From: "L-Soft list server at Indiana University (1.8d)" To: "ARTF@MemoryAlpha.nil" File: "LOISCLA-GENERAL-L LOG0108E" ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 21:20:14 -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: Re: Athlete' Words of Wisdom MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Personally - I loved these! May not come up in fanfic - unless one of CKs old buddies comes around, but that's okay! CM ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 00:17:32 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carol L Moncado Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > They look like MnM's to me, too, Jude, and you're right that it > doesn't > make much sense. (Unless Lois hates blue M&M's as much as I do; > just > looking at them makes me sick. Bleccch. ;) THere is something inherently wrong with blue M&Ms - it's simply unnatural. It's like painting the White House purple. Some things are just wrong. That's all there is to it! (But everyone knows green is the best - home run, you know!) CM(who may be dating herself somewhat by admitting that she remembers fondly the commercials where eating a green M&M guaranteed you a home run) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 08:14:51 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Meredith Knight Subject: Re: Question: Jimmy + car? In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 There's something that's always puzzled me about Pheremone My Lovely. Jimmy drives up to the nightclub in an ultra-smooth red convertible of some sort, and talks to Amber. Then he wanders out into the road, nearly gets run down, and Superman flies him home. Where did he get the car, and what happened to it? Did it just get towed away from the front of the club??? Meredith Bethy Em writes >I remember this discussion coming up once (don't know where, and don't >remember the outcome), but did Jimmy ever have a car? I would like him to >have one in a short story I'm writing, but don't want to jar the readers too >much if he didn't. Would it jar y'all to have him have a car? > >If he can have one, what kind should it be? -- Meredith Knight ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 04:58:34 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 08/28/2001 10:45:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time, kathybrown91@HOME.COM writes: << LOIS It's an experience... (X) >> Kathy, what do those "X's" signify? --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 04:37:59 -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: Hand in the candy jar Laurie wrote: > >Kathy, what do those "X's" signify? Well, I'm not Kathy, but I know the answer. From my scripts, it seems that the Xs refer to a point where the script has been changed from a previous version. And - referring to a different thread - I'm sure you're right about the reason why all the 'continuity' elements, in particular Lex, were cut from early to mid S2 scripts, Kathy. I was just saying to someone in an email this morning that the same can be said in respect of TOGOM. After that ep, was there ever again a reference to how relieved and delighted Lois was to get Clark back? Was there a sign of their relationship deepening? Well, not in BftB! And that lack of any subsequent mention of Clark's 'death' was what motivated me to write my first fic. See what you'd have been spared if the writers/producers had done a proper job at that point! Wendy (who loves Kathy's TOTGA and TTLG, as well as FA and the sequel to TTLG). ------------ Wendy Richards Wendy@lcfanfic.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 06:24:54 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: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/28/2001 6:10:28 PM Eastern Daylight Time, wendy@KINGSMEADOWCR.FREESERVE.CO.UK writes: > > So what would you write about, Kathy? Personally, I can't choose between > The One That Got Away, WFBL and Winners. :) Or maybe even Through The > Looking Glass! > > Better yet, write it down and send it to me . I'd love to have you on the site, Kathy :) -Crys- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 06:48:30 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: The Author's Mind... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Greetings Writers AND Readers!! In the past, I have sent out individual invitations to Authors Mind, rather in the tradition of Author's Showcase. However, the bottom line is that there are FAR MORE authors out there than I can track down through old e-mail addresses and such. In addition, y'all are SOOO busy... I know it's tough to find the time to pick a favorite and write up an essay. I would like all authors who would be willing to write for Author's Mind to please let me know. If you have a story in the archive - either archive - YOU ARE WELCOME. If you can't do it now, then e-mail me when you can... or e-mail me now and you can save the info and work on it over time. I'm REALLY flexible ;) Kathy mentioned nFic stories, and frankly I don't have a problem with them. So long as the essay is not graphic, the story will still be protected on Anne's site so nothing will have changed there. I could post a note that the story is available in nFic only, and therefore only of interest to those 18 or older - and those who wish to read/read about nFic. I might even be able to have Anne place the essay on the password protected site, with just a link from the main site... Anne? Whaccha think?? I'm also not opposed to authors writing TWO essays... one for an nFic favorite and the other PG... I mean darn, we'd just have to READ about two . Hardship. Sigh . It's not that I'm trying to make life tough on the under-18 crowd... just that stories like Winners are too good to be missed... they have a story too, and I'd love to hear it. I also know it's Anne's favorite, too . So, bottom line, I think we should allow nFic only stories on the Author's Mind as well. Thoughts? Input? Ideas? Kathy ? Just some thoughts... thanks so much for the opportunity to ramble, and also for the wonderful response to the site. I appreciate all the feedback I've received, and I do want to thank each of you (although work has made it impossible to do that individually). I've found the site especially beneficial, because I've had the opportunity to read a few stories I'd missed along the way... and I haven't regretted a minute of that either. We have such TALENT in FoLCdom!! Anyone interested in writing for The Author's Mind should send me an e-mail at: JCWimmer@aol.com I'll send you the official invitation and the guidelines (should you want them)... you may not, as you've seen the format enough times now. If I had my way, I'd have every author in the archive up there! That's just me, though , but hey... I *did* start the site. C'mon FoLCs... give me so many responses that I have to put up 2 authors a week ! -Crys- Manager, The Author's Mind... Come take a look into the Author's Mind at: www.geocities.com/authorsmind/main.html ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 05:56:45 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chris Carr Subject: OT: Illya / MFU (was Re: Mary Sue Characters) You can add me to the list of people who like Illya. :) If anyone is interested, there is some Man From UNCLE fan fiction at: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Orion/5317/index.html Chris ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 12:16:38 +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: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Well, if we can also have stories which are nfic only, as opposed to the writer's PG fics, then I hope that Kathy will give us Winners *and* one of her fantastic PG stories. And Sheila might even tell us about her nfic Mxysplit. Shame the Gorn seems to have dropped out of sight; it'd be lovely to hear about Consummate Revelation. So, what other nfics, as opposed to PGfics, would people like to see authors discuss? Crys, should this be copied to the nfic list? Wendy -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 08:21:55 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: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/28/01 10:45:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time, kathybrown91@HOME.COM writes: > Since today was CoM, Friday's episode should be BftB, > assuming they go in order. (And that means Thursday should be ...da da da! > ... TOGOM! /me does a happy dance around the computer room. ) > Well, this morning I was unpleasantly surprised to find the Goodwill Games on TNT. The announcer was saying that it was 5 am in the eastern US and this would be on 3 mornings from 5-8, but I KNOW it was 8 am here. Why else would I be turning on the TV? :( --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 13:30:08 +0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: superman is a legend Subject: Re: Athlete' Words of Wisdom Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed hey, since these threads have been going I've decided to add this, I was listening to a game of footy(aussie rules) on the radio and the commentator said "And he's kicked the ball straight to James Hird... unfortunately he's on the bench" It might not be funny if you don't know aussie rules but I found it amusing :) -Kal_EL348 (go West Coast Eagles!!) Amy: "I know what his heart wants" Buffy: "Funny, I know what your face whats" *#! POW !#* -Buffy The Vampire Slayer >From: "Marilyn L. Puett" >Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" > >To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU >Subject: Athlete' Words of Wisdom >Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 17:14:09 -0500 > >Nan's courtroom statements and Ursula's post prompted me to post this email >that I received. Of course, I have a son in college on an athletic >scholarship. But I swear I've NEVER heard him make a statement as dumb as >these. ;-) > >Athletes' Words of Wisdom > > >"I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes." >--Senior basketball player at the University of Pittsburgh >____________________________________________________________ > >"Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like >Norman Einstein." >--Football commentator and former player Joe Theismann, 1996 >____________________________________________________________ > >"You guys line up alphabetically by height." >--Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach >____________________________________________________________ > >"You guys pair up in groups of three, then line up in a circle." >--Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach >____________________________________________________________ > >Clemson recruit Ray Forsythe, who was ineligible as a freshman because >of academic deficiencies: "I play football. I'm not trying to be a >professor. The tests don't seem to make sense to me, measuring your >brain on stuff I haven't been through in school." >____________________________________________________________ > >Boxing promoter Dan Duva on Mike Tyson hooking up again with promoter >Don King: "Why would anyone expect him to come out smarter? He went to >prison For three years, not Princeton." >____________________________________________________________ > >Stu Grimson, Chicago Blackhawks left wing, explaining why he keeps a >color photo of himself above his locker: "That's so when I forget how to >spell my name, I can still find my clothes." >____________________________________________________________ > >Shaquille O'Neal on whether he had visited the Parthenon during his >visit to Greece: "I can't really remember the names of the clubs we went >to." ____________________________________________________________ > >Shaquille O'Neal on his lack of championships: "I've won at every level, >except college and pro." >____________________________________________________________ > >Lou Duva, veteran boxing trainer, on the Spartan training regime of >heavyweight Andrew Golota: "He's a guy who gets up at six o'clock in the >morning regardless of what time it is." >____________________________________________________________ > >Pat Williams, Orlando Magic general manager, on his 1992 team's 7-27 >record: "We can't win at home. We can't win on the road. As general >manager, I just can't figure out where else to play." >____________________________________________________________ > >Chuck Nevitt, North Carolina State basketball player, explaining to >Coach Jim Valvano in 1982 why he appeared nervous at practice: "My >sister's expecting a baby, and I don't know if I'm going to be an uncle >or an aunt." >____________________________________________________________ > >Tommy Lasorda, Dodgers manager, when asked in 1981 what terms >Mexican-born pitching sensation Fernando Valenzuela might settle for in >his upcoming contract negotiations: "He wants Texas back." >____________________________________________________________ > >Darrell Royal, Texas football coach, asked in 1966 if the abnormal >number of Longhorn injuries that season resulted from poor physical >conditioning: "One player was lost because he broke his nose. How do you >go about getting a nose in condition to play football?" >____________________________________________________________ > >Mike McCormack, coach of the hapless Baltimore Colts, after the 1981 >team's co-captain, offensive guard Robert Pratt, pulled a hamstring >running onto the field for the coin toss against St. Louis: "I'm going >to send the injured reserve players out for the toss next time." >____________________________________________________________ > >Steve Spurrier, Florida football coach, telling Gator fans in 1991 that >a fire at Auburn's football dorm had destroyed 20 books: "But the real >tragedy was that 15 hadn't been colored yet." >____________________________________________________________ > >Jim Finks, New Orleans Saints general manager, when asked after a 1986 >loss what he thought of the refs: "I'm not allowed to comment on lousy >officiating." >____________________________________________________________ > >Alan Kulwicki, stock-car racer, on racing Saturday nights as opposed to >Sunday afternoons: "It's basically the same, just darker." >____________________________________________________________ > >Lincoln Kennedy, Oakland Raiders tackle, on his decision not to vote: "I >was going to write myself in, but I was afraid I'd get shot." >____________________________________________________________ > >Jim Colletto, Purdue football coach and former assistant at Arizona >State and Ohio State, on his 11-year-old son's reaction after he took >the job with the Boilermakers: "He said: 'Gosh, Dad, that mean's we're >not going to any more bowl games.'" >____________________________________________________________ > >LaVell Edwards, BYU football coach and one of 14 children: "They can't >fire me because my family buys too many tickets." >____________________________________________________________ > >Frank Layden, Utah Jazz president, on a former player: "I told him, >'Son, what is it with you? Is it ignorance or apathy?' He said, 'Coach, >I don't know and I don't care.'" >____________________________________________________________ > >Torrin Polk, University of Houston receiver, on his coach, John Jenkins: >"He treats us like men. He lets us wear earrings." >____________________________________________________________ > >Shelby Metcalf, basketball coach at Texas A&M, recounting what he told a >player who received four Fs and one D: "Son, looks to me like you're >spending too much time on one subject." _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 23:15:37 +0930 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LizO Subject: Re: Athlete' Words of Wisdom MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ROTFL!! I think it translates! Liz (Go Crows!) ----- Original Message ----- From: "superman is a legend" To: Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 11:00 PM Subject: Re: Athlete' Words of Wisdom > hey, > since these threads have been going I've decided to add this, > I was listening to a game of footy(aussie rules) on the radio and the > commentator said > "And he's kicked the ball straight to James Hird... unfortunately he's on > the bench" > It might not be funny if you don't know aussie rules but I found it amusing > :) > > -Kal_EL348 (go West Coast Eagles!!) > > Amy: "I know what his heart wants" > Buffy: "Funny, I know what your face whats" > *#! POW !#* > -Buffy The Vampire Slayer > > > ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 09:28:23 -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: Hand in the candy jar On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 08:21:55 EDT, No Name Available wrote: >Well, this morning I was unpleasantly surprised to find the Goodwill Games on >TNT. The announcer was saying that it was 5 am in the eastern US and this >would be on 3 mornings from 5-8, but I KNOW it was 8 am here. Why else would >I be turning on the TV? :( I discovered that, too, Laurie, so I guess we'll have to wait to watch these episodes. I hopped over to TNT's website -- it lists the Goodwill Games lasting from Aug 28 to Sept 9. (They list the times as 5-8 am, then 8-11 am, so that's why it was still on at 8.) L&C will begin airing again on Monday, Sept 10. That should be a pretty great week in FoLCdom. After starting out with OB on Monday, we get TOGOM (Tues), BftB (Wed), Season's Greedings (Thurs), and Metallo (Friday). Three of my favorite eps in one week -- what more could a FoLC want?? (Well, ok, there is that thing about Dean Cain showing up on my doorstep giftwrapped, but that's a whole 'nother kind of happiness. ;)) Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 09:38:44 -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: Question: Jimmy + car? On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 08:14:51 +0100, Meredith Knight < meredith@PUTWET.DEMON.CO.UK> wrote: >There's something that's always puzzled me about Pheremone My Lovely. >Jimmy drives up to the nightclub in an ultra-smooth red convertible of >some sort, and talks to Amber. Then he wanders out into the road, >nearly gets run down, and Superman flies him home. Where did he get the >car, and what happened to it? Did it just get towed away from the front >of the club??? I always figured he either rented it to impress her, or went out and spent a few months' wages on the down payment, something he'd definitely regret when he 'sobered up'. As for what happened to it, yeah, I bet it was towed! I bet he had quite a time the next morning trying to clean up that loose end. :) Oh, and as for the original question about Jimmy's car, we've seen him in both an old Mustang convertable and on a motorcycle, but I think for fanfic purposes you can be pretty flexible. I think it would be well within consistent characterization to have Jimmy go through several different kinds of transportation, depending on how much money he has saved up, what kind of deal he found, etc. For instance, when that Mustang from LL breaks, he might have nothing for awhile until he can save up some extra cash to get it fixed, during which time, he'd be on his motorcycle or riding the bus ... you get the idea. :) Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 09:45:01 -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: Hand in the candy jar On Tue, 28 Aug 2001 22:41:02 -0500, Shadow Fax wrote: It started bugging me so much that I >watched about 3 hours of LnC eps on fast play just so I could find it. It >*is* in Metallo. It takes place in the newsroom just after Perry chews out >Lois and Clark for talking about non-work related matters when he needs a >story before deadline. > Meanwhile, she's picking pieces of candy out of her >hand and putting them back in the jar. Thanks, Shadow Fax, now we have another scene to watch for when TNT starts airing eps again the week of Sept 10. :D Incidentally, I did check the script now that I knew where to look, and there was no mention of any action at all, just the dialogue. I guess that's the kind of stuff they add in during filming. :) Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 07:58:04 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chief Pam Subject: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit re: allowing nfic stories to be discussed Gosh, it's a shame Wendy's already had a turn, because I'm sure there *must* be a story behind "Without Consent"... :) That was an amazing story, even if I did want to smack Clark (and Wendy) about the time he moved to London... So, if you're going to allow nfic, Crys, d'you think you should change the site's name? How about "The Author's Dirty Mind" /me runs and hides Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam **note new address** "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of having a country of English cooks, German lovers, French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." --P. J. O'Rourke ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wendy Richards" To: Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 7:16 AM Subject: Re: The Author's Mind > Well, if we can also have stories which are nfic only, as opposed to the > writer's PG fics, then I hope that Kathy will give us Winners *and* one of > her fantastic PG stories. And Sheila might even tell us about her nfic > Mxysplit. Shame the Gorn seems to have dropped out of sight; it'd be > lovely to hear about Consummate Revelation. > > So, what other nfics, as opposed to PGfics, would people like to see authors > discuss? Crys, should this be copied to the nfic list? > > > Wendy > > -------------------------- > Wendy Richards > w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk > ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 08:29:46 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chief Pam Subject: Re: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >>But off the top of my head, I'd have to say my favorite Wendy stories are "It Happened One Super Night" and its sequel "It's a Super Life". A very satisfying combination of WHAMs and WAFFs in those stories; heavenly. :)<< I really have a hard time picking a favorite Wendy story because I tend to hate her beginnings and love her endings I think the last half of Faux Pas is fantastic (one of my favorite revelation scenes, and lovely relationship stuff) ... but I still haven't read most of the beginning I really liked "Dear Lois, Love Superman", and I really enjoyed working with her on Green Card... she's written so many! Not that I'm complaining! >>Pam has written several stories that I love. I'm glad someone else mentioned "In Any Universe" because I just adored it; I had a hard time deciding between that one and "Tryst" for which one I liked better. Pam has some older stories that still rank on my favorites list, though -- one that comes to mind is her "Second Chances". :)<< Thanks :) At the time, SC was a huge challenge for me -- I actually had a *villain*! And a *plot*, eek! And I was writing in weekly fear that the show's third season would ruin my idea (the advantage of writing for a cancelled series is that you don't have to worry about the canon changing ) -- one of the reasons I wrote the story in the first place is that I *knew* that once Lois was in on the secret, she'd have to have amnesia at some point; I wanted to make it a positive experience. So I was very happy to have finished *my* amnesia story before the show did theirs... The story behind In Any Universe is pretty much laid out in the author's note ... my friend Claire outlined her vision for a very confident, outgoing alt-Lois (to balance out a hesitant & reserved alt-Clark). I took that image and just expanded it. And I was fighting with my mother in law at the time, so it was fun to take all that out on writing Lana even though I wanted to make it clear in the end that Lana wasn't evil, just self-centered. >>As for Zoom's stories, I've always been partial to "You Made Me Love You" and its sequel "Wheels of Justice". << Yeah, me too ... I also loved Cyberlink, and Ultra Matum, and basically everything she wrote Zoom has such fantastic insight into the characters, and does hilarious similies. Remember the 'teaser stud'? Wendy asked: >>So what would you write about, Kathy? Personally, I can't choose between The One That Got Away, WFBL and Winners. :) Or maybe even Through The Looking Glass!