disappeared into the shadows where he could watch the ship. Loisette held her breath as he passed by her horse, but if he recognized the animal, he made no indication. Loisette, too, slipped into the shadows and found a spot where she could watch both Charles and the ship, staying on her side of the path, in a position similar to where Charles was hiding. And now they would wait. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/?.refer=text ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 14:08:26 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: lcfic Subject: LL&SC:TAOS Part 4 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii LL&SC:TAOS Part 4 It seemed like hours in the cool night air as Loisette quietly shifted positions again. In reality it had probably only been less than an hour before their patience paid off. In the pale glow of the full moon both Charles and Loisette watched as two men boarded the ship. Once the men disappeared inside the boat, Loisette spotted Charles making his way through the shadows to follow them. She followed him. Hiding in the shadows, she watched the scene before her. She didn’t want to let Charles know she was here unless she had to. He’d be angry, that was for certain, and she didn’t want him to be distracted from what he had come to do. One of the men was moving toward the cabin of the boat, probably to raid the captain’s quarters. She watched as Charles followed quietly behind. As the man worked with the lock on the door, Charles made his move, grabbing the man from behind and spinning him around. The men exchanged blows that slowed neither down. Loisette couldn’t help but wince as several blows landed hard against Charles’s body and face. He’d have a few bruises, but it looked like he was winning against this one. Suddenly, Loisette caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. The other thief was sneaking up on Charles and his companion. She had to do something! If she yelled out his name to warn him it would distract him, but it could get him hurt if he was too surprised by her presence. No, she needed to take care of this one on her own. She knew she could do it, at least for long enough for Charles to know the other man was there. She could take care of herself. She’d managed to convince Harry and his men to teach her a few things so she could protect herself when she visited them, if the need arose, and she would have been able to get away from those three men Charles had saved her from if she hadn’t been surprised by them. Well, maybe she could have and not needed Charles’s help, but she knew she could deal with this one. She had to. For Charles. Taking a deep breath, she lunged for the man as he passed her hiding place. The movement attracted the attention of Charles and the man he was fighting, but she was too busy to notice what Charles’s reaction was to her presence, the second man, or how she was doing keeping him away from Charles. She soon realized that Charles had been able to incapacitate the thief he was fighting when the man she was wrestling with went limp in her arms. Charles had landed a severe blow on the man’s neck, enough to knock him out. Finding some rope he securely bound both men for the captain of the boat to discover at sunrise when he returned. Grabbing Loisette by the hand, he led her off the ship. When they had reached the street, he finally turned to her and hissed. “Where’s your horse?” She knew he was angry with her. Not wanting to provoke him further, she simply pointed in the direction of her horse a few feet away. Still holding on to her, they walked to her horse. He helped her to mount and then led her horse the short distance to his horse. Throwing her the reigns he mounted his own horse then instructed, “Stay close.” With that he headed in the direction of home. Loisette did as she was told, staying as close to him as she could as they rode through the night and the next day in uncomfortable silence. She couldn’t figure out why he was so angry with her. She had known he’d be angry, but not this angry. Sure he hadn’t wanted her to come along, fearing for her safety, but, she could take care of herself! Who was he to tell her to stay put! And who was he to treat her this way! She was about to give him a piece of her mind when he spoke. “We’ll stop here for tonight.” And with that he dismounted and began to make camp. Loisette remained on her horse, watching him, and letting her anger build. How dare he tell her what to do! Charles stopped in his preparation to glance at her. It was obvious she was angry with him. Why would she be angry? She was the one who followed him, put herself in unnecessary danger. He had every right to be angry. She could have gotten them both killed! They stared at each other for a moment before both speaking at once. “What did …!” “How dare …!” They both stopped. Charles motioned to Loisette to go first. “Why wouldn’t you let me come along and help you? You needed me!” “You could have gotten yourself killed back there!” he yelled back. “But I didn’t! And as it turned out, I helped you!” “I couldn’t risk anything happening to you! I’d never be able to forgive myself if you were hurt because of me!” “Isn’t that my choice to make?” “No! I mean, yes, yes it is, but can’t you understand?” She crossed her arms and looked at him from her perch on her horse. “Explain it to me.” Charles hesitated. He couldn’t tell her that he loved her. It wouldn’t be fair. To either of them. She was to be betrothed to the baron, besides being above him class-wise. It just couldn’t be. But he knew he would always love her, and only her, even if he would never have her because that was just how it had to be. He certainly wasn’t going to let her put herself in unnecessary danger, not even for himself. And as long as he remained a knight with the baron he could keep her safe, and be near her. His other identity as the Fox would also keep him near her as he helped her friends. All of that would just have to be enough. He also knew that right now he didn’t want to be angry with her any more. He wanted to enjoy this rare time they would now have together. The more he thought of it the more he realized he was actually now pleased that she’d followed him. It had been very brave of her to do that. He was proud of her. Loisette watched as the emotions played across his handsome face. What had he been thinking? She noticed his expression soften as he briefly glanced at her. Had she imagined that look? Was it possible that he felt the same for her that she felt for him? Could she hope? She knew he was too noble to act on his feelings; she was to be betrothed to the baron, as much as she loathed that thought. But even being married to Tempos she would still be near Charles. It would be difficult seeing him every day and knowing they couldn’t be together. But that was better than not being near him at all, always wondering where he was, what he was doing, if he was safe. Suddenly she didn’t want to be angry with him. She wanted to treasure this time they had together. They may not get another opportunity. Charles approached her and held out his hand to help her down. She placed her smaller hand in his larger one, accepting his help. He smiled at her as he reached for her waist and effortlessly lifted her down. She returned his smile, noting how firm a hold he had on her, how strong he was. “Loisette,” he began, not letting go of her waist. “I don’t want us to argue. That was a very brave thing you did back there and I appreciate what you did for me. I just couldn’t deal with it if you were hurt.” “Thank you. I can take care of myself, you know, but I do appreciate you looking out for me.” “I would do just about anything for you, M’lady.” Charles felt Loisette stiffen at the title, and regretted having said it, but he also knew, for his own sake, he needed to keep reminding himself that she was out of reach for him. Right now he wanted nothing more than to take her more securely in his arms and kiss her thoroughly. But it wouldn’t be fair to either of them to start something they couldn’t continue. And if the baron ever found out, he would, no doubt, have Charles put to death. Reluctant to let her go, but knowing he needed to, Charles gently squeezed her waist before releasing her. “Come on. Let’s get camp ready. Why don’t you gather some wood while I find us something to eat.” He was conscious of giving her equal tasks so she wouldn’t feel he was patronizing her. Loisette set about her assignment with fierce determination, hoping it would distract her and keep her mind off of what had just happened. It didn’t. She couldn’t help but replay their conversation over and over as she gathered the wood. So that was how it was going to be. He’d made it clear that he saw this as part of doing his duty of protecting his lord’s lady, whether she wanted that role or not. If that’s what he wanted then she would comply, but she was also determined to enjoy this time with him, even if it was on his terms. There might not be another chance like this. Charles watched Loisette from the place in the woods where he’d stopped after leaving their camp. She was everything he had ever wanted in a woman; even her stubbornness drew him to her. She was tenacious, brave, smart, beautiful. The rumbling of his stomach reminded him that right now he needed to focus on their dinner. Reluctantly he drew his eyes from Loisette and turned to head deeper into the woods. A short time later Charles returned to the camp to find Loisette bending over the pile of wood trying to get a spark going. Approaching her, he laid the rabbit he’d speared beside the pile and reached for the sticks she was working with. “Here. Let me.” “I can do it,” she replied stubbornly. Charles acquiesced, turning instead to prepare the rabbit. It wasn’t long before Loisette had smoke and then a spark. He returned to her side to help her blow the flames to life, realizing with her in this mood it would be a long night. *** As the early morning light began to filter through the trees, Loisette awoke. She’d a fitful night’s sleep, not really sure why Charles calling her “M’lady” had bothered her. Yes, she did. She’d hoped they’d moved beyond that, that even if he didn’t love her as she loved him, that they were at least friends. Sighing she got up and straightened up her riding clothes. Charles, she noticed, was already up and tending to his horse. He hadn’t noticed she was awake, or if he had he’d made no indication. They needed to get back soon. They would be missed. Coming to a final decision, she dropped her bedroll and walked towards Charles. She’d lain awake most of the night thinking of what she would do. It probably wasn’t the wisest thing, given their circumstances, and this certainly wasn’t the ideal time or place, but there might never be another, and right or wrong she wanted him to know how she felt. Charles sensed her approaching and stiffened. He’d hoped they would have been able to break camp and be on their way before he’d had to face her anger. Laying awake most of the night he’d tried to figure out what he’d done that was so wrong to incur her wrath. And he’d heard her tossing and turning, imaging that she was getting angrier by the minute. Deciding he’d try to make amends, he spoke when she was near enough. “I’m not sure what I did to make you angry last night, but I apologize.” “Wha … “ Loisette stopped, momentarily taken aback by his statement. This wasn’t how she wanted this conversation to begin. She’d been angry at him for trying to tell he what she could and couldn’t do, but she’d long since gotten over that. They’d moved past that, or so she thought. So what was he talking about? “I don’t understand.” “You were angry with me when I called you ‘M’lady’,” he replied, not looking up from task of readying his horse. For a moment Loisette was confused. She hadn’t been angry about that, though it had bothered her, but she was past that now. She thought she’d determined why he’d said it – he was reminding them both of their places. But who was he to tell her how she should have felt about that?! And who was he to mess up her carefully planned, sleep-depriving speech?! “I wasn’t angry!” Her vehement response fueled his emotions as he turned to face her, hands on hips. “You could have fooled me!” “You don’t understand!” “Then explain it to me!” “I love you!” His features immediately softened as relief washed over him. He understood now. She’d been upset by his reminding her that they could never be together. The thought upset him, as well. Slowly he walked to stand in front of her, placing his hands on her arms. “Loisette, I love you, too. And I’m sorry. For everything” “Me, too,” looking into his eyes, seeing the love she felt reflected there. “What do we do now?” “What can we do?” Tears filled her eyes at the thought of knowing what they could but would never have. She quickly blinked them back. “We’d better head back.” Silently he agreed, and they worked in companionable silence as they retrieved belongings and broke camp. They rode in silence for several hours, both lost in their thoughts of what might have been. “Loisette … “ “Charles … “ They each broke the silence at the same moment. “You first,” they each tried again, smiling at how in sync they were with each other. “M’lady.” Charles motioned for her to start, trying to get back into his role of first knight to the lady of the castle. Loisette visibly blanched at the title, still knowing it was necessary, and something that she would have to get used to. “Charles, what I wanted to tell you, to assure you, is that I’m … only marrying … Tempos as a political solution, not only for what it will mean to Castle Lane, but also to Harry and the others. I have to do this. What I’m trying to say is that in my heart I’m your wife.” Charles smiled, relieved. He reached across to where she was walking her horse beside his and took her hand in his. “And I’m your husband. I love you, Loisette.” He gently squeezed her hand. “We’ll manage. It’s not as if we won’t be able to see each other. After all, we’ll be living at the same castle, and with my standing with Tempos maybe I could request he assign me to your guard. As long as he never suspects my feelings … “ “*Our* feelings,” she reminded him, squeezing his hand in return. He smiled, “ … our feelings, we can still be together.” “Always.” They rode the rest of the way in comfortable silence, side by side, holding hands, until they were near Friar Harry and his group’s camp. Charles motioned for Loisette to precede him. “We may as well assume our expected roles now, M’lady.” “Charles,” she asked over her shoulder as she rode ahead of him, “do you know how difficult this is going to be?” “Yes, my love, I do, but we don’t have a choice.” Loisette smiled. “You know, now every time I hear you call me ‘M’lady’ I’ll hear ‘my love’ instead,” she said, trying to help ease the pain they were both feeling. “As I will be saying in my heart, my love.” “Oh, Charles. You are the most romantic man I will ever know. I will miss this.” “I’m hopeful we will be able to steal a few moments now and then to share our true thoughts with one another.” “As am I.” Both fell silent as they completed their journey. As they emerged through the trees at the campsite, Harry, Jon, Marta, and others ran to meet them, surprised to see Loisette with Charles. “It was fortunate for me Lady Loisette caught up with me,” Charles explained as he dismounted. “I was nearly ambushed from behind. She warned me in time to keep me from being run through.” Charles knew he was changing the details a bit, but he didn’t want the others to know the part Loisette played in this mission. It would be difficult enough to explain her presence with him, but he was determined to maintain her cover as the future lady of Castle Tempos, and not reveal that she was really a feisty, spirited, independent woman able to take care of herself. That just wasn’t the persona expected of someone in her position, but it was the woman he loved. “Oh, Loisette! It is fortunate that you were able to save Sir Charles,” Marta exclaimed as Jon helped her to dismount. “You two must be starving! Why don’t you assist me with the meal and tell me all about your adventure.” Loisette resisted the urge to look at Charles. She knew what he was doing for her, and he’d said enough that she was sure she could continue the charade without giving anything away. Plus, her emotions were still too near the surface. She was sure if she looked at him now everyone would be able to see the love in her eyes and heart. She followed Marta, overhearing Harry and Jon encouraging Charles to follow them over by the fire to fill them in on what had happened with the thieves. Charles sighed, which the others interpreted as fatigue. He was trying to collect his thoughts. The incident on the boat seemed like a lifetime ago now. This was going to be hard. Harder than he had thought it would be. But, for Loisette’s sake, he would be able to do this. As they sat down, Friar Harry looked at him with concern. “Son, if you need to rest first … “ “No, I’m fine,” he assured them. “I should tell you what happened.” He filled them on the events at the dock, careful to leave out any references to Loisette except that she’d warned him about the attack from behind. The men were pleased with the results, confident that they now had Tempos in a more vulnerable position and could plan a more final attack to put an end to his evil. Charles listened half-heartedly, knowing the others needed this hope that Tempos’s tyranny would end soon, but he knew in reality that the baron’s reach was too far and too wide for anything they did to be more than a nuisance for him. Tempos would manage somehow to win, and he would have Loisette. Loisette had risked a quick glance at Charles from the table where she worked with Marta to prepare lunch, but upon seeing his down-stricken look, she continued to sneak glances at him, worried at what was troubling him. She’d told Marta about his encounter with the thieves, explaining that she’d been hiding in the shadows to watch and make sure he was safe, calling out to him when the one thief had tried to ambush him from behind. She’d convinced Marta that there wasn’t much else to tell; that Charles had left the thieves on the deck of the boat for the captain to find and take care of, and so Tempos would get the message that his plan had been thwarted. Marta had accepted that story, until she caught Loisette glancing at Charles. She recognized that look, and it pleased her, despite the difficult circumstances she knew they faced, that Loisette had discovered her feelings for Charles while they were away together. Marta had known for quite some time that Charles had felt that way for her; she’d seen him looking at the young lady several times with the same look she’d just seen Loisette give him. And even if they hadn’t confessed their love for one another while they were alone, it at least appeared they’d acknowledged to themselves their feelings. Everything else would work out on its own. During the meal both Charles and Loisette reverted back to their former roles among this group as knight and lady who were also friends. Only Marta suspected anything more. Following dinner Charles indicated that he and Loisette should return to their respective castles, and that, per usual, he would escort her home. After again receiving thanks from Harry’s band for the blow the Fox was able to deliver to Tempos’s plan, Charles and Loisette mounted their horses and headed out. Once they were well on their way, Charles rode up beside her and broke the silence between them, needing to fill her in on what he’d discussed. “Harry and Jon have come up with another scheme to thwart Tempos.” He was careful not to mention anything about their feelings; it would just be easier. “You don’t sound optimistic.” “I’m a realist when it comes to the baron. I know how far a reach he has and how he has everyone convinced that he has only our people and country’s best interest in mind. There aren’t enough of us who know the real motives of the baron to make a real difference.” “But one man can make a difference. You’ve proven that. And if we persevere, one day we will defeat him.” “Thank you for believing in me.” “I have to. That hope and your love will be all I have to hold on to for some time.” “We’ll get through this. I promise.” “I know,” she whispered her response. As they neared her father’s stables, Charles again dropped back to follow her, in case anyone was around. As they entered the barn and no one emerged to help Loisette dismount, Charles quickly dismounted and rushed to her side. Reaching up he grasped her around the waist and pulled her into his arms. “I won’t have many opportunities to do this. It feels so good, so right to have you in my arms.” ‘Yes, it does, and as much as I hate to say this, we can’t risk being seen.” She reluctantly pulled away. “I better go. I love you.” “Good night, my love.” Loisette smiled as she turned to leave the stables. Charles watched her until she was safely inside the castle walls before turning to remount his horse and ride back to Castle Tempos. Loisette entered her home and went to her father’s study to inform him she’d returned. As she entered the room he looked up from the parchments scattered about his desk. “Ah, Loisette. How is your sister?” “She is well, Father.” Loisette hated lying to him but she knew he’d never approve of her friends. She was relieved Lucille had agreed long ago to cover for her, understanding her sister’s need to escape the confines of their station. “Good night, Father.” “Good night, daughter,” and with that dismissal, Samuel returned to studying his documents. Loisette proceeded to her room, discovering on her arrival that Sarah was not there. Given the late hour she assumed her handmaiden had retired, thinking her mistress would not return this evening. Loisette was glad to be alone with her thoughts and free not to hide her feelings. She wasn’t quite ready to fill Sarah in on her adventure, even the few parts she would share with the girl. Getting ready for and climbing into bed, Loisette fell asleep with thoughts of Charles. *** Later that evening, in the privacy of their tent, Marta told Jon of her suspicions about Loisette and Charles. “Are you sure?” “Quite. You should have seen the way they were looking at each when they thought no one was watching! Now if we could just expose Tempos once and for all.” “We may have come up with a plan that will do just that.” __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/?.refer=text ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 14:09:48 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: lcfic Subject: LL&SC:TAOS Part 5 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii LL&SC:TAOS Part 5 *** Charles had agreed to play his part in the plan. He hadn’t been optimistic about its success, but Harry and Jon needed for him to try, and if it even made a small dent, that was progress in their ultimate goal. He’d spent the past several days laying their trap. Tempos had been furious at the Fox’s interference at the docks, raising the bounty on his head and demanding his knights bring the masked marauder in for crimes the baron insisted he’d committed. Charles was careful to lay low in that persona, giving him time to set in motion the ambush planned to capture Tempos, to face him as the Fox and let him know they were aware of his role in the crimes of the forest. The plan was to lure Tempos to their turf, where Charles, as the Fox, would confront him after the others trapped the baron. Charles, with Squire Jeremy’s assistance, spread rumors that the Fox sought to attack Tempos. Charles knew the other knights wouldn’t believe the Fox would be interested in merely talking with their leader, and hint of an attack would intrigue Tempos and draw him out, and probably with those knights that were involved in his evil schemes. Once word had spread through camp, Charles performed his duty as first knight and sought an audience with the baron. As he approached the baron’s tent, he passed the sorcerer. That man gave Charles an eerie feeling, and he hoped no sinister potions were in the works for the Fox. He entered the tent and, as was customary, bowed to kiss the baron’s ring. Tempos could sense Charles’s unease, but chose to let it pass this time. “So, what brings my best knight by?” “Baron, there is a rumor the Fox plans to attack you.” “So I’ve heard. Thank you, Sir Charles, for informing me. I’ll take it from here.” “But, sire, do you not want me to accompany you on your hunt for the Fox?” “No, Sir Charles. I need you here.” “As you wish.” And with that, Charles left the baron to return to his own tent. If Charles had had any doubt at all about Tempos’s involvement with the problems in the forest, that encounter dispelled them. Tempos would have either sent other men or taken with him his top knight to defend any threat. Charles was not in on the thievery because Tempos knew he was too honest and upright to condone such behavior. Now all Charles could do was wait. The ambush was set for day after tomorrow. He hadn’t been happy about the part that Loisette would play, but did acknowledged that it would be necessary. She was to be the bait to lure Tempos into the forest, under the pretense of discussing with the baron her change of mind about marriage to him. Loisette felt sure he would be more than willing to accompany her, with a small guard, if it meant furthering his wealth. Charles had reluctantly agreed. *** Charles, dressed as the Fox, waited by a large tree for Tempos and his men to approach. Harry’s men were hiding in the brush, ready to spring their trap. He knew he’d have to fight a few of Tempos’s men to get to baron, but he also knew how to do that without seriously injuring them. No matter what they’d done, he couldn’t bring himself to severely harm or even kill them; that wasn’t his place. That would be for a higher council to decide. His goal was to expose them and bring them in so justice could be served. He waited in anticipation as he heard them approach. Then suddenly everything went black *** Charles awoke to the smell of dank, musty air. As his body became accustomed to his surroundings, he could feel the cold, hard stone floor against his back. He slowly opened his eyes, but he could see no better. It was just as dark as with them closed. Sighing heavily he closed his eyes again. It hadn’t been a dream. He really was lying on the floor in Tempos’s dungeon, his secret identity exposed, the woman he loved about to marry a criminal. Where had it all gone wrong? He played the events, at least those he could remember, over in his mind. He’d been in the woods, Tempos’s men closing in on him. Any moment the others would spring their carefully planned trap. Had the ambush somehow failed? It must have. But what had happened between then and when he had suddenly found himself in Tempos’s jousting field, on his knees, staring up the business end of the baron’s sword. Tempos had motioned to one of his other knights. “Take Sir Charles to a cell.” “But, M’lord, you agreed … “ Tempos had given the man a look that froze him in mid-sentence. “Obviously the Fox can not be trusted.” He nearly spat the name as Charles realized, with a start, what Tempos had called him. He looked down at himself then realized his mask was gone. How had Tempos discovered his secret? Charles was too stunned by this turn of events to protest as he was lead away. At the mention of Loisette’s name he jerked his head around in time to see Tempos roughly take her by the arm and asking for his bishop to be found. It was over. It was all over. He’d been exposed and the woman he loved was probably now married to another. And surely Tempos wouldn’t let him live after he’d betrayed him, and, Charles couldn’t help but smile, nearly put him out of business in his thievery and murder. At least he’d made some difference. That was some consolation. A sound at his cell door interrupted his musing. He sat up and watched as the knight who had escorted him here opened the door and set a plate and mug on the floor near the entrance before quickly stepping back and closing and locking it again. Charles eyed the plate warily before getting up to investigate it closer. He grimaced as he saw what had been left, hoping this wasn’t his last meal. He picked up the small piece of bread. It was hard and dry. He took a bite, immediately reaching for the water. There was just enough there to choke down the stale meal. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he’d managed to eat and his stomach protested at the amount. Knowing that was all he was going to get for quite some time he returned to his place on the floor, focusing on happier times with Loisette. *** Loisette paced in her room, running recent events over and over in her mind, trying to make sense of it all. What had gone wrong? The ambush had been planned to perfection. She’d been doing her part, luring Tempos into the woods under the guise of discussing their upcoming arrangement, waiting for Charles to carry out his part, knowing that they had enough on Tempos that he would surely admit defeat and stop his villainous ways or be exposed. Then how had she gotten to Tempos’s jousting field? And why was Charles, in his costume but no mask, on his knees with Tempos’s sword at his throat? The murmurs from the crowd told her that everyone now knew their secret. How had that happened? But what had shocked her to her core was to hear that she had agreed to marry Tempos and pledged her fidelity, with the condition from Tempos that Charles was to leave the country forever. She would never do that! He would never do that! He wouldn’t leave her to the mercy of that monster, and would never have agreed to leave the country and to never see her again. Then how had all this come about? Was it some trick by Tempos? No. She was here, in his castle, something she wouldn’t have voluntarily done. Well, no matter how it had happened, she knew she had to get out of here and find Charles. Tempos had led her back to the castle as she’d watched Charles over her shoulder being escorted away. Had they taken him to the border? Which direction would they have gone? Maybe she could discretely ask around to get an idea of where to start. But first she needed to change. Removing the elegant gown she wore, she went to her trunk that she had passed several times in her pacing. Tempos had sent for Sarah shortly after the incident in the field to bring from Lane Castle anything that M’lady would need. Loisette pulled several gowns out before spotting on the bottom what she sought. Despite the situation she smiled to herself. Sarah knew her well. There, folded neatly, was her black riding habit. Pulling the garments out, she slipped on the pants and shirt then the boots. Stuffing her cap in one boot, she searched for a gown that would hide her outfit. Satisfied at the results, she set off to find Charles. Leaving her room, Loisette wasn’t sure which way to go. She’d only been here one other time and had had an escort to the dining room, and she’d followed Tempos to his sorcerer’s lair. Overhearing that conversation had been the start of all of this. If she hadn’t discovered the baron’s true ways, she probably would never have met Charles. She’d be married to Tempos even now, probably still in the dark about who he really was. He would have her lands and more power, and her friends would be in even more danger. And she would probably never know. No, she corrected herself, she would have discovered it eventually. She was intelligent and curious and she would have learned the truth in time. But would it have been too late for her friends? And what about Charles? He’d once been Tempos’s top knight and now he’d been exposed and exiled. Where would Charles be now if they had never met? Would he have eventually discovered what the baron was really doing? Yes, she knew he would have. He cared too much about others to let the thefts and murders continue without doing something, and she felt sure he would have come to the same conclusion she had – that Tempos was the evil force behind it all. ‘Oh, Charles. I can’t lose you now that I’ve found you.’ She’d been wandering through the halls of the large castle, not really sure where she was going. Fortunately she hadn’t seen anyone else, but if she did, as the future lady of the house, she hoped no one would question her presence. *** Charles lay in the shadows trying to imagine what Loisette was doing now. The strength of the thin sliver of light coming in through the crack at the top of the wall told him it was nearing noon. Would she be married to Tempos now? He knew she’d agreed only to save his life, but she also thought he was on his way out of the country and they’d never see each other again. He had to get out of here and save her, even if it took his last breath to do it. *** Loisette had been wandering the halls for some time without seeing a soul. How was she going to find out about Charles if she didn’t meet anyone to ask? Maybe there would be someone in the dining hall. There was usually someone there either cleaning up from the previous meal or preparing for the next. And rumors usually spread through a castle faster than a wild fire. Talk of Charles being the Fox and where he had gone would be big news. Now if she could just find her way there. As she rounded the next hallway, she could just make out voices coming from a room up ahead. Drawing closer Tempos’s distinctive baritone became clear, along with his sorcerer’s squeaky, nasal tones. “ … and I have an image to protect, so make it look like an accident. Many of the men are still impressed that he was the Fox.” “Yes, sire. Should be very easy to accomplish. When do you want it done?” “Tomorrow at dawn, while I marry Loisette.” He was going to kill Charles! She shouldn’t have been surprised. Why should she have expected that loathsome beast to keep his word! That meant that Charles was still here! She had to find him before it was too late. Quietly backing away from the room so as not to be caught, she turned to retrace her steps back to her room. She needed to form a plan. He was probably being held in the dungeon. She’d caught a glimpse of it when she’d followed Tempos to the sorcerer. But she couldn’t very well go there during the day. It was one thing for her to wander around the castle proper during the day, but there was no reason for her to be near the prisoners. She’d have to plan this out. *** Charles opened his eyes as his cell door was opened again by the same knight, and the same meal was placed on the floor. “Wait!” he called, but the door had already closed. He’d wanted to find out what Tempos had planned for him. He’d already surveyed his cell, looking for any way out. There was no way he could escape from this room. The only opening was the thin crack high up near the ceiling that was unreachable, and the door was solid. No, his only chance would be when they came to take him out to kill him. He knew in his weakened state it would be difficult for him to overpower as many guards as they were sure to have escort him, so he’d need to outsmart them. Pushing himself up, he went to the door to retrieve his lunch, trying the door in the hope the guard had been careless. No such luck. He ate the stale bread and drank the small cup of water, then went back to his makeshift bed to conserve his energy and wait. *** As evening approached Loisette knew it was getting near the time to make her move. Pulling off her gown and shirt she retrieved her cap from her boot. Twisting her hair up, she stuffed it into the cap before securing it to her head. Dressed all in black, she would now be able to move through the shadows and hopefully not be seen. *** The last light of the day filtered through the crack, signaling to Charles the approach of evening. The same ritual from earlier was repeated, as the door opened and another meal of bread and water was left. He got up to eat it, fully expecting this to be his last meal. He doubted Tempos would risk keeping him here for much longer, and under cover of darkness was a good opportunity to take him out and run him through. There would be few witnesses that way. But that would work to his advantage if he could escape. The darkness would provide a good cover and he could use the confusion of the situation to get away. Once he’d gotten to safety and regained some of his strength, he’d return for Loisette. He knew with the way they felt about each other that he couldn’t let her marry Tempos. She’d assured him that in her heart she was married to him, and he felt the same. There would never be anyone else for him. He lay back on his bed, thoughts of Loisette giving him the strength to do what he knew needed to be done. *** Darkness had completely fallen when he heard the door to his cell opening. He opened his eyes and sat up, preparing himself for his plan. He would go quietly until they made their orders known and bide his time until the right moment presented itself. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he could just make out one lone figure entering through the opening. Tempos was either arrogant, a fool, or both. Surely he didn’t think Charles was so weak after this short a time that he couldn’t overpower one guard, and not a very large one at that. There must be more in the corridor with only one needed to take him to the others. Would Tempos be with them? Likely not. He wouldn’t take the chance of getting his hands dirty, even though most of his loyal knights supported the decision of what they considered Charles’s betrayal. Tempos couldn’t let something like this go unpunished or there would be anarchy in their midst. And though there were a few knights who were still loyal to Charles despite what had happened, including Squire Jeremy, even though he was the only other one who now knew the whole story, Charles doubted that Tempos would have included any of those in this party. He wasn’t that much of a fool. The guard hadn’t entered the room, only looking around as if he wasn’t sure he had the right cell. As Charles made to approach the man so he could get out of here and make his escape, the guard spoke in a whisper. “Charles?” For a moment Charles thought he was dreaming. Loisette! He ran to her and pulled her into her arms, his great relief evident in his voice. “How did you find me?” Loisette pulled him against her briefly before releasing him. “We have to get out of here!” she whispered fiercely. “Tempos plans to kill you in the morning and make it look like an accident!” “In the morning … ?” “I’ll explain later! Follow me!” Loisette led the way through the shadows of the dungeon. She’d been careful to remember how to get back out once she’d found her way in. It had taken her a bit longer than she had hoped since she’d made a couple of wrong turns and had to stop a few times to avoid being seen. But one of those wrong turns had proven very helpful as it led to an outside door on this level of the castle. When she’d taken a quick peek out she noted the wide expanse of grounds around the castle before they met with the surrounding forest. If they could make it across that open area without being seen, she could get her bearings once they reached the woods. Charles followed close behind as Loisette made a sharp turn down a short corridor leading away from the interior of the castle. They paused when they reached the door. “This will be the tough part,” she whispered in explanation. Taking a deep breath she opened the door and motioned for him to follow her through. Staying next to the castle wall, they inched along until they reached the section closest to the forest. A cloud was just beginning to make its way across the crescent moon. Waiting until any light was obscured, they then looked around for any signs of the guards. Taking each other by the hand they ran as fast as they could across the open field. When they reached the safety of the trees they both turned to see if anyone had spotted them. Relief washed through both as they realized they’d made it this far without being seen. Only now were they both able to breath easier. “Now what?” Charles whispered. “Well, we aren’t out of the woods yet,” Loisette teased to lighten the tenseness of the situation. “Cute,” Charles retorted. “I’ll make you pay for that remark later.” “Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep.” Charles grew suddenly serious. “I plan to spend a lifetime keeping my promises to you.” “And I plan to hold you to that.” She looked at him a moment longer, not wanting the spell to be broken, but she knew they still had a long journey ahead of them and they couldn’t stay here. Reluctantly she moved her eyes away from his and they looked around. If they had been seen they would have known by now, so it was probably safe to make their way to the barns. "That way,” he pointed behind her. “The stables are fairly close to the trees, and there isn’t usually anyone there this time of night. Everyone within a day’s ride has already returned or they will be making camp where they are. If we can get there without being seen, it should get easier.” “We’ve made it this far.” She squeezed his hand lightly as they began to walk in the direction of the stables. They moved quietly through the trees in silence for a few moments, ever watchful for the guards who patrolled the castle walls. Finally Charles spoke. “I haven’t thanked you yet for all you’ve done.” “We aren’t out of this yet, and, like you said before, you’ll have a lifetime to thank me,” she smiled, knowing that even though he couldn’t see her he would be able to hear the joy in her voice. Charles hesitated before asking the question he needed the answer to, but he had to know while she still had a chance to change her mind. He stopped her with a slight pull on her hand and turned her to face him, taking her other hand in his. “Loisette, I have to know, are you sure this is what you want? It’s not too late to turn back now. Can you spend the rest of your life in hiding with a man who has a price on his head? You may never be able to see your family again, and … “ Loisette reached up with one of their joined hands to place her fingers over his lips. “Charles. I made that choice a long time ago. No matter what, you are the man I want to be with. You’ve done nothing wrong, could never intentionally do wrong, and you wouldn’t be in this situation if you didn’t care about people and sacrificed everything to help. You were nearly killed because you are a good man, the best I’ve ever known. I love you, and no matter what that will never change.” “What about Tempos?” “We’ll keep after him. Some day - and it may not be in our lifetime – he will be made to pay for the all the problems he’s caused.” “I love you, Loisette.” He bent to gently brush his lips against hers to seal their promise before turning to resume their journey. Now that he knew for sure that this was what she truly wanted, and understood exactly what she was getting involved in, he could continue. He would have let her go if she had wanted to, but somehow he knew she would stay with him. He had just needed to hear her say it. “You know,” he began, trying to lighten the mood as they continued their walk, “I never thought that disguise would work. I mean, really, a mask over my eyes? But what I can’t figure out is how Tempos, and everyone else, figured it out. I seem to be missing this huge period of time.” Loisette stopped again to look at him. “You too? There are some things I can’t figure out, either. Once we get out of here, we’ll compare notes and see if we can’t solve this mystery.” After a few more moments of walking, the stables were in sight. Even from this distance they could tell that all was quiet there. Suddenly, a torch light appeared from around the corner of one barn. Charles and Loisette briefly froze in their tracks before slowly moving to hide behind a tree. They watched in silence as the light appeared on the far end of the barn and began moving toward the castle. Both breathed a sigh of relief, staying where they were until they were sure the guard was well out of sight and earshot. Resuming their course again they slowly approached the horses as they neared, careful not to startle any of the animals. Since the horses were more familiar with Charles, they stayed together as they searched first for Loisette’s horse then his. Loisette had considered suggesting they take one horse, but she rejected that idea knowing that they could move faster with two. Leading the two horses to the back stable door, they both mounted. Turning to Loisette, Charles whispered, “Ready?” Loisette nodded, then realizing Charles couldn’t see her, responded with a confident “yes.” They quietly rode off into the night. The end of this adventure Final note: This story was inspired by the episode Soul Mates, Princess Bride, Robin Hood (the Kevin Costner movie), and Men in Tights :) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/?.refer=text ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 22:12:23 +0100 Reply-To: LabRat Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Organization: LabRat Subject: Re: Alt-Kerths again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wendy wrote: > > Hey guys, we have a problem ... people told us they wanted Kerth awards for > things other than fanfic that enrich us all, like websites and music > videos, and Wendy and Pam thought that was a great idea, so we volunteered > to coordinate an awards for those sorts of things. FOLCs put in an amazing > amount of volunteer effort just to amuse us :) and we wanted to recognize > that hard work. All we asked was for webmasters and video-makers to make > sure their efforts were listed with Anne (on Annesplace - > http://www.annesplace.net/altkerths.html) so that we would > be sure not to miss anyone. > Okay, maybe those of us who use and appreciate such websites have a role to play here. If you have a favourite website, why not mail the owner, telling them about the Alt Kerths, and advise them to sign up? Perhaps they just haven't heard the news yet. Go, FoLCs! LabRat :) (already making her contact list...) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 01:37:34 -0000 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: New Writing Forum! (Was: Slightly OT: Any other writing forums?) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Okay, everybody! I did it! I created a writing forum at www.fiction-fun.cityslide.com! There is a message board for posting stories, and another for questions/research/etc. You have to register with CitySlide to post on the boards, but I think the instructions are fairly clear. So, check it out at www.fiction-fun.cityslide.com and let me know what you think! Bethy PS Melisma, thanks for the info on the newsgroup. I found it. PPS For those of you who didn't know, Bethy is not my real name. I started out with the nick, unsure of whether or not I wanted to 'reveal' myself. Now, however, I've started the other site with my real name. But my nick is still Bethy. Just FYI, so you know you've got the right place. ;) But, as added incentive for you to check out the site, I'm not giving my real name here yet. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 05:10:42 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Diyan Subject: Answers to A New Quiz Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed And the answers are... s p o i l e r s p a c e (in case anyone still wants to play) The theme is "That Old Gang of Mine" 1. Tank Wilson "A TOGOM Vignette - Yet another version" 2. Wendy Richards "That Super Man of Mine" 3. Rose "If Only" 4. Susan Schwartz "Just Another Fortune Cookie" 5. Jana Lippe "That Clark of Mine" 6. Rose "That Lois Lane of Mine" 7. Jeff Brogden "Degeneration" 8. Pam Jernigan "Private Grief" 9. Wendy Richards "The Confession" 10. Lin-Suen Tan "The Day After TOGOM" 11. Tank Wison "TOGOM Version 487" 12. Wendy Richards "Shattered Illusions" 13. Kathy Brown and Demi "When Friends Become Lovers" Wendy comes in first with 18 points - a blue ribbon a cinnabon, a double fudge crunch bar, and a Clark bar Pam comes in second with 13 points (I went ahead and gave you full credit for quote 13 even though you only got one of the authors ;)) - a red ribbon, a cinnabon, and a double fudge crunch bar Chiara takes third with 1 point - a white ribbon and and a double fudge crunch bar and Yvonne and LabRat get honorable mention and a double fudge crunch bar for replying even though they didn’t know any answers :) Wendy writes, "And, Dia, I never realised there were so many!" Actually, Wendy, considering the obsession certain authors have with this subject, I was surprised there were so few. What happened to the other 473 versions? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 11:12:51 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Dates question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Christy said, in relation to the letter Clark left for Perry in MOSB: > Also, I don't think Clark was any closer (emotionally) to > Perry than he was to Lois; he didn't tell Lois, so why would he tell Perry? I > think the letter probably just gave Perry the same excuse that Lois had been > given, in a more official manner. I think I agree with you. But, intriguingly, in the *script* of MOSB the letter Clark has is for Lois. Not Perry. He gives Lois a letter, telling her that it explains everything. She doesn't open it, and at the end he takes it back. She protests that she never got around to reading it and asks what's in it. He smiles and tells her that she'll never know. So... that made me very curious. The result of my curiosity was a short story (yes, *short*! ) called Dear Lois, Love... Superman. :) Wendy -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 11:56:36 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Answers to A New Quiz MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dia wrote: > Actually, Wendy, considering the obsession certain authors have with this > subject, I was surprised there were so few. What happened to the other 473 > versions? Ummm... Tank and Rose and I haven't written them yet? Wendy (who can't for the life of her think of another possibility for a rewrite!) -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 15:13:55 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Hazel Subject: TOGOM In-Reply-To: <013401c0bb63$96bd03e0$916105a0@hrm.keele.ac.uk> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Wendy (who can't for the life of her think of another possibility for a >rewrite!) Oh, Wendy! Those are fighting words! Okay, FoLCs, the gauntlet has been thrown down! Hazel, sneaking in one last post before the move ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 06:15:46 -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: Re: Alt-Kerths again! In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii A Lois and Clark site/list This is our site for some of Clark's, and other's, excuses... http://www.geocities.com/mr_d8a/excuses.html ===== World's Wisdom (a bumper sticker): He who dies with the most toys wins. God's Wisdom (Luke 12:15b): Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one owns. NCV WIP - 7 Days of Superman - Author's Cut http://www.geocities.com/mr_d8a/7dos.htm WIP for Elisabeth: Story of a Lifetime-TOC http://www.zoomway.com/boards/ubbhtml/Forum5/HTML/003563.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/?.refer=text ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 14:22:00 +0100 Reply-To: LabRat Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Organization: LabRat Subject: Re: Alt-Kerths again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit James, to register your site as eligible for the awards you must follow this procedure: Wendy wrote: It's really very easy ... write to Anne (mailto:AMCiotola@aol.com) and give her your website URL, site title, and an idea of which category it falls into -- is this a fan website for the show in general? For Teri? For Dean? For gossip about the two of them? Do you host fanfic by lots of authors, or is it a showcase for your own fanfic? We realize that websites tend to cross over those lines, so hey, put yourself in multiple categories if you think you qualify :) LabRat :) > A Lois and Clark site/list > > This is our site for some of Clark's, and > other's, excuses... > > http://www.geocities.com/mr_d8a/excuses.html > > > > ===== > World's Wisdom (a bumper sticker): He who dies with the most toys wins. > God's Wisdom (Luke 12:15b): Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one owns. NCV > > WIP - 7 Days of Superman - Author's Cut http://www.geocities.com/mr_d8a/7dos.htm > WIP for Elisabeth: Story of a Lifetime-TOC http://www.zoomway.com/boards/ubbhtml/Forum5/HTML/003563.html > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. > http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/?.refer=text ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 14:24:26 +0100 Reply-To: LabRat Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Organization: LabRat Subject: Re: Curiosity MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Brenda wrote: > Does anyone know who the first author to post a story on the archives was? > Well, I've done some asking around and, as I suspected, this one is pretty much lost in the mists of time, Brenda. The historical records of the Archive don't reach back that far. There has been some suggestion here and there though that Zoom might have been the first author posted. LabRat :) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 14:22:38 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Alt-Kerths again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit James, I'm very glad you sent this to the list as well as to Pam and myself: I'd never seen your site before, and I want to tell FoLCs that they should go and take a look! It's hilarious! :) Wendy -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ----- Original Message ----- From: "JaT" To: Sent: Monday, April 02, 2001 2:15 PM Subject: Re: Alt-Kerths again! > A Lois and Clark site/list > > This is our site for some of Clark's, and > other's, excuses... > > http://www.geocities.com/mr_d8a/excuses.html ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 16:32:07 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Phillip Atcliffe Subject: Re: TOGOM Version ??? In-Reply-To: <4.3.2.7.0.20010402151257.00ab8ce0@actcom.co.il> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII On Mon, 2 Apr 2001 15:13:55 +0200 Hazel wrote: >> Wendy (who can't for the life of her think of another possibility for a rewrite!) << > Oh, Wendy! Those are fighting words! Okay, FoLCs, the gauntlet has been thrown down! < Yeah, it kinda surprised me, too -- 'cause _I_ can think of an angle that I am not aware of any story tackling... but I got too much else to write as it is, just now! Phil, hoping that no other ideas come to mind for a while; I can't keep up with the ones I have now! ------------------------------------------------------------ "I think... I think I am! | I think _I_ am: Therefore I am... I think?" | Phil Atcliffe -- The Moody Blues | (Phillip.Atcliffe@uwe.ac.uk) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 12:26:19 -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: TOGOM Version ??? Hazel and Phil respectively wrote, in relation to TOGOM rewrites: >> Oh, Wendy! Those are fighting words! Okay, FoLCs, the gauntlet >has been thrown down! < > >Yeah, it kinda surprised me, too -- 'cause _I_ can think of an angle >that I am not aware of any story tackling... but I got too much else to >write as it is, just now! Well, I *did* mean for myself, rather than for FoLCdom at large; but I'm delighted if people do consider it a challenge. I'm a sucker for TOGOM adaptations... who'd have thought? Wendy ------------- Wendy Richards wendy@kingsmeadowcr.freeserve.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 17:21:43 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: Re: Slightly OT: Any other writing forums? On Sat, 31 Mar 2001 04:26:32 -0000, Bethy Em wrote: >PS This isn't too far OT, is it, Kathy? I don't want anyone mad at me or >anything... It's fine with me. :) It's about writing and is labeled OT, so I have no problem. Keep us posted about the new forum. Kathy List Mom ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 16:16:49 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Sara Miller Subject: Re: TOGOM MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey everyone, Since I'm just a lurker and I probably wouldn't even dare to conquer the version that I'm going to propose, which I'm pretty sure hasn't been done (that i have read). But, I'll just put it out there for someone who is into writing a story with this much angst in it to deal with. What if...Clark hadn't been right at hand and across the room when the gun was raised and it was raised at her for one of her classic remarks?? Therefore placing Clark in a situation, either let Lois die or reveal to all of the witnesses that he has...special talents. It might be a pretty interesting story, but completely Elseworld because it would turn into a HUGE rewrite of the whole show. :-) Okay I'm slightly too excited for my own good!! Sorry bout the run-on idea! Sara (who's now embarrassed herself enough with her off-the-wall ideas enough for a month or two) > Wendy (who can't for the life of her think of another possibility for a > >rewrite!) > > Oh, Wendy! Those are fighting words! Okay, FoLCs, the gauntlet has > been thrown down! > > Hazel, sneaking in one last post before the move > ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 22:35:53 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) Well, he *must* be an L&C fan -- he waited until Kerths were over, but not much longer! Donald Joseph Brown was born on Thursday, March 29 at 2:21 pm. He weighed 6 lbs, 13 oz, and was 20 inches long. We're both doing great. :) This is the photo the hospital took: :) http://www.dmhcares.com/births/readresults.asp?id=2364 Donny was about 2 1/2 weeks early, but is perfectly healthy and fully developed. He's nursing well, and hopefully will have regained back some of his early weight loss by his one-week doctor's appt this Thursday. I've been feeling really great -- I freaked out the neighbors by taking my dog to the groomer this morning. I am working up a full birth story, but I won't bore the list with it. If you want all the details (and you know my writing -- there will be a lot of details ), email me privately and I'll send it to you when I finish it! (I had actually finished it tonight, but hadn't saved in awhile when the computer crashed. ARGH! So now I have to re-do the last several paragraphs.) Not too surprisingly, I haven't had much time to get to the computer for the last several days. So if you've written me and haven't received a reply, you'll have to be patient with me. :) I have everything marked "reply to this" but that's not the same as having time to sit down and actually write up the replies. :) TTYS! Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 23:37:28 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: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congrats Kathy!!! --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 22:30:58 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carol L Moncado Subject: The Case of the Disappearing Clark, 5/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit "What do you mean you don't have any leads?" "I'm sorry, Lois. We have no idea who broke into Star Labs and they won't tell us what was taken. It's 'top secret'." Officer Doze couldn't keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "You know I'd help you if I could." "I know, Doze." Lois sighed. "I just can't help but think that this somehow has to do with the disappearance of Clark." "Clark's missing?" "Yes. No one's seen or heard from him in almost thirty-six hours and I'm worried. It's not like Clark." "You're right. It's not like him. I'll put out the word that if anybody sees him, they're to tell him to check in right away." "Thanks, Doze. We're going to go talk to Dr. Klein and see what else we can find out." "He's being very tight-lipped, Lois." "He'll talk to me," Lois told the officer as she walked off and then added softly - almost under her breath, "if he knows what's good for him." Lois and Jimmy made their way to Dr. Klein's lab. They found the scientist pacing in a very agitated manner. "It was locked up. Honest. I can't imagine how anyone was able to open the safe. It's supposed to be foolproof. No one could get in without knowing the secrets." "Dr. Klein?" Lois tried to get his attention. "I would never let that stuff out of my sight. If there was anything I could do about it, I'd never let anyone take it." "Lois, what is he talking about?" Jimmy asked. Lois sighed. "Jimmy, can you keep a secret? I mean a take it to your grave, never spill it even under Chinese water torture secret?" Jimmy shrugged. "Sure." "I mean it, Jimmy. No one can ever know about this." "Fine. I won't tell anyone." "It's called Kryptonite." "Kryptonite? Does it have anything to do with Superman? Didn't he come from Krypton?" "It has everything to do with Superman. This substance is a meteorite from Krypton and it has a very adverse affect on Superman. He doubles over in pain, loses his powers and it could probably kill him if he was exposed to it long enough. Dr. Klein kept the only known piece of it here, locked up in the lab, in a lead-lined box. If it's wrapped in lead, it won't affect him. There is probably more out there, but no one knows for sure. We've destroyed some of it, but Dr. Klein was using this piece to try to make an antidote or something, maybe even a vaccination." Jimmy leaned against Dr. Klein's desk. "Wow. Something that can kill Superman. It's got to be someone who can afford to pay for expensive equipment to break in or pay the people with the equipment to do the job." "You're right. Dr. Klein?" "Oh, Lois. Hi. Where's Clark? We need his help." "He's missing. We can't find him anywhere. We did find the imprint of a Star Labs briefcase in the dust at the warehouse we were at yesterday morning. We think that after I left, someone jumped him and is trying to make him call Superman so that they can use the Kryptonite against him." "Good theory, but who?" "Well, it has to be someone with considerable resources. Is there any surveillance tapes or anything that we can look at?" "Sure, but the only people on the tapes are ones who work here. The police already checked." "Let me look anyway. Please?" Dr. Klein shrugged. "It can't hurt." He showed her to the security room and the tapes and how to use the machines. "Let me know if you find anything that we didn't." Lois and Jimmy sat down and started looking through the tapes. They started with the ones that were around the time of the break-in. There were five different tapes from different cameras and the first four didn't show them anything even remotely interesting. Lois rubbed the back of her neck as Jimmy put the last tape in. She was starting to realize just how much she missed Clark. If he was here, he'd be rubbing her neck for her and doing a much better job. But he wasn't here and so it was her job to find him. Jimmy fast-forwarded the tape to the time that the break-in occurred. This tape showed the hallway outside Dr. Klein's lab where the safe was located. The door was wide open and there wasn't anyone inside, at least according to the tape. Across the hall from the open door was a window into another lab. Lois leaned in and looked closely at the window. "Jimmy, stop the tape." Jimmy complied, turning the tape off. "No, Jimmy, pause it." Jimmy pushed play again and paused it. Lois realized again how much she missed Clark. He would have known what she meant. She pointed at the screen. "What's that?" There in the window was a reflection of someone in Dr. Klein's lab. "It looks like a person." "I know that Jimmy, but that person is in the lab. Can you load this on your computer and get us a clear picture of what he's doing?" "Probably." "I'm going to talk to Dr. Klein." ***** Dr. Klein had offered one of the powerful Star Labs computers for Jimmy to try to work his magic on. After two hours, Jimmy finally was able to show just the man in the window. They watched as he opened the safe and took out the briefcase containing the Kryptonite. "Jimmy, we need to get a good look at his face." "I know, I'm working on it," Jimmy replied as his fingers flew over the keyboard. "I think I've... got... it. There we go." On the screen appeared a blurry image of a man. Lois' sharp intake of breath made it obvious that she knew the person in question. "Who is it?" "Never mind that now. Let's go." ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 20:45:43 -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: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Congrats Kathy and Donny! Another little FoLC to meet - hope you plan on taking him to LAFF or something, a year I can afford to go :) Melisma (grinning under her Rock) At 10:35 PM 02/04/2001 -0500, you wrote: >Well, he *must* be an L&C fan -- he waited until Kerths were over, but not >much longer! > >Donald Joseph Brown was born on Thursday, March 29 at 2:21 pm. He weighed 6 >lbs, 13 oz, and was 20 inches long. We're both doing great. :) > >This is the photo the hospital took: :) Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 22:52:02 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Dennis Arendt Subject: Kathy and Baby MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations Kathy and hubby. So glad everyone is doing okay. Brenda ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 23:51:03 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: KathyB had BabyB! :) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congrats Kathy on the birth of the newest "little FoLC!" I hope the little guy gets hours of enjoyment from watching the many hours of LnC I bet you have on tape! LOL! ;) I do have to say I'm very impressed that you were able to get back online so quickly! Maybe it's because after having more than one baby...things get easier? I wouldn't know about that...and I'm probably wrong with my assumption am I right? :) Anyway, congradulations to you Kathy and little Donald! :) Alexis ;-.) PS All I can say is AWWWW...to that baby pic! Your son is so cute!!! :D ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 23:52:22 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Genine Murray Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations Kathy! What a cute little boy he is! Welcome to the world Donny! Take good care! :) Genine SuperGem4@aol.com SuperGEM on IRC ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 00:00:10 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: The Kraz Man Subject: Re: KathyB had BabyB! :) In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Many congratulations on your new bundle of joy. - The Kraz Man "Failure is simply following the path of least persistence..." ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 23:23:13 -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: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations Kathy and family Glad everyone is healthy. Much love and happiness. merry ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 22:47:34 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carol L Moncado Subject: First Night VII: Complications?, 1/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit WEll, the ? is because I'm not sure about the sub/chapter title. All comments always appreciated! CM ***** Clark gently handed Lois over to her father. He looked at Sam and told him, in no uncertain terms, "You take care of her. I'll find Superman and meet you at Metropolis General." Sam nodded. "I will." Clark stood and left the room. *How am I ever going to make it out of the restaurant and back at something approaching a normal pace? And how am I not going to act like Lois' concerned husband when I go back in?* He left the restaurant and found a deserted alley nearby. He changed and hurried back to his wife. As he walked into the back room, as Superman, he could tell Lois was getting worse. He knelt down and carefully picked her up, cradling her in his arms like a newborn baby. Unable to think of anything else to do for her, Sam worriedly admonished Superman to be careful with her - she was pregnant, after all. Superman nodded and as he left the building, he took to the sky. "Lois? Honey? Are you feeling any better?" All she did was groan. ***** Superman landed in front of the emergency room. He walked inside, looking desperately for a doctor. "Help me, please! This woman needs help!" A nurse hurried to his side asking what was wrong. "She's pregnant, Angela," Superman said, noticing her name tag, "and a few minutes ago she doubled over in pain." "How far along is she?" "About 2 weeks, I think. She's only been married that long, and she said it had to have been on her wedding night." "Do you know this woman?" Angela started leading the way down the corridor in the emergency room. "Yes, she's a friend of mine." "Can you help us contact her husband?" "I'm bringing him. He'll be here less than a minute after I leave." Angela motioned to a bed. "Set her down here. Have her husband check in at the desk when he arrives. He'll have some forms to fill out." Superman gently laid his wife down on the bed. "Lois? Can you hear me?" She nodded. "I'm going to get Clark. He'll be right here, okay?" She nodded again. Superman looked at the nurse. "She means everything to him. Take care of her." Angela nodded. "I will, Superman." ***** A harried Clark, his tie askew, ran into the emergency room. He headed straight for the desk. "Where's my wife? I want to see my wife!" The receptionist standing there asked, "Well, sir, what's her name and when did she get here?" "Lois Lane. Superman brought her. How can you miss the bright blue suit and the red cape?" "I saw her come in, sir. My name is Missy and I'll do all I can to help you. If you'll calm down, someone will be with you shortly. In the meantime, could you fill out some paperwork for me?" Clark knew there was nothing else this woman could do for him, so he took the papers and sat in the chairs off to the side. He fought the urge to listen to what was going on in Lois' room. He didn't want to know just yet. As he started filling out the paperwork, he realized he didn't know some of the answers, even his own wife's birthday. He set the paperwork off to the side, rested his head in his hands and let the tears flow. If something happened to Lois or their baby, he'd never forgive himself. ***** Less than ten minutes later, the rest of Lois' family barged into the hospital. Sam and Ellen went immediately to the desk, demanding that Missy tell them where their daughter was. When they found no help, they turned their anger on Clark. Lucy, meantime, had gone directly to her new brother-in-law. There was nothing that she could do for Lois just then, but she could comfort this strong man whose heart was obviously breaking. She sat down next to him, one hand on his shoulder. "Clark, what can I do to help?" "I don't know her birthday." The words were muffled. "What?" He motioned to the paperwork that now rested on her lap. "I don't even know her birthday." Lucy immediately realized what a disaster this would be if her parents caught on. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it. They'll never know." Clark looked at her, tears still evident in his eyes. "Thank you, Lucy. And thank you for not adding to Lois' stress." Lucy smiled. Her sister really was very lucky. "I know she's been looking for you for a long time, Clark. I'm glad to do whatever I can." Sam stormed over to Clark, followed closely by Ellen. "This is all your fault! If anything happens to my daughter... " Lucy stood up. "Daddy, that's enough! Sit down! Can't you see Clark's upset?" "I don't care if Clark's upset! My baby is in there!" "That's just it, Daddy. So is Clark's! That is his WIFE and his BABY in there and he is just as worried as you, if not more." Just then a doctor came into the room, stopping in front of Clark. "Excuse me, I'm looking for... " he looked at his clipboard, "Clark Kent." Clark looked up at the man. "I'm Clark Kent." "If you'll come with me sir." The doctor started to walk off. Sam Lane wasn't about to let this discussion happen without him. "I'm coming with you." Dr. Burns turned to him. "Excuse me, sir. But are you Ms. Lane's husband?" "No, I'm her father, Dr. Sam Lane, and I want to be in on this discussion." "Mr. Kent?" Clark nodded his head, resignedly. "Okay, Dr. Lane, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to have a discussion with Mr. Kent here and then, with his permission and that of his wife, I'll discuss the case with the rest of the family." The doctor left no room for discussion and even Sam Lane knew when it was best to bide his time. "Mr. Kent, please come with me." He left the room followed by Clark. As soon as they were out of earshot, Clark asked him, "Can I see my wife?" "In a minute. We need to talk in my office first." The doctor opened a door with K. B. Burns, M. D. written on it. "We confirmed your wife's suspicions. She is approximately four weeks pregnant and... " "Four weeks? We've only been married two." Dr. Burns let out a short laugh. "I know, sir. That's just the way we measure it. Gestation is forty weeks from the beginning of her last cycle which makes her approximately four and a half weeks pregnant, though conception was only about two and a half weeks ago. She and the baby are fine." "Then what happened?" "She experienced psychosomatic stomach pain or cramping brought on by undue stress. I didn't want her to tell me what happened because I don't want her reliving it. Can you tell me what happened?" Clark sighed, knowing that this was at least partially his fault. He explained the situation - their sudden marriage, their problems and their discovery that they were having a baby. He went on to explain what happened that evening, including Sam and Ellen's tirades. "As she finished, Lois collapsed, holding her stomach. I went to get Superman and he brought her here." "Mr. Kent, I am going to be blunt and I need you to tell me the truth. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to help your wife carry this child to term?" "Of course, I would do anything for Lois and our child. Just tell me what to do." "She needs to go home and rest for a few days. And she needs no stress for at least the next month." Clark groaned. "Is that a problem, Mr. Kent?" "Not for me, but you don't know my wife. She'll never be able to deal with sitting at home and not running down leads for the next month." "Work, as long as it isn't stressing her out should be fine, say beginning of next week. From what Ms. Lane did tell me and from what you just said, her main stressor is coming from her family. If they can't behave, they need to stay away. I realize it won't be easy. This is the first time I have met Dr. Lane and, so far, he is living up to his reputation. If he and Lois' mother continue to stress Lois, she will probably continue to have problems. That means that you will have to stand up for her. If things start to get out of hand, you will have to send them away or take Lois out of the situation. I will tell Lois' family this, as well, but it will largely be on your shoulders to make sure that Lois doesn't put herself under too much stress or pressure from her family." Clark nodded. "I'll do anything." "It won't be easy." "I know." "Let's go see your wife." ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 22:26:04 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Dede Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congrats Kathy! Dede ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathy Brown" To: Sent: Monday, April 02, 2001 9:35 PM Subject: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) > Well, he *must* be an L&C fan -- he waited until Kerths were over, but not > much longer! > > Donald Joseph Brown was born on Thursday, March 29 at 2:21 pm. He weighed 6 > lbs, 13 oz, and was 20 inches long. We're both doing great. :) > > This is the photo the hospital took: :) > > http://www.dmhcares.com/births/readresults.asp?id=2364 > > > Donny was about 2 1/2 weeks early, but is perfectly healthy and fully > developed. He's nursing well, and hopefully will have regained back some of > his early weight loss by his one-week doctor's appt this Thursday. I've been > feeling really great -- I freaked out the neighbors by taking my dog to the > groomer this morning. > > I am working up a full birth story, but I won't bore the list with it. If > you want all the details (and you know my writing -- there will be a lot of > details ), email me privately and I'll send it to you when I finish it! (I > had actually finished it tonight, but hadn't saved in awhile when the > computer crashed. ARGH! So now I have to re-do the last several paragraphs.) > > Not too surprisingly, I haven't had much time to get to the computer for the > last several days. So if you've written me and haven't received a reply, > you'll have to be patient with me. :) I have everything marked "reply to > this" but that's not the same as having time to sit down and actually write > up the replies. :) > > TTYS! > > Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 00:33:22 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: The Kraz Man Subject: Brand New Start 1 - Shattered Dreams (4/13) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit I have been neglecting posting this to the list... my apologies... but you'll get a triple dose... >From Part 3 - “Is something wrong, Clark?” “I don’t know, but I have this really weird feeling. I think something is going wrong with the Messenger. I can’t explain it, but I think something is terribly wrong.” As the countdown reached thirty seconds, Peter Jennings’ voice came over the countdown. “The countdown has been stopped at 29 seconds for some reason. They are listing a small wiring failure as the problem. They are simply holding there for now.” As Lana turned towards Clark, he was no longer there. There was an odd whooshing and a small boom outside of her house. She knew where Clark had gone. ---------------- And now on to Part 4 - It only took Clark a few seconds to reach the launch site. Several witnesses on the ground noticed a sound similar to a low flying jet, and looked up, to notice the figure wearing the red and blue suit. A quiet murmur went through the cloud as this flying man approached the Messenger. Landing on the main catwalk, Clark quickly reached the main outer doors to the shuttle. He gently, yet forcefully opened the doors, and entered. He followed his gut feeling to a small chamber to the side, where he saw a brunette looking at him with something akin to awe. “There’s a bomb!” Clark quickly looked over the device. ‘What the heck do I do with this thing,’ he thought to himself. X-raying the box, he carefully opened it. Noticing that it was a simply made device with electronic triggers connected to C4 explosive, he took the firing mechanism and explosive out of the casing. Seeing no safe place to put it, he opened his mouth, and swallowed. An extremely muffled thump signaled the detonation of the bomb. Clark felt an odd tingling from inside his stomach. His eyes widened as it rippled throughout his body. He brought his hand to his mouth as he burped. Looking shameful at the woman standing there, his manners took over. “Excuse me.” With that, the young woman promptly fainted. Clark went over and gently picked her up, and left the chamber. As he was heading to the main shuttle doors, he encountered the other passengers of the shuttle flight. “Excuse me, but what is going on?” “There was a bomb located in that side chamber, but I disposed of it.” Everyone was talking amongst themselves with regards to this stranger in an odd blue outfit, and about him taking care of a bomb. “Who are you?” “I’m a friend.” “Well,” one of the shuttle pilots spoke up, “it looks like Prometheus is a scrub. We’ve missed our launch window, and with it, our deadline.” Clark looked at him. “This shuttle is in fine shape, and has no problems with it. You simply need a push now that the main engines have fired. If everyone will strap back in, I’ll have you docking with Prometheus in no time.” The gathered group looked at him oddly, but then seemed to shrug it off. ‘What the heck, it can’t hurt’ and proceeded to their respective seats. Clark left the shuttle with the still unconscious woman, and slowly floated to the ground. Gently setting her off to the side, out of the way, but easily seen from the main doors, he headed back to the shuttle. Placing himself underneath the shuttle, he found a good balancing point, and gently pushed. As several officials came out of the main doors, they looked at the shuttle, and watched it slowly leave the ground under what seemed its own power. However, none of the engines were firing. As the shuttle took off, the noticed the blue figure underneath, aiding its flight. After helping the shuttle dock with the space station, Clark headed back to Earth. He knew he only had a few more minutes until his air ran out, but knew he would easily make it. Flying faster out in space, he entered the atmosphere. He noticed that it seemed to have no affect on him, but his cape was not faring so well. He slowed his entry to stop his cape from burning, and then once reaching a safe altitude, headed for NASA headquarters. He figured there would be a few questions that needed to be answered. -------------------- As Clark floated down to the launch pad, he noticed two things. First, the brunette who warned him of the bomb was awake. Second, it looked as if she was being arrested. However, as the crowd noticed his approach, all movement ceased. When Clark landed in front of the crowd of officials, everyone seemed to be asking him a thousand questions at once. Clark held up his hand, and the crowd quieted. “Please, I know you have questions, and I will answer what is pertinent, but I’d like to know what your doing with the young lady here?” “She is under arrest for entering a secured area, damaging government property, and a list of several other offenses once I get her back to the offices.” “I see. Does NASA treat all of the people who save their launch and keep a multi-billion dollar project from literally blowing apart in this exemplary manner?” The crowd had the decency to look shameful. “I’ll make you a deal. If the young lady was willing to never tell a soul about her being on the shuttle, including about how easy it was getting through your apparent simple security, would you be willing to let her go on the basis that she was responsible for saving the shuttle from blowing into a million bits.” The officials nodded. Looking over the young lady, he asked “Well, would you be willing to agree to this, young lady?” “My name is Lois Lane, and yes, on one condition.” “And that is?” “You give me the exclusive about you!” “In the interest in fairness, and keeping you out of jail, I’ll agree. However gentlemen, I believe you would like some information about your shuttle.” Clark gave the account about docking the shuttle with the space station. The NASA officials were able to confirm a lot of this with the shuttle crew and the space station itself. After satisfying the officials, Clark turned to Lois. “Now Ms. Lane, I believe I owe you something to maintain my end of the bargain. Where would you like to conduct this official interview?” ------------------- Perry White, editor of The Daily Planet, one of the world’s most prestigious newspapers, was very rarely at a loss for words. Even less often was he at a loss for not having at least one single Elvis story that fit a given situation. However, he found himself in a situation that covered both. After hearing the astonishing news on the wire about some guy in blue tights single handedly lifting the shuttle into space, ‘Someone is spreading some serious malarkey now,’ he thought to himself. He was completely unprepared to see his top reporter, who had been missing all day, to suddenly appear in his newsroom, in the arms of some stranger in blue tights, FLYING through the main glass windows into the news pit, that rested several stories above the ground. “Perry, every paper in America is going to be printing the story about how this man” she pointed to Clark, “who saved the Prometheus project by flying the Messenger to dock with the station.” Clark blushed slightly as she mentioned his deeds. “However, I can offer you one better. I can offer you an exclusive interview with him, that we will be conducted in the conference room, in about five minutes. How does that get you?” Perry looked back and forth between Lois and Clark. “Sweetheart, your not messin’ with an old man are you?” Lois shook her head no. Perry quickly got himself under control. Looking about his newsroom, seeing people gawking at the man in blue, Perry stood to his full height. “What are we, second stringers for the Weehawken Gazette? Let’s get to work!” With that, the newsroom became a bustle of activity. Lois ushered Clark into the conference room, and quickly pulled out a chair for him. Feeling slightly mischievous, Clark declined the offered chair, and lifted his legs, so he sat floating in the lotus position. Lois’ eyes widened, but she quickly got herself under control. She quickly began the interview. -------------------- To be continued... ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 00:34:36 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: The Kraz Man Subject: Brand New Start 1 - Shattered Dreams (5/13) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit >From part 4... Perry White, editor of The Daily Planet, one of the world’s most prestigious newspapers, was very rarely at a loss for words. Even less often was he at a loss for not having at least one single Elvis story that fit a given situation. However, he found himself in a situation that covered both. After hearing the astonishing news on the wire about some guy in blue tights single handedly lifting the shuttle into space, ‘Someone is spreading some serious malarkey now,’ he thought to himself. He was completely unprepared to see his top reporter, who had been missing all day, to suddenly appear in his newsroom, in the arms of some stranger in blue tights, FLYING through the main glass windows into the news pit, that rested several stories above the ground. “Perry, every paper in America is going to be printing the story about how this man” she pointed to Clark, “who saved the Prometheus project by flying the Messenger to dock with the station.” Clark blushed slightly as she mentioned his deeds. “However, I can offer you one better. I can offer you an exclusive interview with him, that we will be conducted in the conference room, in about five minutes. How does that get you?” Perry looked back and forth between Lois and Clark. “Sweetheart, your not messin’ with an old man are you?” Lois shook her head no. Perry quickly got himself under control. Looking about his newsroom, seeing people gawking at the man in blue, Perry stood to his full height. “What are we, second stringers for the Weehawken Gazette? Let’s get to work!” With that, the newsroom became a bustle of activity. Lois ushered Clark into the conference room, and quickly pulled out a chair for him. Feeling slightly mischievous, Clark declined the offered chair, and lifted his legs, so he sat floating in the lotus position. Lois’ eyes widened, but she quickly got herself under control. She quickly began the interview. -------------------- And now, on to part 5... The next morning, Clark arrived at Lana’s to find her reading a copy of the Wichita Gazette. He noticed on the cover a picture of him lifting the shuttle off of NASA’s launch pad. Lana raised an eyebrow at him as he entered, and he blushed slightly. He sat down at the table with her, getting the feeling she had some questions for him. “Superman, eh?” Clark had the decency to look ashamed. “How did you get labeled with that moniker?” “I don’t exactly remember. Ms. Lane was going on some tangent about not being able to go around being called ‘a friend’ and nobody taking the things I do seriously. Somewhere in the middle she said something about super-powers, and made a jump to call me ‘Superman’. I didn’t argue with it, and she assumed my silence was consent. It does have a nicer ring than ‘Resplendent Man’.” Lana laughed at that, as they were tossing names back and forth the night before, not coming up with anything useful. Lana continued to read the article to Clark. “You did a pretty nice job of evading her questions, answering with just enough context to satisfy her, but not enough to make her dig deep. Those journalism classes were good for something I see,” she challenged. Clark looked at her with a teasing gleam in his eyes. “Yeah, they helped a bit with this interview, but I really need to be careful with her. I think she was just floored that I agreed to the interview. I’m willing to bet that the next time I do an interview, she’ll be looking for the tougher questions to ask.” “Next time? I don’t really understand why you did one this time.” Clark relayed to her the story of what took place last evening in Florida, after leaving her abruptly. Lana had a bemused look to her as he recounted his encounter with Lois Lane, commenting about women falling for him when he got to the fainting part. Clark just blushed and shrugged. “All in all, a pretty dramatic introduction to Superman, don’t you think?” “Not bad,” Clark replied, “might not be what I was looking for, but it will have to do.” ---------------------- Over the coming months, Clark encountered a variety of scenarios that Superman was able to help with. There were dozens of life-threatening dangers people found themselves in where Clark was able to lend a hand, both locally in the United States, and abroad. Clark’s relationship with Lana continued to prosper. He truly enjoyed sharing with her what he was able to do. And she really helped him when he was distraught over what he couldn’t do. During that period, Clark started working at the Smallville Post, a small local paper, and quickly worked his way up to Editor. He enjoyed working at the paper, helping people in the area through articles he’d write. Plus, because they were in Smallville, he didn’t need to worry about associating himself with Superman. Clark felt life was really treating him pretty well. It was during a discussion with his parents that he decided to ask Lana to marry him. His parents were in a good-natured argument over something very unimportant, and there interaction made Clark realize what he wanted out of his relationship with Lana. Clark decided not to postpone asking Lana for too long. ---------------------- A couple of weeks later, during the Annual Corn Festival, Clark proposed to Lana. She delightedly accepted, and plans were made for a wedding the following June. Clark continued to aid the world at large as Superman, and even managed to meet with Lois Lane a couple of times. Once, he helped her when some invisible bank robber trapped her. And again he came to her rescue when someone threw her out of an airplane. Clark was somewhat amazed after talking with her that someone wanted him badly enough to throw someone out of a plane to get his attention. The LAW rocket that came shortly afterwards was even more surprising, but after letting it explode in the upper atmosphere, he decided to rethink his mission as Superman a little. That evening, he sat down with his parents and fiancé to discuss what had happened to him during that day. “Apparently, from what Ms. Lane says, they definitely think I’m an alien. Why they are so sure, I don’t know?” “Did she say anything about why they were after you so badly?” Martha asked. “Well, she seems to think that they think I am some kind of advanced scout for an alien vanguard bent on taking over the world.” Looking up after making his comment, Clark noticed that his parents faces, and that of his fiancé’s were at a cross between downright hilarity and horror, as if that someone could think Clark would even want to do that. “How many times did I tell you that they would dissect you if they got the chance? That just proves it. Someone is out to get Clark.” “Dad… no one is out to get me, they’re out to get Superman.” Everyone at the table looked oddly at Clark. “What?” “Clark,” Martha asked, “when did you start talking about yourself in third person?” “Huh? Oh,” Clark had the decency to look shame-faced. “I don’t really talk about myself in third person, it’s just that it’s easier to separate myself from Superman if I think of him as a different person.” Clark’s parents looked at each other with an amused grin on their faces. However, when they looked back at their son, they noticed he had a faraway look in his eyes. It was then that they heard the news broadcast in the other room about a cruise ship in the pacific that had had a mechanical malfunction, and were in danger of sinking. He looked at his family. “I, uh, need to go. Lana, you gonna make it back to your place ok?” “Just go Clark. I’m pretty sure I can make the 5 mile drive back to my place in relative peace.” With that Clark vanished from the room, a startled ‘whoosh’ in his wake. ----------------------------------------------------------------- To Be Continued... ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 00:34:37 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: The Kraz Man Subject: Brand New Start 1 - Shattered Dreams (6/13) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit >From Part 5... Clark’s parents looked at each other with an amused grin on their faces. However, when they looked back at their son, they noticed he had a faraway look in his eyes. It was then that they heard the news broadcast in the other room about a cruise ship in the pacific that had had a mechanical malfunction, and were in danger of sinking. He looked at his family. “I, uh, need to go. Lana, you gonna make it back to your place ok?” “Just go Clark. I’m pretty sure I can make the 5 mile drive back to my place in relative peace.” With that Clark vanished from the room, a startled ‘whoosh’ in his wake. ----------------------------------------------------------------- And now, on to part 6... It seemed like summer would never arrive to Clark. Finally, the month of June came, and with it, quickly came the first weekend of summer, the date of his wedding to Lana. It was a large ceremony (at least by Smallville standards, since everyone in Smallville was there, as well as several former residents of the village.) Clark and Lana were both mildly nervous, but realized that it was just common to have some nerves prior to such a momentous occasion. Martha and Jonathon had everything prepared for the reception to be held at the farm afterwards. Finally, the hour had arrived, and Clark and Lana were standing before the priest. The priest, having reached the point of the vows, spoke up. “Clark and Lana have decided to make their own vows.” He nodded to Lana. “Clark, I know that we haven’t always seen eye to eye, and that I was originally scared by the idea of being with you. Not because of you, but because of me. However, you have taught me that there is nothing to be afraid of. Because of your patience and understanding, we are here today, and for that, I can never be thankful enough. You have taught me what it means to love somebody completely and totally, and I promise, for the rest of my life, to share with you the joy of what learning that has brought to me.” “Lana, because of you, I will be able to achieve everything I have ever wanted in life. A wife, with whom I can share everything. A place I feel that I am accepted for who I really am. Up to this point, they have only been dreams that I never thought I could have. But you have changed all that. You allowed me to realize that not only could the dreams be real, but also you helped me achieve them. I can never thank you enough, or repay you for the world you have opened before me. I can honestly say that you have made me the luckiest man in the world. I love you, and I shall always love you. And I promise, until the end of time, that the life and love you have given to me will always be shared between us.” The priest spoke up. “Let no man tear asunder that which God has brought together. By the power vested in me, by God and the state of Kansas, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.” The entire church hall cheered. -------------------------------------------------------- Clark and Lana spent their honeymoon in a beautiful bed and breakfast in Maine. Having never actually been there before, Lana believed it would be a perfect getaway. Besides, Clark could take them to Hawaii or a deserted island anytime. Clark, on the other hand, was slightly apprehensive about spending their honeymoon in Maine. However, once they arrived and settled in, he realized there was a charm and quality about the place he hadn’t recognized before, and he felt that this was an incredible place to spend his honeymoon with his new bride. Lana and Clark spent much time during their honeymoon doing whatever it is newlyweds do on their honeymoon. ------------------------------------------------------ Clark had just finished unpacking some of his things at super speed. Lana stood to the side with an amused look on her face as he sped his way through her house. ‘Their’ house, she corrected. Even though Lana’s parents had given her the house when she decided to return to Smallville, she had never really felt at home in it until now. Because it wasn’t her parents’ house anymore, it was hers and Clark’s home. They had decided since Clark was living with his parents while they were dating, that they wouldn’t move in together until they were married. But now that they were married, and their honeymoon over, they moved Clark’s belongings over here. Now that Clark was finished, Lana had to admit to herself that he looked quite sexy running around in a thin t-shirt stretched over his muscles. Very sexy indeed. And, she remembered that they were married now. She walked up to Clark who was finishing putting some books on a shelf, and tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around, she simply attacked him. -------------------------------------------------------- Seasons changed as seasons do, and summer soon became fall. It was a very late summer storm that caused a tornado to trail a path through Smallville and the outlying areas. Unbelievably, Superman was on hand to aid the tiny town, much to the amazement of the community. And due to his efforts, property damage was minimal, and loss of life was nil. Helping her husband and father-in-law out, Lana and Clark surveyed different parts of the farm for damage to report to the insurance company, or to see what needed to be fixed prior to the planting season after winter. Walking around Schuster’s field, examining a grove of trees, Clark felt a very odd sensation sweep over his body. As he and Lana moved towards a ripped up tree, the sensation made its way to pain, and agony, and Clark quickly fell to his knees. “CLARK,” Lana exclaimed, as she fell to her knees. “What’s wrong. What’s happening to you?” “I… don’t… know…” and Clark promptly slumped to the ground. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Clark awoke in his old bedroom at the farmhouse, with his wife leaning over him with a damp cloth, and his parents, with worried looks on their faces, aiding in his comfort. He awoke with a fever, nausea, and aching all over his body. He had never felt this miserable before in his life. “What happened?” “I don’t know sweetheart. One minute we were walking along, and the next, you fell to the ground unconscious. I was hoping you could tell us what happened.” “I don’t know. I just remember feeling… pain, I guess, as we walked to the old copse of trees. I figured we’d get there and I’d take a second to relax and see what happened, but then I blacked out.” “Clark, Wayne and I are going to head up there to see if we can find anything.” Jonathon commented. “I know where you were, and we’ll check it out.” Jonathon felt useless, unable to help his boy through this. But maybe there was a reason why this happened, and if there were anything in the copse, he and Wayne would find it. “Clark, while your father's out looking, why don’t you have some warm broth. You need something in you.” “OK, mom.” Clark grinned, and then cocked his head slightly. He turned his head and looked through his room, and attempted to use his powers. It was then he realized that he wasn’t hearing anything out of the ordinary. No seeing through walls, and no floating. “Um, I think my powers are gone.” “What?” Clark rubbed his face and ran a hand through his hair. “I went over everything in my head, and I can’t hear anything other than you guys, I can’ t see through my bedroom walls, and I can’t even manage to float off the bed. I’d say whatever happened to me was pretty nasty in its effect.” --------------------------------------------------------------- Jonathon finally returned later that evening with a big, heavy, lead box. He called Martha to the kitchen. “Martha, come here for a minute.” Martha entered her kitchen and looked at her husband expectantly. “Did you find anything?” “Well, yes, but I have no clue what it is.” With that, Jonathon opened the lead box, showing Martha its contents. Martha peered into the lead box, and noticed what appeared to be a huge emerald-like quartz rock, but it had a sickly, green glow to it. “Martha, Jonathon, come quick. It’s happening again.” Clark’s parents quickly headed to Clark’s room. Clark was laying on his bed, writhing in agony. Just as quickly, he fell unconscious. Martha looked up at Jonathon. “Jonathon, did you leave that box lid open?” Jonathon’s eyes opened wide in shock, and he ran to the kitchen to close the lid on the box. Immediately, Lana and Martha noticed the tension leave Clark ’s face, as he seemed to relax into slumber. ------------------------------------------------------------- To Be Continued... ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 23:49:36 -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: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Send me a copy of the story please merry Dede wrote: > Congrats Kathy! Dede > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Kathy Brown" > To: > Sent: Monday, April 02, 2001 9:35 PM > Subject: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) > > > Well, he *must* be an L&C fan -- he waited until Kerths were over, but not > > much longer! > > > > Donald Joseph Brown was born on Thursday, March 29 at 2:21 pm. He weighed > 6 > > lbs, 13 oz, and was 20 inches long. We're both doing great. :) > > > > This is the photo the hospital took: :) > > > > http://www.dmhcares.com/births/readresults.asp?id=2364 > > > > > > Donny was about 2 1/2 weeks early, but is perfectly healthy and fully > > developed. He's nursing well, and hopefully will have regained back some > of > > his early weight loss by his one-week doctor's appt this Thursday. I've > been > > feeling really great -- I freaked out the neighbors by taking my dog to > the > > groomer this morning. > > > > I am working up a full birth story, but I won't bore the list with it. If > > you want all the details (and you know my writing -- there will be a lot > of > > details ), email me privately and I'll send it to you when I finish it! > (I > > had actually finished it tonight, but hadn't saved in awhile when the > > computer crashed. ARGH! So now I have to re-do the last several > paragraphs.) > > > > Not too surprisingly, I haven't had much time to get to the computer for > the > > last several days. So if you've written me and haven't received a reply, > > you'll have to be patient with me. :) I have everything marked "reply to > > this" but that's not the same as having time to sit down and actually > write > > up the replies. :) > > > > TTYS! > > > > Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 21:49:06 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Judith Williams Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Best wishes, Kathy B. and a big happy welcome to the world to Donald Joseph! D) Jude ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 22:52:42 -0600 Reply-To: erink@ida.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: KathyB had BabyB! :) In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Yay! Congrats, Kathy and family! Glad to hear both baby and mama are doing well. :) Give that baby a hug for me! He's adorable. :) Erin __________________ erink@ida.net Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ >-----Original Message----- >From: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic >[mailto:LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU]On Behalf Of Kathy Brown >Sent: Monday, April 02, 2001 9:36 PM >To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU >Subject: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) > > >Well, he *must* be an L&C fan -- he waited until Kerths were over, but not >much longer! > >Donald Joseph Brown was born on Thursday, March 29 at 2:21 pm. He weighed 6 >lbs, 13 oz, and was 20 inches long. We're both doing great. :) ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 22:55:11 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Becky Bain Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed He's adorable, Kathy. Congratulations! Becky rbain@qwest.net "I do not like to form in my mind an idea that I don't have any proof of." - Rosa Parks, from her autobiography Stride Toward Freedom ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 00:11:45 -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: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Kathy - I would like you to send me a copy please. I think I posted after a comment. Sorry if this is a double post. merry Kathy Brown wrote: > Well, he *must* be an L&C fan -- he waited until Kerths were over, but not > much longer! > > Donald Joseph Brown was born on Thursday, March 29 at 2:21 pm. He weighed 6 > lbs, 13 oz, and was 20 inches long. We're both doing great. :) > > This is the photo the hospital took: :) > > http://www.dmhcares.com/births/readresults.asp?id=2364 > > Donny was about 2 1/2 weeks early, but is perfectly healthy and fully > developed. He's nursing well, and hopefully will have regained back some of > his early weight loss by his one-week doctor's appt this Thursday. I've been > feeling really great -- I freaked out the neighbors by taking my dog to the > groomer this morning. > > I am working up a full birth story, but I won't bore the list with it. If > you want all the details (and you know my writing -- there will be a lot of > details ), email me privately and I'll send it to you when I finish it! (I > had actually finished it tonight, but hadn't saved in awhile when the > computer crashed. ARGH! So now I have to re-do the last several paragraphs.) > > Not too surprisingly, I haven't had much time to get to the computer for the > last several days. So if you've written me and haven't received a reply, > you'll have to be patient with me. :) I have everything marked "reply to > this" but that's not the same as having time to sit down and actually write > up the replies. :) > > TTYS! > > Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 01:05:46 -0400 Reply-To: msafrans@ix.netcom.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Mark Safransky Subject: OT: KathyB and BabyB! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Kathy, Way to go! Best wishes to you and your family on this joyous occasion. Mark ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 00:44:20 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Adam Labotka Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congrats Kathy, glad everything went ok. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 01:46:32 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: Curiosity MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Whoops, I meant to send this to the list. Sorry Labrat! Labrat wrote: << Well, I've done some asking around and, as I suspected, this one is pretty much lost in the mists of time, Brenda. The historical records of the Archive don't reach back that far. There has been some suggestion here and there though that Zoom might have been the first author posted. >> If I remember correctly (and if I'm wrong, I'm sure someone'll let me know!) there was no actual first fanfic on the archive. A bunch just showed up at once. I remember there was a fanfic distribution list in early 1996 or so. Then one day I remember getting an email saying that the fics would go up on a website. I think, automatically. I mean, they'd be posted to the list, then go up on the archive afterwards. It was supposed to make things very easy for everyone; so we could go read the fics we'd missed. I seem to remember the distribution list going down a few times; and we'd all suffer from FWS (Fanfic Withdrawal Syndrome), so the archive made things easier. (Except for me because my internet was sooo slow back then, that it would take half an hour to load a page. Ick.) Mols ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 17:47:05 +1000 Reply-To: Patricia Walpole Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Patricia Walpole Subject: Re: Kathy and Baby MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Kathy, Congratulations and best wishes to you and your family. Tricia ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 09:51:41 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations, Kathy and Jim!! :))) Best wishes, Wendy -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 11:12:57 +0100 Reply-To: LabRat Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Organization: LabRat Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Kathy wrote: > Well, he *must* be an L&C fan -- he waited until Kerths were over, but not > much longer! > > Donald Joseph Brown was born on Thursday, March 29 at 2:21 pm. He weighed 6 lbs, 13 oz, and was 20 inches long. We're both doing great. :) > Wow - I wondered why the list had exploded into action when I dl my mail this morning. Congratulations, Kathy, and welcome to our new little addition to our FoLC family. So...that'll be the retirement well and truly over then, huh? ;) LabRat :) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 12:20:10 +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: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Awww Kathy, what a cute little guy! I actually thought of you only yesterday and remembered our talk on IRC a few months before LAFF2000 :-). I wondered if the Baby was there yet and now it turns out it was! Congratulations to you, the lucky Dad and Donnald's little sister. I'm so happy for you! And I'm glad to hear everything went well. take care Nicole P.S. Oh, and put me on the list for the birth-story! I love birth stories :-) -- AKA CKgroupie on IRC/AIM NKWolke@t-online.de Are you always searching for news about Dean Cain? And you don't have enough time to search? Here's your solution: Go to "The Dean Cain News Page" http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 06:18:32 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kate Crane Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations Kathy!! and welcome to the world Baby Donny!! Kate ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 06:36:23 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Lesley Hilliard Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations Kathy. Enjoy him. Lesley in Brampton On ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 06:41:38 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "C.C. Malo" Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wonderful news, Kathy. It truly must be spring. :) Carol ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 07:04:58 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Annette Ciotola Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congrats Kathy, Jim and big sister Amy!! Anne :) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 07:18:09 -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 Subject: Re: Curiosity MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Molly, You're right, there was no first fic on the archive because we had fanfic before we had the archive :) First, there was a majordomo list server (not the same as a discussion list, and that's why there was a character named Major Domo in Tempus Anyone) -- writers would send completed stories to Rhen Brink (in text form and no longer than 20k per section), and when Rhen determined that they were in the correct format, she'd send them to the list, and everyone on the list got new fanfic in their mailbox :) (I remember hitting "get new messages" about a million times a day, just in case ) There was also an index listing the older stories, and if you'd missed them, you could send a command ("Get bubbles.txt" or something like that) and the server would send you those files. This system probably was part of the reason few people wrote longer stories ... I remember Chris Mulder sending "MMIKC" to Rhen, broken up into 40-some parts. That was almost as much work as writing it :) Actually, there was probably fanfic even before then, which is why Rhen set up that system, but that was already in place by the time I got involved in FOLCdom (late second season, so spring 1995). After a while, there was so much fanfic that Rhen set up an FTP site for it all, and I think Lauren volunteered to create a website-interface for the FTP site, which became our archive. There were already a few hundred stories at that point, I think. It was a lovely bonus when the archive crew added story descriptions; previously all we had was a list by filename, with title and author noted. Rhen has long since retired in exhaustion (we gave her a lifetime achievement award at the first Kerths) but Lauren still manages the website side of the archive :) Or at least that's how I remember it Any other old-timers out there? -- Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / jernigan@bellsouth.net http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam http://personal.rdu.bellsouth.net/~jernigan/ The difference between journalists and other people is that other people spend their lives running from violence, tragedy, and horror and we spend ours trying to get in on it. --P.J. O'Rourke ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 08:26:14 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Gerry Anklewicz Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Congratulations Kathy. May Donny bring you years of joy and happiness. Gerry ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 08:36:09 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Anita Hook Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed What wonderful news to wake up to this morning Let me add my heartiest congratulations Kathy:) Donald is lucky to have such a wonderful Mom.!!!!! God bless. With warmest regards Anita At 10:35 PM 4/2/01 -0500, you wrote: >Well, he *must* be an L&C fan -- he waited until Kerths were over, but not >much longer! > >Donald Joseph Brown was born on Thursday, March 29 at 2:21 pm. He weighed 6 >lbs, 13 oz, and was 20 inches long. We're both doing great. :) > >This is the photo the hospital took: :) > >http://www.dmhcares.com/births/readresults.asp?id=2364 > > >Donny was about 2 1/2 weeks early, but is perfectly healthy and fully >developed. He's nursing well, and hopefully will have regained back some of >his early weight loss by his one-week doctor's appt this Thursday. I've been >feeling really great -- I freaked out the neighbors by taking my dog to the >groomer this morning. > >I am working up a full birth story, but I won't bore the list with it. If >you want all the details (and you know my writing -- there will be a lot of >details ), email me privately and I'll send it to you when I finish it! (I >had actually finished it tonight, but hadn't saved in awhile when the >computer crashed. ARGH! So now I have to re-do the last several paragraphs.) > >Not too surprisingly, I haven't had much time to get to the computer for the >last several days. So if you've written me and haven't received a reply, >you'll have to be patient with me. :) I have everything marked "reply to >this" but that's not the same as having time to sit down and actually write >up the replies. :) > >TTYS! > >Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 08:48:26 -0700 Reply-To: supertlc Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: supertlc Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations, Kathy! He's adorable! I'm glad everything went well :) Congrats again, Tracey :) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 08:45:31 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wanda McCants Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations on your new son. " What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" ......Langston Hughes Wanda ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 06:34:48 -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: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Wow! Congratulations, Kathy! Nan ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 13:42:59 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Missy Gallant Subject: Re: KathyB had a BabyB Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Kathy, Congratulations on your new little one! He's adorable! Missy Gallant _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 16:11:09 +0000 Reply-To: ampaes@etsii.upv.es Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Amparo Palacios Escrig Organization: Universidad Politecnica Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) Congratulations Kathy! He's really cute. I'm glad everything went well. I hope he doesn't give you too much work:) Amparo ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 10:46:25 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Amy Linnea Lauters Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Congratulations, Kathy! What a happy event! Amy ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 11:02:24 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Marilyn Puett Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Woohoo! A new little FoLC! Just remember that they make Superman underoos for little boys Kathy ;-). Donny just HAS to have a pair. Glad