<< And don't forget Camping With Clark! Though I am very fond of The One That Got Away and The Epic ;) >>I was very glad that Pam chose Tryst; much as I love some of her earlier work, including her very first fic, Tryst just did something for me in a very special way. << Thank you, Wendy :) Tryst was special for me, too, as it was about twice as long and complicated as anything else I'd written to that point... >>And if we get Chris Mulder, I'd love to see her talk about Love Beyond All Measure/Dimensions of Loving. I love those stories!<< I'll send her Crys's open invitation (I already forwarded her the kind comments from you and Kathy) Those are special to me, too -- I can still remember reading LBAM for the first time ... and I definitely remember the torture of beta-reading DoL! Chris was the original Queen of the A-plots; I don't recall that many other people were doing them back then. Kathy said: >>There are other S5/6 episodes I'm proud of, too<< Yeah, and the story behind S5/6 was quite an epic of its own... but that might take way too long to tell Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam **note new address** "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of having a country of English cooks, German lovers, French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." --P. J. O'Rourke ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathy Brown" To: Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2001 5:29 PM Subject: Re: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology > On Tue, 28 Aug 2001 14:09:05 -0400, Chief Pam wrote: > > > I > >admit that "FTGG" was not my personal favorite of Wendy's stories (although > >I'd be hard pressed to name a favorite!), but I enjoyed the interview > >anyway. > > I haven't read FTGG (and don't plan, too, as Wendy knows .. sorry, Wendy, > it's that wimp thing again. ) But off the top of my head, I'd have to say > my favorite Wendy stories are "It Happened One Super Night" and its sequel > "It's a Super Life". A very satisfying combination of WHAMs and WAFFs in > those stories; heavenly. :) > > Pam has written several stories that I love. I'm glad someone else mentioned > "In Any Universe" because I just adored it; I had a hard time deciding > between that one and "Tryst" for which one I liked better. Pam has some > older stories that still rank on my favorites list, though -- one that comes > to mind is her "Second Chances". :) > > As for Zoom's stories, I've always been partial to "You Made Me Love You" and > its sequel "Wheels of Justice". (The third story in the series, "Great Shades > of Elvis" was also good, but it's the first two that get me every time. :)) > But there is just nothing I can say that's not glowing about "Always > Something There To Remind Me", the story she picked. I remember having two > thoughts when I finished the story -- first, that it was as close to perfect > as any fanfic could be, and second ... that I was SO glad I had finished > writing my own Alt story, "Through The Looking Glass", for S5 before reading > hers. I don't know that I would have had the enthusiam for my own story if I > had read her wonderful one first! :) > > Kathy :) > ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 10:12:18 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology On Tue, 28 Aug 2001 16:29:13 -0500, Kathy Brown wrote: >On Tue, 28 Aug 2001 14:09:05 -0400, Chief Pam wrote: > >> I >>admit that "FTGG" was not my personal favorite of Wendy's stories (although >>I'd be hard pressed to name a favorite!), but I enjoyed the interview >>anyway. > >I haven't read FTGG (and don't plan, too, as Wendy knows .. sorry, Wendy, >it's that wimp thing again. ) But off the top of my head, I'd have to say >my favorite Wendy stories are "It Happened One Super Night" and its sequel >"It's a Super Life". A very satisfying combination of WHAMs and WAFFs in >those stories; heavenly. :) > I'm *almost* in agreement with you here, Kathy , but I would choose "A Conscious Choice" over "It Happened One Super Night." I like FTGG (and unlike you, I actually read it ), but I had to close my eyes during the most angsty parts. ;-) So I think I would have to go for the stories like IHOSN and "A Conscious Choice." For me, "A Conscious Choice" just edges out IHOSN. The situation that Clark gets into because of his unwise decision to enter into a relationship with Lois as Superman, and the consequences for both Lois and Clark, makes, in your words: quote, a very satisfying combination of WHAMs and WAFFs, unquote . My preference for this story ties in with what Hazel was saying earlier about not wanting characters to be perfect. Clark makes a mistake here, and suffers for it. But it makes for darn good reading! As for *your* stories, Kathy, I *would have* said that WFBL is my favorite, but that's because I forgot that you were the one who wrote TTLG. I *love* TTLG, even more than Movers and Shakers. M&S had an exciting A-plot, and I always enjoy stories where the two Clarks appear together (loved that line where Lois said that she had two Supermen to look after her ), but I like "Through the Looking Glass" even more. I guess it's because of the contrast between the bleak future Clark was facing at the beginning of the story, and the hope that you left him with in the end. For the others who have appeared on Crys's website: I haven't read all of Dawn's stories, since some of them are in Nfic only, but of the ones I've read, my personal choice is the same as hers: "What If I Never Left Krypton." It has a slightly - I don't know the word: mystical? magical? - quality throughout, wonderful WAFFs, and best of all, a happy ending. :-) For Chris H., yes, I would go with "Brave New World" (lots of WAFFs and WHAMs in that one!), although I really got a kick out of "Metropolis Nights," too. I've already said that Pam's personal pick is also my favorite. For Zoomway, I'm not sure that I could pick *one* favorite. I love "Always Something There to Remind Me," but I've always had a soft spot for "Cruise Control," too. :) I'm looking forward very much to more of these interviews. Keep 'em coming, guys. :-) Shadowfax ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 16:24:37 +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: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sorry to spam everyone again, but... Pam wrote: > I really have a hard time picking a favorite Wendy story because I tend to > hate her beginnings and love her endings I think the last half of Faux > Pas is fantastic (one of my favorite revelation scenes, and lovely > relationship stuff) ... but I still haven't read most of the beginning > I really liked "Dear Lois, Love Superman", and I really enjoyed working with > her on Green Card... she's written so many! Not that I'm complaining! :blush :blush But thank you, Pam! One of these days I'll try to come up with a first half you'll love... but then you might hate the end... And I think you're the first beta-reader I've had who only read the second half of the story! > Thanks :) At the time, SC was a huge challenge for me -- I actually had a > *villain*! And a *plot*, eek! And I was writing in weekly fear that the > show's third season would ruin my idea (the advantage of writing for a > cancelled series is that you don't have to worry about the canon changing > ) -- one of the reasons I wrote the story in the first place is that I > *knew* that once Lois was in on the secret, she'd have to have amnesia at > some point; I wanted to make it a positive experience. So I was very happy > to have finished *my* amnesia story before the show did theirs... See, you're part of an elite group: you were online and writing fanfic while the series was still in production! I was *reading* fanfic at that time, but I didn't stay on the LOISCLA list (I joined it briefly during S3) because of spoilers for eps which hadn't yet been shown in the UK. Anyone remember a time when people were posting their preferred resolutions for the NK arc? That's when I joined. Zoom's stories: > Yeah, me too ... I also loved Cyberlink, and Ultra Matum, and basically > everything she wrote Zoom has such fantastic insight into the > characters, and does hilarious similies. Remember the 'teaser stud'? Oh, she's amazingly talented. My personal favourite, though, is Counter Clark-Wise - sheer ingenuity. I do like Always Something There... - great premise, but what spoils it for me is that I can't help feeling that there's something wrong about Clark pretending to be blind to give himself a new cover. I just would prefer that she'd come up with a different solution to the lack of secret identity. > And don't forget Camping With Clark! Though I am very fond of The One > That Got Away and The Epic ;) Kathy knows, I think, that CWC isn't my favourite of her stories; while she wimps out of the angsty stories, I get all saccharined out of the WAFF-only ones. I think I'd be happy if she wrote about just about any of her other stories! Revisionist History; When Day Breaks...; oh, and all the stories we've already mentioned! > Yeah, and the story behind S5/6 was quite an epic of its own... but that > might take way too long to tell Well, why not? You and Kathy really should do a joint interview on that subject! As for 'too long', somehow I doubt that concept exists! Wendy -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 10:30:48 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 00:17:32 -0500, Carol L Moncado wrote: > >THere is something inherently wrong with blue M&Ms - it's simply >unnatural. It's like painting the White House purple. Some things are >just wrong. That's all there is to it! ROTFL! I'm glad that someone else hates the blue ones, too. :) (But everyone knows green is the >best - home run, you know!) > >CM(who may be dating herself somewhat by admitting that she remembers >fondly the commercials where eating a green M&M guaranteed you a home >run) I'm sure that I'm old enough to remember them - but I don't! What were the commercials like? Shadowfax ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 10:42:45 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 09:45:01 -0500, Kathy Brown wrote: >On Tue, 28 Aug 2001 22:41:02 -0500, Shadow Fax >wrote: > >It started bugging me so much that I >>watched about 3 hours of LnC eps on fast play just so I could find it. It >>*is* in Metallo. It takes place in the newsroom just after Perry chews out >>Lois and Clark for talking about non-work related matters when he needs a >>story before deadline. >> Meanwhile, she's picking pieces of candy out of her >>hand and putting them back in the jar. > >Thanks, Shadow Fax, now we have another scene to watch for when TNT starts >airing eps again the week of Sept 10. :D > >Incidentally, I did check the script now that I knew where to look, and there >was no mention of any action at all, just the dialogue. I guess that's the >kind of stuff they add in during filming. :) > >Kathy Thanks again for checking, Kathy. :) I've been wondering about that ever since you started talking about differences between the scripts and what we actually saw on screen. I'll be looking forward to discussion of more of the "lost" scenes. :-) Shadowfax ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 11:11:52 -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: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > ROTFL! I'm glad that someone else hates the blue ones, too. :) hehehe - imagine grown up people hating a piece of candy based simply on color (especially since it still gives the same chocolate fix!)! Now light blue for Easter is okay, but the blue in the regular bags... > >CM(who may be dating herself somewhat by admitting that she > remembers > >fondly the commercials where eating a green M&M guaranteed you a > home > >run) > > I'm sure that I'm old enough to remember them - but I don't! What > were the > commercials like? Let's see - it was probably mid 80s, maybe early mid, but there were these 2 kids sitting on the bench at a LIttle League type game eating M&Ms. The one kid asks the other kid a question about them and he says that he only eats greens because they will give him a home run (I think some versions had which color got you a single etc.). So he goes up to bat and sure enough - home run! Always ate green M&Ms before I played softball so that I could hit the home run (but it never worked for me!) CM (who is one of the weird people who, when given a handful of M&Ms eats them in a certain color order - blue first and saving the best - green - for last!) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 12:12:38 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Seidl Subject: Fanfic Question: Lois' youth Hi everyone, de-lurking again for some questions I have for a fanfic idea that won't let go of me. :) Firstly, was that rivalry between Lois and Linda King in high school or college? And secondly, does anyone know what high school Lois went to? Thanks in advance. -Kathy- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 13:22:58 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chief Pam Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >>CM (who is one of the weird people who, when given a handful of M&Ms eats them in a certain color order - blue first and saving the best - green - for last!) << You're not the only weird person, Carol, but I have a different pattern... I like to even up the colors so I have the same number of each (though I don't really worry about that til it gets down to 3 of these, 4 of those...) and then eat one of each color so that the proportions stay the same ;) Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam **note new address** "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of having a country of English cooks, German lovers, French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." --P. J. O'Rourke ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 10:31:38 -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: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Kathy wrote: > Incidentally, I did check the script now that I knew where to look, and there > was no mention of any action at all, just the dialogue. I guess that's the > kind of stuff they add in during filming. :) > ----I love all those little bits that just seem to pop up unexpectedly. One of my favorites is in HOL when Lois gets off the elevator snapping her fingers and bobbing her head. I doubt that it was scripted. I've always thought it was another little add-on by Teri to show us more of Lois's character. Who but Lois would juke to elevator music? :) Jude ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 12:35:36 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 01/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 01/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public Summary: In order to keep from being redundant, I won't post this summary at the top of each installment, but here's the basic idea: This is based on the idea Pam Jernigan alerted us to here on this list, regarding the old Carolina law stating that if a man and a woman checked into a hotel as husband and wife, they were legally married. Well, insert some good old-fashioned clerical errors and bumbling city hall officials, and it's enough to drive Lois crazy, especially when she's engaged to and making wedding preparations with Lex! But maybe the Gods are just trying to get our favorite couple together once and for all... Thanks a million times over to Wendy and Pam (and occasionally Anne ), for BR this for me, and for all the help of the wonderful people on Zoom's MBs. (However, if you first read this there, you'll notice a lot has been changed here and there since you gave me such great suggestions. ;) Now, without further ado, part 1: ***** "Excuse me, I'm WHAT?!" Lois stared at the city clerk on the other side of the window in utter disbelief. "According to my records, you're already married," the clerk repeated, more slowly this time. "I am *not*," Lois insisted adamantly. "I would *know* if I was married! You think a woman forgets something like that? Maybe *you* would," she spat out, causing the clerk to stiffen defensively, "but I certainly wouldn't! I am not married!" "Yes, you are. It says right here that you are, as of (check HiM dates)." "Who does it say I'm married *to*?" "Umm..." the clerk mumbled as she studied the records on more time. "A Mr. Clark Kent." "WHAT?!" Lois's face went pale. "There's no way that's even possible! I'm not married, and certainly not to Clark! Let me see that!" She hurried around the edge of the counter and pushed through the swinging door to go stand behind the startled clerk. "Miss, you can't come back here," the clerk objected. But Lois wasn't listening. She stopped beside her and bullied her way over to see the screen the clerk was getting her information from. There it was. In black and white. Lois and Clark Kent had been married on December 12th, 1993. "How...how is this possible?" she stammered, her voice a strangled whisper. "We never got married. We never did. I would've remembered something like that." She turned to stare at the clerk in confusion. "How could this be possible?" The clerk's somewhat sympathetic expression started to fade. "I'm sorry, Miss, I don't explain 'em. I just read 'em. Now, if you honestly don't know, I suggest trying 'records' on the third floor. Next!" As the clerk turned her attention to the next person in line, Lois backed away in a daze and pushed unseeingly through the swinging door at the end of the counter. Married. She was married to Clark. How could this be? Unaware of anything around her, she wandered out of the office and stepped out into the hall, where she stopped. She stood there in silent disbelief for a moment, then shuffled over to a nearby bench in the hall and slumped down onto it. This couldn't be happening! She was supposed to marry Lex in two weeks. Two weeks! How was she supposed to explain this? "Oh, by the way, Lex, I have to wrangle myself a quickie divorce. From who? Well, Clark, of course. Didn't I mention that he and I were married?" She groaned and slumped over, dropping her head into her hands. This was a nightmare! How was she supposed to fix this? She took a couple of shaky breaths, forcing herself to calm down. 'Breathe, Lois. Just relax. This can't be right. This is just some ridiculous oversight. There's got to be something you can do to prove that this is just all some big mistake!' After a couple more forced, deep breaths, Lois gathered herself together, straightened her shoulders, and jutted out her chin. This was all a big mistake. And heads were going to roll around these city offices if they didn't fix the problem. And fix it *right now.* And with that, she stood up and headed for the supervisors' offices upstairs. ***** After two hours of battling city workers who knew nothing, trying to track down supervisors who didn't seem to exist, and working her way through miles of red tape, she was exhausted, both mentally and physically. "It's useless," she grumbled as she left the city offices building in disgust. "I can't believe I just wasted an entire morning getting the runaround!" On the short drive to the Planet, however, her exhaustion eventually turned to anger as she kept remembering how she'd been patronized by everyone she talked to, and belittled by stupid city officials. There was nothing she hated more than being talked down to, and if that hadn't been enough, how was she supposed to explain this to Lex, much less fix this in the mere two weeks she had left before her wedding? By the time she arrived at the Planet, she had worked herself into a tantrum, and was absolutely livid. When the elevator chimed and the door opened, she stomped out of the elevator and down the ramp to the newsroom floor. Her coworkers immediately saw the dreaded and all-too-familiar 'Mad Dog Lane' look on her face and quickly got out of her way. It was an unspoken rule at the Planet. When Lois had that look, you'd better run for cover. She'd barely gotten to the newsroom floor when Clark's uncanny sixth sense alerted him to her presence, and he looked up from the notes he was reading at his desk, and offered her a friendly smile. But when he took in her angry eyes and her tightly clenched jaw, his smile quickly faded. 'Uh-oh,' he thought. 'Something is definitely wrong.' He pushed his chair back from his desk and stood up cautiously. They'd only been partners for a few months, but in that time, he'd gotten to know her probably better than anybody else ever had. Or ever would. And he could tell from the look on her face that an approach required caution. 'Especially these days,' he thought dejectedly as he decided how to approach her in her obviously agitated state. Their relationship had been more than a little strained lately with everything that had happened between them in the past couple of weeks. Their partnership had never been smooth and trouble-free to begin with, since they were both very strong-willed and independent people, but when Clark had declared his love for her a couple of weeks ago in the park, been shot down by her response of "I'm sorry, bu I just don't think of you that way," and then her acceptance of Lex Luthor's marriage proposal, it was no wonder things were strained between them. But he still cared for her--loved her--in spite of how much it had cut him clear to his soul to hear that know that his feelings for her weren't going to be returned, and wanted to be there for her, even if he didn't agree with the choices she'd made and the path she was taking in her life. And part of being a good friend, he realized, meant supporting your friends and being there for them, regardless of whether or not you agreed with the path in life they'd chosen for themselves. So, in spite of his wounded pride caused by her outright rejection, he took a deep breath and tried to put on his "supportive" face as he walked over to her desk where she'd just thumped down into her chair. "Lois?" he asked tentatively. She turned to glare at him. "What?!" she practically shouted. He cringed. But then he steeled himself and tried again. "What's wrong?" "'What's wrong?'" she echoed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She sputtered angrily for a moment, too emotional to spout out her words. Finally, she forced herself to take a deep breath and momentarily composed herself enough to speak coherently. "Okay, if you really want to know, I'll tell you," she said, her anger barely checked. "I've been at City Hall all morning, trying to make heads or tails out of this. But now, come to think of it, this is probably all your fault!" Clark stiffened defensively. "*My* fault? What did I do?" "As if you didn't know!" she shot back. Seeing his confusion, she pushed her chair back from her desk and stood up, crossing her arms angrily in front of her. Then she forged on, deciding to play along for the moment. "This morning, I went down to the city offices to get my marriage permit in order, only to find out I can't *get* a marriage permit." Clark's brow furrowed. "Why not?" "Why not? Why not?! Because they say I'm already married, that's why not!" Her loud, angry voice carried across the newsroom, but she didn't seem to notice the large group of coworkers who'd stopped to stare at her, suddenly very interested in their conversation. Clark's confusion spread across his face. "Married? What do you mean, you're already married? To who?" "Hah! As if you didn't know. Is there something you should be telling me, Clark?" "Me? What are you talking about? What am I supposed to know about it?" "Because apparently, I'm married to YOU!" Clark's jaw dropped open, and the newsroom noise suddenly died completely. A sea of faces all turned to stare at the pair in stunned silence, dying to hear what would come next. But Clark didn't notice the onlookers as he continued to stare at Lois's flushed, angry face. Looking decidedly pale, he asked in a shocked whisper, "To me?" "Yes, to you. And I can't believe you have the gall to stand there and pretend you have no idea what's going on, Clark! How could you do this? Did you think it would be funny?" Clark recovered slightly, but still looked a little more shell-shocked than Lois would've expected him to be if this had, indeed, been some sick joke he was playing on her. "Lois, what are you talking about?" Clark finally demanded. Lois threw her hands into the air in exasperation. "You must've had some hand in this! You must've done something, *filed* something, that makes the city think that we're married!" "Now, hold on there just a second," he objected, trying to make sense of this latest news. "*I* didn't have anything to do with this! Don't go flying off the handle and blame this on me!" "Well, then what happened? Why are you and I married?" Clark shrugged. "Don't ask me, Lois. I'm just as confused as you are. Did you check the records at City Hall?" "Haven't you listened to a word I've said?" Lois demanded, stomping her foot in anger. "Didn't I just say that's where I've been all morning? All I've been able to find out is that the city says we're married. I have no idea how this happened!" "Well, there's one way to find out," Clark told her. Then he turned and yelled, "Jimmy!" ***** "Okay, guys, I've got it!" Jimmy called out as he stood up from his desk and came rushing over to Lois and Clark's desks, where they were pouring over notes in an effort to solve the mystery. Lois leaned back in her chair and gave her eyes a tired rub. "What have you got, Jimmy?" Jimmy perched himself on the corner of her desk and grinned at her, then at Clark, who had made his way over to stand next to them. "Are you guys ready for this?" "Yes!" Lois demanded, tired of the whole situation. "Would you please just get on with it?!" Jimmy's grin faded. "Okay, okay." He turned to the top sheet of the stack of papers he held in his hand. "I did a little digging, and this is what I found. Does December 12th, 1993 ring a bell?" Lois rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Jimmy, you know that I know that it's the date Clark and I were supposedly married. I was the one who told you what the city clerk said, remember?" Jimmy shook his head vigorously, a smile working its way back across his face. "No, Lois. Think harder. What *else* rings a bell with that date?" Lois's brow furrowed in concentration. The date *did* kind of sound familiar. But why? She glanced up at Clark, but he looked as confused as she felt. Finally, she turned back to Jimmy and shrugged. "It sounds familiar. But why? What are you getting at?" Jimmy's grin broadened as he took the paper off the top of the stack and waved it in her face. "Does the Lexor hotel ring a bell?" Lois glared at him as she snatched the paper from him, and Clark hurried around behind her to read the paper's information over her shoulder. They skimmed it together, then Lois glanced back up at Jimmy irritably. "This is the invoice when Clark and I stayed at the hotel during our stakeout. So?" "So," Jimmy began, reaching over to point at the names on the register, "look at the names." Lois nodded. "Mr. And Mrs. Kent. Again...so?" "SO," Jimmy emphasized, milking the drama for all it was worth. "According to this," he pulled another paper from his stack and handed it to her, "there's an old New Troy law on the books that state that if a man and a woman register at a hotel as husband and wife, they are then legally and lawfully married." Jimmy finished with a magician's flourish and sat up proudly, eagerly anticipating their reaction. He got just what he'd been hoping for. Clark's jaw dropped, and Lois went pale. "Wait a minute," Clark interjected. "You mean to tell me that just because we registered as husband and wife at a hotel on an undercover assignment, that we're--" "--Married?" Lois finished in a hoarse, shocked whisper. Jimmy's grin threatened to overtake his face. "Exactly!" He looked from Lois to Clark and then back at Lois again. "So you realize you guys have blown it by keeping this a secret, you know," he told them teasingly. "If we'd have known, we could've given you two a really great wedding party, and Clark," he elbowed Clark and winked at him, "I could've thrown you one heckuva bachelor's party! You know, complete with a stripper, and--" "Jimmy--" Clark began, his tone warning, but it was too late. Lois jerked up from her chair and shot the young man a look of pure daggers. "I'm *so* glad you think this is so funny!" she sputtered angrily at Jimmy, whose smile quickly faded. "Do you have any idea what this means?! I'm supposed to marry Lex in two weeks! *Two weeks!* How am I supposed to explain that I can't marry him, because I'm married to someone else!" Tuning out of her little tirade, Clark grimaced. Her wedding. Great. As if he needed another reminder about Lois marrying Lex. The man was pure evil. He knew it. He just had to figure out a way to prove it. But by the time he'd be able to prove it, it would be too late. Lois would be married to Lex, and her world would crumble down around her. And he certainly didn't want to see that happen. He loved Lois with all his heart, enough to even let her marry someone else, if that's what she wanted to do. But not Lex. He'd do anything to keep her from marrying him. He'd even tried to come clean with her and tell her his true feelings, but he'd struck out. She'd accepted Lex's proposal, and hastened on with her wedding preparations. But maybe this city clerical error was just the thing. If it were up to him, he'd say a silent prayer of thanks for the incompetent workers at the city office building and stay technically married to her, if it meant it would keep her from marrying Lex. He tuned back into Lois's rantings just in time to see her beginning to descend on Jimmy. "And do you have any idea how much red tape I'm going to have to cut through to get this cleared up?" she was saying. "I don't have time for this! I've got invitations to finish, caterers to contact, not to mention the fact that I've got dress fittings for the next couple of days! How am I supposed to find the time to clear up something like this?!" Clark watched her babble on in her anger, seeing Jimmy slip off the corner of her desk and back up as her voice increased in volume. Finally, Clark decided to intervene before Jimmy was reduced to rubble. "Okay, Lois, okay," he interrupted, quickly stepping between them and putting a hand on her shoulder to try to calm her. "I know this isn't the most opportune time to get this news, but getting all fired up over this isn't going to make the problem go away. I suggest we all just calm down, and see what we can do about getting this resolved. Okay?" Lois met his pleading eyes with her own angry ones, but the fire in them slowly died as Clark's soothing effect started to take her over. She forced herself to take a deep breath. "You're right, Clark." Then she turned to Jimmy. "Sorry," she mumbled, "I'm just a little stressed out at the moment." "No sweat," Jimmy accepted her apology and dared to take a step closer. "What can I do to help?" "The first thing you can do is find out who would do this to us!" Lois demanded. "That would be a start." Jimmy looked from her to Clark, then back again, obviously confused. "What do you mean?" "Well, *someone* had to have set us up!" Lois insisted. "Things like this just don't happen." "You're kidding, right?" Clark scoffed. "You haven't heard of people's driver's licenses being revoked for no reason? Of people's names being accidentally changed on public records? Of warrants being put out on people who've never committed a crime? These clerical errors happen all the time!" "Maybe in some cases, but not with something like this!" Lois argued. "There is *no* way something like this could've happened without someone taking deliberate action somewhere along the line. It's not like City Records browses through every single hotel registration, looking for couples to torment. So how on earth did our hotel registration get sent into whatever city office that makes us officially married? Someone *had* to have done this. But who? And why?" Before she could even consider the answers to her own questions, Lois closed her eyes and raised her hands to her head to massage her pounding temples. "Great. Now I'm getting a migraine." Then, under her breath, she muttered miserably, "I just can't believe this whole thing is happening." Worried that she might actually be making herself sick, Clark put a hand on her shoulder and tried to guide her down into her desk chair. "Here, Lois, why don't you sit down for a minute? You look a little pale." But Lois shook off his hand and opened her eyes, dropping her hands back to her sides and visibly trying to regain her composure. "Clark, I can't. We don't have time to just sit around here. We've got to *do* something." "Like what?" Jimmy asked sincerely. "Well, I think the first thing that Lois and I should do," Clark stated matter-of-factly, trying to take control of the situation, "is to go back down to the city offices and talk to someone about this. There's got to be somebody who can straighten this out." He turned to Lois. "Are you game?" With a heavy sigh, she nodded. "Fine, let's go," she mumbled as she reached for her satchel and adjusted the strap over her shoulder. As they stepped into the elevator and Clark punched the lobby button, he glanced over at her and saw the tension in her face and shoulders. He didn't see that this was that big a deal to fix, but obviously it was really stressing her out. His heart going out to her, he sighed and slid her arm around her shoulder, giving her a sympathetic squeeze. "Don't worry, Lois. We're going to fix this. You'll see." Feeling a little more heartened by his arm around her, she looked up at him, her frown slowly fading from her face and replacing itself with a grateful smile. He really was an incredible friend. "Thanks, Clark," she told him sincerely. "And I'm sorry for flying off the handle back there. It's just that I'm worried about getting this all straightened out before my wedding, you know?" Clark stiffened at the mention of her wedding, but forced himself to smile. "We'll straighten it out, no problem," he told her. But in his heart, he was praying for a miracle. A miracle of more city employee incompetence that would take this *months* to work out, hence delaying her wedding, maybe even canceling it completely. 'Yeah, right, Clark,' he found the little voice inside his head retorting. 'Lois has always been stubborn. You've done all you can to stop this, and nothing's worked. You're just going to have to let things play out and hope for the best.' With a sigh, he realized the little voice in his head was right. All he could do now was hope for the best. If only it would be enough.... ***** to be continued in part 2... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 12:35:54 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 02/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 02/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** Perry stood motionless in the doorway of his office with his arms folded across his broad chest, watching with curiosity as Lois and Clark climbed into the elevator. His eyebrows crawled up his forehead as he watched Clark reach up to squeeze Lois's shoulder in what looked liked sympathy, and then linger there for a few seconds longer than necessary for such a gesture. Interesting. Jimmy passed by his door, and Perry stuck a hand out, motioning for him to stop. "Hey, Jimmy." He nodded towards the elevator. "What's with Lois and Clark?" Jimmy's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" "Lois came stormin' in a while ago in one of her moods, and then, after all that yelling, you went to work on something for them." "Oh, that." A broad grin spread across Jimmy's face. "Apparently, they're married!" Perry's eyebrows crawled clear up to his sparse hairline. "Come again?" Jimmy nodded. "Yep. Married. On some technicality, though." He quickly explained what they'd discovered. "So, officially, whether they meant to be or not, they're married. Isn't that hilarious?" Perry only grunted noncommittally before turning and going into his office. ***** "What do you mean, 'there's nothing you can do about this'?" Lois shouted, coming dangerously close to losing her temper at the man sitting across the desk from her and Clark. The man paled a little at her bout of temper, but steeled himself before answering. "I'm sympathetic to your situation, I really am. But whether someone filed something by mistake, or whether it was some cruel, practical joke played on you by someone, as you're claiming, there's nothing we can do clerically to fix this. The only thing we can do to right this is to follow the procedures in place." "And what exactly *are* those procedures?" Lois shot back, ignoring the look Clark threw her, pleading with her to calm down. "Divorce, obviously," the man answered casually. "The best thing to do would be to get a lawyer and file for divorce. And since you two haven't been living together as a married couple or have terms of the divorce to deal with, it shouldn't take too long to get it pushed through." "How long?" Clark asked, posing the question before Lois could. "Anywhere from six weeks to two months, I would guess." "Two months!" Lois yelled, causing Clark to flinch. He was certain her voice could be heard clear down to the next floor. Lois stood silently for a moment, and both men fearfully awaited her next outburst. But her voice was surprisingly calm when she spoke again. "So that's our only option? Divorce?" The man nodded. "Afraid so." Lois looked over at Clark, much of the steam from her tantrum dissipating under the weight of the word. Divorce. It was so final. 'Wait a minute!' a little voice inside her head screamed. 'What are you talking about--final? You and Clark were never married! Or at least, you never *knew* you were married. It's not like you were married and couldn't make things work. This was some cruel joke or even some ridiculous clerical error, for crying out loud! Not a failed marriage!' But still, she couldn't shake the finality of the word. Finally, she found her voice and forged on. "Okay, suppose we *do* want to file for divorce. What would we need to do?" "Well," the man hesitated, obviously debating about whether or not to speak his next words. After a long, painfully silent moment, he forged on. "You'd have to see a marriage guidance counselor. It's, um...mandatory in New Troy for all couples seeking divorce to see one first." He visibly flinched, as if anticipating her next explosion of anger. He'd anticipated correctly. Lois's anger came rushing back in full force. "A marriage guidance counselor! Are you out of your mind?!" Lois hollered, standing up from her chair so quickly that it nearly toppled it over. Thinking quickly, Clark reached out and caught the chair before it went over backwards. "Lois," he began, trying to quiet her, "I think you need to calm down--" "Calm down?! No, Clark, I'm not going to calm down!" Lois exploded. "This whole situation is just ludicrous! Someone--not us!--screwed up, and now we're supposed to go see a marriage guidance counselor because the city can't fix some stupid clerical error? You've got to be kidding! How can you just sit there and not be angry about this! Or expect *me* not to be angry about this?!" Clark sighed and glanced skyward, obviously pleading for heavenly intervention, or at the very least, the patience to ride out her latest, trademark tantrum. But his patience was waning, and when he spoke, he had a hard time not arguing back. "Lois, getting angry and yelling loud enough to be heard clear down on the first floor isn't going to accomplish anything!" he told her in exasperation, letting a couple of week's worth of pent up frustration come flooding to the surface. "You always do this, get yourself all worked up over things, and for what? Nothing! You just end up causing a scene, scaring off the people around you, and making yourself look like a two-year-old in a candy store who was told they couldn't have a sucker!" Startled by his adamant outburst, Lois's anger started to fade, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. As insane as it seemed, Clark had her there. She stared back at him, not a bit surprised to see that he wasn't backing down. He was the only one she'd ever known who didn't back down from the rage of an infamous 'Mad Dog Lane' tantrum. His gaze leveled on hers, and they stood there for a long minute in a silent battle of wills, neither of them backing down in the heat of battle. Uncharacteristically, Lois wavered first. "Well, at least *I* feel better after all that yelling," she admitted, her tone a little gentler. Clark's anger vanished completely, and he found a chuckle escaping his lips. She was just priceless. Would he be out of line if he grabbed her and kissed her right then and there? Never was she more beautiful than when she was flushed, vibrant and full of conviction. But somehow he didn't think that'd be appropriate, considering how she didn't see him as more than "just a friend," he thought sarcastically. Their little interaction hadn't gone unnoticed, however. The man sitting at his desk continued to watch them in bemusement, and, seeing that they were done arguing, he ventured bravely, "Are you sure you guys aren't really married? You sure fight like you are." But when that elicited a look of pure fury from Lois, he forcibly wiped the smile off his face. "I'm sorry about your situation, really, I am," he told them sincerely. "But we do have a set way of doing things, and there's not much I can do to change them. So why don't you two just go off and talk some about this. And if you decide to see the counselor, here's a list of names for you to contact." He scribbled a few names down, then handed the paper to Clark, clearly feeling safer giving it to him, considering the circumstances. "Oh, one more thing," Lois interrupted as Clark hastily took the proffered list from the man. "I've been wondering how something like this happens. Since this law is so arcane, wouldn't it make sense to assume that someone who knew we'd checked in as husband and wife would have to deliberately get some proof of registration from the hotel and then *bring* it into some City Records division to get it filed?" The man nodded. "That makes the most sense. No one here would waste their time searching through hotel registries because of some old law on the books, and a clerical error seems unlikely, since there's quite a bit involved in filing for marriage certificates." Lois shot Clark a triumphant look. Then she turned back to the man and asked, "Would there be record of who filed for it? A signature on some forms or something?" "I would think so, though those records would need to be pulled from the archives, and it would likely take a month or more to get the requested copies." Clark spotted Lois's returning look of frustration at being told the forms weren't readily available, and in order to avoid another ugly scene, he quickly butted in. "Thank you for your help," he said, holding up the list of marriage counselors he'd been given. "Uh...we'll be in touch." Then he quickly placed his hand on the small of Lois's back and ushered her out of the office. Once in the hall with the office door shut behind them, Clark rolled his eyes at Lois. "Geez, Lois, why does everything have to be a battle with you? The man was just trying to help--" "Help?" Lois argued, though this time, her tone held a lighter note to it. "His idea of fixing this is to send us to counseling. Counseling! For a couple who isn't even married, who isn't even a *couple*! Isn't that extremely off the wall?" "Well, what do you suggest we do, Lois?" Clark asked. "It's not like we have a lot of options. Besides, you know that old saying, 'You can't fight city hall?' Well, I propose that we don't." "Don't say 'propose,'" Lois groaned, rolling her eyes. Then she sighed. "Fine. Let's arrange to see the counselor. But if I *ever* find out who was behind all of this, they're going to wish they'd never been born!" ***** When they stepped back into the newsroom at the Planet a short time later, Jimmy intercepted Lois on the way to her desk. "Lois, here's a message for you. It's from Lex. He said it's important." "Great," she muttered as she snatched the paper from Jimmy's hand. "I'm not ready to talk to him yet. This is an even bigger mess than before." Jimmy glanced at Clark. "So it didn't go that great, huh?" Clark shook his head. "They can't just fix this," he reported. "We have to file for a divorce, which could take six weeks or more to