things are going well. We look forward to updated photos as he grows. And how about one of him and big sis Amy? And one of the whole happy family? Marilyn AKA Supermom >From: Kathy Brown >Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" > >To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU >Subject: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) >Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 22:35:53 -0500 > >Well, he *must* be an L&C fan -- he waited until Kerths were over, but not >much longer! > >Donald Joseph Brown was born on Thursday, March 29 at 2:21 pm. He weighed >6 >lbs, 13 oz, and was 20 inches long. We're both doing great. :) > >This is the photo the hospital took: :) > >http://www.dmhcares.com/births/readresults.asp?id=2364 > > >Donny was about 2 1/2 weeks early, but is perfectly healthy and fully >developed. He's nursing well, and hopefully will have regained back some >of >his early weight loss by his one-week doctor's appt this Thursday. I've >been >feeling really great -- I freaked out the neighbors by taking my dog to the >groomer this morning. > >I am working up a full birth story, but I won't bore the list with it. If >you want all the details (and you know my writing -- there will be a lot of >details ), email me privately and I'll send it to you when I finish it! >(I >had actually finished it tonight, but hadn't saved in awhile when the >computer crashed. ARGH! So now I have to re-do the last several >paragraphs.) > >Not too surprisingly, I haven't had much time to get to the computer for >the >last several days. So if you've written me and haven't received a reply, >you'll have to be patient with me. :) I have everything marked "reply to >this" but that's not the same as having time to sit down and actually write >up the replies. :) > >TTYS! > >Kathy _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 12:13:13 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kath Roden Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed >From: Kathy Brown >Well, he *must* be an L&C fan Well... Like Mother, like son... LOL! >Donald Joseph Brown was born on Thursday, March 29 at 2:21 pm. He weighed >6 >lbs, 13 oz, and was 20 inches long. We're both doing great. :) Yeah! >This is the photo the hospital took: :) OMG! he's sooo cute! and so alert! Congratulations Kathy! but where are the Supey PJ's? KathR _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 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: Carolyn Schnall Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" What great timing!!!!!!! Congratulations all over the place:) Carolyn >Well, he *must* be an L&C fan -- he waited until Kerths were over, but not >much longer! > >Donald Joseph Brown was born on Thursday, March 29 at 2:21 pm. He weighed 6 >lbs, 13 oz, and was 20 inches long. We're both doing great. :) > >This is the photo the hospital took: :) > >http://www.dmhcares.com/births/readresults.asp?id=2364 > > >Donny was about 2 1/2 weeks early, but is perfectly healthy and fully >developed. He's nursing well, and hopefully will have regained back some of >his early weight loss by his one-week doctor's appt this Thursday. I've been >feeling really great -- I freaked out the neighbors by taking my dog to the >groomer this morning. > >I am working up a full birth story, but I won't bore the list with it. If >you want all the details (and you know my writing -- there will be a lot of >details ), email me privately and I'll send it to you when I finish it! (I >had actually finished it tonight, but hadn't saved in awhile when the >computer crashed. ARGH! So now I have to re-do the last several paragraphs.) > >Not too surprisingly, I haven't had much time to get to the computer for the >last several days. So if you've written me and haven't received a reply, >you'll have to be patient with me. :) I have everything marked "reply to >this" but that's not the same as having time to sit down and actually write >up the replies. :) > >TTYS! > >Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 12:04:14 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carol L Moncado Subject: Kryptonite question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Okay, so say Clark is expoxed to a big chunk of Kryptonite for a considerable amount of time. Say 10 minutes, an hour break and then another hour or so of exposure. How much exposure of a say fist size hunk would it take to kill him? To knock him out for a while, say six or eight hours? How long would it take to recover? Or is it all up to the author?! Please give me a more definite answer than that! If there is one of course! AHH! CM ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 17:25:41 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Missy Gallant Subject: Re: The Case of the Disappearing Clark Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Hey Carol! Just send on over what you have so far and I'll see what I can do. It's an intriguing little story in progress. Welcome to the multiple WIP's Club! Strangers III is still rolling, slowly... Finished all of the night scenes and am working on the events of the next day. A-plot is slipping into place in my mind; now I just have to get it down in print. Easier said than done though. I've employed the technical knowledge of a FoLC whose attending MIT to help me with the scientific stuff. He helped me a little with the beginning of SII, but got sick and couldn't anymore. Now he feels up to BR-ing and editing a bit. We'll see what he says about the first few pages. /me crosses her fingers :) Slap me silly, please! I'm feeling the urge to post again and this is no where near ready to start. Feedback is such a wonderful motivator, I miss it. So far, Luthor is not as hard as I anticipated. The scumbug is sort of fun in a way. Now I need to figure out a way for him to talk to Toni Baines in prison. Because he's high profile, he'll need a legitimate reason to see her. She's the next to fall victim, he! he! Maybe a sudden appearance by the mayor at the City Jail or a special funding or renovation announcement of the facilities. Hmmm... might work! Then Clark can be there and see Luthor talking to Baines. After she dies, that can raise some red flags for Clark. Oh, pardon me! Just thinking as I'm writing :) Muse is waking up again. Good luck with Locke! Write! Write! Write! Later, Missy _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 12:41:53 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: Re: Curiosity On Tue, 3 Apr 2001 07:18:09 -0400, Pam Jernigan wrote: >Or at least that's how I remember it Any other old-timers out >there? Don't know if I get to be the official word anymore or not, but Pam's description is exactly right. :) There was fanfic for a long time before the Archive was created -- Lauren The Magnificent (tm!) put up the website in 1996 to house all the old stories in an easier to access format than getting them through majordomo, but we were also getting them in our mailbox in a email distribution format thanks to Rhen. (When I got into the fandom, I downloadeded the old stories in batches of 20 or more from majordomo. It was like chain-smoking or binge eating. I would just sit at the computer during Amy's naps and devour them one after another after another. It was so addicting. ) Kathy (it's amazing how you can type with a baby in your arms if you are motivated enough. ;)) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 12:49:29 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: Re: TOGOM On Mon, 2 Apr 2001 16:16:49 -0700, Sara Miller wrote: >What if...Clark hadn't been right at hand and across the room when the gun >was raised and it was raised at her for one of her classic remarks?? >Therefore placing Clark in a situation, either let Lois die or reveal to all >of the witnesses that he has...special talents. >(who's now embarrassed herself enough with her off-the-wall ideas enough for >a month or two) Don't be embarrassed, Sara -- I think it's a great idea! I think it would be a fascinating to see how everyone reacts to the news, especially Lois, when she realizes that Clark gave up everything to save her life. But I don't think it has to be an angst-fest either -- serious in parts, yes, and a big universe to tackle, but it could be a lot of fun, too. But then again, I wrote two stories that gave Alt-Clark a happy ending without wallowing in angst, so I'm a bit biased. Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 18:59:15 +0100 Reply-To: Yvonne Connell Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Yvonne Connell Subject: Re: Kryptonite question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Well, Carol, speaking as one who makes extensive use of this particular substance in her writings , I'd say you can pretty much do what you like. There are no hard and fast rules here, simply because the series was utterly inconsistent in how badly kryptonite affected Clark. So, invent your own rules, using a bit of common sense, and you'll be fine :) Yvonne (yvonne@yconnell.fsnet.co.uk) ----- Original Message ----- From: Carol L Moncado To: Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2001 6:04 PM Subject: Kryptonite question > Okay, so say Clark is expoxed to a big chunk of Kryptonite for a > considerable amount of time. Say 10 minutes, an hour break and then > another hour or so of exposure. How much exposure of a say fist size > hunk would it take to kill him? To knock him out for a while, say six or > eight hours? How long would it take to recover? > > Or is it all up to the author?! Please give me a more definite answer > than that! If there is one of course! > > AHH! > > CM > ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 15:21:02 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "MoesyL47 L." Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit What wonderful news! Congratulations, Kathy and family! Enjoy! Maureen ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 21:29:35 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chiara P Subject: R: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^_______^ Chiara ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 21:37:36 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Tedras Subject: R: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations! Tedras Blue Dragon ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 20:09:08 +1000 Reply-To: "jenerator@ozemail.com.au" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jen Stosser Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congrats to Kathy, Jim, Amy and the newest DJ among folcdom Jen jenerator@ozemail.com.au -*-This message is umop ap!sdn Jenerator or Some1Else on IRC) -*- JenerEight on AIM -*- Photos of David (8) and Megan (5) on the Stosser Family HomePage: http://www.geocities.com/j_stosser Please sign our guestbook! -----Original Message----- From: Kathy Brown [SMTP:kathybrown91@HOME.COM] Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2001 1:36 PM To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Subject: [LOISCLA-GENERAL-L] OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) Well, he *must* be an L&C fan -- he waited until Kerths were over, but not much longer! Donald Joseph Brown was born on Thursday, March 29 at 2:21 pm. He weighed 6 lbs, 13 oz, and was 20 inches long. We're both doing great. :) This is the photo the hospital took: :) http://www.dmhcares.com/births/readresults.asp?id=2364 Donny was about 2 1/2 weeks early, but is perfectly healthy and fully developed. He's nursing well, and hopefully will have regained back some of his early weight loss by his one-week doctor's appt this Thursday. I've been feeling really great -- I freaked out the neighbors by taking my dog to the groomer this morning. I am working up a full birth story, but I won't bore the list with it. If you want all the details (and you know my writing -- there will be a lot of details ), email me privately and I'll send it to you when I finish it! (I had actually finished it tonight, but hadn't saved in awhile when the computer crashed. ARGH! So now I have to re-do the last several paragraphs.) Not too surprisingly, I haven't had much time to get to the computer for the last several days. So if you've written me and haven't received a reply, you'll have to be patient with me. :) I have everything marked "reply to this" but that's not the same as having time to sit down and actually write up the replies. :) TTYS! Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 13:39:12 -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: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Adorable! Congrats! James ===== World's Wisdom (a bumper sticker): He who dies with the most toys wins. God's Wisdom (Luke 12:15b): Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one owns. NCV WIP - 7 Days of Superman - Author's Cut http://www.geocities.com/mr_d8a/7dos.htm WIP for Elisabeth: Story of a Lifetime-TOC http://www.zoomway.com/boards/ubbhtml/Forum5/HTML/003563.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 06:48:47 +1000 Reply-To: "jenerator@ozemail.com.au" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jen Stosser Subject: Broken Hearts Club dates for Melbourne, Australia, not Florida MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I rang Columbia Tristar (on (03) 9639-5699), and was advised that Dean's movie The Broken Hearts Club is pencilled in for June 7 at the George Cinema in St Kilda. Anyone interested in attending with me? ------------------------------------------------------------- Jen jenerator@ozemail.com.au -*-This message is umop ap!sdn Jenerator or Some1Else on IRC) -*- JenerEight on AIM -*- Photos of David (8) and Megan (5) on the Stosser Family HomePage: http://www.geocities.com/j_stosser Please sign our guestbook! ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 19:47:17 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Liz S Subject: Re: KathyB had BabyB! :) Wow, Kathy, what a truly beautiful baby! Congratulations, and may he give you joy and laughs all your life. Liz S. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 22:42:50 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Catherine Anson Subject: FanFic Recommendation - People vs Clark Kent MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable This story is fabulous! There is no other way to describe it and I can't = even begin to express how much I enjoyed it. =20 The pace was riveting; the story line compelling; the characters perfect.= ..everything. I just couldn't put it down and, on top of that, after I fi= nished, I read it again! I had this great fear that in my haste to get to= the end and see how L&C were going to get out of the glorious mess ML Th= ompson put them in, I might have missed something. =20 As always, if the header is precluded with M.L. Thompson, the reader is i= n for a terrific ride. =20 Thanks so much. =20 Catherine ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 08:32:47 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wanda McCants Subject: Re: FanFic Recommendation - People vs Clark Kent MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Let Me chime in on this recommendation. I found the story just a fascinating read from beginning to end. As in her previous stories, ML Thompson's character developments, plot twists and episode adaptations are amazing. This story was available early Sunday, and anyone who hasn't had the chance to read it should be ready for a thrilling adventure. Thanks for sharing your wonderful gift with us. Wanda "What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" ......Langston Hughes Wanda ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 06:11:06 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Irene D." Subject: Re: The Case of the Disappearing Clark In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Missy, I have a feeling that this was just meant for Carol instead of for the whole list, but WOW! Strangers III sounds very, very intriguing! I can hardly wait until you start posting. (Soon, I hope) Irene --- Missy Gallant wrote: > Hey Carol! > > Just send on over what you have so far and I'll see > what I can do. It's an > intriguing little story in progress. Welcome to the > multiple WIP's Club! > > Strangers III is still rolling, slowly... Finished > all of the night scenes > and am working on the events of the next day. > A-plot is slipping into place > in my mind; now I just have to get it down in print. > Easier said than done > though. > > I've employed the technical knowledge of a FoLC > whose attending MIT to help > me with the scientific stuff. He helped me a little > with the beginning of > SII, but got sick and couldn't anymore. Now he > feels up to BR-ing and > editing a bit. We'll see what he says about the > first few pages. /me > crosses her fingers :) > > Slap me silly, please! I'm feeling the urge to post > again and this is no > where near ready to start. Feedback is such a > wonderful motivator, I miss > it. > > So far, Luthor is not as hard as I anticipated. The > scumbug is sort of fun > in a way. Now I need to figure out a way for him to > talk to Toni Baines in > prison. Because he's high profile, he'll need a > legitimate reason to see > her. She's the next to fall victim, he! he! Maybe > a sudden appearance by > the mayor at the City Jail or a special funding or > renovation announcement > of the facilities. Hmmm... might work! Then Clark > can be there and see > Luthor talking to Baines. After she dies, that can > raise some red flags for > Clark. > > > Oh, pardon me! Just thinking as I'm writing :) Muse > is waking up again. > > Good luck with Locke! Write! Write! Write! > > Later, > > Missy > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ===== www.originalequestrianmusic.bigstep.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 18:22:13 -0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Missy Gallant Subject: Re: The Case of the Disappearing Clark Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Irene, So much for hoping that slipped through the cracks, but I'm happy to see that you are interested in my plot musings. Hope SIII doesn't disappoint you. Starting to feel the itch to post again. Hopefully I'll keep making progress in the right direction. Missy (who was very embarrassed yesterday when she realized she posted to the whole list) >Missy, I have a feeling that this was just meant for >Carol instead of for the whole list, but WOW! > >Strangers III sounds very, very intriguing! I can >hardly wait until you start posting. (Soon, I hope) > >Irene > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 20:26:03 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Eileen Barnard Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations to Kathy and her family. I hope everything is well with both mother and son. Regards Eileen B ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathy Brown" To: Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2001 4:35 AM Subject: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 15:40:00 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carolyn Schnall Subject: Re: Review: Man of Steel Bars In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" OK, prepare, not cook! Carolyn >Jude wrote: >I haven't watched this in a while, but that same question bothered me. I >think that Lois was taking the food out of the paper bag when Supes came in >and she got so flustered that she forgot what she was doing and started >putting the food back into the bag instead of taking it out. So he >commented, "We'll never eat that way." Anybody else remember it that way? > >and Carolyn wrote: >In the scene, Lois has come over to cook dinner for Superman (and >Clark). When she gets there and talks to Clark, she pulls the >groceries out of the bag she has brought with her. When Clark goes >to find Sman for her and comes back as Sman, Lois gets flustered by >Sman's presence and begins to put the groceries back in the bag, >which is quite hilarious. That's when he says his line, referring to >the fact that nothing will get cooked if it is placed back in the >bag. Does that help? > >but I'm still confused. I always understood the context. But why did >Supes say something as stupid as "We'll never eat that way" and what does >"that" refer to. Out of a bag? >By the way, Carolyn, I don't think that Lois really brought anything to >"cook". She had pasta salad that was already in the bowl. > >I know this is really nit-picking, but I've always wondered and I'm not >satisfied yet. > >Gerry ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 15:41:39 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carolyn Schnall Subject: Re: Curiosity In-Reply-To: <3AC9B171.EC467322@bellsouth.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" I just wanted to mention that I am glad, Brenda, that you asked this question and i have really been enjoying the responses:) Carolyn >Molly, > >You're right, there was no first fic on the archive because we had >fanfic before we had the archive :) First, there was a majordomo list >server (not the same as a discussion list, and that's why there was a >character named Major Domo in Tempus Anyone) -- writers would send >completed stories to Rhen Brink (in text form and no longer than 20k per >section), and when Rhen determined that they were in the correct format, >she'd send them to the list, and everyone on the list got new fanfic in >their mailbox :) (I remember hitting "get new messages" about a million >times a day, just in case ) There was also an index listing the >older stories, and if you'd missed them, you could send a command ("Get >bubbles.txt" or something like that) and the server would send you those >files. > >This system probably was part of the reason few people wrote longer >stories ... I remember Chris Mulder sending "MMIKC" to Rhen, broken up >into 40-some parts. That was almost as much work as writing it :) > >Actually, there was probably fanfic even before then, which is why Rhen >set up that system, but that was already in place by the time I got >involved in FOLCdom (late second season, so spring 1995). > >After a while, there was so much fanfic that Rhen set up an FTP site for >it all, and I think Lauren volunteered to create a website-interface for >the FTP site, which became our archive. There were already a few >hundred stories at that point, I think. It was a lovely bonus when the >archive crew added story descriptions; previously all we had was a list >by filename, with title and author noted. Rhen has long since retired >in exhaustion (we gave her a lifetime achievement award at the first >Kerths) but Lauren still manages the website side of the archive :) > >Or at least that's how I remember it Any other old-timers out >there? >-- > >Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / jernigan@bellsouth.net >http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam >http://personal.rdu.bellsouth.net/~jernigan/ > >The difference between journalists and other >people is that other people spend their lives >running from violence, tragedy, and horror >and we spend ours trying to get in on it. >--P.J. O'Rourke ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 15:41:57 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jeanne Pare Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) Comments: To: Kathy Brown Congratulations and best wishes! What a lucky little boy! Jeanne ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 16:03:14 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jeanne Pare Subject: Re: Curiosity On Tue, 3 Apr 2001 07:18:09 -0400, Pam Jernigan wrote: >Or at least that's how I remember it Any other old-timers out >there? Yes, Pam, I remember it the same way you do except you explained it a lot more clearly than I would have. I, too, got into folcdom in 1995 (summer). By the way, I also remember that there were a few sites which carried a limited number of fics in those days. I have no idea anymore who put up the sites. The early parts of "Dawning" were my first experience in fanfic, shortly followed by Gorn's stories. I was so inexperienced in computers in those days that I even read a few stories in a format which necessitated scrolling horizontally; not an easy way to read for sure. When I was told to open the downloads in a word processor, I was totally lost until Zoom explained to me how to do it. Eventually, I mastered FTP and got on the majordomo list, as well ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 21:45:15 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Elizabeth Reid Subject: kathy B. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Dear Kathy, Congratulations and best wishes on your new baby. Liz ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 17:57:55 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: Kathy and Baby MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations, Kathy. Just remember, sleep when the baby sleeps! Ann ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 17:48:55 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Crystal Wimmer Subject: Very quick site announcement :) Comments: To: scottandjean@egroups.com, cyclopsfanfics@egroups.com, RedShades@egroups.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi there... I'll make this really, really quick. I finally got my fanfic site together, including the new counters (Thanks, Anne). Anyway, all of my fanfic is up, and updates on what is in-progress. If you want to keep up on what I'm doing, and get to my fics without messing with passwords, then this is the place to go. It's not fancy, but it's mine :) I also have a section for other authors, albeit a small one. So, if you want something put up on the web, and don't have a site of your own, then I'll see what I can do. Oh yeah... the url: http://www.geocities.com/cryswimmer/CrysMain.html We now return you to your regularly scheduled fanfic :) -Crys- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 16:01:08 -0600 Reply-To: erink@ida.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: Kathy and Baby In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ann wrote: >Congratulations, Kathy. Just remember, sleep when the baby sleeps! Wonderful advice! :) Though I still haven't figured out how that works when you have four. They NEVER sleep at the same time, not even at night. But you know, Kathy, it IS possible to read fanfic while rocking a baby to sleep. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who figured out how to do that. Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 16:04:07 -0600 Reply-To: erink@ida.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: Very quick site announcement :) In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >I finally got my fanfic site together, including the new counters (Thanks, >Anne). Anyway, all of my fanfic is up, and updates on what is in-progress. >If you want to keep up on what I'm doing, and get to my fics without messing >with passwords, then this is the place to go. It's not fancy, but it's mine >:) Crystal, the site looks fabulous! Nice work. :) And I had no idea you had written stories for other fandoms. I'll have to check them out, since I've always been a big fan of your work. :) Thanks for the site update! Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 19:29:56 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Marilyn L. Puett" Subject: New: Lois's Cooking Diary MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Lois=92s Cooking Diary by Supermom April 2001 Author's note: This is not entirely original. I stole and adapted it from a silly email message I received from my mother. But it just looked so perfect for Lois -- well, maybe it is a little over the top. But enjoy! Dear Cooking Diary, I've been trying so hard to learn to cook for Clark. I'm a modern and liberated woman and I know that Clark doesn't mind cooking and he's really good at it, but I think even a modern and liberated woman should be able to cook her husband something decent to eat. So here's a recap of my week's efforts: Monday: Today I made angel food cake. The recipe said, "Beat 12 eggs separately." The neighbors were nice enough to loan me some extra bowls. Tuesday: Clark wanted fruit salad for supper. The recipe said, "Serve without dressing." So I didn't dress. What a surprise when Clark brought a friend home for supper! Wednesday: A good day for rice. Recipe said, "Wash thoroughly before steaming the rice." It seemed kinda of silly, but I took a bath. I can't say it improved the rice any. Thursday: Today Clark asked for salad again. I tried a new recipe. It said, "Prepare ingredients, then toss on a bed of lettuce one hour before serving." Which is what led up to Clark asking me why I was rolling around in the garden? Friday: I found an easy recipe for cookies. It said, "Put all ingredients in bowl and beat it." There must have been something wrong with this recipe. When I got back, everything was the same as when I left. Saturday: Clark did the shopping today and brought home a chicken. He asked me to dress it for Sunday (oh boy!). For some reason Clark keeps counting to ten. Sunday: Clark's folks came to dinner. I wanted to serve roast. All I could find was hamburger. Suddenly I had a flash of genius. I put the hamburger in the oven and set the controls for Roast. It still came out hamburger, much to my disappointment. Good night, Dear Diary. This has been a very exciting week. I am eager for tomorrow to come so I can try out a new recipe on Clark. If we could just get a bigger oven, I would like to surprise him with "Chocolate Moose.=94 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 17:58:22 -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: Re: New: Lois's Cooking Diary In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!! Marilyn, this was hilarious!!! Melisma (seeing a Comedy Kerth with Marilyn's name on it, under her Rock - okay. it's not here *now*, but just wait... :D) At 07:29 PM 04/04/2001 -0500, you wrote: >Lois’s Cooking Diary >by Supermom >April 2001 Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 19:51:22 -0600 Reply-To: erink@ida.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: New: Lois's Cooking Diary In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.20010404175822.00a94ba0@pop.intergate.ca> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!! Marilyn, this was hilarious!!! > >Melisma (seeing a Comedy Kerth with Marilyn's name on it, under her Rock - >okay. it's not here *now*, but just wait... :D) Okay, what was the deal?! Marilyn, I just barely got your fic in my email box like 10 minutes ago, but I received Mel's feedback email an hour ago, and I was wondering, "Geez, what do I have to do to be priveleged enough to read Marilyn's latest story, too???" Thankfully, it just showed up in my email box. :) Melisma's just psychic. She knows what feedback to give before she even reads the story. Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 19:55:42 -0600 Reply-To: erink@ida.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: OT: Site addy? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sorry for the OT, guys, but I think I got the initial info from here, so I'm hoping one of you might be able to share it again. I know Andrea's 'In Loving Memory' site no longer exists (sadly :( ), but I remember there being a one page site where it described the 4 CDs she had available for purchase. Anyone know the URL? Thanks in advance, Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 21:59:54 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Annette Ciotola Subject: Re: OT: Site addy? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Here is her new site, she just sent it to me ... http://members.nbci.com/andisarchive/loisclark.htm You can try from there. Anne ;) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Nfic Archive http://move.to/nfic (a new quick link URL) My Lois & Clark Web Site http://fly.to/superman.net "If something looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and talks like a duck ... chances are pretty good it is a duck." -- LL, SVFAP ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 19:04:50 -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: Re: New: Lois's Cooking Diary In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Nonononono, Erin :D I got it, read it fast, and FDKed before I could be tempted to put it off. (I'm in the middle of wallowing in an excellent site by a non-LnC author, only coming out when my email is delivered, or to seek food so I don't die of a diabetic insulin reaction :) Actually, I've been getting email days late, so I wasn't sure if this hadn't been sent out a week ago and *I* was the one out of the loop! Melisma (grinning under her Rock at being the first to give FDK for a change, instead of Merry or someone else more proficient :) At 07:51 PM 04/04/2001 -0600, you wrote: >>LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!! Marilyn, this was hilarious!!! >> >>Melisma (seeing a Comedy Kerth with Marilyn's name on it, under her Rock - >>okay. it's not here *now*, but just wait... :D) > >Okay, what was the deal?! Marilyn, I just barely got your fic in my >email box like 10 minutes ago, but I received Mel's feedback email an hour >ago, and I was wondering, "Geez, what do I have to do to be priveleged enough >to read Marilyn's latest story, too???" Thankfully, it just showed up in >my email box. :) > >Melisma's just psychic. She knows what feedback to give before she even reads >the story. > >Erin Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 22:59:41 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: First Night VI: Revelation, 2/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 03/29/2001 1:04:53 AM Eastern Standard Time, cmoncado@JUNO.COM writes: << (If anyone is still reading this here anyway!) >> yes, I read here on the list, not on the boards, thanks. :) --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 23:31:26 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: The Kraz Man Subject: A Brand New Start 1 - Shattered Dreams (7/13) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit >From part 6... “Martha, Jonathon, come quick. It’s happening again.” Clark’s parents quickly headed to Clark’s room. Clark was laying on his bed, writhing in agony. Just as quickly, he fell unconscious. Martha looked up at Jonathon. “Jonathon, did you leave that box lid open?” Jonathon’s eyes opened wide in shock, and he ran to the kitchen to close the lid on the box. Immediately, Lana and Martha noticed the tension leave Clark ’s face, as he seemed to relax into slumber. ------------------------------------------------------------- And now... Part 7... The following morning Clark woke up still powerless. Lana had stayed with him through the night, and in the morning she helped Martha prepare breakfast, which she then brought to Clark in his room. “Breakfast in bed?” Lana got a sly grin on her face. “Wouldn’t want my husband to tire out too much. How are you feeling this morning?” “Not too bad. A little achy, and still without powers, but a lot better than I felt yesterday.” As Clark and Lana ate their breakfasts, there was a knock on the door. “Clark?” “Come on in, Dad.” “Hey Son. I’m really sorry about last night. I can’t believe…” “Dad, don’t worry about it. None of us knew what that rock would do. None of us know what it is, or why it does that to me, and doesn’t hurt the rest of you. At least now we know to look for it.” “Yes we do, Son. Wayne and I are heading back up there this afternoon to see if the tornado uprooted anymore of that rock.” “Well, if you find more,” Clark said with a grin, trying to boost his father ’s spirits, “just keep it away from me.” Jonathon chuckled. “Will do, Clark. Will do.” ---------------- Clark’s recovery took several days. After that morning, he and Lana returned to their home, as Clark was feeling “normal, just not ‘super’”. He and Lana continued working on their home, and even engaged in some honeymoon relations during his recovery. On the morning of the fourth day after his exposure, Clark noticed that his powers had returned. He realized having worked outside a lot the day before, he was in the sun quite a bit. He also remembered the energized feeling he got while in the sunlight. “I wonder if the sun has anything to do with my powers?” “What’s that honey?” “Oh, just thinking out loud, sweetheart.” “Well,” she asked as she walked over towards him. “What were you thinking about out loud?” “I was just wondering if my powers were solar based.” “Oh, and I suppose this was brought on by having your powers this morning, and being in the sun all day yesterday in the backyard.” ‘Shirtless,’ Lana thought to herself. She grabbed her upper lip with her bottom teeth, savoring the memory of watching her bare-chested husband work around the yard yesterday. “Well, that, and the feeling I had last night when I came in. I mean, I worked hard outside all day yesterday, and I was less tired when I came in, then when I went out there. Plus, after working all day like that, you’d think I would have worked up an appetite. But when we ate, I just ate to eat with you. I wasn’t hungry at all.” Lana mulled Clark’s comments over in her head. “Maybe, if you were some kind of experiment, they tried to breed some type of photosynthesis into you.” Clark cocked his head to one side, looking at his wife. “Huh?” “Well, Clark, we know you don’t have any idea what you really are.” Lana noticed the slightly disturbed look come over Clark’s face. She rushed to him, holding his arm and looking him square in the eyes. “Clark, sweetheart. I don’t care what you are, whether you’re an alien, an experiment, a mutant, or whatever. I love you. Even if you find out tomorrow that you’re from another planet, it won’t change how I feel about you. I have accepted you for who you are, for a long time now. I know it bothers you not knowing. But I hope we can discuss it occasionally without making you uncomfortable. It’s a part of you. It’s your heritage, no matter what it may be. And because it’ s a part of you, I will accept it and love it, no matter what it may be.” “But to just ignore it would be wrong for us, Clark. It affects you. And because it affects you, it affects me. Sweetheart, it affects us. And if it affects us, I want to be able to discuss it with you.” Clark looked at his wife, digesting what she said. He knew he let it bother him occasionally, not knowing what he is or from where he came. But listening to Lana, he knew that his wife would support him, no matter what his background may be. A lone tear streaked down his face. “Lana, honey. Thank you. I know it affects us, but I never thought you would want to talk about it. For that, I underestimated you, and I’m sorry. But I won’t do that again.” Clark grabbed his wife by the waist, and lifted her up, slowly let her down, sliding along his chest, until her lips were in front of him. Then he kissed her hard. “Oh, Clark.” Clark carried his wife upstairs, where they participated in more newlywed games. ---------------- To Be Continued... ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 21:08:14 -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: A&E Biography Comments: To: lcnfanfic@egroups.com, LoisandClarkNAOS@egroups.