process. But what's even worse is that before we can do that, according to New Troy state law, we have to see a marriage guidance counselor before we can file." The laughter erupted out of Jimmy's mouth before he could stop it. "Hey, that's great!" he joked. "It'll be the perfect opportunity for you guys to work out some of those issues you have!" But then when he saw the withering glare Lois shot his way, he wiped the smile off his face and stammered, "Or...maybe not." When Lois grabbed her phone and started to punch in a number angrily, Jimmy turned to Clark. "She's not taking this well, is she?" Jimmy asked, keeping his voice down to a whisper. Clark shook his head. "No, she's sure not." "Hey, Jimmy," Lois suddenly called out, holding her hand over the phone's mouthpiece. "Would you look into something for me? The guy we just talked to at the City Office building said it could take a couple of months to get us copies of our marriage paperwork. See if you can find a way to track them down, would you? I'd just love to get my hands on those forms to see them for myself." Jimmy nodded. "You got it." When Jimmy was gone, Clark sat down at his desk with the intent to get some work done. And even though he knew he had lots of work to catch up on, he found it hard to tear his gaze--and his thoughts--away from Lois long enough to do any of it. He watched as Lois plopped down angrily in her desk chair, then pull open her desk drawer to pull out a notepad and a pencil. When she put the pencil to the paper, she pressed down too hard, causing the lead in the pencil to break. She let out a growl of frustration, then yanked open the desk drawer and threw it viciously in. When she pulled out another pencil, she glared at it before using it, as if to dare it to happen again. Clark started to chuckle. Man, she was incredible. Even angry, she was beautiful. She had more passion in her soul than most people did in a portion of their body. She was fiery and full of life, and he longed to take her into his arms and hold her and kiss her every day for the rest of his life. He sighed. If only they were married for real, and not just because of some falsely recorded information filed through City Hall. It would be so amazing to be married to her. Nobody knew her as well as he did, and rarely did anyone see the so many different sides to her that she'd shared with him, whether she'd meant to or not. To many of her colleagues, she was just an incredibly great reporter, but with an attitude that erupted all too frequently, for their liking. He knew they thought of her as volatile, angry...someone never to be crossed. But in her, Clark saw so much more. She was definitely someone unique and special. She'd been hurt in relationships in her life, so naturally she was guarded. But when she let those guards down enough for Clark to get to really know her...that's when he knew she would ever be the only woman he'd ever love. And that's what made this whole situation hurt all the more. He longed to be married to her. She saw it as a horribly timed, cruel joke. Not a lot of hope there, he thought heavy-heartedly. With one last, aching look at Lois as she wrote furiously on her notepad, he did his best to force his disappointment from his heart and focus on his work. ***** A short time later, Lois knocked on Perry's door and entered without waiting for his response. "Perry, I need to talk to you," she said insistently. Perry smiled patiently. He was used to interruptions from his fiery reporter. Gesturing to the couch across from his desk, he said, "Sure, Lois. Have a seat." She did, then hurried on. "Perry, I assume you've heard about this marriage fiasco of mine and Clark's, with our stakeout at the Lexor hotel." When he nodded, she continued. "Yeah, well, according to the person we talked to at the city offices, our only option to clear this whole mess up is to file for divorce. But since this all happened on a stakeout, can you arrange to have one of the Planet lawyers draw up the paperwork? I'm not about to find a lawyer of my own and wait weeks to get an appointment." Perry nodded thoughtfully. "I think that can be arranged. Have you talked to Clark about this?" "Talk to him about *what*?" Lois demanded, her voice rising dangerously. "We were mysteriously married, and now we have to clear this up by filing for divorce. It's cut and dried. I'm not about to stay married to my partner, for crying out loud." Perry held his hands up in front of him acquiescently. "Okay, Lois, okay. I was just asking." Then he reached for the phone. "Let me see what I can set up." Two hours later, Lois walked out of her appointment with one of the Daily Planet attorneys with the simple divorce papers drawn up and signed. She'd been told the next step was to attend the state ordered counseling as they waited for the papers to be delivered to Clark for him to sign. So, with her head was swimming with information and a migraine threatening, she hurried back to the Planet, eager to push the whole, horrible divorce proceedings from her mind. But two minutes after walking off the elevator and into the newsroom, she discovered that her headaches were just beginning. Word had gotten around the Planet that she and Clark had been married on a technicality, and for the rest of the afternoon, coworkers had thrown teasing quips and little digs her way. She did her best to grit her teeth and ignore it, but by the time Lois got into the elevator to go home for the day, she was ready to slug someone. She'd just punched the 'down' button when a hand slipped through the closing doors, causing them to open back up. She looked up to see Clark standing there, smiling gently at her. "Heading home, too, huh?" he asked, giving her a smile, though he could tell from his expression that she wasn't in the mood to return one. "Mercifully." "You've had better days, I bet," Clark surmised sympathetically. Lois's eyes flashed dangerously, and when she answered, it was through gritted teeth. "If I hear one more 'Where's your better half, Lois?' or 'Did you sign a prenuptial agreement, Lois?', I'm going to go ballistic." "I know what you mean," Clark agreed solemnly. "I've heard them all today, too. But you're just taking this too seriously, Lois. Don't let them bother you." She turned to him and gave him a cold stare. "I can't believe that you're not taking this *more* seriously, Clark! If you want to play this down, fine. But just so you know, this *is* serious to me, okay?" Clark caught the slight waver in her voice at her last few words, and he noticed with surprise that she actually had tears forming in her eyes. He stared helplessly at her, completely unaccustomed to seeing his partner get teary-eyed. He opened his mouth to try to respond, but nothing came out. Before he could try again, the elevator door opened. "Oh, just forget it," she mumbled, obviously trying to cover the fact that she was on the verge of tears as she rushed out into the lobby. ***** to be continued in part 3... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 10:39:30 -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: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Pam wrote: > You're not the only weird person, Carol, but I have a different pattern... I > like to even up the colors so I have the same number of each (though I don't > really worry about that til it gets down to 3 of these, 4 of those...) and > then eat one of each color so that the proportions stay the same ;) -----LOL, Pam! Can you say obsessive-compulsive? :) Jude (who admits that the color doesn't matter and just scarfs down the chocolate.) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chief Pam" To: Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 10:22 AM Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar > >>CM (who is one of the weird people who, when given a handful of M&Ms > eats them in a certain color order - blue first and saving the best - > green - for last!) > << > > > Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com > http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam > **note new address** > > "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of > having a country of English cooks, German lovers, > French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." > --P. J. O'Rourke ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 12:36:08 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 03/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 03/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** She'd stormed halfway to the outer doors of the lobby before Clark was finally able to force himself into action. This wasn't just a matter of her being angry at a day's worth of teasing, he decided, or being frustrated over an admittedly aggravating development. There was something more here that he wasn't seeing. And he wasn't about to let her go without finding out what it was. He rushed after Lois, finally catching up with her just as she'd put a hand on the door to open it. Quickly, he grabbed her arm and pulled her aside. "Lois," he began, the concern for her evident in his intense gaze. "What is it? What is it about this whole thing that's making you so angry, that's bothering you so much?" He swallowed, barely able to manage the next words. "Is it Lex?" What happened next surprised him even further. Her face started to crumple, and she visibly fought to keep her nearly overflowing emotions in check. She seemed more vulnerable than he'd ever seen her before, and it tore at his heart. Glancing quickly around at the busy lobby, he knew this was no place to have this conversation. There was no way she would open up to him with all these people around, threatening to overhear something obviously so personal. "Come on," he told her, protectively wrapping an arm around her shoulders and steering her toward the lobby door. "Let's go someplace where we can talk in private." As she nodded numbly, he steered her toward the parking garage and wordlessly took the keys from her before guiding her into the passenger seat. Then he climbed into the driver's seat and quickly headed out. It was only a matter of minutes before they were finally in the privacy of her apartment, and he sat her down on her couch before carefully sitting down beside her. "Okay," he breathed, gently encouraging her to continue their conversation. "So, what's going on? Obviously, I'm missing something. It's about Lex, isn't it?" Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and instantly, his face paled and he felt sick to his stomach. Even though he was afraid of the answer, he knew he had to ask the question. "You're not...worried...about him getting angry and...hurting you, or anything, are you?" Lois's eyes widened, and the look of shock at his question instantly made him breathe a sigh of relief. "No! Oh, no, it's nothing like that. Lex isn't like that. Besides, I haven't even told him, yet. Obviously, I'm going to have to," she admitted forlornly, "but I guess I just keep hoping that someone is going to wake me up and tell me this has all been just a bad dream." "So what's the problem?" Lois hesitated. "I guess it's just...well...." Her voice drifted off, and she dropped her gaze down to her hands, refusing to look him in the eye. He waited patiently for her to reply, but when she remained silent, he reached out and gently tipped her chin up with his finger so she was forced to meet his concerned gaze. "Lois? What is it?" She took one look at the sympathetic expression on his face and her resolve to stay in control of her emotions quickly dissipated. A tear slid down her cheek, and then another, and another. Embarrassed at crying in front of him, she hastily brushed at the wetness on her cheek and cleared her throat anxiously. "I guess it's just the whole idea of being 'divorced.'" She made the quotation mark signs with her fingers as she said the word. She visibly fought to control her tears, and his heart ached for her. He reached for her hand, taking it gently in his own and giving it a firm, supportive squeeze. That seemed to give her the strength to go on. "You know what my family life has been like, Clark," she confided sadly, "and I swore I'd never make the same mistakes they did. But here I am, soon to be considered a 'divorcee,' without even ever having been married. I've failed, Clark. That's what my records are going to say. That I failed. And I failed without even trying, without ever having been married." Clark felt unbidden tears spring to his own eyes. He'd never thought about it that way. With her views of marriage, sure she would take this seriously. Her parents' marriage had failed, and she was sensitive about it. So he was sure that when--if--she ever did get married, she'd want to not make a mess or her marriage, to make it better than her parents' had been. But here she was, her name being tacked on with the 'failed marriage' label, without even having given it a try. Now he could see how that hurt, see why it was affecting her so much. "I'm sorry, Lois, I guess I never saw it that way," he offered softly, his voice filled with compassion. "But you have to realize, this is all just some ridiculous error. I'm not upset about it because I see it as such, and not some indication about my ability to have a successful marriage. It just doesn't mean anything. You have to see that." She nodded unconvincingly. "I do. But for some reason, that logic isn't making me feel any better." She turned and looked toward the kitchen, searching for some way to restore her emotional control. "Oh, this is ridiculous," she said, steeling herself and straightening up. "You're right. You're absolutely right. One notation on some stupid piece of paper isn't going to define who I am. I guess I'm just being overly emotional right now, with the wedding coming up and the stress levels running high." Clark wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond to that, but before he could decide, she stood up and paced to the far side of her living room, then turned and slowly came back. "I just wish I wasn't it this mess. There's no way I'm going to get this all fixed in a matter of two weeks." "Why not just ask Lex to use some pull to fix this?" Clark threw out, unable to hide the note of sarcasm that had crept into his voice. Lois looked shocked that he'd even mentioned it. "No!" she immediately exclaimed, rushing over to Clark and sitting back down beside him. "You wouldn't say anything to him, would you, Clark? I mean, I plan to tell him...I just have to figure out how to do that gracefully." Clark rolled his eyes and fought to argue back that he wouldn't talk to the man if he were the last person on the earth. But he caught himself just in time and shook his head, instead. "No, this is your business, Lois. I'll do whatever you need me to do to help, but I'm not about to rush over to tell Lex anything. Why don't you want to tell him, though?" Lois looked embarrassed. She dropped her gaze down to her lap, and fidgeted with a piece of lint on her pants. "I don't know. I guess that I just don't want him thinking there was something more between us than friendship. He knows you and I are close...you know, with being partners and all. But I can see him getting jealous if he thought there was more to our relationship than I was telling him. And he'd definitely think that if I told him we were actually married!" Clark was silent for a minute, then Lois groaned and slumped forward on the couch, resting her elbows on her knees and burying her face in her hands. "Oh, what a mess," she mumbled in defeat. As secretly glad as he was that there was a big wedding hitch, Clark would have *never* wished such emotional turmoil on her. Sighing deeply, he laid his hand on her back and began to rub it gently. "I'm sorry this happened, Lois," he told her sincerely. "I wish that things could be different, that you weren't having to go through this. Maybe if we went back and talked to that guy--" "Oh, Clark, it's useless," she said dejectedly as she waved off his suggestion and sat up a little. "You heard him. 'Policies.' Let's just get on with this and see how fast we can get this done. As it is, I'm going to have to tell Lex we'll need to postpone the wedding until the divorce papers go through. Oh, he's just going to *love* that," she muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, for what it's worth, I managed to set up a marriage counseling session for us tomorrow night with one of the counselors," Clark told her as he followed her outside. "You don't have plans already, do you?" Lois sighed. "I guess not. What time and where? I'll come by and pick you up." "The appointment's at seven." "Okay," Lois agreed dismally. I'll see you then." Clark nodded, then stood up and walked with her to the door. She opened it for him, but when he started to leave, he turned back to her and took in her pallid expression, the deep sadness in her eyes, and the tears still lurking in her eyes. Immediately, his heart went into his throat. He'd seen her violently angry, ecstatically happy, boldly determined...but never this completely down and despondent. It unnerved him. She just wasn't the type to give up, to call it quits. She was a fighter. And to see her standing there, with no sign of fight in her eyes, it tore violently at his heart. Instinctively, he reached out and put a gentle hand to her cheek. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" he asked when she finally looked up to meet his concerned gaze. After a moment, she sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I always am, aren't I?" She laughed a humorless laugh. Then, as if shooing him out of her apartment before she broke down again, she whispered a quick "goodnight" and shut the door between them. A hand clenched around Clark's heart as he stood in the deserted hallway, thinking of what she was going through emotionally. He knew that some little file in City Hall listing them as "divorced" was only a clerical fix to their problem, and didn't mean anything. But obviously, Lois felt differently. She was taking this personally...and hard. He quickly racked his brain for a way to help her through this. Yes, things had been a little rocky between them lately, but if anything, he was her friend, and he wanted her to know that he was there for her, no matter what. But before he could think of what to do, he heard an all-too-familiar cry for help, and a groan escaped from his lips. 'Talk about bad timing,' he muttered to himself. But as he darted into the alley behind her building for a quick change and then launched himself into the night air, it dawned on him that maybe backing away from the situation for a few minutes would help him to know what he could do to help her. He only hoped that something would come to him soon. ***** It was nearly an hour later by the time Clark finished his Superman duties, and after he'd turned a would-be burglar over to the police, he rocketed into the night sky--and toward Lois's apartment. He'd been unable to get her off his mind as he darted from one rescue to another, trying not to let the vision of her tear-streaked cheeks and despondent countenance affect him as he did his job as Superman. But when almost an hour had passed, his concern for her had grown so intense and his stomach so twisted up in knots that he just hoped and prayed that no one else would cry for help, so he could return to her. 'I don't know why I'm so anguished to see her like this,' he thought with a hint of anger. 'She's the one who told me she couldn't ever see any future for us romantically, but was willing to accept the proposal of a man who she obviously doesn't know as well as she thinks she does, and would never lover her as she deserves to be loved. I should be glad this thing happened! It means that I still have a shot at convincing her of what a mistake it would be to marry that man.' But even as those thoughts tumbled around in his mind, he found himself feeling incredibly guilty for even having them. While it practically killed him to know that she was planning to marry Lex, he knew that she had her free agency, and was free to choose what she wanted to do with her life. But that still didn't stop him from hoping that she'd see Lex for who--and what--he really was. He also found himself often hoping beyond all hope that *something* would happen to prevent her from marrying him. And maybe this was just the thing. But at any rate, in spite of feeling secretly glad this latest development would postpone the wedding at least a little while, he knew that he definitely *didn't* want to see her so miserable and unhappy. 'Just be her friend," Clark told himself as he neared her apartment. 'I know you're feeling hurt and rejected, but you have to push those feelings aside right now and be there for her. She needs a friend right now more than anything else in the world.' So, steeling himself and forcing himself to push his own feelings aside, he found himself above her apartment in a matter of moments. He was about to duck into the alley behind her building to change out of his Suit when suddenly, he paused. Maybe it would be a good idea to take a quick peek to see if she was decent--or possibly even asleep--before arriving at her apartment unannounced. So he cautiously peered into her apartment, but what he saw made his heart lurch. He saw that she was curled up on her bed in her darkened apartment with a box of tissues beside her, looking completely dejected and utterly friendless. There was no way he was going to let her spend her evening like this. He couldn't. So he knew he had to go in there and cheer her up. But how? She certainly hadn't listened to his reasoning before he'd left, so what made him think she would now? No, she needed something to distract her, something to draw her out of her depression. But what? Suddenly, inspiration struck. In that instant, he knew the perfect thing to do. With a flash of super speed, he turned and headed back the way he came. ***** Lois shifted her position on the bed so she could stare up at the darkened ceiling of her bedroom, feeling completely lost and alone. She reached for yet another tissue, but her hand met with the bottom of the box. With a start, she grabbed the box and peered inside, confirming that it was, indeed, empty. She sat up quickly and saw that dozens of damp, crumpled tissues were strewn about her on the bed, and in that moment, she realized what a pathetic sight this was. "What is *with* you, Lois?" she demanded, forcing herself to sit up and swing her legs over the edge of the bed. "This is completely pathetic! Whatever happened to 'Mad Dog Lane', never letting anyone or anything affect you? All this self-pity isn't going to make the problem go away. Now get up and clean up this mess! Maybe you can think of something to fix all of this if you get moving around." She stood up and started to pick up the tissues littering the bed, then quickly threw them into the garbage before running a quick hand through her mussed hair and tightening the belt on her disheveled robe. Then she walked out of her darkened bedroom into the rest of her darkened apartment, and, with a disgusted shake of her head, went to turn on some lights. When she could finally see, she shuffled into the kitchen and opened the freezer. Ice cream always cheered her up, she rationalized. But her freezer was empty, all except for a tray of ice cubes. "Great, no ice cream," she grumbled, slamming the door shut. Letting a little bit of her depression sink back in, she shuffled back out of the kitchen and dropped down onto the couch. She sat silently, wondering if she had the energy or enthusiasm to get dressed and walk down the street to the grocery store for some ice cream, or something to munch on. As she deliberated, the only sound she could hear was the clock in the kitchen ticking away. It suddenly made her realize just how lonely she felt. "Oh, I wish Clark were still here," she whispered sadly as she let her head fall back against the couch back. But then she realized what she'd just said, and it surprised her. True, she'd always thought of Clark as a friend. But never before had she longed for the company of a guy--even as a friend. 'Oh really?' a little voice inside her head challenged. 'And exactly how many guys have you had as friends?' That thought made her smile. It was true. Even thinking clear back to her days of college and high school, she realized that she'd *never* had a guy as a friend. Obviously, something made Clark different from all the other guys she'd known. But what? With a sigh, Lois realized she was in no mood to answer her questions. All she did know was that right now, she felt lonely. Lonely and alone. More alone that she'd ever felt in her entire life. Realizing that a fresh bout of tears were threatening, she sank down onto the couch and dropped her head into her hands. Before she could indulge in another round of self-pity, a knock sounded at the door. Startled, she sat up. With a quick glance at the clock in her kitchen, she saw that it was nearly ten. 'Who would be coming by at this hour?' she wondered as she pushed herself off the couch and went over to peer through the door's peephole. She was both surprised and thrilled to see Clark standing on the other side of the door. Without hesitation, she flung open the door and stared at him in shock. "Clark! What are you doing here?" "Well, I figured you were probably still feeling pretty down, so I decided to come over to cheer you up." He held up a large, flat cardboard box in one hand, and a smaller, plastic box in the other. "How does pizza and a video sound?" Lois looked astonished. "You didn't." He grinned triumphantly. "I did. I even got your favorite pizza: pepperoni, mushroom and olive." "Oh, Clark, you are just the best!" Lois gushed as she ushered him into her apartment and shut the door behind him. "What movie did you get?" "Oh, I don't know. Some chick flick," Clark shrugged as he crossed over to the coffee table and set the boxes down on it. "But the video store manager assured me you'd love it." Lois's heart warmed at the thought of Clark going to so much trouble for her. Impulsively, she walked over and gave Clark a hug. "I can't believe you went to all this trouble!" When she pulled back to look up at him, he grinned happily. "For you, it's no trouble at all." After a lingering moment of bliss in her arms, he stepped back and flipped open the pizza box lid. "So, I hope you're hungry, because I got us a large." Lois laughed as she sat down on the couch and helped herself to a piece of pizza. "Mmm, this is great," she mumbled through a mouthful. He smiled as he sat down beside her and reached for a slice. "I'm glad you think so." For the next few minutes, they ate their pizza in silence, but something was lingering on Clark's mind. Trying to get up the courage to broach the subject, he asked, "So, are you feeling any better than when I left?" Lois shrugged. "A little, I guess." It was quiet for another long minute before Clark decided to just come right out and ask her what was troubling him. "Lois, can I ask you something?" Clark asked, suddenly focusing intently on the piece of pizza he held in his hand. "Sure, Clark. You can ask me anything." Clark hesitated, then haltingly began to speak. "Don't you think it's kind of strange that you're talking to me about this whole marriage thing, and not to Lex? I mean, you're supposed to be marrying the guy, but you can't even bring yourself to go over there to tell him. Shouldn't that...tell you something?" he finished nervously. His words sat heavily in the air for a long moment, and Lois's shell-shocked expression made him wonder if his comment had hit home. But before he could press the issue, she waved off his question with a wave of her hand. "Oh, Clark, that's ridiculous," she insisted. "Is it?" Clark challenged, watching her face carefully. "I'm not so sure." "Of course it's ridiculous," Lois argued, standing up and going over to the kitchen garbage to throw away a handful of napkins. "I'm not afraid to tell him or anything! I mean, he *is* my fiancé and everything. I just know that he's an incredibly busy man, and I don't want to bother him with this after he's already gone to so much trouble to make such special arrangements." Clark followed her and leaned up against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed in front of him. "So you're saying that you don't want to inconvenience him." "Exactly!" Lois exclaimed, turning to point a finger at Clark. "That's all it is. An inconvenience." "Your wedding is an inconvenience?" Clark persisted. "Or you're an inconvenience?" That set Lois's blood burning, and when Clark saw the fire flicker back into her eyes, he knew he'd gone too far. "How dare you say such a thing!" she growled, stepping closer to him and eyeing him threateningly. Clark immediately backed off. Lifting his hands up in front of him as if to tell her he wanted to peacefully surrender, he started to apologize. "I'm sorry, Lois, I didn't mean to put it so harshly. It just seems to me that two people who love each other enough to get married should feel comfortable enough with each other to go to the other person with absolutely *anything,* and not feel like it was an 'inconvenience.'" "I am comfortable with him!" Lois retorted, her voice rising in anger. "Comfortable enough to talk to him about City Hall screwing up?" He saw that his point hit home when Lois seemed, for once, speechless. "Look," he began again, this time more gently, "I'm not just trying to pick a fight here. I'm just wondering...if you're this nervous about talking to him about a wedding glitch, albeit a pretty big one, how are you going to talk to him about other things that come up in your marriage? You can't have a good marriage without open communication, Lois. If anything, I've learned that from my parents' marriage while growing up." Lois opened her mouth to argue, but Clark sighed and held up a hand. "I'm sorry, Lois, I didn't mean to spoil our evening by fighting with you. Will you just do me one favor though? Please?" When she nodded silently, he continued. "Will you just think about what I said? Just think about it. That's all I'm asking." Lois was about to tell him to forget it, that he knew nothing about her and Lex's relationship. But then she saw the sincere concern in his eyes, and she felt herself giving in. Clark didn't ask her for much, and he *had* been such a great friend by going to all the trouble to come back with pizza and videos. Granting his request was the least she could do...even if he was dead wrong. "Okay, Clark, fine," she finally said, letting her words come out in a breathy rush. "But I'm telling you, you're wrong about all of this. Now can we just forget about this? I'd like to have another piece of pizza without getting a lecture, if you don't mind." But she smiled a little when she said it, and he breathed a sigh of relief to see that he hadn't ruined the evening with her. With their argument forgotten, their comfortable camaraderie was quickly restored, and they spent the next two hours eating pizza, watching the video, and joking and laughing. As the hour grew late and the movie was nearing its end, Lois found it natural to let her head fall sleepily against Clark's shoulder as she sat next to him on the couch, and suddenly she realized just how much she loved hanging out with Clark. She loved that she could just be herself around him, and not worry that he might be expecting anything from her. Their friendship was unconditional, and she loved that. ***** to be continued in part 4... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 12:36:26 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 04/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 04/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** When the video finally clicked itself off at one A.M. and started to rewind, Lois found herself not wanting their evening to end. Suddenly, she realized that Clark had his head resting on top of hers, and she couldn't remember when that had happened. All she knew was, she'd missed this feeling of comfort and security she had with Clark, especially since the past few weeks things had been strained between them. Sleepily, Lois realized how great it felt to be sitting there next to him on the couch, his arm draped casually around her shoulder, his thigh pressing against hers, and the soft feel of his T-shirt beneath her cheek. In fact, being this close to him felt almost *too* good.... Thinking quickly, Lois jumped up from the couch and started to collect the dirty napkins and put them into the empty cardboard pizza box. Clark seemed confused by her sudden surge of action, but he stood up and wordlessly helped her straighten the cluttered coffee table. When things were thrown away and Clark had collected the video tape from the VCR, Lois walked him to the door to say goodnight. "Clark," she began, smiling softly up at him, "I can't thank you enough for coming over tonight to cheer me up. You went to so much trouble, and I just want you to know that it really means a lot to me." Then, much to Clark's surprise, she slipped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek to his chest, hugging him for the second time that evening. Without a moment's hesitation, he put his arms around her and hugged her back tightly, savoring the moment. He closed his eyes briefly, blissfully inhaling the scent of her shampoo and the scents that were just her. When she stepped back, Clark smiled down at her, feeling warm and happy. "You're welcome, Lois. I'm here for you anytime. You know that, don't you?" She smiled gratefully and nodded. "I know. And thanks." Turning a bit, Lois reached for the doorknob and pulled open the door. "Goodnight, Clark." "Goodnight, Lois," Clark said as he stepped out into the hall. "I'll see you tomorrow." "It *is* tomorrow," she teased lightly, a smile brightening her entire face as she glanced down at her watch pointedly. He laughed. "So it is. Then I'll see you today." Lois shook her head, joining in his easy laughter. "Fine, whatever." Clark backed the rest of the way out into the hall, then lifted his hand in a little wave. She returned the gesture, then shut the door quietly behind him. Feeling one hundred and ten percent better, Lois walked around the apartment and turned off the lights. She even found herself humming a little as she headed into her bedroom. As she dressed for bed, her thoughts drifted back to the events of the evening. She'd certainly surprised herself by snuggling up next to Clark, enjoying the feel of his arm draped casually around her shoulders, and his head resting against hers. For the first time in her life, she realized that she was comfortable enough to do that with a guy--albeit a friend, not a boyfriend--without worrying that she might be leading him on. It just felt natural to snuggle up next to him, to enjoy an evening with a good friend. But she still couldn't figure it out. Why was it she felt so completely comfortable with Clark? Comfortable enough to even confide in him her innermost thoughts and fears, as she had earlier when she'd told him about the real reason for being so upset about "getting divorced"? She'd certainly never felt comfortable enough to that was anyone else. But for some inexplicable reason, she found herself trusting Clark, and turning to him in times of need. He was solid, reliable. He never betrayed her trust by passing on anything she'd said to him in confidence, at least that she knew of, and he was always there with one of his broad smiles or a word of encouragement just when she needed it. She felt more comfortable with him that she ever had with anybody in her entire life. More comfortable than she even felt with... Lex. A gasp escaped her lips, and a hand flew to her mouth. Had she really just thought that? Had she really just insinuated that she preferred Clark's company to Lex's? "Oh, that's ridiculous!" she argued aloud. "You're *marrying* Lex. Of course you feel comfortable with him! If you didn't, you wouldn't be marrying him." But suddenly, things didn't seem quite so clear. Did she really feel as comfortable with Lex as she did with Clark? Could she see herself just hanging out at home with Lex, sharing a pizza and watching videos? The thought nearly made her laugh out loud. No, she definitely couldn't see herself doing things like that with Lex. But there were other things that she and Lex liked to do together. He loved to go to the opera, fancy parties, charity balls, and she, well...she sort of liked doing those things. 'No, you don't,' a little voice inside her head argued. '*When* did you start doing those things. When you started dating Lex?' The thought made her start. Yes, that *was* when she started doing those things. But she enjoyed them. Didn't she? It felt great to be pampered, to be picked up in a fancy limousine and chauffeured around town to dine at elegant restaurants and mingle with the rich and famous at balls. But...was it enough? Was that enough to share a life, a marriage, with someone? Suddenly, Clark's words flashed into her mind: "Don't you think it's kind of strange that you're talking to me about this whole marriage thing, and not to Lex? I mean, you're supposed to be marrying the guy, but you can't even bring yourself to go over there to tell him. Shouldn't that tell you something?" His words stung, even now. She had vehemently denied them earlier, but somewhere, deep inside, she wondered if they bothered her because...maybe, just maybe...they were true? Lois quickly shook her head. 'No, Clark's wrong,' she told herself insistently. 'I can't believe I'm even considering what he said. Just because I was able to talk with Clark about this, but not Lex, the man I'm supposed to be able to share everything with...that doesn't mean anything...does it?' Feeling suddenly confused, Lois paced across her bedroom to the window and looked out into the dark night, as if the answers were out there for her to see. But somehow, she doubted the answers were going to be that easy to find. ***** By lunchtime the next day, Lois's improved mood from the night before had completely disappeared, and she was quickly closing in on the international "enough" line. Not only had her nervousness continued to increase over how and when to explain this all to Lex, but she'd been endlessly tormented with a brand new round of "married" remarks by her co-works, who, for whatever reason, had continued to find them funny. And as if those weren't bad enough, Ralph had approached her only moments before, grinning like a Cheshire cat, asking if he could "kiss the bride." If Perry hadn't chosen that exact moment to call for Ralph's latest story, Ralph might just have *been* the story: in the obituaries. But it was Cat's thoughtless comment that had stung the most. She'd sashayed up to Lois's desk and perched on the corner of it while Lois was typing up her latest story in an effort to calm down. Then she smirked at Lois, and said, "So I hear you're about to be welcomed into the land of the failed marriages. Nice going. Are you going to be getting spousal support and everything?" Lois stiffened. She was used to Cat's sarcastic remarks, and usually responded with some biting comment in return. But this.... Lois quickly tried to hide the sudden onrush of unexpected tears by bending over to pick up a dropped pencil, but not before Clark saw how Cat's stinging remark had affected her. Quickly pushing back from his desk, he stood up and strolled over, scowling at Cat. "Don't you have some gossip column to write?" he shot at Cat, his tone icy cold. Cat looked surprised by the venomous tone in his voice, and she looked sufficiently humbled as she stood up and hurried away. As he watched her leave, Clark felt a momentary twinge of guilt for speaking so harshly to her, but he loved Lois, and there was no way he was going to stand by and let someone hurt her. When she was gone, Clark turned back and put a gentle hand on Lois's shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly, no longer surprised to see tears lurking in his partner's eyes. Lois nodded, but he could tell from her expression that Cat's comment had hit close to home. "Don't mind Cat," he told her. "She doesn't have a clue what 'tact' is." "I know," Lois said softly, trying to regain her composure. "She's always getting in little digs like that, so I don't know why one little dig should suddenly bother me now." He gave her shoulder a squeeze. "You and I both know why, Lois." She looked up and met his gaze, warmed by the sympathetic and loving expression she saw there. She let a timid smile curve the corners of her mouth. "Thanks, Clark. You're a good friend." He flinched involuntarily at the word "friend," but tried his best to hide it by managing a smile. "You're welcome, Lois." He paused, then looked thoughtful. "I have an idea. Why don't we get out of here and have a little lunch. I'm all but finished with my story, and it looks like you are, too. What do you say?" "That sounds great." She took a moment to put the papers she was working on into a pile on the center of her desk, then grabbed her purse and stood up. As they walked toward the elevator, the Planet's newest copyboy nearly careened into them, and Clark instinctively reached out to put a hand on the small of Lois's back to steady her. And it wasn't until they'd gone all the way up the newsroom ramp that he dropped his hand from her back. They were completely oblivious to the pair of eyes that followed their progress all the way into the elevator. When the elevator doors closed and his famous reporting team was out of site, Perry finally turned away, shaking his head in surprised amusement. The funny thing was, with a room full of reporters, no one even seemed to notice the seemingly insignificant gesture that was indeed *very* significant...at least, in *his* eyes. He chuckled and shook his head. Yep, things were *definitely* getting interesting around here. ***** Lois had never been more glad to see a day end. Her mom had left two messages for her, insisting that if Lois didn't call her back, she wasn't going to bother making another wedding arrangement since this was Lois's wedding, not hers. Lois had rolled her eyes at that. That sounded like a typical tantrum of her mom's, and there was no way she was in a mood to deal with her mom's negativity and accusations that her daughter *must* be avoiding her for some reason. And then Lex had also left yet another message, probably assuming that she hadn't gotten his one from the day before. But she just couldn't bring herself to call him back...at least, not until she felt ready to talk to him. Ever since Clark's comments the previous night in her apartment, she had to admit that she'd been plagued with fleeting moments of doubt about her relationship with Lex. And just when she thought the day might be looking up a bit when all the little digs and marriage jokes seemed to taper off, Perry immediately heaped piles of work on her and Clark, and neither of them had time to breathe as they scrambled to finish it all. When the last of the paperwork was done, Lois heaved a tired sigh, closed the file folder with a thump, and leaned back in her chair wearily. "Tired, huh?" Lois turned to see Clark just finishing up with his own work. "Yeah, it's been a long day. I'm looking forward to going home and soaking in a hot tub." Clark cringed. "Umm, I hate to remind you, but we're supposed to meet with that counselor tonight at seven, remember?" "Oh, I forgot," Lois groaned, letting her head fall backwards until she could see the ceiling. "Terrific." Just then she caught sight of Jimmy walking past, and she straightened up in her chair. "Jimmy!" He turned and walked over to her expectantly. "Did you have any luck tracking down that marriage paperwork?" Jimmy shook his head. "Not yet. I got as far as finding your marriage certificate, and it appears to be legit. Both your signatures are on it." Lois raised her eyebrows at Clark. "I didn't sign anything." "Me either," Clark agreed. "Hmmm," Lois said thoughtfully. "So obviously somebody went to all the trouble to forge our names, which means this person either knew somebody on the inside, or is just really great at getting around the red tape." Clark nodded. "Appears to be." "Well, keep looking, Jimmy," Lois told him with a sigh. "At least try to track down the forms that would've been filed. There has to be a clerk's signature on them somewhere. Maybe that would give us somewhere to start." "I'll start on that first thing in the morning," Jimmy said with a smile. "But right now, I've got a date." Lois looked surprised. "A date? With who?" Jimmy's smile deepened. "With this hot new girl I met from down in research. " He winked. "Wish me luck." "Good luck," Clark called after him, clearly amused. He was several feet away when Lois quickly leaned around the top of her desk and called after him, "Just don't register in some hotel as husband and wife!" Jimmy's laughter drifted back to her, and Lois couldn't help but smile. A few moments later, she heard Clark close the lid of the binder in front of him with a thump, and she looked over to see him dropping his pen into his desk drawer. "I," he told her, "am finally done." "Probably thought it would never happen, huh?" Lois quipped with a tired smile. She glanced at her watch. "Almost six," she sighed. "What are you planning on doing between now and our counseling session at seven?" "Well, that really doesn't leave enough time to do much of anything," he answered. "Do you want to just go grab a bite and then head over there?" "Sounds fine," Lois replied, trying not to sound as irritable as she felt. "Maybe if I get some dinner before we go to meet this counselor, she won't think I'm always this irritable." Clark cocked an eyebrow at her playfully. "What? You mean you're not?" But as soon as he said it, he laughed and darted away, correctly anticipating her effort to smack his arm. "Come on," she groaned, rolling her eyes. "Before I show you just how irritable I can be." ***** Lois actually felt her nervousness compounding as she and Clark walked up the steps of the New Troy Family Counseling Center and entered the building. Most of the adjoining suites were dark, but suite 3A's lights still shone clearly through its windows. They crossed the lobby to the suite, but Lois paused at the door. Clark could visibly see her stiffen. "Lois? Are you okay?" Lois shook her head. "Have I ever told you how much I hate shrinks?" "'Shrinks'?" Clark asked, raising his eyebrows. "I'm sure they'd prefer to be called 'therapists' or 'counselors.'" "Whatever," she grumbled irritably. "The point is, all they ever do is tell you that your parents are to blame for everything that ever went wrong in your life, and then they smile and collect their two hundred bucks an hour. What a bunch of crap." Clark couldn't help laughing. "That's pretty harsh, Lois. I'm sure there are plenty of counselors out there who are sincerely trying to help people. Can't you at least give this one a break? She's probably had as long a day as you have, and wouldn't appreciate you giving her a hard time." Lois rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Like *she's* had to listen to all the marriage digs we've had to put up with these past two days. All she's had to do is sit in some comfy leather chair and pretend to listen while people tell her their innermost thoughts." Clark's eyes pleaded with her. "Lois, please? Can't you at least *pretend* to be nice?" That drew a brief smile out of Lois. "Pretend? Fine. At least *that's* something I can manage at the moment." Clark watched as she pasted a big, false smile on her face and straightened up before opening the door herself and going through. But Clark could tell by her body language that this appointment had disaster written all over it. 