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Don't know how many of you know, but tonight A&E Biography is about George Reeve... Now, I'm rather ignorant, but I've gathered, thanks to Zoom, that he was Superman a long time ago. So I thought maybe you guys would like to tune in, if it's not too late. It's on right now... Or, eventually it prolly will be on videotape - I know they have that Biography tape set. Might be on A&E's website? Melisma (under her Rock, hoping this info benefits someone) Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 00:37:27 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: OT: Site addy? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The URL for the actual CD page is: http://members.aol.com/danipayson/web.htm :) mols ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 00:10:45 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carol L Moncado Subject: First Night VII: Complications?, 2/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Here is the next part. Unfortunately, and this goes for "Disappearing Clark" as well, I am going to be out of town from tomorrow morning until Sunday night, so no more posts from me :(. I'm taking my laptop, but don't know if I'll be able to connect - I will sure try though! Have a wonderful weekend everybody! CM ***** "LOIS!" Clark practically ran across the room to his wife's side. "CLARK!" Lois reached out a hand towards her husband. Clark took the offered hand and sat next to her on the bed. "Are you okay?" Lois smiled weakly. "I'm fine. Really. And so is the baby." "I know. Dr. Burns told me. You need to relax." "It's just my family. You know that." "I know, but you're still taking the week off work." Lois sighed. "I know. I'll do whatever I have to in order to make sure the baby is okay, you know that." "The doctor is talking with your folks right now." Lois groaned. "I wonder how that's going." Clark laughed. "I can see it - but you don't need to worry about it. I'll take care of your parents. If they start to get out of hand - they have to leave. I'll set the ground rules and if they can't live with them, then they'll have to leave. That's all there is to it." "Clark, I don't need you to fight my battles for me." "I know and normally I'd agree with you, but the stress isn't good for you or the baby and I'm not going to let you fight this one alone." Lois smiled at her over-protective husband. "You know what me and the baby need right now?" "What?" "We need Daddy to come closer and hold us." "Anything for you." Clark moved so he was sitting next to Lois, long legs stretched out next to her shorter ones, and pulled her into his arms. He listened as she sighed and rested her head in his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head, his right arm around her, rubbing her arm, careful to avoid the tube sticking out of it, and his left hand holding hers gently. "How's this?" "Perfect." ***** Sam and Ellen Lane weren't happy with the restrictions imposed on them by Dr. Burns, but were willing to live with the rules - at least for now. They entered Lois' room and both cringed as they saw Clark holding their daughter. Lucy, on the other hand, had to blink back tears. Her sister had finally found the super guy that she deserved and Lucy couldn't have been happier for her. Sam was the first to speak. "I don't suppose you'd give us a few minutes alone with our daughter." Clark shook his head. "I'm sorry, but it's my job to make sure that nothing upsets Lois. You're welcome to stay as long as nothing starts to upset her, but - and these are the rules until the doctor says they're no longer needed - as soon as something starts to upset her, some of us will leave." Clark shrugged. "I'm sorry to sound so callous and I'm sorry it's necessary, but that's the way it has to be. I won't stand for anything that is going to hurt my wife or my child and that's just all there is to it." Sam, though he never would have admitted it to anyone - and barely to himself - knew this young man had earned just a smidgen of grudging respect. If he was willing to stand up to Dr. Sam Lane, then he deserved something. "Clark, none of us would do anything to jeopardize the health of Lois or..." he swallowed hard, "her baby." Lois cringed a little when she heard her father refer to their baby as 'hers'. He was leaving Clark out of the whole thing, trying to take away his status as her husband and the father of her child. "Daddy," she said softly. "Fine, your baby." Sam was amazed at how well his daughter knew him. Dr. Burns came in. "Lois, if you promise to go home and rest, you are free to go." He turned to the rest of the family. "However, no visits or phone calls from the rest of the family or anyone else who might upset her until at least Monday. If you want an update, you'll need to go through her husband." Dr. Burns had sized up the situation quickly while talking to Clark in his office, and it had become more clear in his conversation with Lois' parents, and knew that it would have an impact to immediately give Clark some of the power over the family's access to Lois. "Can you do that, young lady?" Lois nodded meekly. He turned back to the family, looking directly at Sam Lane. "Can you?" Sam nodded and Ellen followed suit. Lucy stayed in the background, hoping that Clark knew that she wouldn't upset her sister and would let her come by sooner, maybe even stay with her while he went to work. "Okay. Then you folks need to leave so Lois can get dressed and I'll sign her release forms." He ushered the family out. Clark started to disentangle himself from Lois. "No, I want you to stay." "Are you sure?" "Yes. I need you here too much to be modest right now." Lois smiled as she remembered that morning. Clark helped her dress and sat with her while they waited for Dr. Burns to return with her paperwork. When he entered, the doctor had a harried look on his face. "I don't envy you, Mr. Kent." "Excuse me?" "You're going to have your hands full with those two." Lois had a question of her own. "What about Lucy? She won't upset me. Can she come and stay with me while Clark's gone at work?" The doctor smiled. He knew Lucy wouldn't be a problem. "That's up to you. If you think your parents can deal with being denied access, then by all means. I think Lucy will be good for you. Friends are okay as well, as long as they don't stay long and don't do anything to upset you." "What about flying?" The question came from Clark. "Are you planning any trips?" "Not really, but Superman is a friend of ours. In fact, he flew Lois here tonight. He's offered to fly us anytime we want to go anywhere. Would that be a problem?" Dr. Burns looked at Lois. "Lois, are you comfortable flying with Superman? Is there anything stressful about it?" Lois laughed and tried to look nonchalant. "Only the first time when I had no clue what was going on. Otherwise, I rather enjoy it." She smiled at Clark. "Sorry, honey. If you could fly... " "I know, I know." Clark smiled at her. "You'd like flying with me better. But since not every guy can be Superman... " "Exactly." Dr. Burns smiled. These two were going to be okay. "That should be fine. You should check with your ob/gyn later on in your pregnancy and make sure it will still be all right. Now," he handed her a piece of paper, "you're not on bed rest, but you do need to take it easy. This is a list of things you can and cannot do, and a letter for you to give to your boss excusing you from work. And, kids," he looked stern, "no sex for at least a week." Lois and Clark shared a look. "Are there any questions?" "Are my parents gone?" "Yes, they are. I told them that Clark would make sure you got home and they didn't need to worry about it. They weren't pleased but they left." "Good. Clark, I want to go home." "Let's go." Dr. Burns motioned out the open door to an orderly who brought in a wheelchair. "I'm sorry, Ms. Lane, but you'll have to be wheeled out." "I understand, but can Clark take me?" "Sure. Take good care of her, Mr. Kent." "I will. I promise." Clark pushed Lois out of the room, down the hallway and out of the hospital. "I'm sorry, honey, but I don't think Superman will be able to take you home." He flagged down a passing cab. "I know." She let him help her into the cab and gratefully settled in next to him, thankful for his comforting embrace. ***** Over Lois' protests, Clark insisted on carrying her up to their apartment. He laid her gently on the bed. "You need to rest now." "I need to change first. I can't sleep in this." "Can you do it yourself or do you need some help?" "Not for a week, Clark." Clark groaned. "That's not what I meant and you know it!" "I know. And some help would be nice. Could you get me a T-shirt?" Clark started opening drawers, helpless as to where his wife's clothing was stored. Finally, he reached into the drawer that held some of his own clothing. He pulled out a large St. Louis Cardinals T-shirt. "Here wear one of mine." Lois wrinkled her nose a little bit. "Baseball?" "It's for sleeping, Lois. And one day, I'll show you the finer points of baseball." He sat on the bed and stared into space. "There's just nothing like a game at Busch Stadium. The hot dogs, nachos, and they have these ice cream sandwiches - two huge chocolate chip cookies with about an inch and a half of chocolate and vanilla ice cream in the middle - the whole atmosphere is just... amazing! Kansas City was a lot closer to us, but Dad and I drove to St. Louis at least one weekend a year. We still try to go at least once a year. There's something different about being there." Lois smacked his arm. "Earth to Clark. That's nice and all, but would you mind helping me? Besides, I gained five pounds just listening to you. Unzip the dress for me would you?" Clark turned his attention to helping his wife, but needed to keep his mind off of the creamy skin of her back that the zipper was exposing. "There's a guy there almost as strong as me, you know." "Really?" Lois was mildly intrigued. "Yep. Big Mac. Mark McGwire. He's the home run king - 70 in one season. Technically, if I wasn't... you know, he'd have outdistanced me a long time ago. He's huge - his arms are about twice the size of your thighs - and probably could hit a ball out of the atmosphere. He actually did hit at least one more than 500 feet." Lois rolled her eyes. "That's nice, Clark." She slipped the straps off her shoulders. "I'd love to meet him sometime." Clark desperately looked elsewhere, knowing that there was no way he'd jeopardize the health of his wife and child, but 'human' nonetheless. Lois pulled the T-shirt over her head. "That's nice." "You could go with us next time we go." "We'll see. I don't know if I'm up to the whole baseball thing. It's just so boring." "Not when you're there. Now, it's into bed with you." He tucked her in. "I'm going to go call Perry and tell him that neither one of us will be in tomorrow." He kissed her forehead. "Get some sleep." "Good night, Clark. I love you." "I love you, too, Lois. Both of you. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you tonight." "You did your best, Clark, but even Superman is no match for my parents when they get going. Now, I'm not supposed to think about this stuff - so off with you." She pulled the covers close and closed her eyes. "I'm going to sleep. Don't be too long; I need you close." "I'll try not to, but I do need to go out on patrol to give any would be criminals a warning. But only if you promise to stay here and not answer the door or the phone, okay?" He turned the ringer off. "I promise. Hurry home, you big dope." "I will, my little geek." He kissed her forehead again and she watched as he spun into the suit. "I love watching you do that." "I know. I'll just drop by and see Perry while I'm out. I love you." "I love you, too. 'Night." "Good night." And Clark flew out the window. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 09:17:48 +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: Very quick site announcement :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dear Crys, thank you for the URL. I was happy to detect that you have more Lois&Clark fanfiction in progress! I especially can't wait for the "Full circle" stories, since I really loved "Full Circle" and "Full Circle, Touchfootball". Great site and I'm going to check your WIP regularily :-) Nicole -- AKA CKgroupie on IRC/AIM NKWolke@t-online.de Are you always searching for news about Dean Cain? And you don't have enough time to search? Here's your solution: Go to "The Dean Cain News Page" http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 11:15:40 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kaethel Subject: Re: OT: KathyB had BabyB! :) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sorry, coming very late to this - I didn't have access to the list for a few days (laptop at the repair shop, no access to my wanadoo account, long story ) Anyway, Kathy, congratulations on the birth of your little Donald! :) And I saw the pic, he looks just adorable! :) Helene :) Kaethel@wanadoo.fr ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 07:31:13 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Crystal Wimmer Subject: New Fic: FC: Growing Pains... (yes, I'm back) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey all... As I remember, the best way to get me writing is to give me a deadline. The goal is to get this up, a chapter every day or two. Hope you enjoy. I went a little heavy on the a-plot, so I may add WAFF in the edits. Who knows ;) -Crys- Full Circle: Growing Pains by Crystal Wimmer Author's note: This story follows my Full Circle continuity ... so if you have no clue where this baby (CJ) came from or why he's still there, you'll have to go read that one . My apologies for the extensive A-plot. This reads more like an episode than one of my usual stories... I think I'm out of practice at WAFF. Much thanks goes to Anne Ciotola, for her endless patience. I think it's been over two years since I wrote anything L&C, and even though she stopped asking, she never gave up on me. That's what friends are all about. Love ya, Anne :) Chapter 1: Lois sighed as she carried CJ off the elevator and into the Daily Planet City Room. Once more, she cursed a baby's need to eat every few hours during growth spurts, and her lack of sleep the night before. Still, she wouldn't call-off work for anything less than an emergency. While she was tired and achy, this certainly couldn't be considered emergent. She negotiated her way through friends and coworkers, then breathed another relieved sigh as she closed the door behind her in the conference room. They were certainly well meaning, but the other reporters required more energy than she had at the moment. Placing CJ on a chair, and blocking a potential fall with one leg, she reached for the telephone and dialed. A familiar voice answered her, "Hello?" "Hi Martha," she smiled into the phone, relieved all over again. "I need help." She heard her mother-in-law's giggle at her admission. Lois Lane still had a hard time admitting she needed help, and it gave her family some humor when she did so. "What is it, Honey? You sound exhausted." "I am exhausted," Lois admitted. "CJ's growing again. He was up four times last night for food. I swear that can't be normal. Then, when I went by the sitter's this morning, she's had the worst case of food poisoning that I've ever seen. Her husband is taking her to the hospital, and I know she'll be out of commission for at least a couple of days. On top of that, I think I hurt my back when I ran yesterday, and CJ refuses to let me put him down for more than a minute, so I know I'll never get anything done today." "Sounds like you *could* use some help," Martha offered, a smile evident in her voice. "I take it my son's not available." "The UN is meeting this week to re-establish the Turkish boarder regulations, so Clark needed to cover it. Besides, Superman is always helpful for keeping negotiations within reason." "That he is. So, do we need to fly, or can you wait for us to drive out?" Martha inquired. "I'll call Clark," Lois put in quickly. "He carries the pager, now, and I'm sure he will have time for a quick trip to get you here. I hate for you to spend so much for tickets." Martha laughed lightly. "Well, Dear, the farm's had a really good year, so it wouldn't be much of a problem. Isn't that a wonderful change?" "Absolutely," Lois agreed. "Be looking for him in a couple of hours, unless I call and tell you otherwise." "We'll do that," Martha promised. "See you soon. We love you." "You too, Martha," Lois said softly. "And, thanks." "Anytime." Lois held the telephone for a moment, even after Martha had hung up her end, then she finally laid the receiver back in it's place. She shifted uncomfortably as CJ leaned heavily against her leg, causing her back to hurt. She reached down and lifted the baby into her arms, unable to resist a smile when he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck and relaxed his body. "Now you want to sleep," she grumbled, cradling his growing body. At seven months, he was only a little larger than an average baby. Dr. Klein assured them that he was growing normally, and was just a big boy. Of course, he'd reminded them, he might be a bit older than seven months. They had just placed his birthday at the end of May as a matter of necessity. CJ had been delivered to their home five months ago, although they had no clue who had ade the "delivery". At the time, he'd appeared to be about eight weeks old, according to Dr. Klein's examination. They'd been terrified to tell Dr. Klein about their secret. In fact, it had been the heart of several heated arguments between Lois and Clark. Still, Clark had finally relented that someone would have to provide the baby with medical care. If CJ was indeed their child, which Dr. Klein had confirmed, then an average pediatrician wasn't the best choice. When all was said and done, it had been the right choice. Bernard Klein had actually laughed when they'd told him their "secret". "Of course you are," he'd said with a smile towards Clark. "And if you weren't, I'd be worried because Superman clearly has the hots for your wife. You see," he'd added with a glance at Lois, "I really am brighter than people give me credit for." Dr. Klein had become invaluable to them over the last few months. He'd assisted them with forging a birth certificate and other necessary birth documents, and promised them that he'd always keep their secret. In addition, he was constantly reassuring them that CJ was indeed normal as he grew, and healthy. "And heavy," Lois sighed as she shifted her son in her arms, the pain in her lower back breaking in to her memories. She moved over to the corner of the room and reached into his diaper bag for a blanket. Deftly spreading the blanket with one hand, she made a nest for her son and laid him on the floor. The baby squirmed a bit, but finally managed to get his thumb in his mouth and settle in to sleep. "Now I know why God makes you so cute when you sleep," she murmured as she smoothed a second blanket over him. "It's so we put up with the rest." Lois finished settling her son, then hefted the diaper bag off her shoulder. She grimaced as she did so, realizing that it's weight was probably as responsible for her aching back as CJ was. It was such a matter of habit, though, that she hadn't even remembered she had it with her until she'd needed something from it. She rolled her shoulders a bit, then walked back to the telephone to page her husband. *** "How's the story going?" Perry inquired, leaning over Lois' shoulder to read her monitor. Lois jumped, startled, and barely held back a few choice words. Only the fact that it was her editor-in-chief speaking to her kept her from tearing into him. As it was, the jump caused her back to ache once more. "Slowly," she finally replied. "Even Bobby hasn't been able to get anything on the street. Either I'm losing my sources, or this is bigger than we'd originally thought." "With you and Clark, it usually is," Perry agreed, pulling a chair from a nearby vacant desk and seating himself. "I have to tell you, though. When you brought this to me, I thought you were as crazy as Elvis singing a rap song. Although he could have pulled that off," Perry said distractedly. "In fact..." "The idea isn't that crazy," Lois reminded him, effectively cutting off an Elvis story that she was sure she didn't want to hear. "We've done at least a dozen stories on child-disappearances in the last few years. Not everything is as obvious as Harold Kripstley taking executive's kids, or Constance making those obscene ransom demands. Some kids just disappear and no one knows why." "I think motherhood is coloring your objectivity," Perry smiled, glancing back at the conference room where he knew his god-child slept. "I won't deny that," Lois said as she followed his gaze. "But that doesn't mean there isn't a story to be found. Over two hundred kids have disappeared in the last nine months, and that's in Metropolis alone. No notes, no reason, and no connection between the circumstances that the police can discern. Even Superman hasn't been able to track it down. There's no ransom demands, no unexplained adoptions popping up, and thankfully no bodies found. The kids are just gone." "In a city this large, there's probably that many divorced parents grabbing their kids when they don't get court decisions they like. Then there's the runaways, and the accidents, and everything else. I don't think it's one big conspiracy." "Too many," Lois murmured, then pulled her attention away from her son and back to her editor. "Way too many, and too young, to be runaways. The ones I'm tracking are aged five and younger. I really think there may be a black market scheme going on, or some real sicko out there." "Lois, you just said that there were no unexplained adoptions," Perry reasoned. "So who are they selling the kids to?" "Well, it would make sense that it wouldn't be here," she said in exasperation. "I mean, they'd take the chance of the baby being identified. Keep in mind, too, that children change so rapidly in that period of time, they might *not* be identified if they weren't found in three to five months. Most of these kids were taken in crowded places, and no one saw a thing. There are just too many similarities for this to be unrelated." Perry nodded as he stood. "I'm just saying that you've been on this for three months, and we still don't have any more than we started with." "I have the other stories done as well," she said defensively. "We exposed the Mayor's extortion scheme, and that money laundering ring out of at Metropoland. I haven't been *just* following this." "I know that too," Perry admitted. "I'm just saying that if you don't get something more concrete in the next few days, we should probably pursue other stories. You're the best I have, you and Clark. I don't want you buried in paperwork when there are Kerth's to be won." Lois sighed, realizing that she'd have to come up with something solid in a hurry if she didn't want to be taken off the story all together. "I'll get something," she told him in her most confident voice. "I know I will." Perry nodded, deciding that arguing was not the best way to go with Lois. He'd given her warning, so when he had to use his executive power to pull her, she wouldn't be surprised. She'd be angry, and she'd fight him every step of the way, but that was part of what made her such a great reporter. She was as tenacious as they came, and he loved her for it. The problem was, he really didn't think there was a story there. *** Superman placed the last piece of luggage on the couch and turned to his parents to see if there was anything else they needed. "I think the refrigerator is stocked," he offered, and I left cab fare on the table. I think Lois can get a ride home from the Planet, so you can take the Jeep. It has the car-seat, anyway." "We'll be fine," Martha assured her son. "And you don't have to pay for the cab." "I want to," he insisted. "I wish I could take you to the Planet myself, but I've probably been gone longer than I should have been already." "We understand, Son," Jonathan offered. "Go on and get back. We'll help Lois out here, and you don't have to worry." Still torn between his duty as a son, and his duty as a superhero, Clark stood by the window. "Tell Lois I'm sorry," he said softly. "This was only supposed to go on a day or two, but it looks like it's going to get ugly. I really should be there to keep the peace." "She knows," Martha told him as she took his hand. "And so do we." "Hug CJ for me," he murmured. "I haven't seen him in a week." "We'll do that," his mother assured him. "Now go!" "Yes, ma'am," he replied, and disappeared out the window. "He seems upset," Martha commented as she watched a blue dot disappear into the sky. "More than usual." "Well, he's always had trouble juggling being a reporter, a husband, and a hero. I think fatherhood makes that juggling act even harder. He was always able to explain to Lois why he was gone, but CJ isn't able to understand. Makes it harder." Jonathan hefted the suitcases from the couch and started walking towards the guest room. "I don't like to see him this upset," Martha said as she reached for her cosmetics case. "He may just have to let the world take care of itself for a few months, until CJ is a little older and Lois catches up." "Won't happen," Jonathan smiled, taking the case from his wife and placing it on the dresser. "He has to keep this world safe for his son, and that isn't negotiable." "It's too much," Martha grumbled. "It always was," Jonathan reminded her. "But he manages. Always has." With a nod, Martha joined her husband as he walked back to the living room. She walked over to the table and retrieved the money Clark had left for them. "How about we go get our grandson, and then we pick up some Chinese food on the way back?" "Sounds good to me," Jonathan agreed, giving his wife a quick peck on the cheek. "I happen to know that Lois loves spicy pork." *** Cathy Albright carefully bucked her daughter into a shopping cart at the Metropolis Cost-mart. She only needed a few things, and she was hoping to get them and get home before the baby awakened. Amelia could be quite a temper when she wanted to, and there was nothing worse than shopping with a screaming baby. She walked through the aisles, grabbing diapers, wipes, and formula as she did so. She was cautious, keeping one hand on the cart at all times so that it didn't get away from her, propelled on it's own by her swift walking. She grabbed the toilet paper as she passed by, and groaned as an entire stack of the fluffy rolls came tumbling down. With a muttered curse, she resigned herself to a few moments of cleanup. Within thirty seconds, she had the rolls stacked back where they belonged. She gave them one last look before turning back to her cart, mentally cataloging what else she would need to get on her way out. Her scream was heard throughout the store. Amelia was gone. *** "I don't know how much you can get out of her," Chief Henderson said softly. "She held up pretty well for the first couple of hours, but she's about done." "The store was searched?" Lois asked as she jotted notes in a spiral notebook. "Of course it was," the Chief said with a growl. "A complete lock down within two minutes of the abduction. Every employee searched, no one was allowed out until we were done. We went through bathrooms, store rooms, and dressing rooms. Hell, we even went through the trash cans and bins in household. That baby was just plain gone." "No one saw anything?" "No one," he confirmed. "And we questioned every man, woman, and child that left the store. No one saw a thing. No babies were crying, no one was moving quickly or carrying anything suspicious. You'd be amazed how cooperative citizens are when they realize a baby has been taken, but it didn't help. She was just gone." Lois nodded her understanding, and tried to ignore the dread that filled her. How many times had she shopped with CJ? How many times had she turned her back, trusting those around her to leave him be? Just this morning, she'd left him sleeping yards away from her desk, behind a closed door. When he'd whimpered, it had been Jimmy who'd brought him to her, complaining that screaming children shouldn't be allowed in the news room. He'd complained, but he'd smiled as well, and she'd trusted him. How many times had she trusted people? Cathy was cowered in the chair of an interrogation room. Her husband sat beside her, one hand on her shoulder to offer comfort. It wasn't working. A steady stream of tears flowed down her face, and his. "Mr. and Mrs. Albright?" Lois began. "I'm Lois Lane, from the Daily Planet. I've been working with the police to try to find missing children, and I'd like to ask you a few questions for the paper." "You'll put this in the paper?" Cathy whimpered. "With a picture? Someone might see the picture, you know. They might find her. Someone has to have seen my Melly..." her voice trailed off into sobs. "Yes, it will be in the paper, and on the news. We'll do everything we can to help you find her. I promise." "We'll do what we can," Evan Albright said softly. "She's our only child, our only responsibility. We just want her back." "I'd settle for knowing she's okay," Cathy sobbed. "I just have to know she's okay." Evan took his wife into his arms, offering support. "She's all we have," he whispered. "We can't have other children. If we don't find her..." "We'll do all we can to help," Lois asserted. "*I'll* do all I can, and I have some pretty powerful friends, too. If she's... where she can be found... then we'll find her." Lois mentally corrected herself. She'd almost said "alive". It wouldn't help anyone to begin assuming the worst. She only wished that she could believe the baby was okay. She wasn't sure how anyone could steal a child without waking it, get it out of a busy store, and never be seen as suspicious. "What do you need to know?" Evan asked. *** Nearly a mile beneath Metropolis, the woman smiled as she secured a fresh diaper on the still-sleeping Amelia. "Female, seven to eight weeks, and in good health," she told her assistant. "Blond hair, straight, and blue eyes." "Got it," the man said. "Is she prepped?" "Almost," the woman said. Carefully, she filled a syringe with a medication of her own design, and carefully slid it into a vein in the baby's leg. She injected the medication slowly, then removed the needle and rubbed the site with an alcohol swab. "Prepped," she announced. "Do you want to put her in the chamber, or should I?" Looking at her assistant, the woman smiled once more. "I'll do it. Chamber three-oh-four," she announced. "Be sure you put it in the computer." "Consider it done," he said softly. The woman lifted the baby into her arms and carried her a short distance down the hallway. Entering a large room, she opened what appeared to be a filing cabinet built into the wall. The drawer slid open, revealing a metallic sleeping chamber. Frosty air puffed out of the cabinet, even as she slid the baby inside. She arranged the baby comfortably on her side and made sure that the controls to the chamber were set, then slid the door closed. Carefully, she adjusted a few more dials, then she turned away from the cabinet. "Sleep well, little girl," she said softly. "In a couple of years, you'll get another mommy, and I'll be very rich." (end of chapter 1) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 07:33:38 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: New Fic: FC: Growing Pains... (yes, I'm back) (No Spoiler) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 04/05/2001 7:32:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time, JCWimmer@AOL.COM writes: << As I remember, the best way to get me writing is to give me a deadline. The goal is to get this up, a chapter every day or two. >> Well, hurry, then! I've started not reading things till I get the final installment. My mind just can no longer handle too many stories in progress and still keep them straight. Getting old, I guess. :P --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 07:59:23 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Lesley Hilliard Subject: Re: New Fic: FC: Growing Pains... (yes, I'm back) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Very interesting start Crystal. I hope to see more soon. Lesley in Brampton On ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 08:09:26 -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: New Fic: FC: Growing Pains... (yes, I'm back) Oh goody! /me claps hands with glee A new Crystal Wimmer story. Very nice set-up so far. I'm eager to see where it goes from here. Marilyn AKA Supermom ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 09:15:34 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Rowan Fuller Subject: Re: New Fic: FC: Growing Pains... (yes, I'm back) (No Spoiler) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit hi Welcome back. "Full Circle" was one of the best, and this story is shaping up to be good. Please just don't leave us in suspense for too long. Rowan :) -- -- -- LaneKent@aol.com website homepage: http://members.aol.com/lanekent . ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 09:54:38 -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: A BabyB Story Have I missed Kathy's blow-by-blow of Donny's birth? Or has it just not been completed and distributed yet? Mmmmmmmmmmmm. I just love a good birth tale. Marilyn AKA Supermom (who's hoping Kathy isn't having to be too much of a Supermom herself right now and is able to rest some) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 15:34:06 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wanda McCants Subject: Re: New Fic: FC: Growing Pains... (yes, I'm back) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cyrs, Good to see that Anne was able to start you writing again. Great story Wanda "What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" ......Langston Hughes Wanda ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 17:05:03 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: Re: A BabyB Story On Thu, 5 Apr 2001 09:54:38 -0500, Marilyn L. Puett wrote: >Have I missed Kathy's blow-by-blow of Donny's birth? Or has it just not >been completed and distributed yet? > >Mmmmmmmmmmmm. I just love a good birth tale. I had the whole thing done a few days ago, then lost the last 1/3 in a computer crash (I had been saving as I went, but obviously not often enough!). I just haven't had time to rewrite it yet! When I do, I'll send it out to those who have asked for it privately; I won't post it here. Donny's hit that "eat every 2 hours for 30-40 minutes at a stretch" phase, so I'm a little tied down at the moment. ;) (Though this message proves that I am perfecting my "type while holding a sleeping baby" skills. ) On the update front, he went to the doctor today for his 1 week check-up, and has gained back 2 oz of the 6 oz he lost after birth. So he's nursing well! :) Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 18:12:47 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: John Debbage <106532.433@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Universal Union Book3/Part9 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Title: Universal Union Book3/Part 9 Author: Jenni Debbage Rating: PG-13 Comments: I thought that in this next chapter I would give Lois & Kal an= d the El family a little rest from the problems that beset them... but trouble is never too far away. Thank you for being patient and I hope th= at this section does not disappoint. As always, I'd be grateful for any feedback or comments that you'd like to make. ~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter Five Peace and Goodwill = The winter months that followed Lois' trial were, for her, the happiest and most peaceful that she had spent on her new home. The groun= d swell of opinion was evidently turning in the Lady of El's favour. = Perhaps her adopted people were feeling rather guilty for putting her through such an ordeal as a public trial. To make up for their judgmental behaviour over Lois' celebration of Thanksgiving, the council and the city administrators had decreed that th= is year Elvar would enjoy a new feastday, the Earth holiday of Christmas. = There was no religion as such on Krypton, but its natives were not advers= e to celebrating a day that promoted goodwill and fellowship to all, both strange concepts in this class-bound society. Nevertheless, Lois had to admit that, in most cases, the noble fraternity really did take responsibility for the care of their people. Christmas lights, strung amidst blue-green pine garlands decorated t= he city streets and holly wreaths adorned nearly every door, prompting Lois = to ask if the holly bush was native to Krypton. The more Lois learned abou= t her new home, the more she was amazed at how in some ways the two worlds were so similar and yet in others, so diverse. Groups of Carollers appeared on street corners and in squares, singin= g Carols in which the words had no meaning for them and yet to the First La= dy were at once familiar and comforting. And most pleasing of all was the knowledge that it was done out of care for her. On the day of Christmas, a feast was prepared in the castle and Kal generously provided a slap-up dinner in community halls around the city a= nd invited all his people to attend. The royal family had made a whistle-st= op tour of all the venues and a happy time was had by all. With a wry smil= e Lois recognised that she had travelled clear across the galaxy to experience a Christmas that wasn't mired in crass commercialism. If there was one fly in the ointment, it was the knowledge that once= again, their enemies had eluded them. Immediately after the trial, Commander Jace had attempted to question Lord Jun-Li about the matter of the illegal broadcasts, only to find that the man had disappeared. A search had quickly been set in motion -- a search which abruptly ended wh= en Li's body was discovered in the run-down lodge by the old harbour. = Unfortunately the subsequent investigation turned up little information. = Believing firmly in the premise of keeping themselves to themselves, the inhabitants of the district had seen nothing, and, even if they had, they= were not inclined to confide in the authorities. The security chief and his team of investigators had reached another dead-end. But one disturbing fact did emerge from the incident -- the manner of the man's death. He had been killed by a lethal high- powered injection, the same method used in the first attempt on Lois' life. And as before, the kill= er had donned a personal force field, allowing him to come and go without trace. It was a grim reminder that the unknown assassin was still at large. = Lois' first year on the planet of Krypton ended in the blaze of a laser-light show. As on Earth, the people of this planet celebrated the= closing of a chapter and the birth of a new year. Soon after the revelri= es ended, Kal-El moved his household to their country home, Schieh-Ellion. = The freezing weather seemed to slow down the pace of life on Krypton= and Lois again found herself soothed by the sparkling white wilderness an= d invigorated by the outdoor activities in the crisp, clean air. The only shadow on her horizon was the memory of last year's visit when Etta had been her unexpected mentor and friend in this strange new world. Thankfully, the whole El tribe decided to join the couple on their retreat and Lois had little time to dwell on melancholy thoughts of Etta'= s loss. Besides, she had a task to fulfil -- Lois had not forgotten her mission to ensure that Zara's and Ching's love for each other was not a forlorn hope, and in the privacy of this winter wonderland