'Heaven help me,' he thought, sending up a silent prayer for patience as he followed her into the office. He could tell already that this wasn't going to be easy. ***** to be continued in part 5... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 12:36:40 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 05/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 05/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** Clark followed Lois in through the office door, and they were immediately greeted by a slender woman with glasses and short, curly brown hair who sat at the reception desk. "You must be Mr. And Mrs. Kent," she inquired. Lois's eyes narrowed at the use of the surname and opened her mouth to respond, but Clark quickly jabbed her with an elbow to remind her to be nice, then smiled back at the woman and nodded. "That would be us." But when he felt Lois's angry stare on him, he cleared his throat anxiously and added, "Well, so to speak." She smiled kindly. "Fine, fine. I'm Dr. Jenkins." She stood up and gestured to a door to their right. "Should we get started?" She led the way into the office, where a long, leather couch and two high-backed leather chairs were situated. Lois glared at Clark as if to say, "See? Leather furniture." But he gave her a look that clearly pled with her to behave. To her credit, she only rolled her eyes as she sat down next to him on the couch. "Well," Dr. Jenkins said with a kind smile as she settled herself into the leather chair across from them, "I'm glad this could work out. It's the one night a week our clinic stays open late. So, Mr. and Mrs. Kent, I understand that you're seeking a divorce, and you're here because New Troy law says that you can't have one unless you try this first." Again, Lois cringed at the use of the surname. "You know," she said defensively, unable to stay quiet any more. "I'd feel a lot more comfortable if you'd just call us by our first names." If Dr. Jenkins picked up on the tone in her voice, she didn't let on. She just smiled acquiescingly and nodded, glancing quickly down at her notepad. "That'd be fine, Lois. So," she sat back in her chair and looked from one to the other expectantly. "You two are partners at the Daily Planet. You wouldn't be the first partners to fall in love. But obviously something's gone awry if you want to get divorced. And since we're all here, why don't we talk for a few minutes and see if we can get to the bottom of your troubles?" Exasperated and finally losing what little control over her irritability she had, Lois rolled her eyes and sat forward on the couch. "Okay, I'll tell you what, *Dr.* Jenkins," she blurted out, eyeing the doctor condescendingly. "I'm not here for an earful of psychological mumbo-jumbo. We're here to get you to sign us off for counseling time so we can file for divorce. So why don't you just sign whatever little paper it is you need to sign, and we'll be on our way. That way you're not wasting *our* time, and we're not wasting *your* time. I don't know about you, but I'm extremely busy, what with all my wedding plans to reschedule and all." Dr. Jenkins's eyes widened in shock and surprise at her declaration. It was obvious she wasn't sure if she'd just heard right. She stared dumbfoundedly at Lois for a moment, then turned to the young man sitting next to her. Considering this woman's outburst, she wasn't at all surprised to see this handsome young man turning a deep shade of red. "I'm--I'm sorry," Dr. Jenkins stammered, turning back to Lois, "did I just hear you say you were planning a wedding?" Losing her patience, Lois launched into classic babble mode in the blink of an eye. "Yes, that's right. My wedding was *supposed* to be in two weeks. Two weeks! But because of all this ridiculous red tape about having to go to counseling before we can get a divorce, my wedding date's going to have to be pushed back. And that means I have to order and send out new announcements, reschedule the caterers, call the bakery...the list goes on and on. It's giving me a headache just thinking about all of it. So why don't you just sign our little paper and we'll get out of here." Dr. Jenkins seemed completely flabbergasted for several moments, but then was able to regain her composure. Uncomfortably, she cleared her throat. "Um, I see. Well. I certainly don't have to ask what--or who--has broken up this marriage. Lois, just how long have you been cheating on your husband?" Lois looked shocked and confused for a moment, then a look of realization spread across her face. "Oh! No...no, hold on a second. I think we've given you the wrong impression. Let me clarify." Dr. Jenkins looked at her sternly and nodded. "Yes, I wish you would." Lois glanced over at Clark, then looked back at the counselor. "First of all, *we,*" she gestured at herself and Clark, "were never married. Or meant to be, anyway. You see, we were on a stake out at a hotel a while back where we registered as husband and wife as a cover. Then, voila! Suddenly, we were mysteriously married because of some stupid old law in New Troy saying that a couple registered as husband and wife are officially and legally married." Dr. Jenkins let out her breath in a rush and started to chuckle, clearly relieved to hear she wasn't dealing with such a blatant case of infidelity. "Hmm. Yes, I can see that that would cause some confusion. But why didn't you just explain to the records department that this was all just a big mistake?" "Don't you think we've already tried that?!" Lois argued angrily. "Everyone we've talked said the only way to clear this up was to officially get divorced. Geez, why am I even sitting here?!" She shook her head in exasperation and started to stand up. But before she could, Clark quickly reached over and slipped a hand onto Lois's forearm, giving it a squeeze. His simple gesture spoke volumes, conveying to her through his touch not to get worked up about everything all over again. Lois sighed in resignation and forced herself to take a deep breath as she settled back down on the couch. Dr. Jenkins had caught the movement of Clark's hand and watched curiously as the young man reached for the young woman's arm, and was surprised by the almost instantaneous effect it had on his fiery companion. "Oh, I see," Dr. Jenkins remarked. "That does make things a little complicated, doesn't it?" "It's not complicated at all!" Lois began, but Clark quickly interrupted her. "What Lois is trying to say," he interjected, "is that it's hard for us to see why the clerk's office can't just help us fix the problem without having us go through all of this." Dr. Jenkins turned to Lois. "*Is* that what you were trying to say, Lois?" Lois looked surprised to be called on. "What?" "Well, I noticed that Clark interrupted you and told me what it was you were trying to say. Was he right?" Lois looked over at Clark in confusion, then back at Dr. Jenkins. "Well, yeah, I guess so. What does that have to do with anything?" Dr. Jenkins smiled insightfully. "It just seems that Clark, here, may be a little overzealous about stepping in and speaking for you. Does he do that often?" Clark opened his mouth to deny her accusation, but Lois started to laugh. "Yeah, as a matter of fact, he does. But it's not like he's being overbearing and wanting to manipulate the conversation or anything." "Really? So what *do* you think he's trying to do?" Lois thought for a minute. "Maybe to stop me from saying something that'll hurt or offend someone. He's a little careful that way. He's always doing things like holding doors open for people, helping you on with your coat, thinking before he speaks, and watching out for people's feelings. I mean, he grew up in the Kansas," she said, as if that explained it all. Next to her, Clark rolled his eyes. Dr. Jenkins smiled. "I see. So he's a gentleman?" Lois nodded and offered a slight smile in return. "Yeah, I guess so." "And you like that? It works for your partnership?" Lois looked over at Clark, who was waiting expectantly with his eyebrows raised. Finally, she nodded and turned back to Dr. Jenkins. "Yeah, it does. For whatever reason." Dr. Jenkins nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm. How many partners have you had, Lois?" Lois seemed offended by the question, but she forced herself to remain composed. "You mean permanent partners? Like, for more than one story?" When Dr. Jenkins nodded, Lois shrugged indifferently. "Well, none, actually." "Really?" the counselor look surprised. "And why is that?" "Well," she began hesitantly. "I guess it's because I've been hurt in the past by some people I've been partnered with, so I learned my lesson. Since then, I've always made it a point to work alone. Being partnered up with someone has just never worked out before." "Why not?" Dr. Jenkins continued to prod. "Oh, um, I don't know," Lois stammered, clearly looking uncomfortable at the question. She turned to Clark, silently pleading for him to help her out, but he looked just as curious to hear her answer as their counselor did. Finally, Lois continued haltingly, "Well, the people I've been partnered with have either stolen my stories and run, or have been completely incompetent. And when I try to help them along by telling them what they should be doing, they're usually in our editor's office before the end of the day, demanding to work with someone else." "Mmm," Dr. Jenkins mumbled noncommittally and nodded. "But Clark didn't do that?" Lois quickly smiled and looked over to catch Clark's eye. "Surprisingly, no." "Why do you think that is?" Lois paused and licked her lips. "I guess he's more patient than the others." "Patient?" Lois nodded. "Yeah, I guess. Several months ago, before Clark and I were partnered, I would've preferred to work alone. But I guess Clark and I just--" "What?" Dr. Jenkins prompted. "Well...click, I guess," Lois finally answered. "We seem to know what each other is thinking, and our personalities seem to really compliment each other's. Clark's calm when I'm wound up, or I'm rational when he's not...." "Hey, when am I not rational?" Clark butted in, a challenging smile flickering across his face. "You're always the one wound up and I'm always the rational one!" Lois opened her mouth in indignation, but Dr. Jenkins quickly stepped in. "Lois, now hold on. Let's take a moment and step back. Is what he's saying really true? And are you just feeling a little defensive about it?" Lois turned back to look at their counselor, then let her breath out slowly. "Well, I guess it's true," she admitted wryly. "I'm pretty...intense, I guess. And I know I have kind of a temper...." "'Kind of a temper'?" Clark laughed. "That's the understatement of the year." Dr. Jenkins quickly intervened once again as she saw Lois's face flush. "Well, what would you call it, Clark?" Clark grinned as he met Lois's 'I dare you to say it' gaze. But he answered evenly, "I'd call it volatile, unpredictable, sometimes even intimidating...." "Intimidating?" Dr. Jenkins asked as she turned to Lois, waiting for her to respond. "Well, yeah, I guess so," Lois admitted sheepishly. "I sort of have a history of flying off the handle. I think people at work can be a little intimidated by me." Clark grinned victoriously. "Thank you." "But I can't help it!" Lois rushed to defend herself. "I get fired up about something, and it's nearly impossible for me to back down. Especially when I know I'm right." Dr. Jenkins smiled. "I understand." Then she turned to Clark. "Does her temper bother you, Clark?" His smile softened. "No. No, not really. Unless she lets it get her all fired up and causes her to do impetuous things that end up getting her into trouble." Lois's mouth dropped open in indignation. "They do not get me into trouble!" Clark looked incredulous at her denial. "You've got to be kidding, Lois! You get into trouble all the time!" Dr. Jenkins jumped in before Lois could argue further. "Clark, it sounds like it bothers you when this happens." "Of course it bothers me," Clark insisted. "I don't want to see her get hurt. Since I've known her, she's been kidnapped, thrown out of an airplane, strangled, and shot at. She just seems to find trouble wherever she goes." "I do not!" Lois protested indignantly. "Yes, you do." "Do not!" "Hold it!" Dr. Jenkins held up her hands to ward off yet another impending argument. When Lois and Clark stopped their arguing and turned to look at her, she smiled and dropped her hands into her lap. "Obviously, you two are both very strong-minded, strong-willed, independent people, which, don't get me wrong, are all great qualities to have," she explained. "But that also means you both need to learn to compromise, to talk through things instead of getting defensive." As she let that hang out there in the air for a few moments, Dr. Jenkins lifted her pencil to her lips thoughtfully. Finally, she continued. "Okay, let me ask you this. Clark, how do you feel about Lois as a partner, in spite of her temper and tendencies to get herself into danger?" Clark didn't hesitate with his answer. "She's the best. I wouldn't want to have any other partner." He glanced over at Lois and smiled tenderly. She readily returned his smile. "And what about as friends?" Dr. Jenkins prodded on. Clark swallowed. Without realizing it, this counselor was suddenly touching on fresh wounds. He cleared his throat a little awkwardly, then proceeded. "We're great friends. At least...we're still trying to be." His change in tone piqued Dr. Jenkins's interest. "Trying to be?" Clark glanced over at Lois and caught the hard stare she gave him that clearly read 'Don't you dare bring my relationship with Lex into this!', but he decided it certainly wasn't going to hurt to open this up to someone who might be able to help with the situation. Finally, he steeled himself and replied, "Yeah, well...up until a couple of days ago, our relationship's been a little...strained." "Oh? And why is that?" Lois quickly jumped in to try to take the offensive. "Well, you have to understand that Clark, here, decided to tell me that he's been in love with me for a while now." "Hmm. And I take it from the tone of your voice that you don't reciprocate those feelings?" Lois immediately opened her mouth to retort, but suddenly, the memory of Clark being there for her so much these past few days, talking her through her fears of being "divorced," of him showing up at her door with a pizza and a video, them snuggling on the couch, and the sudden rush of emotions that she found stirring in herself from his closeness.... And then the memories of the seeds of doubt planted by Clark came rushing back to fill her soul, and she found herself feeling confused and...well, scared. "Lois?" she heard Dr. Jenkins prompting, drawing her out of her reverie. Lois shifted in her seat, searching for the right words. But before she could try again, Clark spoke up, oblivious to the sudden conflict going on inside of her. "No, she didn't," Clark finally said, not bothering to disguise the hurt in his voice. "But Clark, I--" Lois stammered, not sure what to even say. How was she supposed to tell him all that had been going around inside of her head these past two days? How was she supposed to admit that she *was* wondering if she and Lex were really compatible...and if she might, indeed, be beginning to realize that the one she really loved might have been the man working side by side with her for the past year? When it seemed Lois didn't know how to respond, Dr. Jenkins turned back to Clark. "So what happened then?" Clark's stomach knotted up at the memory. "She ran off and accepted another man's proposal." "Oh, I see. And how did that make you feel?" "Angry. Hurt. Like my feelings and opinions don't matter." "Clark, of course they matter!" Lois interjected. "Do they?" Clark asked, his eyes flashing. "By the way you were treating me and refusing to listen to what I had to say about what you were getting into, it sure didn't seem like it." Lois rolled her eyes and leaned back against the couch. "Here we go again. This whole spiel about how my fiancé's the root of all evil. What is with you and him, Clark? What has he possibly done to make you hate him so much?" For the first time since they'd sat down, Clark appeared at a loss for words. He stammered for a few moments, trying to explain what he knew without revealing anything about his Super identity. Finally, not knowing what else to say, he blurted out, "I can't tell you how I know, but just believe me when I say that he's not what he appears to be. Besides, the bottom line is, he's not good enough for you, Lois!" "What, and you are?" she shot back. "Is that what you're saying? That I should just marry you instead?" Clark couldn't stop the smile from tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Well, technically, Lois, we already *are* married." Lois's eyes flashed dangerously. "Oh, is that supposed to be funny? Some cutting-edge Smallville humor?" Dr. Jenkins had been sitting back and listening, and, in a sense, encouraging their exchange to happen, since she knew that once people started being honest and forthcoming about their innermost thoughts and feelings, problems had a way of working themselves out. But when she saw Lois starting to reach what she assumed was a boiling point, she quickly stepped in. "Okay, you two, let's just calm down. Now Clark." She waited until she had the young man's attention. "Let's go back to something you just said. You said this man wasn't good enough for Lois. Why do you think that? What has this man done to make you think he's not good enough for her?" "Well, for one, he doesn't treat her like she deserves to be treated," he exclaimed adamantly. "He wants her to come to work for his broadcast station--" "He didn't say that he 'wants me to,' he just suggested it!" Lois objected. But when Dr. Jenkins shot her a look, Lois retreated into silence. Dr. Jenkins nodded at Clark. "Go on." ***** to be continued in part 6... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 12:36:51 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 06/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 06/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** Clark felt the muscle in his jaw twitch, a sure sign that he was getting upset. So he forced himself to take a deep breath before continuing. "For one, he doesn't know Lois like I do," he began firmly, trying to avoid looking at Lois as he spoke. "He might think a job at his broadcast station would be good for her, but it wouldn't be. He'd be dragging her away from all her friends, from our editor, who I know is like a father to her, and taking her away from the thrill of the hunt, which is what I know Lois likes best about investigative journalism." He paused for breath and then rushed on. "And if that weren't enough, I hate the way he treats her like she's some prize to be won, some pawn in a chess game. Instead of realizing how wonderful and truly unique she is, he's just the type of guy who'll want her to stand quietly next to him at his precious charity balls, hanging on his arm like some Barbie doll trophy! And he's always taking her to operas and parties with all his famous acquaintances, which I bet she pretends to like, even though I'm sure she'd much rather enjoy a night in with a pizza and a video, with a man who's willing to listen to her and hold her and tell her how much he loves her." At his words, Lois unintentionally drew in a sharp breath, and her heart began to pound. Even though Clark wasn't looking at her, she knew exactly who he was talking about. But she was sure he had no idea how much his words affected her, caused her eyes to tear up and her heart to swell. For a moment, she couldn't figure out why his words had affected her so much, until.... In that instant, it all became clear. She loved Clark. Had probably loved him for a long time now. She loved his patience, his kindness, the way he conveyed his love for her in so many ways, instead of simply telling her, as Lex did. He always made sure to pick her favorite chocolate donut out of the box for her in the morning at the Planet before it could be taken by someone else, and brought her coffee just the way she liked it. 'I doubt Lex even knows or cares about how I take my coffee,' she realized. But she knew that what it all boiled down to was this: Lex didn't know her like Clark did. In fact, maybe Clark was right. Maybe Lex *did* only see her as a prize to be won. At any rate, how could she ever be certain that he didn't? He didn't know her favorite flavor of ice cream, didn't know just what to say to calm her down when she was mad, didn't know just when to step in to stop her before she could do something impetuous.... Clark, on the other hand, knew *all* those things. He knew her inside and out, knew her strengths and her weaknesses, and was still her very best friend because--and in spite--of all of them. Everything she and Clark had together was exactly what she'd always longed for in a marriage. Did she and Lex have any of that? Not one little bit. 