she found the perfect setting for her matchmaking. = Surprisingly, Lois found that though her husband was not actively encouraging her manipulations, he was not attempting to stop her either. = It seemed that the stronger his affection for his wife became, the more benign he felt toward the attraction between his sister and his friend. = Kal's love for Lois had become the mainstay of his life and he was disinclined to deny these same emotions and strengths to two people for whom he cared deeply. So it was that Zara and Ching found themselves invited on many of th= e couple's outings and very often left alone in each other's company. = Truthfully, the First Lord was not certain whether this action was wise but he could not bring himself to destroy the obvious joy that his sister= and bodyguard were experiencing. In the privacy of his country estate, h= e watched a once hidden love blossom. On a sun-sparkled day, when the temperature had risen enough to temp= t the youngsters out of doors, the two couples had decided on a sleigh ride= . = But such had been the beauty of the lake in its snow-clad bower, the four= had readily agreed to leave the sled and walk in the welcoming sun. For days the skies had been heavy with dark, dreary clouds, which at fairly regular intervals had let loose a storm of ice and snow, keeping the members of the household shut-up indoors. Now on this bright, calm day, the couples delighted in letting out their pent-up energy. = There had been a slight altercation at the outset when Poli had unfortunately assumed that he would be one of the party, but Lois was determined that Zara and Ching should have this time together, away from the eyes of others, and Kal thankfully concurred. Poli might be a friend= , and one that both Lois and Kal trusted, but the unlikely romance between the Lady Zara and Captain Ching was one that no-one else should witness. = Help came from an unexpected quarter; Gellis, being from a land of warmer= climes, heartily hated the cold and had no inclination to venture out in the almost freezing temperatures. With the consummate ease of a natural flirt, she prevailed on the handsome Lieutenant to keep her company, and Poli, being the type of young man who never turned down a pretty girl, quickly complied. The possibility of yet another unsuitable alliance didn't concern Kal. Gellis and Poli might deal well enough together, but= there was no special attraction there. Lois, however, did look searching= ly at her lady-in-waiting. Did Gellis suspect the connection between Zara a= nd Ching? And if she did, then it seemed she approved. Or perhaps Lois wa= s just reading too much into a chance occurrence. Having secured the unicorns in a sunlit clearing and left them with = a bagful of hay, the young people clambered happily over the rocky shorelin= e. Here, by the water, the ice and snow had receded a little, making walkin= g a little less hazardous. A thin skim of ice still clung to more shadowed= coves, and a competitive game of ice breaking by stretched limbs and thro= wn stones soon developed. Some way from shore a rocky outcrop rose from the= silver-skinned water and this soon became a target for the two men as the= y vied for position as stone-skimming champion. = Of course, Lois would not allow the fact that she was female to get = in the way of her competitive spirit; she had been fairly good at this skill= back on Earth. Concentrating on the task, she smoothly skimmed a flat stone across the water and watched in delight as it bounced once, then twice, then dipped below the surface. The watchers groaned comically, bu= t Lois was not to be put off. Kal and Ching took their shots and showed ho= w it should be done. With ever increasing daring Lois stepped closer to th= e water's edge, until she placed her weight on a slightly imbalanced stone,= and with a startled shriek, her feet slipped from underneath her. Her ho= wl surprised a family of snow geese rooting in the nearby weeds, and with protesting squawks and an urgent flapping of wings, they took off into th= e soft lilac skies. = Quick as a flash, Kal caught Lois up in his strong grasp and her cri= es turned to laughter as he swung her around and around. The sharp fresh ai= r had lent roses to her cheeks and her face, framed warmly in its white fur= hat, glowed with joy. The enamoured husband could not resist claiming a rescuer's kiss. For long moments all thoughts of stones and throwing fad= ed from their minds as they lost themselves in the heat of their embrace. When, at last, they returned to the world around them, they found themselves alone. Lois surveyed her husband with a questioning eye. Sin= ce coming to Scheih-Ellion neither had voiced their opinions on the relationship between Zara and Ching, yet it was obvious that Kal had undergone a change of heart. Now Lois decided to take the bull by the horns and broach the forbidden subject. "Shouldn't we go in search of Zara and Ching?" she asked experimentally. Kal gave the question some consideration before answering. "No, I think the two of them are perfectly capable of looking after themselves. = Besides, I can think of much nicer things I'd rather do," he added teasingly. "You don't think they need a chaperone?" Rubbing his chin with his hand he gazed solemnly at his bright-eyed lady. "Well, if I did I certainly wouldn't recommend a scheming little minx like you." His eyes twinkled with laughter. "You've been planning this almost since you arrived on Krypton and found out how they felt abou= t each other. And don't try to deny it!" The grin had reached his lips an= d they twitched at the corners. "I don't deny it! But you -- you were angry before, and now it doesn't seem to bother you. In fact, you've conspired just as much as I have, to leave them on their own. And don't you deny it!" Her finger waived just below his nose for emphasis. "I won't deny it either!" Kal's expression steadied. "But don't as= k me why, because I'm not sure I could give you a definite reason. It's ju= st that I've changed lately -- or maybe I should say that you've changed me.= = I love you, Lois, and I know that I couldn't live without you. Oh I'm no= t saying that I would die if you weren't here . . . I know that life does g= o on and I have responsibilities. But my life without you in it would jus= t be an existence. There would be no happiness, no warmth and no sense of belonging. My body would still function, but my heart . . . my heart wou= ld be dead. You are my heart, Lois; you fill me with life." "You know, for a spaceman you're the most romantic person I know. I= could never have married an Earthling." Again conscious thought was forgotten as they communed in the age-ol= d way of lovers. Sometimes actions spoke more deeply than words. And yet,= Lois wasn't prepared to drop the subject of Zara and Ching's relationship= . = Pulling back a little she regarded him seriously. "So, you've decided that Zara and Ching should be allowed to be together?" A rather self-conscious Kal stepped away from his questioning wife a= nd started to stroll along the shore. "To tell the truth, Lois, I haven't really decided anything. And before you start scolding me," Kal raised h= is hands in supplication, "if it were possible, I'd be happy to grant them permission to be a couple . . . ." Lois broke in sadly but with a degree of resignation. "But you don'= t think it is possible?" A sorrowful sigh was her only answer and Kal's eyes shadowed guiltil= y. "We shouldn't even be giving them this amount of encouragement. In a wa= y it's cruel . . . but I just can't deny them a little of the happiness tha= t I've found with you." Slipping a hand inside Kal's arm, she brought him to a halt. "I'm sorry," Lois whispered as she came to stand before him, placing her hands= on his solid chest. Even through his thick coat and the gloves that cove= d her hands, she could feel the heat of his body. "Sorry?" Kal could only grunt the enquiry. "What for?" "For placing so many demands on you." This time it was Lois who started to walk forward, her head lowered as if she were searching the ground. "You told me how it was on Krypton and I agreed to come with you= . = But there's so much here that I don't agree with, and I expected you to change it all at once. And it isn't fair to you. Lara warned me. That first night I spent at Ro-Ellion, she told me that you would have to be careful not to upset the balance of power. And I didn't listen . . . Loi= s Lane never listens. I've brought you nothing but trouble . . . ." "Lois! How can you say that!" Kal had caught up with her and he swung her to face him, placing both hands on her shoulders. "You've been= poisoned, kidnapped and almost sold into slavery, and put on trial for crimes which were never really crimes in the first place." "But that never would've happened if *I* hadn't lost the baby," Lois= cut in with swift self-derision. "Sweetheart, no!" A gentle hand cupped Lois' face and Kal's thumb lightly traced the outline of her lips, effectively stopping any further self-censure. "Lois, don't do this to yourself. It happened and there's= nothing we can do to change that, but it wasn't your fault." This last w= as said with quiet yet firm determination. "We just have to go on and somed= ay there will be another baby." "I know." Lois' accord was so low that Kal had to strain to catch he= r words, but her arms slid round his waist. Pulling her closer, he rested his chin in the fluffy fur of her hat.= = "You know, after all you've been through, it seems to me that I'm the one= who's brought you nothing but trouble." "Well, perhaps we were both a little naive; you in believing that yo= ur Kryptonians were nobler than they actually are and me in believing that they should adjust to me and not the other way round." Kal drew away a few inches in protest and regarded her with some alarm. "But I don't want you to adjust, Lois!" "Kal, be serious! Everyone changes . . . grows . . . otherwise we just keep making the same mistakes over and over again." Lois saw acceptance and some regret settle in Kal's eyes. "But don't get too comfortable, because I doubt that I'll ever change completely. We have a= saying on Earth 'when in Rome do as the Romans do' and I intend to take some of that advice, but that doesn't mean that the Romans were always right. In fact, the Romans couldn't really adapt to life changes and we all know what happened to them." At her man's bemused look, Lois continued. "Ever heard of the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire'? It's really compulsory reading for all rulers and no doubt you'll find it in t= he new Earth wing of Elvar's library." Again Kal's mouth began to twitch and unable to suppress his laughte= r, he pulled Lois tighter to his side. "Are you trying to tell me that we Kryptonians take ourselves too seriously?" "If the cap fits . . . wear it!" "Let me guess, another Earthling saying?" Lois smiled at his quick understanding. "But joking apart, Lois, you're probably right. Only it takes time to change the habits of a few centuries of lifetimes . . . and= I have one for you . . . Rome wasn't built in a day'." "Oh you . . . you!" Lois sputtered. "You've read the book!" = A small hand swiped at the First Lord, but in cowardly fashion, he took off running in the direction of the sleigh, pursued by a little tornado of a wife. ***** ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 18:13:14 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: John Debbage <106532.433@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Universal Union Book3/Part10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Title: Universal Union Book3/Part 10 Author: Jenni Debbage Rating: PG-13 ~~~~~~~~~~ In a small stand of trees, not far distant from the royal pair, another couple stood holding each other's hands and making unspoken promises with loving glances. Zara and Ching had shared a number of stol= en moments courtesy of their understanding friends, and neither could be sur= e whether the sweet torture was a good or bad thing. But one thing was certain; they had found every stolen moment a joy. When Zara broke the silence her voice trembled. "We shouldn't be here. Kal and Lois will soon notice and come after= us." "I don't think so, Zara," Ching smiled gently at her fears, as his hand stroked soothingly up and down her cloaked arm.. "They were a bit busy when we left. Besides, haven't you noticed how often we've been lef= t to our own devices lately, and I doubt that it's all been by chance." Zara stared anxiously at her escort. "You think Kal knows?" "I think Kal has known about us for a long time." The tall Captain slid an arm around Zara's shoulders in a comforting gesture. "But he's n= ot usually this accommodating. I just don't understand why he's giving us s= o much freedom to be together." "You don't think . . . ." Hope shone in Zara's large eyes. "No, Zara!" Ching hated to be the one to dim that shining optimism,= but reality had to be faced. "You know that's not possible. For some reason, Kal has allowed us this time together, but soon we'll return to Elvar and real life will take over and you'll go back to being the younge= r Lady of El and I'll just be your brother's bodyguard." "You're never just Kal's bodyguard," the resigned young woman remonstrated. "You're his friend, his very best friend." Zara stared in= to her boyfriend's face. It might be foolishness but for a short space of time she would think of him this way. "But you're right; we shouldn't ha= ve false hope. I want to tell you, even though we can't ever be together forever, that I wouldn't have missed this time for anything else in the world." "Me neither, Zara." = A kiss was inevitable and for a time stillness settled in the small dell. A far-off shriek filtered into the silence accompanied by a rumble= of deeper laughter, recalling the couple locked in each others' arms to t= he presence of their fellow adventurers. Sending Zara a smiled apology, Chi= ng broke away and appropriating her small hand, he began to pull her towards= the direction of the voices. But Zara wasn't prepared to leave and she resisted his tug; there wa= s something she wanted to discuss -- something she was almost afraid to voice. "Ching, don't you think that Kal has changed recently?" This brought the man wrapped up in his military greatcoat to a halt and he swung back to face his expectant love. "How do you mean?" Zara offered a small shrug, not knowing exactly what she meant. "Oh= , I don't know. He's less Kryptonian. Not that being Kryptonian is a bad thing." The tongue-tied girl smoothed the ground with a restless toe. = "He's just more . . . more . . . ." "Earth like?" And that was more of a statement than a question. "I= was with him on Earth and strange things happened to us there . . . but I= can't speak about that. And it was more than those weird things; he actually enjoyed the chaos, the noise." It seemed that Ching had a hard time understanding that premise. "He's always been interested in Earth, you know that, and he loves Lois. It's never mentioned to me of course, I'm just the baby of the family; except that Lois treats me as an equal, and that's one of the reasons I like her so much," Zara babbled nervously. "But I do notice things, and Mother is sure that Kal wants to change Krypton to be a littl= e more tolerant . . . more Earth like." Ching's eyebrows rose on that thought. "Zor! I knew he had a hidde= n agenda, but that's a tall order." "And if he did . . ." Zara let her words die away; this was almost too scary to contemplate, but her dreams refused to be ignored. "If Kal could change things, then maybe we could be together." = This time the Captain's brows almost disappeared into his hairline. = Yet he shook his head sadly, not willing to let himself believe in that amazing outcome. He accepted the fact that he and Zara were out of each other's reach and it was just too cruel to imagine otherwise. = "No, Zara! Don't even think like that!" He spoke more sharply than= intended and he breathed deeply to calm his racing thoughts. "You and I both know Kal, and he won't break the law. He'll do whatever is best for= his people and that's only right and proper." "I agree. Kal will always put his people first." Zara halted for a= second or two but she was committed to airing her deepest ideas. "But if= Kal truly believed that it was best for Krypton, then he would have the courage to change the law. And Lois would support him. I think that som= e of the things Kal loves best about Lois are the qualities she learned growing up on Earth." This was a totally new concept for the loyal Captain. Ching accepte= d his role in Kryptonian society without question and he would always do hi= s duty. Yet, when Zara had been betrothed to an unworthy man like Rol-Fre,= he had found himself uncharacteristically at odds with a government who would allow such an injustice to occur without a second thought. However= , what Zara was describing was a huge undertaking and he wasn't sure if he was ready for that amount of change. But he knew and admired his Lord Kal-el, and he'd stake his life on the fact that Kal would never contemplate doing anything remotely harmful; the man just didn't have it = in him. In that moment, Ching made a commitment; he couldn't know what the future would bring but he chose to back Kal-El all the way down the line.= = With a resolve in his voice that had been lacking earlier, he told the woman he loved. "Who knows what's in store for us or Krypton, but I will always love= you Zara . . . and love is the strongest life force there is. I never believed that before, but it sent Kal clean across the galaxy to claim hi= s bride, and it gave Lois the courage to leave her home for a world she'd never even known existed. Perhaps there will be a place for us someday."= Kal's shout reached them from somewhere a little way off. "Zara, Ching, it's time to go. It'll be getting dark soon and the weather will ice up. We'd best get back home!" Reluctantly the two forbidden lovers walked towards the voice. Soon= they would be going back home to Elvar and this interlude, when for a few= short weeks they had pretended privately that they were a couple, would b= e over. The prospect was distressing. It was hardly surprising that the budding romance soon came to the notice of others, and, on the return of the expedition, the merry party were confronted by concerned and slightly outraged parents. Lord Jor-El,= uncharacteristically taking the initiative, ordered the four young people= into the private sitting room. Gone was the imperial ruler of Krypton as= a somewhat sheepish Kal led his fellow truants into the room and an angry mother and father challenged their errant offspring. "What exactly are the four of you up to?" Jor's voice was unusually= stern and, when no answer was forthcoming, he turned to his daughter. = "Zara, I won't insult you by accusing you of a childish infatuation, but you must know that this . . . this liaison is impossible. And Ching, whi= le I know we can't always control the direction of our hearts, I had thought= you more honourable than to encourage my daughter in this . . . foolishne= ss . . . ." "Father! That's unfair!" Kal attempted to interrupt but he was immediately silenced. "And as for you, Kal, I'm particularly disappointed that you have n= ot only condoned the affair but have actively sought to promote it. You mor= e than anyone must know in this current climate that such a thing could roc= k your position, and lose the support of many of the nobles who are just warming to your rule. I can't believe that you acted so senselessly." T= he older man's ire was receding a little and now he appeared more confused a= nd downcast. His words petered out and his wife took up the tirade. "I warned you to go carefully," Lara insisted, "and after everything= that's happened lately, I thought you would heed my warning, but instead,= Kal-El, I find you indulging in a romantic fantasy." "Lara, it's not Kal's fault." Lois walked forward to face her disapproving in-laws. "I'm the one who's been throwing Zara and Ching together and I think . . . ." Whatever Lois thought was not to be learned for the moment, as Kal quickly cut in. "No, Lois! I knew Lois was matchmaking and I didn't put= a stop to it." "But why would you do that?" his mother asked in amazement. "Haven'= t we been through enough trauma with Lois' trial?" "Maybe it was because of the trial. I've almost lost Lois three tim= es now and I've got a fair notion of what kind of desert my life would be without her in it." Kal shrugged his shoulders, almost feeling his way amongst his emerging emotions. "I'm well aware that your objections are reasonable. I've gone over them a hundred times in my head. But I keep coming back to the same conclusion; love is the most important thing -- i= n any universe." Kal's unconscious gesture of pushing his hands into his hair came into play. "Mother, you're in love with father -- even after a= ll these years -- and don't tell me that's of no consequence, because, being= in love myself, I just wouldn't believe you. And I want the best for my baby sister; I just happen to think that being with the man she loves and= who loves her in return is the best possible life for her. I don't want another sister to be tied in a hateful marriage." Kal searched the faces= of those around him, hoping for some glimmer of support. "Please help me= out here! I'd be grateful for any suggestions." And once again, Lois hurried to back him up. "No-one could wish that= for Zara. And we're not totally foolish. Kal and I both know that we can't go public with this at the moment." Her heart cracked at the look = of dejection on the lovers' faces and she forced a more positive tone into h= er next question. "There must be some way that can make their union acceptable -- we just have to find it." = "Lois! You're right!" Kal caught her up in his arms and ecstatical= ly swung her round the room. "What?! What did I say?" Lois demanded breathlessly. Setting Lois on her feet, but without relinquishing his hold on her,= Kal explained. "There is a law -- an ancient law, seldom used -- but it states that for acts of courage and initiative in times of emergency, the= First Lord has the right to en-noble any Kryptonian who, he believes, deserves the honour." "So you could make Ching a Lord?" Lois asked with increasing optimism. "I hate to spoil your enthusiasm, my son, but the operative words ar= e 'in times of crisis' and Krypton hasn't been at war for over a hundred years. A few battles with some alien forces in deep space, but nothing else, thank goodness." Jor announced reluctantly. "That law is almost forgotten . . . ." "But, Father, it's still on the statute books . . . ." "And it was only ever awarded for outstanding bravery in the face of= the enemy," Lara reiterated her husband's objections. "And we're not at war!" "Not yet!" Lois mumbled sullenly. All eyes settled on the outspoken girl and Kal found himself wishing= that, just sometimes, Lois would keep her own counsel. Nevertheless, thi= s was his family and perhaps they deserved to know his fears. Caution lowered his voice and the others drew closer to listen. "Lois and I have been talking, and we both think that if Rad-Nor can= 't succeed in ruining the line of succession and getting rid of me . . . ." A shocked gasp escaped from Zara's lips and for the first time since= they'd entered the room, she joined the conversation. "But that would be= treason! Surely he wouldn't dare?" "I'm sure there isn't much that Rad-Nor wouldn't dare," The First La= dy warned. "And with Kal and me gone, he could be considered as next in lin= e for the throne." "The Nors once contested the leadership and he's married to Keira. = And even if the council wouldn't recognise his own claim, a son, born of the house of El and into the house of Nor, would be the only heir." Now that he'd started to unburden his worries to his family, Kal felt they should be told everything. "And with a minor on the throne, the power would belong to the baby's guardian -- in this case, Rad-Nor." "Then thank the fates that Keira has not produced a child," an anxio= us father couldn't hold back his unnatural thoughts; once, Jor would have be= en delighted by the arrival of a grandchild. "I don't think we should be so sanguine," came Lara's bald statement= . = It was the elder Lady El's turn to be the focus of everyone in the room. = "I met secretly with Keira . . . in the palace . . . after the trial, before Rad-Nor swept her back to his fortress. Keira is at last with chi= ld and if her calculations are correct we should be grandparents by late spring." "So Rad-Nor will have an heir!" Jor-El shook his head sadly. "Zor help us all!" "Poor Keira!" Even though this piece of news could mean that both himself and Lois might be in more immediate danger, Kal's thoughts were f= or his sister. "Now she'll be even more of a prisoner. She has something that Nor wants and he won't let her near her family, in case she seeks refuge with us." "Maybe it'll be a girl!" Lois refused to look on the black side. = "And you did say that a female couldn't inherit the throne." Kal nodded in agreement. "Very true, Lois. We shouldn't start worrying about something that might never happen. And, before I was interrupted with the news of my future niece or nephew," he stressed the word niece, "Lois and I were about to tell you that we firmly believe tha= t Rad-Nor will eventually run out of patience and cease his convoluted plot= s and try to seize the rule by force of arms." The young First Lord's face= was grim, but, in the firm chin and earnest eyes, there was also resoluti= on to face whatever catastrophe Nor might inflict on his planet. Lady Lara's face fell -- and not just at the thought of her lovely home plunged again into the devastation of war. She had hoped that when Kal began his speech -- Lois and I were about to tell you -- that they we= re going to announce their own pregnancy. That would have been so wonderful= and not only for Krypton, but for the family and, most of all, for Lois a= nd her son. = "Not that I would wish a war on anyone, but there might be plenty of= opportunity in the future for Ching to perform some super feat and then K= al could knight him, or whatever it is you call it on Krypton," Lois pointed= out pragmatically. The prospect of fighting was something that everyone in the room viewed with dread. It was a future that they all hoped would never occur= . = For a very long time Krypton had been free of terrorism and violence, but= no-one could ignore the atrocities that had taken place in this past year= . = Six gloomy faces stared back at each other as they reflected on the comin= g months. Finally, Kal spoke flatly. = "But if that happened, Mother and Father, surely you wouldn't have any objection to having Ching as a son-in-law . . . would you?" = = = "I'd consider Ching a great improvement on Rol-Fre." Lara's sardoni= c streak appeared with a tug of an ironic grin at the corners of her mouth.= Lord Jor-El wasn't tempted to share in his wife's smile. Though hi= s heart beat a little more lightly at the cautious hope glimmering in his youngest daughter's eyes, he couldn't totally dismiss his concerns. "I'm= not at all sure that we should be even contemplating the chance of a war,= but if some such thing did occur and Ching was knighted, I might consider= the possibility. We've known Captain Ching for almost all of his life a= nd I've always found him honest and trustworthy . . . but there is the question of whether a newly created lord could provide my daughter with t= he comfort she deserves." "And I have to tell you, Ching, that Zara does enjoy her comforts," Lara warned her prospective son-in-law with mock seriousness. Zara stared wide-eyed at her parents, stunned that they were actuall= y discussing the possibility that Ching could be her husband and almost too= afraid to believe that they would agree to the union. Yet this exaggeration of the truth stung her into replying. "Mother, that's not true! I am not mercenary! Don't pay her any heed, Ching." The Captain meanwhile, stood silently, like a startled deer -- too terrified to move and too incredulous to appreciate that his impossible dream could one day become a reality. Only a short time ago down by the lake, Zara and he had almost resigned themselves to the fact that they we= re destined to be apart. Aware that Lara was teasing, while the more serious-natured Jor was dealing with a father's worries about his youngest daughter's welfare, Lo= is decided to lighten the mood. "I'm not exactly sure what sort of salary a= captain in the security forces is paid, but it is a steady job with very good prospects and I happen to be on very, very close terms with the boss= ." Pressing herself against her husband's body, she cooed seductively. "I could put in a good word for the captain." "Lo-is!" But Kal could no longer hold in his amusement and he burst= out laughing. Graciously accepting the inevitable, the elder Lord of El gravely gave his consent. "Then I agree, if things work out in Ching's favour. = Welcome to the family, Ching." It was not an ideal or a certain conclusion, but for the moment the family chose to push this knowledge to the far reaches of their minds. = There was much hand clasping, slapping of backs and even a few hugs as th= e El family congratulated the young couple. Both Zara and Ching were bemused, yet slowly a dawning happiness was overtaking them -- it had all= happened so suddenly and so easily. But after a few minutes of unbridled= joy, Lara decided it was time to return everyone to reality. She hated t= o disappoint her baby, but it was necessary. = "However, whatever promises have been exchanged today must remain within this room. No-one except we four must know of this betrothal, not= until Kal-El can raise Ching to the peerage and I'm sorry to have to remi= nd everyone that this marriage can only take place if Ching can become a lord." Lara looked round the room and was relieved to see them all noddi= ng in affirmation, but she had to make the message clear. "If word of this meeting ever got out then we would all be accused of subverting the socia= l structure and I think we've had enough of trials for now. So I would ask= you, Zara and Ching, to please be circumspect in your dealings with each other, at all times. Rad-Nor seems to have spies everywhere and we mustn= 't give him any further ammunition." Yet even Lara's warning couldn't quite dispel the happy atmosphere. = Everyone appreciated the seriousness of the situation and all agreed that= the engaged couple would have to pretend that there was no relationship, but for the present, they unconsciously and unanimously decided to enjoy the moment. The celebratory atmosphere endured throughout dinner, though= none of the four disclosed the reason for the merriment to the other diners, and neither Gellis nor Poli were sufficiently intuitive to look below the surface. Actually, Lois did have a few suspicions about just h= ow much her lady-in-waiting knew of the state of affairs, but she was untroubled. Lois was certain that Gellis could be trusted. It was only when both the senior and junior El couples retired to their chambers that they gave into their apprehensions. The direction of= their lives had drifted into unchartered territory, and, while Lois was t= he first to admit that she had fulfilled one of her goals, she also realised= that she had navigated them into dangerous waters. = ***** But personal matters were soon set aside when news arrived of the ambush of the newly arranged monthly supply ship sent to the planet Moy. = = The cargo had been stolen and the ship's company brutally murdered. Such= a dire communication sent the First Lord and his family hot-foot back to hi= s capitol city. The theft of the cargo was unfortunate but more distressin= g was the fact that the transport had carried military personnel; a platoon= which had been sent to Moy to instruct the Moyan army in methods of defen= ce and weaponry. They had put up a brave defence but had been overwhelmed = by superior numbers, and along with the crew they had been butchered. Kal h= ad been acquainted with some of these men and, besides, all those killed we= re his people; he felt their loss deeply and with grim determination the cavalcade set out for Elvar. The perpetrators would be discovered and brought to justice. = The Earth girl had been shocked to realise that the Kryptonian flee= t had been vulnerable to assault. After all, on her journey to Krypton the= y had travelled across the galaxy at hyperlight speeds and the ship had remained cloaked for most of the journey -- and what had happened to the protective force-field? = These questions had made Kal grin, despite his consternation. Lois= never forgot a thing he had told her, at least on important issues -- on some of the smaller questions her memory conveniently developed holes. = Taking time out from the mad rush of packing up for their departure, the perturbed First Lord had explained that many other fleets could achieve hyperspeeds and that often supply ships, while traversing more populated areas and on shorter routes, would employ faster-than-light travel for brief periods only, and that sadly not all merchant ships had modern stealth facilities. It was highly probable that the enemy had acquired the technology to decode their cloaking devices. And as for the force-field -- it took a great deal of energy to maintain a protective barrier, so most traders were very frugal with their use. As Lois watched the ancient stone castle on its rocky promontory retreat into the distance, she sadly contemplated how, once again, death and destruction had broken into their contented and idyllic interlude. = Before leaving Earth, Kal had told her that Krypton was an ordered planet= , but since her arrival, she had made a study of her new home's most recent= history and discovered that this was not always so. Zor-El also had lived through some troublesome times on ascending th= e throne, and that was without the added threat from the Nors. Admittedly,= Zor's problems had been mainly diplomatic ones and not actual physical attacks. But then, the previous Lord Nor, while being pompous and very often objectionable, had not shared his son's ambitious or psychopathic tendencies. Would Kal and she ever be rid of Rad-Nor and would their lives alway= s be so tumultuous? More to the point, would she enjoy a life more ordinary? Lois suspected, with some disquiet, that the answer to the las= t question would be a resounding no. If only people wouldn't keep being killed -- she had to admit that she hated that part. And each life lost weighed heavily on Kal's conscience; as if he assumed responsibility for not being able to keep them safe. It wasn't necessarily a healthy attitude for a person in his position, but it did show clearly the depth of his commitment and compassion and Lois loved hi= m for his caring. This was what she needed -- a goal, a role in her new life. As the distance to Elvar diminished, so Lois' resolve increased. = She would do everything in her power to ease his pain and to help bring down the man responsible for all their troubles. ***** = tbc in Part 11 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 18:43:01 -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: VIRUS ALERT! I inadvertently picked up a computer virus, and since a lot of you are either in my primary email account address book or I chat with you on IRC, there is a good possibility that you might have the virus too. For an explanation of the virus, go to http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/vbs.stages.a.html For the fix, go to http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/fix.vbs.stages.htm I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Marilyn AKA Supermom ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 19:24:26 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Liz S." Subject: Re: FanFic Recommendation - People vs Clark Kent I also am chiming to say what a great story this is. Also, I want to add that ML Thompson has never yet disappointed me--always these stories are a great read! Liz S. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 20:56:50 -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 Subject: Re: A BabyB Story MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Donny's hit that "eat every 2 hours for 30-40 minutes at a stretch" phase, so > I'm a little tied down at the moment. ;) (Though this message proves that I > am perfecting my "type while holding a sleeping baby" skills. ) Ah, but you're not a real pro until you can type while holding a nursing baby I used to be real good at that, once upon a time... Take your time, Kathy, no pressure from us ... just enjoy the new addition to your family :) (and sleep whenever you can!) We'll still be here whenever you get a moment -- Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / jernigan@bellsouth.net http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam http://personal.rdu.bellsouth.net/~jernigan/ The difference between journalists and other people is that other people spend their lives running from violence, tragedy, and horror and we spend ours trying to get in on it. --P.J. O'Rourke ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 20:33:42 -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: A BabyB Story My "baby" will turn 18 a week from today, but I still remember the "nurse every 2 hours for 30 minutes" routine. I felt like a combination of Dolly Parton and Elsie the Cow! It makes you want to yell, "Help!!! Superman!!!" This too shall pass, and before you know it, he'll be as old as my "baby." Enjoy him. Give big sister Amy and Daddy Jim a super-hug from all of us. And be sure you take care of yourself. It's good to hear that his doctor's visit went well. Sounds like he's eating well and you're providing well. Marilyn AKA SuperMom ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 22:22:12 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: VIRUS ALERT! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Marilyn, If it's any consolation, my son the computer geek says that it would have attached itself to a file you would have dcc'd someone or emailed them, and therefore probably didn't go to as many people as you would think. It doesn't seem to have come here. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 09:26:45 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Phillip Atcliffe Subject: SVfAP question: Learjet rego MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Here's a piece of minutinae for the sharp-eyed amongst you which I need for a story: what is the registration of Trask's "camouflaged" Learjet (the one he throws Lois out of) in SVfAP? As best I can tell from my tape of the episode, it's N462?, but what's the last character? It looks a little like a 3, but that doesn't seem right from my knowledge of US registrations, which usually end with a letter. So, over to eagle-eyed FoLCs... Phil ------------------------------------------------------------ "I think... I think I am! | I think _I_ am: Therefore I am... I think?" | Phil Atcliffe -- The Moody Blues | (Phillip.Atcliffe@uwe.ac.uk) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 10:59:58 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: VIRUS ALERT! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Marilyn, thanks for the alert and the URL for the fix; I did get Life Stages from you on IRC last night in another wav file I downloaded from you (so a warning to anyone else who rejected the Life_Stages.txt file from Marilyn, but accepted any other DCC: you may have the virus and you should run the fix from the address Marilyn gave). My existing AV software found the virus but couldn't fix it, but now I know how to get rid of it. Wendy -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 11:22:31 +0100 Reply-To: LabRat Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Organization: LabRat Subject: Re: VIRUS ALERT! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Clicking on this link all I get is page not found. Is it just me? LabRat :) > For the fix, go to > http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/fix.vbs.stages.htm > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 11:38:37 +0100 Reply-To: LabRat Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Organization: LabRat Subject: Re: VIRUS ALERT! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ah, it's okay - flash of inspiration struck after I posted last. It should be html at the end there. :) LabRat :) > For the fix, go to > http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/fix.vbs.stages.htm > > I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. > > Marilyn > AKA Supermom ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 12:48:36 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kaethel Subject: Help! (was Re: VIRUS ALERT!) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey guys! Okay, I did get a html file from Marilyn last night. It wasn't the life stages txt file, which I'd refused, but another html file she sent me, and which was normally completely all right. :) However, I didn't open it and deleted it from my computer as soon as I knew there was a virus around. I ran a Virus Scan and McAfee didn't find anything wrong in my system - does it mean I'm safe? I took a look at the webpage and the downloading instructions for the antitode to life stages, but my Windows being entirely in French (growl!), I don't really trust myself to try downloading and running it. In other words...help! Helene (computer illiterate) Kaethel@wanadoo.fr ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 06:52:58 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Crystal Wimmer Subject: FC:Growing Pains, Chapter 2 of 5 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Chapter 2 Lois rubbed her eyes, the strain of staring at her computer monitor finally overwhelming her need to solve the case. It was the same story this time: baby gone, no clues, parents falling apart. She tried not to think how easily it could be her. Truthfully, she harbored the secret fear that she might be on the receiving end of whatever was going on. She'd looked over every missing-baby report, every photo, every situation that might have resulted in CJ showing up five months ago. None of the photographs matched, and of course there was the DNA match that Dr. Klein had made with Clark, but she still couldn't let her reporter's instincts rest. CJ had come from somewhere, and she always worried that "somewhere" would catch up with them and take him away. Finally deciding that she wasn't going to get any further tonight, Lois closed the file she had been staring at and logged off the Planet computer system. She winced as she stood, the stiff muscles in her back protesting how long she'd been sitting there. Stretching carefully, she reached for her coat and headed for the elevator. If she'd had her choice, she would have walked home. The cool evening air and gentle moistness drifting in on the breeze from the river were both refreshing and relaxing. Still, Clark would ream her out if she walked after dark. She stayed in the well-lit areas in the front of the Planet while she waited to spot a passing cab. She could have called one, she supposed, but it was normally faster to just wait. This area of Metropolis was rarely quiet, and as safe as any other area, so she decided to just flag down a cab when it came into sight. Her plan worked well, for as soon as she was looking a cab came into view. Within ten minutes she was being dropped off in front of the townhouse, paying the driver and leaving him with a healthy tip as well. The climb up the stairs aggravated her back, and she found herself both frustrated and angry that a little discomfort was finding it's way into her mind so often. She was Lois Lane... reporter... mother. She had no use for minor aches and pains in her life. With a final dismissing shrug, she resolved to ignore the discomfort. She didn't have time for it. "It's about time you got home," Martha smiled as Lois walked in the door. "CJ just went down. You just missed him." "I'm sure I'll see him tonight," Lois replied with a wry grin. "He hasn't slept through the night in the last two weeks." Martha hugged her daughter-in-law gently, cognizant of how Lois tensed when she did so. "Everything okay?" "Fine," Lois assured her, mentally renewing her promise to ignore the nagging back pain. "It's just been a long day. I'm wound so tight that I feel like I'm going to explode." "Any word on the baby?" Martha asked softly. She and Jonathan had picked up CJ just as Lois had been called by Chief Henderson. She'd worried about the tiny child all day, just as she would have worried about her own grandchild under similar circumstances. "No," Lois said. "She just disappeared." Martha shook her head sadly. "That poor child," she murmured. Lois shook her head, clearing it somewhat. "I can't think about it anymore," she said softly. "Not tonight." "I don't blame you," Martha agreed. "Did you have dinner?" "I picked up a sandwich," Lois replied, finally setting down her briefcase and laptop by the edge of the couch. "But, that was early." "Let me get you some fruit or something, then," Martha offered. "That would be great." "Jonathan laid down with CJ," Martha said as she opened the refrigerator and took out several items. "He won't admit it, but traveling always takes it out of him, even when it's traveling with Clark. He was half asleep before we started dinner." "Getting old," Lois joked, knowing that nothing could be further from the truth. "We all are," Martha laughed cheerfully. She selected a few pieces of fruit, and went about peeling, pitting, and slicing them as she spoke. "Even you," she said pointedly. "You're walking like an old lady, toda y." "I am not," Lois defended. "I'm just a little stiff from spending the nights in a chair, rocking CJ." "Whatever you say," Martha grinned, handing Lois a plate with the prepared fruit, and a glass of milk. "Thanks," Lois said gratefully. "You sure you don't want to move in?" Martha laughed at that. "Not yet," she answered. "Just be sure to keep making the offer until I take you up on it." "You've got it," Lois agreed. *** Kim Lange shifted her bag on her shoulder as she walked through the park. She hated this place, always feeling that horrible sense of loss as she did at no other time. She used to bring Sarah here, her mind reminded her. She used to push the stroller and smile at the people who walked their dogs. She used to laugh at the antics of the children as they threw their Frisbees and tossed their baseballs. She used to. Metropolis Park was a gathering place for every mother and child for miles around. She used to be at home here, but that was no longer the case. Since Sarah had disappeared ... been taken ... she wasn't at home anywhere. Still, this was the shortest walk between home and work, so she crossed the park every single day despite the pain. Pain was no stranger. She'd lost her daughter, then she'd lost her husband. He had shot himself, unable to deal with the loss of his child, leaving her alone and desperate. She'd lost the house first, the life insurance not paying due to the suicide, and then she'd lost her car. Only her job remained, so she found a small studio apartment in downtown Metropolis and she walked to work every day. It wasn't much, this Spartan existence, but it was all she had. Kim saw a little boy run in front of her, grab his basketball, and smile as he ran back to his mother. *Keep him close,* she thought to herself. *How quickly they can be gone.* Her Sarah would be almost that big now, she imagined. Sarah had been only two when she'd disappeared, and that had been twenty-six months ago. Yes, Sarah would have been in preschool by now. Her father would play catch with her, and she'd dance around the house in a tutu, just as Kim had done when she was that age. She was so engrossed in her imaginings and memories that she almost tripped over the little towheaded girl that toddled out in front of her. Kim recognized the hair first, a profusion of curls that could not be tamed. When the toddler looked up at her, she stopped in her tracks, knowing she must be insane. "Mommy?" her daughter asked. "Sarah!" Kim exclaimed. "My Sarah!" Without another thought, Kim grabbed the clinging child up into her arms. "My baby, my baby," she cried, over and over. "Ma'am, put my child down," said a stern voice. Through tears, Kim saw the woman come towards her. She did the only thing she could do... she ran. Oblivious to the screaming around her, completely blind to the traffic both pedestrian and motor, Kim ran with her baby in her arms. She felt only her daughter's arms around her neck, saw only the blond curls that wisped into her face, and heard only Sarah's delighted laugh. Then, the world went black. *** Lois sighed deeply as her back began to ache to the point that it couldn't be ignored. Slowing her jog to a walk, she waited for the throb to ease. Gradually, she felt the feeling return to her left leg, a pins and needles awareness that told her she'd been overdoing it. She waited, her breath returning, for the same to occur in her right leg. It took longer, almost five minutes, but eventually she was able to feel the ground beneath her feet. The throb in her back receded to it's normal nag, and she came to the conclusion that she was going to have to see a doctor if it didn't improve. Maybe she'd strained it, she wondered. Perhaps she'd pulled a muscle or dislocated something. In any case, it wasn't getting better, so she was going to have to make time to be seen. Lois was grateful she was on her return leg of the run, only a block from the townhouse. She would be home in only a few minutes. She took the time to cool down, wiping sweat from her face with the bottom of her T-shirt as she approached the steps. She was barely through the front door when Martha called her name. "Honey, you just got an urgent call from the police," Martha said, her voice shaking. "It's Chief Henderson, and you have to call him back immediately." "What is it?" Lois inquired anxiously. "I don't know," Martha replied. "But he says it has to do with the case you've been working on. He said it was about the missing children." *** "I don't understand," Lois said carefully. "Is it her baby, or not?" "You're not the only one that doesn't understand," the Chief said ruefully. "It's impossible for that child to be hers," he began. "She's two ears too young, she has a birth certificate that's completely legal, hospital records from birth and a couple of illnesses, and her parents are vehement that she was adopted legally only a few weeks ago." "So she is adopted," Lois insisted. "That means it's possible that the baby is Kim Lange's?" "As I said," Henderson reminded her. "Her baby would be over four years old by now. There's no way that girl in there is over four." "Okay, so she's just gone nuts," Lois concluded. "She's lost her husband, her baby, and now she's imagined that this kid is hers." Lois looked back at her notes. "So, why did you call me?" "Because," he said wearily. "That doesn't fit either." "What do you mean?" Henderson gestured to a chair and then seated himself across from Lois. "The baby looks exactly like Sarah Lange," he explained. "Right down to a birth mark on her right leg. The blood type matches the mother, and the kid calls Mrs. Lange 'Mommy'. That's just too much of a coincidence for me." "Agreed," Lois said. "But you said that this baby has paperwork and everything. Birth certificate and all?" "Yes," Henderson said, wearily rubbing his unshaven face. He'd been called in at nine that morning after being on a stakeout with a new cop until after four. He was too old for this, but the budget didn't run into overtime, and someone had to train the rookies. "Here's the bottom line: I can't send the kid home with Lange because I can't prove it's hers, and I can't send it home with the Capwells because I can't prove it's theirs." "Capwells?" Lois said, her head snapping up from her notebook. "As in Crighton Capwell?" "The same," Henderson said wearily. "So you can imagine why this is such a mess." "A mess," she agreed. "And a hell of a story! Crighton Capwell is one of the wealthiest men in Metropolis. He has the money and the resources to fake any paperwork he wants, regardless of it's credibility." "He does," Henderson agreed. "And he has the lawyers to push us to the wall if we don't give him back his new daughter." "But if we can prove that she's not his..." "We can't," he said briefly. "And, I don't know that I'd want to. He can give that girl anything from golden strollers to fur blankets. I've seen him with her," Henderson continued. "He cares about the kid, and it's mutual. And, he's got power." "He's got senators in his pocket," Lois agreed. "I ran into that when the mayor started embezzling funds. Capwell made my investigation very difficult." "He makes everything difficult," the police chief complained. "But, he's never been found to be on the wrong side of the law. We've suspected, but never confirmed anything. It tends to work that way with the rich and famous." "What about Kim Lange?" Lois asked. "What if this is her baby?" "It's impossible," he claimed. "Too young." "Maybe it's a clone?" Lois wondered aloud. "You've got to be kidding?" the chief said with a grin. Lois shrugged her shoulders and couldn't suppress a grin. "I've seen stranger things," she said offhandedly. "Whatever it is, this isn't a situation that we're going to manage to win," he said. "I'm tired of my department coming off as the enemy when we're doing more than is humanly possible to keep this city safe." "Why did you call me?" Lois asked again. "You know I'm going to write what I can, or at least what Perry will approve. Even if it's speculation, and we state it that way, Capwell is too powerful a figure to let this slide. It's bound to make it harder on the department if he knows he's being questioned." "I know," Henderson sighed. "But I also know that we aren't going to get this done on our own. We've lost too many kids, and I'm sick of trying to tread water with half a staff. The Planet has connections with Superman, and he's the only chance we have to get those kids back." "How many?" Lois asked quietly. "Metropolis has lost four-hundred, eleven children in the last five years," he said softly. "Clearly they aren't always connected, but this is too big to be a coincidence." "My God," she whispered. "This is the file on Edith Capwell," he said firmly as he handed her a small file folder. "Copies of everything from her birth certificate to her adoption papers. If you can find any holes in it, let me know immediately. I know you have sources that I don't. I think you already have a copy of Sarah Lange's file?" Lois nodded, so he went on. "Don't go getting yourself killed. If you see anything suspicious, call in the cavalry or go to Superman." "You're going to have to put me on payroll," Lois joked as she stood, holding the folder tightly. "Not likely," he grinned in return. "I barely have the budget to pay the cops I've got, and here aren't nearly enough of them. Besides, I couldn't match your salary." "Probably not," she smiled. "I'll see what I can come up with." *** Lois couldn't help but shudder as she walked down the corridor of the hospital. She was startled by a familiar rustling behind her, and turned quickly enough to bump into her husband. "Hey, Beautiful," he smiled, planting a quick kiss on her forehead. "Perry said you'd be down here." "You're back!" she smiled, hugging him briefly. "How'd everything go?" "The usual," he grinned. "Superman saved the day." "Always does," she agreed. "You must be tired. What are you doing here?" "Keeping my wife out of trouble," he said with only a trace of sarcasm. "Perry said you had a lead on the child-disappearances?" "Possibly," she replied. She filled him in briefly on the discussion she'd had that morning with Chief Henderson. "So now," she concluded, "I'm going to interview Kim Lange. I'm hoping it's more productive than my interview with Crighton Capwell was." Clark winced. Capwell reminded him all to much of Lex Luthor... a man who believed he was above the law because he could afford to be. "I guess I'd be a little defensive if someone came after CJ claiming to be his father, or grabbed him away from you in the park," he said softly, trying to give the man the benefit of the doubt. "We can't decide he's guilty just because he's rich." "And we can't decide he's not for the same reason," she replied. Coming to the door of the private room, Lois showed her press ID. "This is my partner," she explained to the security guard, gesturing to Clark. "Chief Henderson said I'd be admitted." The young guard checked his clipboard against her ID, then returned it. "Five minutes," he told her firmly. "Thanks," she replied. Entering the room, Clark was stunned by the sterility of it. Kim Lange was restrained in the bed, her face turned away towards the window. "Mrs. Lange?" he asked softly. "Did you bring me my daughter?" she asked, her voice in monotone, not bothering to look at him. "Mrs. Lange, we're from the Daily Planet," Lois said softly, moving around so that she was between the bed and the window. "We want to ask you some questions about Sarah." "I held her," Kim smiled, her eyes tearing. "I held her this morning. I know they think I'm crazy, but I know my daughter." "Mrs. Lange, wouldn't your daughter be almost four years old by now?" Clark asked, moving slightly closer to the bed. He could hear the woman's heartbeat, slow and steady. She wasn't behaving as erratically and had none of the physical characteristics he had come to recognize in either a criminal or a crazy person. "She should be," the woman admitted. "I don't know why she's not. But it's her," she insisted, meeting his eyes and holding his gaze. "I held my daughter this morning. A mother knows her own child." "Mrs. Lange, when was your daughter taken?" Lois asked gently. "We were at Metropoland," she said softly. "Sarah loved to go on the carousel. You know, the one with the horses?" "I know," Lois replied. "I buckled her on, and we started to go around. My purse got caught in the stirrup, so I looked away to get it untangled. When I looked back up, she was gone." "Did anyone see anything?" Lois asked, knowing the answer. "My husband was on the other side of the carousel," she explained. "He didn't see a thing. No one else did, either. They locked up the park and everything, but it's such a big place that it was impossible to find her." Kim looked up through tear filled eyes. "At least she didn't cry out. If she'd been hurt, she would have cried out, don't you think?" "I'm sure she would have," Clark answered, unable to bear the pain in the woman's voice, still so fresh even after two years. "But, she's okay," Kim smiled. "I saw her this morning. She's fine. She's beautiful and healthy, and she knew me," Kim insisted. "She called me 'Mommy'. She recognized me, even after all this time." "Sarah would be much older..." Lois began. "I know that!" Kim yelled. "Don't you think I know that? But, she's my daughter. I don't know how that woman got her, or where they've kept her, but she's mine!" "You'll need to leave now," the security guard stated firmly. Lois turned around quickly. She hadn't heard the door open, so involved she'd been with Mrs. Lange. She saw a nurse coming around the guard with a syringe in her hand. Clark walked to her and guided her to the door with a gentle hand in the small of her back, even as the nurse medicated the screaming woman. "She's mine," Lois heard Kim whimper as the medication took effect. "I'm not crazy. I know my baby. Someone took my baby... my... they..." Her voice trailed off as she drifted into a drugged sleep. In the corridor, Lois turned to her husband. "I believe her," she said firmly. "She believes herself," Clark agreed. "She's not lying. It was in her eyes, her expression. She believes every word she's saying." "So now what do we do?" Lois questioned. "We find out where her baby's been for the last two years," Clark answered. "Let's start with the birth certificate," Lois suggested as she stepped into the hospital elevator, followed closely by her husband. "We find out where she was born, and who delivered her, and go from there." "Let's do it," he agreed. (end, chapter 2) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 06:59:48 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: Help! (was Re: VIRUS ALERT!) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable In a message dated 04/06/2001 6:51:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time,=20 Kaethel@WANADOO.FR writes: << I took a look at the webpage and the downloading instructions for the antitode to life stages, but my Windows being entirely in French (growl!), I don't really trust myself to try downloading and running it. >> H=E9l=E8ne, on that webpage the first part of the how to get rid of it manua= lly=20 tells you how to search for *.shs files. Try that first to even see if you=20 got the virus. I tried that and definitely am not infected. (Besides, I=20 haven't been DCC'ing anything.) --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 07:25:51 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: Help! (was Re: VIRUS ALERT!) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable H=E9l=E8ne, I think you should be safe. My son the computer geek says that if you don't= =20 open the attachment, it won't do anything even if you did get it. If your=20 virus scan didn't find it, you apparently didn't even get it. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 12:31:03 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Help! (was Re: VIRUS ALERT!) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Ann, I downloaded a wav file from Marilyn and got the virus as a result. So if Helene did download a file, she may well have it. I'm emailing her privately with step-by-step instructions. Wendy -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ann E. McBride" To: Sent: Friday, April 06, 2001 12:25 PM Subject: Re: Help! (was Re: VIRUS ALERT!) Hélène, I think you should be safe. My son the computer geek says that if you don't open the attachment, it won't do anything even if you did get it. If your virus scan didn't find it, you apparently didn't even get it. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 08:13:28 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wanda McCants Subject: Re: Help! (was Re: VIRUS ALERT!) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 4/6/01 7:00:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Larus2407@AOL.COM writes: > DCC'ing anything.) > What does DCC mean? I haven't ever visited the IRC site, and only look at emails from the list and stories from the boards, archives, and Anne's site should I be worried? Wanda "What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" ......Langston Hughes Wanda ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 14:44:34 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kaethel Subject: Re: Help! (was Re: VIRUS ALERT!) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thank you all for your help, guys. Wendy sent me a step by step guidance and after I followed her instructions, I found out that I hadn't been infected by the virus. Thanks again for your prompt answers. :) Helene :) Kaethel@wanadoo.fr ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 08:12:49 -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: VIRUS ALERT! Ah yes, the URL for the fix should be http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/fix.vbs.stages.html Marilyn AKA SuperMom ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 14:19:31 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Help! (was Re: VIRUS ALERT!) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wanda asked: > What does DCC mean? Hi Wanda - sorry to confuse you! IRC isn't a website; it's a live chat-interface, and you'd know if you'd been there! When on IRC, people can send files to one another through a mechanism known as 'DCC' (don't ask me what it stands for ). It allows me to select a file on my computer and send it straight to another person's computer, as long as they accept it. The danger is that if the file I send is infected with a virus, then the other person gets the virus too! To find out more about IRC, take a look at the FAQ on the fanfic archive site, www.lcfanfic.com, and that will lead you to other sources. Wendy :) -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 10:12:09 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Adam Labotka Subject: Re: Help! (was Re: VIRUS ALERT!) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Well no one's really sure but several people think it means Direct Clietn to Client because what happens when you DCC (be it chat or send) is the computers involved are linked directly rather then going through IRC servers ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wendy Richards" To: Sent: Friday, April 06, 2001 8:19 AM Subject: Re: Help! (was Re: VIRUS ALERT!) > Wanda asked: > What does DCC mean? > > Hi Wanda - sorry to confuse you! IRC isn't a website; it's a live > chat-interface, and you'd know if you'd been there! > > When on IRC, people can send files to one another through a mechanism known > as 'DCC' (don't ask me what it stands for ). It allows me to select a > file on my computer and send it straight to another person's computer, as > long as they accept it. The danger is that if the file I send is infected > with a virus, then the other person gets the virus too! > > To find out more about IRC, take a look at the FAQ on the fanfic archive > site, www.lcfanfic.com, and that will lead you to other sources. > > > Wendy :) > > -------------------------- > Wendy Richards > w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 10:07:16 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carol L Moncado Subject: Re: Universal Union Book3/Part10 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit hey - Jenni! I am continuing to love this and can't wait for more! CM ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 10:15:22 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Dede Lienau Subject: Superman's aura MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 I have 2 questions that I will break into separate posts. The first is regarding Superman=92s aura. Was this something that was established in the= series, or something that fanfic authors invented to explain certain things? Dede ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 10:17:26 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Dede Lienau Subject: Breaking stories into parts MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 I have something that I have been curious about for a while. Why do authors break their stories into parts? I am not referring to the sections posted on the MBs but rather when they actually end one part and have it posted to the archives and then they start on the next part. A few examples I can think of quickly =96 Shayne did it with Fugue; Tara has done= it with Catspaw; Carol is doing it with her First Night story; The Fugitive series was done this way; I think when Lifeflight was posted to the archive it was broken into parts (though this might have been because of the size more than anything). Is it done to allow the author to gain their posting cushion again? Or some other reason? Why do some authors do this and others don=92t? Like I said this is just something that I have been curious about for sometime. Dede ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 11:11:48 -0400 Reply-To: "Heidi A. Bingham" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Heidi A. Bingham" Organization: Militant Breastfeeding Cult Subject: Re: Superman's aura MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > I have 2 questions that I will break into separate posts. The first is > regarding Superman's aura. Was this something that was established in the > series, or something that fanfic authors invented to explain certain > things? Dede Came from the series. Clark/Supreman uses it to explain why his suit doesn't rip at some point. Maybe someone else could tell exactly where, but it'd definitely in the show. ~ Heid ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 08:20:46 -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: Re: Superman's aura MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Clark explains it to Lois in DTOSC, and it's mentioned again in It's a Small World After All, by Dr. Klein. Nan Dede Lienau wrote: > I have 2 questions that I will break into separate posts. The first is > regarding Superman’s aura. Was this something that was established in the > series, or something that fanfic authors invented to explain certain > things? Dede ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 12:10:51 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: Breaking stories into parts MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable << I have something that I have been curious about for a while. Why do authors break their stories into parts? [snip] Is it done to allow the=20 author to gain their posting cushion again? Or some other reason? Why do some authors do this and others don=E2=80=99t? >> Dede, I can only speak for myself, but I have written three stories that,=20 together, constitute one series (The Martha Chronicles). I originally planne= d=20 on the story not being a series, just one stand-alone story, but after I=20 reworked the first draft, I realized that it would be too long for me to=20 handle as one story. I wanted to officially finish some of the story, instead of letting it exist= =20 as a partially written piece for years (and it did literally take me years t= o=20 write the three-part series). And the split came rather naturally, as the=20 story consists of one large time shift and one significant shift in place an= d=20 characters. Christy attalanta@aol.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 12:16:17 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: Universal Union Book3/Part9 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This Yankee needs a translation for a "slap up dinner" , please. :-) Good job, Jenni. As usual, your descriptions draw lush images. Waiting for more. LaurieD ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 11:25:16 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Adam Labotka Subject: Re: Breaking stories into parts MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Well personally I feel it should be broken into parts when a major resolution occurs (normally in the A-plot) and the next stories will have a shifted focus as a result. and I think that's how it's normally handled, by a shift in docus, typically a new enemy fight or problem to resolve ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 12:37:06 -0400 Reply-To: msafrans@ix.netcom.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Mark Safransky Subject: Universal Union Book 3 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I am really enjoying Jenni's latest effort and can't wait to read more of the Battle for Krypton. This is one of the best AU efforts out there. Keep up the great work Jenni!! Mark ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 12:38:34 -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 Subject: Re: Breaking stories into parts MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dede, I can't speak for anyone else, but the only time I've broken a story into two parts was because the internal structure of the story seemed to warrant it. I wrote "Just Like That" as all one story, but as it got close to finishing I realized it was actually two closely-related stories. They differ quite a lot in tone and form, with two distinct plotlines, so in my mind they worked better separately. I had to do a little surgery to separate my Siamese twins :) but I think it was worth it. I suspect that's what Shayne's thinking, too -- Fugue was more about Clark/Kade, and came to a distinct stop. Fusion has a different focus. And I hope this time we'll get a happy ending! Back when I contemplated doing a series based on "In Any Universe" I thought about breaking that one up, too ... but I never got anywhere on the sequels so it seemed simplest to keep that story all together. I think it's a little tail-heavy, but people seem to like it anyway :) -- Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / jernigan@bellsouth.net http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam http://personal.rdu.bellsouth.net/~jernigan/ The difference between journalists and other people is that other people spend their lives running from violence, tragedy, and horror and we spend ours trying to get in on it. --P.J. O'Rourke ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 12:39:48 -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 Subject: Re: Breaking stories into parts MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Well said, Adam :) And more consisely than I managed it! Adam Labotka wrote: > > Well personally I feel it should be broken into parts when a major > resolution occurs (normally in the A-plot) and the next stories will have a > shifted focus as a result. and I think that's how it's normally handled, by > a shift in docus, typically a new enemy fight or problem to resolve -- Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / jernigan@bellsouth.net http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam http://personal.rdu.bellsouth.net/~jernigan/ The difference between journalists and other people is that other people spend their lives running from violence, tragedy, and horror and we spend ours trying to get in on it. --P.J. O'Rourke ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 17:51:11 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kaethel Subject: Re: Breaking stories into parts MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey Dede :) Since I did that with Near Wild Heaven I thought I'd explain my reasons for it. :) In the case of this story, I'd just spent over a year working on it, and I really needed a break from the universe I'd created. At the same time, I was reluctant to keep the story sleeping on my hard drive for a few months while I worked on other projects and 'took a holiday' from the premise. So since it had already more than 100 000 words and I'd come to a turning point in the story, where the first part of the plot was resolved, I thought it was better to make it two different stories (and yes, I'm thinking about part 2 ). Near Wild Heaven 1 was already long enough, and I guess the second part will be about as long. So that's why I did it. :) Helene :) Kaethel@wanadoo.fr ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 10:22:30 -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: Re: Breaking stories into parts MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The only reason I can give you, Dede, is that I separate stories, such as the "Home" series, into parts, precisely for the reason stated by Adam. I wrote the vignette "Home" originally intending for it to be a stand-alone story. When various persons convinced me to write a sequel, I wrote "Beginnings", but though the A-plot was resolved, the B-plot wasn't, so I wrote "Memories". Again, I was able to resolve the A-plot, but the B-plot stubbornly refused to be rushed and so I had to write "Honeymoon" to bring everything to a satisfactory conclusion. This is my own experience with separating stories into parts. Other writers may have other reasons, but I do it because the separations seem to be natural breaks in the ongoing plot. Nan Dede Lienau wrote: > I have something that I have been curious about for a while. Why do > authors break their stories into parts? I am not referring to the sections > posted on the MBs but rather when they actually end one part and have it > posted to the archives and then they start on the next part. A few > examples I can think of quickly – Shayne did it with Fugue; Tara has done > it with Catspaw; Carol is doing it with her First Night story; The > Fugitive series was done this way; I think when Lifeflight was posted to > the archive it was broken into parts (though this might have been because > of the size more than anything). Is it done to allow the author to gain > their posting cushion again? Or some other reason? Why do some authors > do this and others don’t? Like I said this is just something that I have > been curious about for sometime. Dede ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 12:22:39 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: Re: A BabyB Story On Thu, 5 Apr 2001 20:56:50 -0400, Pam Jernigan wrote: >Ah, but you're not a real pro until you can type while holding a nursing >baby I used to be real good at that, once upon a time... It's my new goal in life. And to think I used to be proud of my touch-typing. Now I need to get faster at the one hand method. ;) Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 12:36:53 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: OT: Thanks for your good wishes Just wanted to thank everyone for their good wishes about the baby. We have such a wonderful community on this list, and it makes me feel great to have so many of you sending happy thoughts my way. :) I received a ton of 'congrats' emails, both here on the list and via private email. Thanks so much! :) Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 12:25:47 -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: Re: Superman's aura In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii It was established in the series and the authors on this list ran with it. ===== World's Wisdom (a bumper sticker): He who dies with the most toys wins. God's Wisdom (Luke 12:15b): Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one owns. NCV WIP - 7 Days of Superman - Author's Cut http://www.geocities.com/mr_d8a/7dos.htm WIP for Elisabeth: Story of a Lifetime-TOC http://www.zoomway.com/boards/ubbhtml/Forum5/HTML/003563.