'Then why on earth are you planning on marrying him?' she asked herself bitterly. Clark had been right: Lex was all wrong for her. And Clark was all right. Why had she never seen that before now? Lois swallowed noisily as the realization struck her, but nobody seemed to notice how pale she'd suddenly gone, and how completely silent she'd turned. It was all she could do to tune into the conversation when she heard Dr. Jenkins start to respond to Clark's statement. "I see," she was saying to Clark, nodding at him encouragingly. "It sounds to me like you know Lois pretty well, as you should, with you two having been partners for a long time. So now that you've told us what you don't think Lois needs, why don't you tell us what you *do* think she needs?" Clark was quick to respond, obviously not needing to think twice before answering. "She deserves to be using her talents, digging up the facts and continuing to write stories that make the world a better place by putting the criminals she exposes behind bars. She needs someone who will support her in what she does, not hold her back. She needs someone who will hold her when she's sad or scared, or feeling insecure. Someone to motivate her when she's discouraged, to convince her that she can do anything she puts her mind to, to argue with and challenge her. Someone she can come to for advice, or for a shoulder to cry on when she's had a bad day. To tell her 'I love you' when it feels like the whole world's against her. But most of all, she needs someone solid and dependable, who will always be there for her, no matter what...through the good times and the bad." Clark's voice drifted off, and it was as if he'd suddenly realized how much he'd said. He cleared his throat awkwardly and sank back onto the couch, crossing his arms in front of him. "Well, anyway...that's the kind of guy I think she needs." Lois found herself sitting in stunned silence, not sure whether to laugh or cry. It had finally happened. She had fallen for the Kansas farmboy she'd always convinced herself she'd despised. So if she'd finally realized that Clark was the one she loved, then why wasn't she throwing her arms around him and telling him how she felt? Why was she feeling such a sudden feeling of dread? She didn't have to think long to answer her own question. Lex. How on earth was she supposed to tell him that she didn't love him, and that she wanted to break off their engagement, when she couldn't even bring herself to tell him what had happened the last two days? He was a rich and powerful man, who *always* got what he wanted. That much was obvious from his level of success. How was he going to take it when she broke the news? Unable to confront those very thoughts, she leaned forward on the couch and buried her face in her hands to hide the tears that suddenly threatened to fall. There was no way she was going to let either of these people see her cry--especially Clark--when she had no idea how she could explain why, exactly, she was crying. As Clark's words faded in the air and silence prevailed, he couldn't help looking over as Lois leaned forward and buried her face in his hands. His heart sank. What had he just done? He'd opened his mouth, intent on just answering their counselor's question, but instead had poured out his heart and bared his soul. There was no way Lois could miss the fact that he was talking about himself in regards to who he thought would be her perfect match. But he should've known her well enough by now to know that he couldn't take such a bold approach with her, especially when it came to relationship issues. She'd struggled with so much in regards to those issues in the course of her life, and now he was afraid he'd really scared her off. And this time, probably for good. Groaning inwardly at his lack of sensitivity, Clark straightened up and was about to apologize to Lois for letting so much come flooding out when Dr. Jenkins finally seemed to notice Lois's silence. "Lois?" the counselor spoke gently. "What do you think about what Clark just said?" Lois glanced up and saw Dr. Jenkins regarding her carefully, and suddenly, she panicked. The room suddenly seemed to be closing in on her, and the air seemed stale. She knew she had to get out of there. "I'm sorry," Lois said abruptly, standing up so quickly that she startled both Clark and Dr. Jenkins, "I think I need some air." And with that, she bolted for the door and didn't stop running until she was outside the building. Once out in the cool, night air, Lois drew in several deep, gulping breaths in an effort to calm herself down. After a minute, she lowered herself down onto the cold, cement step on shaky legs and closed her eyes. 'What am I supposed to do now?' she asked herself, suddenly feeling scared and uncertain about everything: her new feelings for Clark, her soon-to-be-broken engagement to Lex...her--and Clark's--uncertain future... "Lois?" At the sound of Clark's voice, Lois jumped and spun around to see that Clark was standing at the top of the steps behind her, his brow furrowed and his expression reflecting his concern for her. Her heart sank. Never before had she ever been loved by anyone so much, or had anyone be so concerned for her, or want so much for her to be happy. And at the moment, in her state of confusion, it made her feel miserable. "Lois, are you okay?" Clark spoke again, coming down the steps and sitting cautiously beside her. "What happened in there?" He tentatively put a hand on her back in the way he sometimes did when she was upset, but this time, Lois jerked away from him as if his hand were on fire. Immediately, she felt guilty for her reaction to his sympathetic gesture when she saw how startled and hurt he looked. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, cursing herself silently. After all those beautiful, incredible things Clark had just said about her, this wasn't the way she'd intended to treat him. Forcing herself to calm down, she opened her eyes to see him watching her intently. "Clark, I'm sorry," she told him quietly. "It's just...I don't know. Maybe I've just had a hard day. I guess things have just gotten so complicated lately, and I--" She broke off when she realized the tears had returned and were starting to course down her cheeks. Instinctively, Clark reached out and brushed them away with his fingertips. Feeling as if this wonderful man were suddenly her lifeline in the middle of a raging, dark ocean, Lois closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, allowing herself to be comforted by his touch. "What is it, Lois?" he asked quietly, sincerely. "What's wrong?" Lois's heart ached to tell him, to confide in him, but she knew she couldn't. Not yet. This was something she had to figure out for herself. Pulling away, she brushed the tears from her cheeks and stood up, doing her best to compose herself. "Clark, I'm sorry. I just...I can't talk about this right now. I need some time to be alone. Would it be okay if I drove you home?" Clark's face fell. His worst fear had just come true. He'd pushed too hard and it had scared her off, and now she was running. Dismally, he nodded. "Okay, Lois." The ride home was uncomfortably silent, but Clark knew better than to push any harder by trying to make her talk about what had just happened. He hoped that she'd talk about it when she was ready, but this time he wasn't so sure she would. He'd never seen her looked so scared and panicked before in all the time he'd known her. When they reached his apartment, Clark reached out to open the Jeep's passenger door, but then stopped. He turned to see Lois sitting stonily behind the wheel, and decided he had to say something. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he hoped for inspiration to strike, hoped that he could come up with the right words to let her know that everything was going to be all right. But when no words magically popped into his mind, he swallowed hard and decided to say something...*anything*...before he lost her forever. "Lois," he began tentatively, "I know you don't want to talk right now, and I respect that. But I just wanted you to know that I meant everything I said tonight--about you and me, and...well, about you and Lex. I didn't mean to get so carried away and say anything to hurt you, though, or push too hard. I hope you know that, and I hope what I said isn't going to ruin what we have between us." He stopped and waited to see what reactions his words might have on her, if any, but when her expression remained blank, he sighed heavily. "Well, I guess that's all I had to say. But if you decide that you *do* want to talk, remember that I'll be here for you, night or day. Okay?" She nodded, and seeing her do that at least made him feel a *little* better. Saying a quiet 'goodnight,' he climbed out of the car and watched from the curb as she drove away. He felt an almost overwhelming sadness as he watched her car disappear out of sight, and he hoped, with all his heart, that it didn't mean she was also going to disappear out of his life. ***** As Lois opened the door to her apartment and pulled her key from the lock, she wondered in a daze how she'd gotten there--not just to her apartment, since she hardly remembered the drive home in her intense state of preoccupation--but how she'd gotten to this point in her life. When had everything become so complicated and confusing? Two days ago, everything had been running smoothly. She'd been happily engaged to Metropolis's most eligible bachelor and second richest man in the word. She'd been making wedding plans, choosing caterers, and helping design the home where she and Lex would be living. But then, in one life-altering moment, she realized that she'd had everything all wrong. She didn't love Lex; didn't want to marry him. And if that wasn't life-altering enough, she'd come to discover that she loved Clark, her partner and best friend. Somehow he had managed to sneak his way into her heart without her even realizing it. Until tonight. 'So what am I supposed to do now?' Lois sighed despairingly. Just a few weeks ago, Clark had bared his soul to her in the park, told her that he loved her...*had* loved her for a very long time. And she'd responded by telling him that she didn't feel the same way, and that she only ever thought of him as a friend, devastating him in the process. But looking back, she wondered how she couldn't see then what was painfully clear now: She *did* love him...*had* loved him, even back then. She loved him so desperately that the thought of not having him in her life actually made her heart ache. She couldn't help wondering what on earth she'd been thinking when she'd rejected Clark, the man whom she obviously had so much in common with, and instead accepted Lex's proposal, the man whom she had *nothing* in common with. She'd been kidding herself all along to think she and Lex were compatible. They lived in completely different worlds, enjoyed completely different things. Could she imagine hanging out with Lex, staying up late into the night to talk and joke with him? Could she imagine playing hours of board games with him as she and Clark had done during their stakeout in the Honeymoon suite? Could she imagine having that same kind of casual, easy camaraderie with Lex? The answer resounded loudly and clearly in her head: Not a chance. Lex was very different from Clark--distant, secretive, private. Even with her, his fiancée. She never felt anywhere near the same level of comfort around him that she did when she was with Clark. 'I should feel more comfortable with Lex, my fiancé, than with anyone else in the world, but I don't,' she realized. She thought about how she often forced herself to think about things before saying them out loud to him, worrying about how he might react to them, or wondering if it was appropriate to talk to him about certain things. But with Clark, it was completely different. She felt like she could talk to him about absolutely anything, *tell* him absolutely anything. He'd always been there for her, as a partner, as a friend. For an agonizing moment, she imagined how things would be if she did marry Lex. Surely Lex wouldn't want her continually hanging around Clark, sharing pizzas and late night videos, taking in a move, or playing a game of chess and talking, like they did now. The immense sadness at losing that ability to run to him whenever things got tough or when she needed a friend suddenly flooded her soul. Why hadn't she thought of this before? Why hadn't she realized just how badly losing him would hurt? Because when you were married, wasn't your husband supposed to be your best friend? That's what marriage was all about, wasn't it? Marrying your best friend? Could she ever imagine Lex as being her best friend? Lois didn't have to think long to realize that, no, she couldn't ever see herself thinking of Lex as her best friend. Somehow, that place seemed to be reserved solely for Clark. But to think of treating Clark as more than just her best friend...could she do that? Sure, with their offsetting strengths and weaknesses and complimenting personalities, she could see what a perfect match they could be. But just because they sounded like they'd be a perfect match, were they compatible as far as a relationship's intimacy was concerned? At first, Lois found herself automatically pushing those thoughts immediately out of her head, almost as if scolding herself subconsciously for thinking about her partner in such a way. But then, with a start, she realized she'd been doing that for a long time, refusing to let herself think of such things. But now, she tried to coax those repressed thoughts and feelings to the surface. *Did* she think about Clark that way? *Did* he affect her physically? She closed her eyes and pictured his face before her, letting her mind's eye take in his thick, dark hair and luscious brown eyes that spoke volumes of the kindness and gentleness that lurked in his soul. She let her mind's eye trail lower, and took in the little mole above the left side of his lip. She could picture his lips, full and inviting, and parting as he lowered his face to hers to kiss her. Lois felt her heart hammer in her chest and she visualized him coming nearing, lowering his lips to hers very slowly, then parting as they came within inches of her own.... Suddenly, Lois's eyes flew open. She felt hot and cold at the same time, and her hands were shaking and her heart pounding, all a testament to how her little visual demonstration was affecting her. In that instant, it dawned on her. She *was* physical attracted to Clark! Why hadn't she realized it before? Had she simply stifled those physical stirrings, afraid of where they might lead? That they might cause her to let her guard down and potentially be hurt because of them? She realized that her experience with Claude had caused her to suffer a horrible, emotional setback. She'd allowed herself to let down her defenses with him, and had been hurt. Certainly, it made perfect sense that she'd resolved to never again let her guard down emotionally, even for a moment, so she had simply refused to even acknowledge that she felt anything for Clark other than friendship. But after tonight, there was no way she could deny that those feelings existed. So there it was. Her testament of truth. She loved Clark, *was* physically attracted to him, *did* want to be in a relationship with him. But now that she was aware of those feelings, what was she supposed to do? She flopped backward on the couch with a groan and closed her eyes. 'Great, Lois,' she thought. 'You couldn't have picked a worse time to come to this conclusion. What about Lex? You're engaged, and supposed to be married in a matter of weeks. How are you going to explain all of this to Lex?' But just the thought of talking about this to Lex made her stomach turn. She could just hear how her explanation would go: "I'm sorry, Lex, but I just realized tonight that I'm in love with my partner--well, actually my husband, since I just barely found out I was married to him--so I guess I can't marry you after all." Lois almost laughed out loud at the thought. But then she sobered. As funny as it sounded to her, she was sure it wasn't going to sound funny to Lex. Regardless, she knew she had to tell him, and she had to tell him soon. 'Just do it, Lois,' the voice inside her head ordered. 'Get it over with. Now that you know what you want, there's no use in pretending you want something else.' So, before she could lose her nerve, she picked up the phone and dialed the number she had committed to memory. Nervously chewing on a fingernail, she listened as the phone rang once, twice, then three times. Finally, the line picked up and the voice of one of Lex's assistants came across the line, asking where to direct her call. Lois swallowed noisily. "Lex, please." "May I ask who's calling?" "This is Lois." "One moment, please," came the response. As she waited, her stomach churned and twisted. Finally, a familiar voice sounded in her ear. "Lois! How are you?" Lex asked, sounding happy she'd called. "I've been trying to get hold of you--" "I know, Lex, I'm sorry," Lois quickly interjected. "But things have been really crazy lately. In fact," she hesitated, then steeled herself and rushed on, "there's something I need to talk to you about. Can I come over?" "Of course, Lois. I'll be looking forward to seeing you." Lois cringed at his enthusiasm, then said a hasty goodbye and hung up the phone. When she did, she closed her eyes and let out a long, shaky breath. "Come on, Lois, you can do this," she told herself with more confidence than she felt. "Just tell him it's over between you two, and then get out of there. You don't have to debate anything. How you feel is how you feel." So with that little pep talk to spur herself on, she ran a quick brush through her hair, touched up her makeup so he wouldn't be able to tell she'd been crying, then headed out the door. ***** to be continued in part 7... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 12:37:04 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 07/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 07/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** On the short drive over to Lex's penthouse, she was a jumble of nerves. She had no idea what she was going to tell him, how to approach something like this. She briefly rehearsed several speeches, but none sounded right to her. How *was* she supposed to break it to somebody that she didn't love them? 'What, are you kidding?' the voice in her head immediately argued. 'Just look at the great job you did with Clark just a few weeks ago. With that kind of previous experience, you should be an expert.' Suddenly, a heavy blanket of guilt encompassed her as she remembered Clark's crestfallen expression that day not so long ago when he'd told her how he really felt about her, and the way he'd looked when she'd told him that she didn't feel that way about him. He'd been devastated. Crushed. At the memory, Lois groaned inwardly. 'How was I supposed to know that I was in love with him?' she argued. 'I just hadn't realized how much he meant to me, how perfect we were for each other.' Until now... Taking a deep breath and then releasing it, she tried to dig deep to find the courage she was going to need to tell Lex the truth: that she didn't love him anymore, and wanted to break off their engagement. 'No fancy speeches,' she told herself, 'no beating around the bush. Just come right out and say it.' Almost before she was ready, she was in front of Lex's building and being escorted up to the penthouse. Then she was led to the last room at the end of the long, meticulously decorated hall. Opening the double doors wide, Lex's assistant announced her arrival. Lex, who had been standing by the large picture window across the room, smiled in delight when he saw her, and crossed the room to give her a hug. In the brief moment that she was in Lex's arms, she was suddenly surprised to realize that she didn't find the comfort or excitement in them that she did even a day ago. It was completely different from being in Clark's arms, feeling warm, protected and loved. At that moment, she would've given anything to be in Clark's arms instead. Giving herself a mental shake, Lois forced herself to push any thoughts of Clark out of her mind. This just wasn't the time or the place. Forcing herself to take control, she stepped out of Lex's arms and attempted to smile up at him. But he picked up the strained look in her eyes, and his brow furrowed slightly. "Lois? You said you had something you wanted to talk to me about. Is something wrong?" The butterflies suddenly started fluttering about crazily in her stomach, and she turned away from the intensity of his gaze. Looking down at the floor, she said, "Something's happened that I've been hesitant to tell you." Reaching out to put a finger under her chin, he tipped her face up toward his so she would meet his gaze. "Lois, what is it? You can tell me anything, Lois, you know that." 