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 18:58:21 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: Superman's aura MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable In a message dated 04/06/2001 11:15:51 AM Eastern Daylight Time,=20 chickadee@AALWEB.NET writes: << I have 2 questions that I will break into separate posts. The first is regarding Superman=E2=80=99s aura. Was this something that was established= in the series, or something that fanfic authors invented to explain certain things? >> It was mentioned in the series. When Clark's suits are all burned up, Lois=20 says she thought they were indestructible and he replies only when I'm=20 wearing 'em. Anything within a few millimeters of my skin is protected by my= =20 aura. (or something like that). --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 23:59:13 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Tank Wilson Subject: Re: Superman's Aura MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Actually, it was established by John Byrne in the comic book relaunch back in '88. He used it to explain why Superman's suit was indestructable. In the silver age, it was contended that Martha had made the super suit by unraveling the threads of the blanket that baby Kal El was wrapped in and somehow weaving the suit from those indestructable threads. Thinking that was a bit too outlandish of a possibility (but a man who flies isn't), Byrne brought in the idea of the aura. He also used it for some nice visuals of tattered capes. Tank (who once again allows his status as a comic book geek to come to the fore) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 05:01:27 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Crystal Wimmer Subject: FC: Growing Pains, Chapter 3 of 5 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Chapter 3 It was easier said than done. Metropolis General Hospital was a large place, and the signature on the birth certificate was unusually worn for being only two years old. Still, after much bargaining and arguing, they finally managed to find Dr. Justin Lemord, Obstetrician. "You expect me to remember every baby I deliver?" the doctor asked incredulously. "I delivered two-hundred babies in this hospital last year alone! The HMO's don't make any allowances for social calls. I do my procedures. I deliver the babies, and that's the end of it. Look up the baby's pediatrician if you want to know about her." "Dr. Lemord," Clark interrupted. "I realize that you see a great number of patients, but it would really help us if you could take just a minute to check your records." The man sighed, then reached for his file cabinet. "What was the mother's name?" he asked brusquely. "Cindy Shaw," Lois supplied. "No father is listed." "Shaw... Shaw..." The physician mumbled as he flipped through files. "Shaw. Amie. Shaw, Beverly. Shaw, Catherine." His eyes came up to meet Clark's. "Shaw, Darlene. I don't have a Cindy Shaw." "Could her record have been misplaced?" Clark asked. The doctor slid the filing cabinet closed, then reached for his computer. He punched in the name, glanced at the screen a moment, then typed some more. "I don't have a Cindy Shaw anywhere in my records," he clarified. Then, looking over at Lois, he added, "My records are absolute. If I didn't document it, I didn't do it." Clark looked over at Lois, his eyebrows raised. "Can you get us a list of the other obstetricians that were working at that time," Lois requested. "Perhaps you were covering someone else's patient, or..." "Ms. Lane," the doctor interrupted. "You aren't listening. This computer houses every record of every patient seen in this hospital. It's a pain in the butt, but it's necessary for dealing with the HMOs. If the patient isn't in this computer, she wasn't seen at any time in this hospital. Not by me, and not by anyone." *** Lois sat at her desk, chewing on the end of her pencil. The day had been confusing, although productive in it's own way. They had followed every lead possible to track down a physician or other professional that had been involved with the Capwell baby's adoption. The records were thorough, listing each illness, each immunization, and each injury since the baby's birth. None of the pediatricians listed in the record had ever heard of either the baby, or the baby's mother, Cindy Shaw. Lois's back had finally gotten the best of her, and Clark was running down the last couple of hospital visits that the child had attended. As these were performed by the Capwell's private physician, they had every reason to feel that they were on the level. Lois, on the other hand, was busy trying to find out anything possible on the Morningside Orphanage. The organization had only been in existence for the last two years, and it specialized in the adoption of children under the age of five. So far, the only thing that Lois had found that qualified as "suspicious", was that the orphanage had shown a significant monetary loss every fiscal year. It was as though the organization existed as a tax-break for a larger business, and yet it seemed to be independently financed. It didn't make any sense. If it were independently financed, it would have gone into bankruptcy. Lois wrote down a few notes on the company, then e-mailed them to Jimmy for further research. It was easier than tracking him down. That done, she made a couple of quick calls to the orphanage, only to find herself held off by a telephone bureaucracy that was more annoying than really frustrating. Still, she had no desire to play phone-tag with the director of the orphanage, so she hung up the phone and reached for her purse. She left a quick note on Clark's computer that she would be back as soon as she had some answered, and then took a cab to the Morningside Orphanage's main office, down near the waterfront. It was a small and unassuming building, and there wasn't a child in sight. Lois waited impatiently to see the director, who was miraculously there even though the secretary had told her twice on the telephone that he was not. After a frustrating wait, Lois found herself escorted into a large office with expensive furniture and a distinguished looking man behind an antique desk. "Mr. Oliver?" Lois asked, stepping forward with her hand extended. "Ms. Lane," the man said smoothly. "I understand we've had some difficulty connecting this afternoon. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience." "That's quite all right," Lois smiled, knowing full well that he was glossing over his earlier rudeness. She took the seat he indicated, placing her purse on the floor beside the chair. "I just have a few questions to ask you about the Capwell adoption." "All of our adoptions are both private and confidential," the man informed her pleasantly. "I'm sorry that I won't be able to help you." "Mr. Oliver," Lois continued. "Your adoption agency is suspected of illegal operations. It would look very unfavorable to the police department if you choose not to cooperate." There were some advantages, Lois thought, to having the backing of Chief Henderson. If he hadn't sanctioned this one particular part of the investigation, then dear Mr. Oliver didn't need to know that. "Our agency has done nothing illegal," the man said quickly. "All of our adoptions are well documented. The health and welfare of the children we provide is unquestionable. The paperwork for each adoption is in order, from the release by the birth parent or parents to the final acceptance by the adoptive family. There is nothing questionable in our agency." Lois noted that the man was just a little to fervent, and sweating just a little too much. She decided to press her advantage. "Your children have medical records that cannot be verified," she told the man. "If Metropolis General Hospital has no record of their birth's, I'm not sure how you can have documentation of it." The agency director stood, towering above Lois' seated form. "Your accusations are groundless," he told her firmly. "I'll have to ask you to leave, now." Lois sighed as she stood. She was really too tired for this trip to have accomplished so little. The fatigue made her reckless, and she made a decision. "I wonder if Superman will agree that the accusations are groundless?" she offered. "He doesn't approve of agencies that steal children and sell them to the highest bidder." Lois turned to leave the room. She never felt the blow that knocked her unconscious. *** It was late. Too late. Lois should have been back hours ago. Clark shifted nervously as he glanced at the note Lois had left him. Gone to Morningside to rattle some cages. Wish me luck. Me. He had been back in the newsroom for over an hour, and she still hadn't checked in. The clock told him that it was after five, and the recording at the Morningside Orphanage office said that their hours ended at four-thirty. Lois should have been back by now. Clark took another look around the office. Everyone had gone home from this area, leaving only the night crew and Perry in his office. He wouldn't have to worry about anyone noticing he was gone. He walked to the elevator, still considering what he should do. Running to Lois' rescue would be sure to anger her if she wasn't in trouble, and yet he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that she was. Working with Lois over the last five years had taught him three things. Number one, it had taught him that it was possible for two people to completely compliment one another. He and Lois were opposites, in their outlook and their writing, and it was the blend of those opposing forces that made their work so good. Number two, Lois' independence would not be reigned in by his caution. She was good at what she did because she was reckless. She might listen to him when he cautioned her, but she would do what she needed to get her story, especially if it was a story that was close to her heart. And, number three, Clark had learned that if there was trouble to be found, Lois would find it. She attracted danger like a magnet, despite all her efforts to change. If he was worried, it was most likely for a very good reason. Lois was probably in trouble. Decision made, Clark entered the elevator and pressed the button for the roof, rather than the first-floor. He exited to the roof, executed a quick spin, and left the roof as Superman. If he was overreacting, then Lois would just have to deal with it. *** Lois awoke to a headache that was pervasive and acute. If she didn't have a concussion, she'd be very, very surprised. As bad as her head hurt, she could still feel the nagging pain in her lower back. Some days she just couldn't win. She shifted herself on the ground, only to discover that her hands and feet were both bound. It figured. They always tied her up, whoever "they" happened to be at the time. She thought back to how her day had begun, and the verbal sparring she had done to bring her to this point. Clark was going to kill her. She rolled as far as she could towards her back, taking the pressure from her chest. The new position made her head ache even more. Yes, definitely a concussion. Her vision was blurred, and her stomach queasy. Listening carefully, she could hear the edge of an argument. The words weren't all clear, but their point came through. "...do with her." "... thought about that... kill her." "Do you know what the police would do?" "Doesn't ... matter... money." "Endanger ... babies." It became too much effort to pay attention to the holes in the conversation. Lois closed her eyes, moved to wet her lips, and realized belatedly that she had something across her face. Probably duct tape, she reasoned. They always used something that was painful to remove, and the silver tape around her wrists was definitely duct tape. She spared a panicked thought that she hoped she didn't become ill. Throwing up with her mouth taped would be a problem. Finally, Lois closed her eyes again. She was far too tired to worry about illness. Her head hurt too bad for her to think about her husband. One thought tried to penetrate her mind - CJ would miss her - but it didn't h ave the strength. In a swirl of darkness, consciousness fled and Lois was no longer in pain. *** "We'll have to go low-profile," Mr. Oliver said simply. "No more abductions, and no more adoptions." "You kidnapped a reporter!" the woman next to him shrieked. "Do you have any clue at all what that will do to us?" "We'll have to slow operations," he reasoned. "Slow them? You imbecile! If you kill her, you'll have the police all over us. If you let her live, she'll put us in jail for the rest of our lives." "We can store her," he said with a smile. "No one will find her." "For how long? Besides, adults don't have enough regenerative capability for the formula to work. The process would kill her." "Do you have a better idea?" he asked. "Yes," she said pointedly. "Don't kidnap her in the first place, you moron!" "Look," he said, pacing now. "I panicked. She was way too close. She knew that the Capwell adoption was flawed, that we'd faked the medical reports. If that adoption is exposed, then every other one is in jeopardy." "I prefer that risk to what you've done," the woman said. She walked around the room, seated herself in a chair. She could see the corridors of storage units from here. Years of work, of study, of research. The operation was perfect. The only problem was the hired help. "We have over two-hundred viable children, here," she stated calmly. "At two-hundred-thousand dollars apiece, that's at least forty-million dollars. You have no clue what you've done." "Why can't we kill her, then store her?" he asked simply. "She's probably working on a dozen stories. There's no way they'll know she got close to us." "Possibly," she allowed. "But I know her. She's tenacious, and she's married. Her husband is tied-in with Superman, and I don't think he'll buy a disappearance." "That's right, you did deal with her and her husband, didn't you?" Oliver asked. "Did some jail time for that?" "Almost three months," she said. "I started this operation the day I got out. Thankfully the criminal justice system makes allowances for grieving widows." "I suppose it does," he agreed. "She and her husband have sent me to jail before," the woman went on. "I won't allow it to happen again. If you'd just kept your head about you, she would have been no more than a nuisance. As it is, you've complicated matters ridiculously." "She's still unconscious," he offered. "That gives us some time to plan." "That gives me time to plan," she clarified. "You've done quite enough thinking for today." *** Superman finally landed at home, rubbing tired hands over his face. He hadn't found a thing at the orphanage, or anywhere else. His last ditch hope was that she had come home. "Lois?" he called out, nerves making his voice louder than he'd intended. CJ cried out just as Martha rushed into the bedroom where Clark was standing. "Mom, has she been here?" he asked, his voice just short of frantic. "No, honey," she answered as she took CJ from Jonathan, who had followed her into the room. "She called around two to let us know that she was going to some orphanage before she came home. She was supposed to be here early." Clark took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried to think. He'd checked the orphanage. Nothing had looked out of the ordinary. When Clark's eyes reopened, it was to see CJ fussing and reaching towards him despite Martha's efforts to calm him. He hadn't seen his son in a week, and for just a moment he let his need overwhelm his worry. "Give him here, mom," he said softly. Talking the boy in his arms, he rocked and soothed him. The baby got quiet in record time, leaving Martha with an amused expression. "I think he needed that," Martha said softly. "I think we both did," Clark replied. "Where's your mommy, big guy?" he asked softly. He didn't expect the baby to have any answers, but he was unsure what else to do. His voice remained soft, his body swaying slightly to keep CJ quiet. "Mom, I've checked everywhere. I haven't found any trace of her. No one saw anything, anywhere. I even called Perry to see if he'd sent her on anything, as well as Chief Henderson. They don't have any clue, either." "You'll find her, son," Jonathan said gently. "You always do." "I always have," Clark corrected. "What if one of these times..." "Don't even think it," Martha said firmly. "You know Lois. She's gotten herself into something, and she's probably sitting there waiting for you to figure it out and get her home." Clark rubbed CJ's back, kissed him on the head, then handed his sleepy form to his mother. "Thanks, mom," he smiled. "I'm going to keep looking." "You do that," she agreed, kissing him lightly on the cheek even as she took her grandson into her arms. "Stop worrying, and go save the world." "I'd be happy just saving Lois," he admitted, his smile forced. "You do that, too," his father told him. "We'll hold down the fort until you get back. *** It didn't take Superman long to make it to the orphanage. As before, it was locked down. He used a little extra strength on the door; not enough to break it down, but enough to pop it open. He checked the area thoroughly, finally using his vision to get into the corners. It was so small, he almost missed it. He recalled Lois' insistence that a small purse was perfectly acceptable when you had a baby. Instead of sticking her personal things in the diaper bag, as he would have done, she carried the bag, the briefcase, and a small black purse. The same purse that was sitting beneath the chair in a locked office. Clark didn't bother with finesse, but instead it took out the door completely. He picked up Lois' small purse, checked inside for ID, just to be certain, then began searching in earnest. If her purse was here, chances were good that she was around there somewhere. The lead piping in the foundation made his search difficult. He felt as though he was looking through a fence, with the metal lines crisscrossing his vision. Still, he was persistent. Lois was missing, and finding her was worth any difficulty. After several frantic moments of searching, he located an area that was less densely crossed with the lead pipes. He didn't bother with looking for a door, but went directly through the floor. He found himself in a basement. The foundational supports were lighter because they were further away then those in the floor itself. Eventually, he located a lose area in the carpeting, and lifted it to find a lead-reinforced trap door. Clark was more than worried. Anyone who went through the expense of lining their basement with lead had something to hide, and that didn't bode well for his wife. He lifted the heavy trap door, and descended quietly into the sub-basement. He was silent as he walked through a long corridor. There were doors in the walls that resembled filing cabinets. Momentarily, he wondered if he'd wandered into the largest filing area of Metropolis. He closed his eyes, focused his mind, and concentrated. There was a light hum of machinery in the background, most likely an air filtration system of some sort, or a refrigeration unit. Beyond that sound were voices, faint and indistinct. He held his breath, concentrated more, and finally found what he sought. Distinctive in it's rhythm, Lois' heartbeat was strong and steady. He could pick it out of a crowd easily, from it's resting rate of sixty beats per minute, to it's slight whoosh of a murmur, a leftover from when she had contracted Mono years before. The physicians had assured her that her heart was as strong as ever, despite the slight enlargement of one valve. The murmur was innocent, and more distinctive than Clark had ever heard. It was a moving whistle, overplayed with the thump that he had learned to listen for. There was no doubt in his mind. Clark had found his wife. The heartbeat was on the other side of the voices, so he had to move quietly. Red and blue was rather obvious, so he didn't have any possibility of blending into the gray walls. He finally saw the people that were talking, an older man and a younger woman with a neat business suit and blond hair. He couldn't see her face, but there was something familiar about her voice. Discarding the thought, he focused on the man, who was looking more than a little guilty. The woman was clearly reprimanding him, and from the look on his face the man didn't appreciate it. The way that the man was facing, Clark didn't have the opportunity to slip by them. He had to content himself with waiting, trying to obtain at least some information from their discussion. Lois' heartbeat soothed him, reassured him. As long as she was fine, he could care less how long this took. "It was unprofessional and risky," the woman was saying. "I did the best I could," the man replied. "She wasn't leaving, and she threatened to have Superman checking on us. I knew you wouldn't want that kind of a risk." "I've dealt with Superman in the past," she informed him. "He has his weak points. One of them happens to be this woman, you imbecile! When you take Lois Lane, you might as well send an engraved invitation to the Man of Steel." "So we drop her someplace," he reasoned. "And have her report all of this, including her abduction, first hand? You are insane!" "Of course not. I'm talking about dropping her before she wakes up. I hit her pretty hard. I'm sure she's still out." "It doesn't matter," the woman told him. "None of it matters. We'll just have to begin transport of the children immediately. We can't be anywhere in the area when Superman starts looking for that obnoxious reporter." "Are the cells transportable?" "Of course, you moron. You think I would invest this much of my life into something that I couldn't take with me? The units can be moved in a moving van. Their batteries will keep them operational until we get to another electrical source." "I didn't know they had batteries. That's cool." "Metropolis has at least fifteen power-outages a year," the woman said, her voice condescending. "Of course they have battery backup. Otherwise, every one of those little gold mines would die the first time a car hit a light pole." "You really thought this out," he said in admiration. "Of course I did. I spent six months in a mental facility with nothing more to do than think, plan. I would have been better off in prison. At least guards don't require you to analyze every moment of your life. Anyway, if I had to have those memories of Dr. Heller in my head, at least I put them to use. The man did nothing but ramble for hours on end. He was the one that came up with the suspension formula. Couldn't make a living from it, though. Went into plastics just for the money. That's half the reason I killed him. Still, money is a better motivation than revenge." "They thought you were messed up from that husband of yours, didn't they? That's why they put you in that mental hospital." "It was only six months," she said calmly. "Six horrible, excruciating months." Clark listened, watched. He'd learned over the last few years not to rush in when criminals were explaining their motives. Most of this would be admissible in court, and Superman had a great deal of credibility as a witness. He could still hear Lois' heartbeat, steady and strong. If he felt like ripping the man's arms off for hitting her, then he would just have to control himself. Still, something about the conversation struck him as familiar. Doctor Heller? It sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it. Then, Clark sucked in a startled breath as the blond woman turned around. Arianna Carlin, Lex Luthor's first wife. (end chapter 3) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 05:25:55 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: John Debbage <106532.433@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Re: Universal Union Book3/Part9 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi, A very big thank you to all who have sent me feedback on this story. I hope I can continue to keep you all interested in this alternative universe. I know it has been mentioned many times that fdk is important = to a writer but I feel that I should say that I just don't appreciate your comments but that they turn an enjoyable hobby of mine into something mor= e worthwhile and make me feel very, very good. And Laurie, a slap-up dinner is usually very expensive and very good. Yours Jenni ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 05:26:23 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: John Debbage <106532.433@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Re: Breaking stories into parts MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi Dede, I can only agree with everything that's been said on this thread. My Kent Family series, although follow ons, are stand alone stories with seperate A-plots that are mainly resolved at the end of each story. Some= issues, however, might be carried on into the next story as with any real= life family. My Universal Union world is slightly different, with the theme of Kal-El'= s fight against the evil Rad-Nor being continued throughout. However, I split these stories into various books because, as Adam said, they had reached some sort of conclusion in the neverending battle. But mainly they were broken up for practical reasons. I felt that I need= ed a change from this alternative universe and to return to my family in Metropolis. I feel that sometimes a break from my one series to the oth= er gives me added verve on returning. And as others have mentioned, I didn'= t want the story sitting around in a forgotten file. The first book of Universal Union had already done that for some time before I finally post= ed it and it wouldn't have ever seen the light of day had Wendy not encourag= ed me to send it to the Archive. = Yours Jenni = ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 14:08:48 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jessi Mounts Subject: Grammer Question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This question is actually related to the ACT test I took today (What fun! ) and not to anything I'm writing, but who knows. Maybe it'll come up in a fanfic sometime. In the sentence, "You have to admire a company whose slogan is 'Just about the best,' is "whose" correct there, or should it be "that's"? Jessi ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 14:13:13 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jessi Mounts Subject: *Grammar* Question Correction Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In the preceding post, "grammer" should, of course, be spelled, "grammar". I can just see all of you reading that subject line and thinking, "Yeah, I bet she did really well on the test." Jessi ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 11:35:53 -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: Re: Grammer Question In-Reply-To: <384556317.986666928424.JavaMail.root@web569-mc> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I'd say 'whose' - the possessive. It refers to the fact that the slogan *belongs* to the company. Melisma (under her Rock, admitting that she could be wrong - she *did* just wake up, after all :) >In the sentence, "You have to admire a company whose slogan is 'Just about >the best,' is "whose" correct there, or should it be "that's"? > >Jessi Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 15:08:37 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Crystal Wimmer Subject: Re: Grammer Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 04/07/2001 2:09:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time, jessi914@MAIL.COM writes: > > In the sentence, "You have to admire a company whose slogan is 'Just about > the best,' is "whose" correct there, or should it be "that's"? > I'm gonna give the opposite answer as Wendy . "whose" refers to a person, and the company is not a person... so my answer would be "that's"... just to be sure, I'll send this question to my editor. I'm notorious for messing these up. It's almost become a joke for us, because she's very good at them. I'll let you know if I get a different answer back :) -Crys- (a writer WHO can be taught ) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 15:11:34 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Crystal Wimmer Subject: Re: Grammer Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 04/07/2001 3:09:57 PM Eastern Daylight Time, JCWimmer@AOL.COM writes: > > I'm gonna give the opposite answer as Wendy Make that, the opposite answer as Melisma . Wendy had just sent me a card, and I had her on my mind. Sorry about that :) -Crys- who really should double-check her posts BEFORE she sends them ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 12:22:34 -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: Re: Grammer Question In-Reply-To: <6b.125fb32f.2800bfb5@aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >> In the sentence, "You have to admire a company whose slogan is 'Just about >> the best,' is "whose" correct there, or should it be "that's"? >> > >I'm gonna give the opposite answer as Wendy . "whose" refers to a person, >and the company is not a person... so my answer would be "that's"... just to >be sure, I'll send this question to my editor. I'm notorious for messing >these up. It's almost become a joke for us, because she's very good at them. > I'll let you know if I get a different answer back :) > >-Crys- >(a writer WHO can be taught ) After reading your second post, Crys, I realized you meant me. So... 'That's' is short for 'that is'. Use it in the sentence and tell me if it makes sense to you: You have to admire a company *that is* slogan is 'Just about the best'... Does this make sense to you? It doesn't to me :) Melisma (stubbornly sticking to her guns under her Rock, knowing that other words could prolly be used appropriately there, but Jess was only given two - whose and that's - to choose between. And she is sticking with 'whose' :) Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 15:27:41 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Crystal Wimmer Subject: Re: Grammer Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 04/07/2001 3:21:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time, melisma@INTERGATE.CA writes: > > 'That's' is short for 'that is'. Use it in the sentence and tell me if it > makes sense to you: You have to admire a company *that is* slogan is 'Just > about the best'... Does this make sense to you? It doesn't to me :) LOL... I do believe you're right. I bet I'll hear from Min on this one... I may never live it down . Do you think I'll ever get the hang of possessives? Thats (without the appostrophe) isn't a word, is it? -Crys- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 16:26:43 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Crystal Wimmer Subject: Fwd: Grammer Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit When all else fails... ask an editor. You were right, Mel :) -Crys- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 13:42:16 -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: Re: Fwd: Grammer Question In-Reply-To: <82.955aca6.2800d203@aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 04:26 PM 07/04/2001 EDT, you wrote: >When all else fails... ask an editor. You were right, Mel :) > >-Crys- For a change, Crys :) I've been wrong far more times than I care to admit... Besides, there are *real* English teachers on this list. I'm not there yet, although I'll be starting in on my TESL course a week from Tuesday... Melisma (getting nervous under her Rock) Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 15:46:17 -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: Grammer Question On Sat, 7 Apr 2001 15:08:37 EDT, Crystal Wimmer wrote: >>>I'm gonna give the opposite answer as Wendy . "whose" refers to a person, and the company is not a person...<<< Well, even though it wasn't me, I'm going to be mischievous here... ;) In company law, a company *is* a person. It's a 'legal person', as I was taught in my company law course at university. :) Wendy ------------- Wendy Richards wendy@lcfanfic.com <======== Note new special email address! :) ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 13:55:06 -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: Re: Grammer Question In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Well, even though it wasn't me, I'm going to be mischievous here... ;) In >company law, a company *is* a person. It's a 'legal person', as I was >taught in my company law course at university. :) I suspected such, at least from a British persuasion, Wendy. I'm not sure how they view it in North America... But as I'd said, we were only given the two words to choose from, and 'whoose' made the better sense to me. Now, I think I've beat this poor horse to death, so I'll shut up about it. Unless you wanna take this to private email : >Wendy >------------- >Wendy Richards >wendy@lcfanfic.com <======== Note new special email address! :) I did! And boy, am I proud of you, Oh Great and Talented Author :) Melisma (under her Rock, flaunting her membership in the Wendy Richards' Number One Fan Club) Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 17:23:22 +1000 Reply-To: "jenerator@ozemail.com.au" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jen Stosser Subject: The Broken Hearts Club reviewed in Aussie Who Weekly MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This week's Who Weekly carries the following review, with no photos :-( : The Broken Hearts Club Timothy Olyphant, Dean Cain (M15+, 1hr 35min) Writer-director Greg Berlanti's Broken Hearts Club is a slice-in-the-life of a group of gay male friends, on the lookout for love in today's Los Angeles. There's the odd bout of smooching, given as how the boys are all single, good-looking and ripe for romance, and pages of philosophical discussion, given as how the boys are articulate, intelligent and as self-absorbed as only single guys in their tender 20s can reasonably (or unreasonably) be expected to be. Although the letdowns and dilemmas of 28-year-old shutterbug Dennis (Olyphant) and company are nothing much in the dazzlingly original department (The Boys in the Band took care of that back in 1970), Berlanti's debut screenplay moves confidently from introspective drama to perceptive humour; an always delicate and potentially mushy terrain whether inhabited by gays or straights. His script transcends its own narcissism not only because of the unalloyed sincerity of its cast, but because feeling lost and needing friends is a state of play to which everyone can relate. B (reviewed by Andiee Paviour, I think) There's no date of release on the review, but given that it's printed in this week's mag, I think it may be sooner than June 7! Aussie folcs! Ring your local Columbia Tristar office for more details? Jen jenerator@ozemail.com.au -*-This message is umop ap!sdn Jenerator or Some1Else on IRC) -*- JenerEight on AIM -*- Photos of David (8) and Megan (5) on the Stosser Family HomePage: http://www.geocities.com/j_stosser Please sign our guestbook! ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 15:03:37 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Judith Williams Subject: Re: Grammar Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit About whether you should use "whose" or "that's", this very question came up with one of my editors (hey Miz Rat!), who thought that it should be "that's" until I pointed out that "whose" is also the possessive of "which", which, as we know, refers to things; so "whose" may be used to refer to things as well as people. LabRat noted that Brits usually use "that's" which we do not use here in North America except to mean 'that is'. I wait for Gerry and Ann to elucidate further. :) Jude ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jessi Mounts" To: Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2001 11:08 AM Subject: Grammer Question > This question is actually related to the ACT test I took today (What fun! > ) and not to anything I'm writing, but who knows. Maybe it'll come up in > a fanfic sometime. > > In the sentence, "You have to admire a company whose slogan is 'Just about > the best,' is "whose" correct there, or should it be "that's"? > > Jessi > > > ______________________________________________ > FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com > Sign up at http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 23:13:17 +0100 Reply-To: LabRat Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Organization: LabRat Subject: Re: Grammar Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Curious, Jude. Because when I saw the original question I immediately thought it was whose. LabRat :) > About whether you should use "whose" or "that's", this very question came up > with one of my editors (hey Miz Rat!), who thought that it should be > "that's" until I pointed out that "whose" is also the possessive of > "which", which, as we know, refers to things; so "whose" may be used to > refer to things as well as people. LabRat noted that Brits usually use > "that's" which we do not use here in North America except to mean 'that is'. > I wait for Gerry and Ann to elucidate further. :) Jude > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jessi Mounts" > To: > Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2001 11:08 AM > Subject: Grammer Question > > > > This question is actually related to the ACT test I took today (What fun! > > ) and not to anything I'm writing, but who knows. Maybe it'll come up > in > > a fanfic sometime. > > > > In the sentence, "You have to admire a company whose slogan is 'Just about > > the best,' is "whose" correct there, or should it be "that's"? > > > > Jessi > > > > > > ______________________________________________ > > FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com > > Sign up at http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 17:24:15 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: lcfic Subject: Message Board Index Update through April 6 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi FoLCs! Two new stories begun, a vignette, lots of new story parts, a completed story, and a new toc all this week on Zoom's message board! Links at http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Meteor/7378/lnc.html New stories this week: FIRST NIGHT VII – COMPLICATIONS: CAROL MONCADO FULL CIRCLE – GROWING PAINS: CRYSTAL WIMMER LOIS' COOKING DIARY COMPLETE VIGNETTE UNKNOWN & SUPERMOM New part(s) posted: AN INNOCENT MAN: KESHANDRA BRAND NEW START I – SHATTERED DREAMS, A: KRAZ CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING CLARK, THE: CAROL MONCADO FUGUE II – FUSION: SHAYNE TERRY GREEN CARD: WENDY RICHARDS HAND THAT ROCKS, THE: PINTOFOLC HYSTERON PROTERON: ATTALANTA (AKA CHRISTY KUBIT) IMPERFECT HERO, THE: CHRISH PURITY: YVONNE CONNELL SERIAL VENGEANCE: TANK WILSON SERIAL VENGEANCE:A TANK ENDING LINK69 STORY OF A LIFETIME: ALL FOR MR. D8A SURVIVAL OF THE SIGNIFICANT: MANOFSTEEL30 TIME ELAPSED II – ONE SMALL STEP: HARMONY TIMESTORM: IRENE DUTCHAK UNIVERSAL UNION 3: JENNI DEBBAGE Completed stories this week: FIRST NIGHT VI – REVELATION: CAROL MONCADO New TOC's FULL CIRCLE – GROWING PAINS: CRYSTAL WIMMER Added to the Archive this week: none from Zoom's board Enjoy! Dawn & the Index Crew __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 22:38:11 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: Grammer Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jessi, I would use "whose" in this case. "That's" is the contraction of "that" and "is." I hope you guessed right. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 22:39:47 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: Grammer Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 4/7/01 3:28:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time, JCWimmer@AOL.COM writes: > Thats (without the appostrophe) isn't a word, is it? > Nope. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001 22:42:24 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: Grammer Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wendy wrote: > Well, even though it wasn't me, I'm going to be mischievous here... ;) In > >company law, a company *is* a person. It's a 'legal person', as I was > >taught in my company law course at university. :) > > It's the same in the United States. As for the grammar point, as Melisma already pointed out, "whose" is the possessive of both "who" and "which" and thus the correct answer. Ann