'Do I?' Lois argued silently. But she forced herself to go on, trying to remember some of the things she'd rehearsed in the car. "Well, um, okay, here's what happened," she began. "I went down to City Hall to file for our marriage certificate, and they told me..." Her voice suddenly trailed off as she found her confidence to tell him wavering. "What?" he prompted. She let her breath out in a rush and spoke just as quickly, knowing that if she didn't just come right out and say it, she might never find the nerve again. "They told me that I couldn't apply for a marriage certificate because I was, according to their records, already married." He looked confused and emitted a little laugh. "What?" She rolled her eyes and nodded. "According to them, Clark and I mysteriously became married when we registered at a hotel for a stakeout as husband and wife. Apparently, there's some old law stating that that's all it takes for a couple to be officially married. Who went to all the trouble to file the paperwork, we still don't know. This can't simply be some clerical error, with all that's involved these days to get a marriage certificate." "Well, Lois, if that's all you're worried about, that's no problem," Lex told her in a bold, confident tone as he smiled and dismissed the problem with a casual wave of his hand. "I have friends in high places. Why don't you just let me make a few phone calls, and this will all just disappear. Nothing's going to stand in the way of our getting married." Lois stiffened. "Um, well...that's not all. There's, uh...something else I need to tell you." "Okay," Lex nodded encouragingly, reaching out to rub her arms soothingly. "But whatever it is, Lois, it can't be as bad as you're making it out to be." "I don't know about that," she mumbled under her breath, low enough that he couldn't make out her words. Then, loud enough for him to hear, she said, "Well, this isn't easy for me to say..." When she paused again, Lex let his hands slide down her arms and take her hands into his. Lois had to make a conscious effort not to flinch and pull away. "Lois?" he prompted gently. "What is it?" Finally, she looked up at him and took a deep breath. It was now or never. "Lex," she said, preparing herself for the worst, "I want to break off our engagement." She found herself holding her breath as she watched Lex carefully. She was both scared and fascinated as a myriad of emotions played across Lex's features: confusion, concern...but mostly, he looked simply speechless. Several long, silent moments passed when Lex seemed to be waiting for a punch line. When he finally realized one wasn't coming, he shook his head and furrowed his brow in confusion. "Lois, I don't know what's happened to bring this on, but--" "Look, Lex, I'm sorry," she interrupted. "I know this is probably out of the blue--" He pursed his lips characteristically and smiled a little. "You could say that," he answered, attempting to lighten the mood. Unable to stand still under his scrutinizing stare for even a moment longer, Lois pulled her hands from his and turned away, crossing over to the large picture window and staring out into the starless, black, night sky. She wrapped her arms around herself as if to protect herself from the storm she was sure was approaching. After what seemed like an eternity, she heard a rustle behind her and the sound of approaching footsteps. She closed her eyes and steadied herself, taking a long, slow breath while trying to draw upon whatever strength she had to get her through this. She was so tense that she almost jumped when she felt Lex's hands come to rest on her shoulders. Gently, he turned her around to face him, and she was surprised to see that he seemed to have recovered, and was smiling at her as one would when trying to reason with a very young, very emotional child. "Now Lois, whatever's brought you to this decision, whatever you perceive to be wrong between us...it's nothing we can't work out if you just explain it to me." "I'm sorry, Lex, I know this just came out of nowhere," she began. "But things have just been so crazy and confusing and mixed up these last few days, what with everything going on..." "Lois." Lex stopped her with a gentle finger on her lips before she could try to explain further. "I think you've just hit the nail on the head, so to speak." He smiled gently and slipped an arm around her shoulders, gently leading her toward the door. "I can see that you're obviously very tired and stressed out from everything's that's happened these last couple of days, and you don't seem to be thinking very clearly. Why don't you just go on home and get some sleep. I'm sure that when you've had some rest and some time to think things over--" His patronizing tone made Lois stiffen. Feeling angered, she shook off his arm and turned to face him. "No, Lex, you don't understand. I *have* had time to think things over, and I've come to realize just how wrong we are for each other." But Lex only smiled, pursed his lips slightly, and confidently shook his head. "Wrong for each other? The way I see it, two people have never been more *right* for each other." "Right for each other? Lex, you don't know anything about me!" she argued insistantly. "For instance, what's my favorite flavor of ice cream?" Lex shrugged slightly and smiled. "Probably something chocolate?" Lois couldn't help but smile. Okay, he had her there. But then, *everybody* knew she loved chocolate. She tried again. "Alright, then tell me...what's my idea of a perfect evening?" "Ah. That's easy," he answered smugly. "Madame Butterfly at the opera house, and then a late dinner at Jean Pierre's." Lois shook her head pointedly. "No, Lex, that's *your* idea of a perfect evening. What would I say if I told you I didn't even really *like* going to the opera? That attending balls and hob-nobbing with your rich and famous colleagues is just not my style? That I'd much prefer a quiet evening at home with a pizza and a movie?" Lex started to chuckle. "Pizza and a movie? Come now, Lois. You're too good for that. You've made a name for yourself. You're talented, you're beautiful, and you have the potential to be so much more. You deserve to be with the elite, the powerful, with those who have style and class." Lois shook her head again firmly. "None of that's me, Lex. I keep feeling like you want to change me, to make me into something I'm not. You just assume that I'm too good to be where I am, but I *like* where I am. I *like* what I'm doing. I like tracking down leads and digging up things about people that no one else knows, exposing the criminal element, and seeing that criminals pay for breaking the law. Do you have any idea how much satisfaction I get out of that?" Lex's eyes momentarily flashed, but then he recovered quickly. "I know you enjoy that, Lois, but you'll still be able to do all that after we're married. In fact, with my wealth, power, and inexhaustible source of resources and contacts, you could be one of the most powerful people in journalism. I practically rule this city already, Lois. And with you and me joining forces, our union would make us a force to reckon with." Lois rolled her eyes briefly. "But see? This is what I'm talking about. You see our marriage as having material advantages, something to bring you more power and recognition. I see marriage as having *emotional* advantages: a best friend to share the rest of my life with, someone to love and *be* loved by.... I don't want to marry somebody just because it'll take me up a rung on the ladder of success." "Lois, I can't believe you have so little faith in our relationship...so little faith in me," Lex responded, giving her a slow smile, which she interpreted as him trying to tease her out of her mood. "Yes, I think of how much of an impact we could make as a team. But that's not the only reason I want to marry you. Don't you know how much you mean to me?" He looked at her searchingly for a long moment, then lifted a hand to tenderly stroke her cheek. "Lois, the moment you confronted me at that ball and asked me with such confidence why I hadn't returned your calls, I suddenly saw a woman standing before me who had fire and passion, someone who believed in herself and was used to going after what she wants." He paused, then pursed his lips slightly and let a smile curve across his face. "I knew then that I would never be the same." Lois sighed and stepped away from Lex's touch. "Lex, I've been doing a lot of thinking and soul searching these past few days, and I've come to realize that I just don't love you. Two people wanting to get married *should* love each other, don't you think? They should feel like they're completely meant to be together, that they have strengths and weaknesses that offset the other's, and want to hold each other up and support each other through the good times and the bad. They should be the first person the other person thinks about when they wake up in the morning, and the last one they think about before going to sleep. They should feel like running to tell the other person the second something wonderful happens, or turn to for a hug and words of encouragement when things go wrong. And I don't see any of that in our future, Lex. I just don't." She paused, then looked down at her engagement ring. Before he could argue further, she slipped the ring from her finger and held it out to him. "I'm sorry." Lex seemed momentarily stunned that he hadn't won her over with his confession of love, and he looked wordlessly down at the ring he now held between his fingers. Before he could say anything more, Lois turned and started for the door. She'd only gotten a few feet, though, when Lex's voice came, this time sounding both enlightened and agitated. "There's somebody else, isn't there?" Lois froze. With her heart suddenly hammering in her ears, she whirled back around to face Lex. "What did you say?" Lex studied her intently, noting that she suddenly looked terribly uncomfortable. His eyes narrowed. If anything, he'd always thought of himself as an incredible connoisseur of reading a person's body language. And when she didn't come forth and deny his accusation, he knew he had his answer. In that instant, his entire countenance changed. His brows furrowed and his eyes flashed dangerously. "That's it, isn't it?" he accused. "You've been seeing somebody else. So who is he, Lois? Was he the one who put all these ideas into your head, convinced you that we were all wrong for each other?" Lois bristled and finally recovered enough to speak. "Lex, this isn't about anyone else except *us*! And don't you dare make it sound like I don't have a mind of my own, because I do!" "I'm not disputing that," Lex retorted. "I just find it hard to believe that you're choosing somebody else over me. What could he possibly offer you that I can't?" Disturbed by this side of Lex that she'd never seen, she found herself backing toward the door. "Lex, I already told you, this isn't about anyone else. It's only about us, about our incompatibility. But if you don't want to believe me, then there's not much else I'm going to be able to say to convince you." Then, with a note of finality, she said firmly, "Goodnight, Lex." She'd just reached the door when he caught up with her. "Lois, please. Wait." He stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm, and turned her back around to face him. When she looked up, she saw that the deep, dark, intense look in his eyes was now gone, and his suave, winning smile was back. It was the smile that she would've described as charming as early as this morning, but now she realized it just seemed practiced and deceitful. "Look, Lois," he began, his voice smooth and persuasive. "I didn't mean to get angry and start throwing out accusations like that. I'm sorry." He paused to let his words sink in, hoping they would have the desired effect on her. But when her expression remained firm and determined, he decided to try a different approach. "Lois, the truth of the matter is, you mean too much to me to let things end between us...especially like this. You've obviously had a rough couple of days, and I'd hate for that to lead to any hasty decisions. Why don't you give me some time to prove to you that I can be exactly who you want me to be? We can be happy together, Lois, I know it. At least give me that chance." Lois sighed heavily. "Lex, I can't. Now please...don't make this any harder than it has to be." And with that, she turned and hurried out the door. ***** Lex stood silently in front of the picture window as he watched the rain starting to pelt the glass. A noise at the door made him turn, and he saw Nigel entering the room. "You rang, sir?" Lex put his cigar to his lips and inhaled deeply. He seemed to deliberate over something for several moments, then finally blew out a billowing puff of smoke, gave an almost imperceptible nod and waved his cigar casually in Nigel's direction. "Have her followed. I want to know where she goes." Nigel nodded his compliance, then hurried out of the room. ***** to be continued in part 8... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 12:37:14 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 08/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 08/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** The pouring rain fit Lois's mood. When she finally found herself standing numbly on the sidewalk outside of Lex's building, she felt both physically and emotionally drained. It had taken much more energy and willpower than she'd thought to stay calm and rational while talking to Lex. And now that it was over, she just wanted to go home, crawl into bed, and sleep for a month. Forcing herself to step out into the pouring rain, she hurried to her car and climbed in. But once she was alone in the Jeep and pulling away from Lex's building, the precarious hold she had on her emotions started to crumble. A single tear slowly trickled down her cheek, then another, and another. Before she knew it, she was crying in earnest. All the emotions she'd kept harnessed and pent up over the last few days--and especially this evening--came flooding to the surface, and it was all she could do to see out of the rain-splattered window of her Jeep through her tears. As she drove along the wet, darkened streets, she concentrated on the sounds of the rain pelting the car and the steady 'swish swish' of the windshield wipers, hoping that it would soothe her, but it didn't. Her emotions were too jumbled and unsettled. Trying to boost her mood, she told herself that she should feel proud of the way she'd handled her conversation with Lex. She'd stuck to her guns and refused to back down, even when he tried to charm his way back into your heart. She'd done everything she'd planned to: told him how they weren't right for each other, how they lived very different lives and had very different tastes and interests. She'd withstood his attempts at persuasion, given his ring back, and then left. But if everything had gone according to plan, then why couldn't she shake the heavy, disturbing feeling that this wasn't over? Her memory flashed to the sudden change in Lex's countenance, in his behavior, during their conversation, remembering how deeply it had disturbed her. If she'd had to describe that darkness in his eyes, that unbridled fury, she would've said it was almost... But before she could think the word 'evil,' she quickly pushed it out of her mind with a shake of her head. Lex? Evil? No, not a chance. Persuasive, yes. Powerful and determined, of course. But evil? No, she couldn't see him doing anything outside the law to accomplish his gains. But then that sudden look of simmering darkness, the absolute fury that she'd caught briefly in his gaze when she'd refused to back down, flashed into her mind. Obviously, he wasn't used to not being told that he couldn't have what he wanted. And in that moment, she'd been able to see just how much he wanted...her. She shuddered. He wouldn't go to drastic measures to keep her with him, would he? 'Oh, Lois, that's ridiculous,' she immediately chastised herself. 'Lex isn't that kind of man. He wouldn't hurt you just because you told him you'd changed your mind about marrying him.' Would he? A sudden flash of headlights in her review mirror startled her, and she spun her head around to look behind her. But then she saw that the car behind her was signaling to turn, and then proceeded to do so. She let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding and released a nervous, shaky laugh at her paranoid behavior. "Okay, Lois, that's enough. Get a hold of yourself,' she told herself firmly. You're just letting your imagination run away with you. You broke up with Lex. It's over between you two. Now you can get on with your life.' 'My life?' she thought sarcastically. 'In the last forty-eight hours, my life has been completely turned upside down. Not only am I no longer engaged, but I've just discovered that I'm actually in love with my partner and best friend, the man I told only a few weeks ago that I couldn't ever think of him as more than a friend. So all that leads me...where? What, exactly, *am* I supposed to do now with my life?' The thought that instantly popped into her head was a familiar one: Go to Clark. But as much as the thought of talking things out with him, being comforted by him, appealed to her, she found herself hesitating. In the past, this was exactly the time that she would've run to him. But now...now that she knew she loved him, she felt uncertain and unsure about where their relationship stood. She was used to turning to him in those times when she needed a friend, and she certainly needed one now. So what was stopping her from rushing right over there and spilling out the whole story? He hated Lex, and had told her flat out just a few hours ago that he knew she was too good for him. He'd be thrilled to hear that she'd broken up with him. But would he gloat? Tell her he was glad she finally come to her senses, and that he couldn't believe it had taken her this long? Did she really want to hear that? 'Come on, Lois,' she argued with herself. 'You know Clark's not like that. He's not one to rub salt in the wound, to say I-told-you-so. Just go to him. Tell him what happened, and that you've come to the realization that *he's* the one you really love.' But as she drove through the darkened and nearly deserted streets of Metropolis, she found herself wrestling with her thoughts, completely indecisive about what to do. So it surprised her when she found herself unconsciously turning the corner onto Clinton Street, and before she'd even made any decisions, she was pulling up in front of Clark's apartment. 'So, just what are you planning on telling him?' she asked herself sarcastically. "Yes, you've just been through an emotionally trying experience, and it just seems the natural thing to do, to turn to Clark. But is this the right time to talk to him about you really feel? Because think about this. You're not going to be able to pour out the whole story of how you finally decided to break things off with Lex, without telling him *why* you decided to do it. So you're going to have to be absolutely certain that you want to tell Clark that you love him, or else you shouldn't talk to him at all.' With that now tumbling around in her mind, she continued to sit alone in her car, staring up at the lights in Clark's windows for what seemed like an eternity as she tried to decide what to do. As the minutes passed and the tension continued to build, she began to wonder if she'd ever been this nervous before in her entire life. Her stomach was completely twisted up in knots, and her heart was thumping crazily. So what if she *did* tell him? Would it change everything between them? She didn't want to lose Clark as a friend, but she also didn't want to go on being just his friend now that she knew she loved him. Cringing inwardly, she suddenly understood how it must've felt for Clark to have kept his love for her a secret all this time. How could he have loved her as much as he did, every minute of every day, knowing that his love would never be returned? The very thought made her own heart ache like it never had before. Feeling both restless and anxious, she climbed out of her jeep and stood next to it, still unable to make that decision. She stood in silent debate for several long moments, undeterred by the rain that poured down on her, drenching her hair and her clothes, leaving both sticking to her unattractively. But even as she grew colder by the biting rain soaking clear through her overcoat to her skin, she had a hard time making herself move. She knew that this decision was of utmost, life-altering importance. Did she tell him what was in her heart? Or did she keep her feelings to herself? She kept mulling the consequences of both choices over and over in her mind. On the one hand, If she didn't tell him, what did she stand to gain? Surely he wouldn't stay single forever. He was an incredible catch, and if she never revealed how she felt, someone else was bound to snatch him up. And could she possibly stand to see him with someone else? But she had the answer to her question almost before she'd asked it: There was no *way* she'd be able to handle that. The thought of him with another girl was more than she could possibly stand. And even if they never went out with other people, which seemed an impossibility, she knew she'd never be able to pretend that things were the same as they'd always been between them. How could she possibly repress the feelings she now knew she had for him? How Clark had managed to do it all this time, she had absolutely no idea. On the other hand, she did know how he felt about her already. That helped, at least, since she knew that the possibility of not having her feelings returned wasn't a possibility. And if she did tell him, she was sure he'd be thrilled to hear that she'd finally come to her senses and realized she loved him. But what then? They'd most likely become a couple, an item. They'd belong to each other. They'd be in a committed, loving relationship. Lois smiled. She'd never realized before how wonderful that would be. But just as quickly, Lois's smile faded. But how long would their relationship last? It wasn't unheard of for loving, committed relationships to go awry. What happened if theirs did? Not only would it put a huge strain on their working relationship, but it would most assuredly end their friendship. Could she handle that? Lois sighed heavily and looked up once again at the lights shining through the windows of Clark's apartment. 'So this is it, Lois,' she told herself. 'Sink or swim. Fight or flee. Do or die. Make up your mind once and for all. What are you going to do?' Standing in the rain for another few moments, Lois finally made a decision. Nervously, she found herself walking forward, her feet moving as if on their own accord. For what it was worth, she was going to tell him. After all, knowing was better than never knowing at all. ***** A pair of eyes watched as Lois finally stepped away from her car in the pouring rain and started up the stairs of the apartment building. It was about time, the man thought. He'd never seen anyone stand in the driving rain so long before in his life. Why anyone would want to let themselves get that soaked was beyond him. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed. Then he held the phone to his ear and leaned forward to try to see the woman as she disappeared around the corner of the apartment building. When his call was picked up, he said simply, "Give me Luthor." Moments later, his boss's voice came across the line, sounding angry and impatient, so he rushed on to get to the point of his call before he got on his boss's bad side. "Yeah, it's me," the man said. "Lane's entering an apartment at 344 Clinton Street. I tracked down the address. It belongs to..." he looked down at his notes, "...a Mr. Clark Kent. Does that name mean anything to you?" But instead of getting a response from Luthor, all he heard was a loud 'click,' and then the phone line went dead. "You're welcome," the man muttered sarcastically into the phone as he pressed the 'off' button and slid it back into his jacket pocket. Then he started the car and drove off into the night. ***** Clark wandered around his apartment, unable to relax. He felt like a caged tiger as he paced to one end of his apartment to the other, and then back again. He straightened pictures, reorganized his bookshelf, and even moved some furniture. But nothing helped. Ever since his and Lois's counseling session, his mind had been going a hundred different directions at once. Had he really scared Lois off once and for all? After he'd bared his soul in the session, he'd seen something in her expression, something unreadable. Obviously, something--if not all--of what he'd said had upset her. But what exactly had that been? His judgment of Lex? His own feelings for her? Still unable to decide what she could possibly be thinking or feeling, even hours after she'd dropped him off at his apartment, he finally flopped backwards in utter frustration onto the couch and groaned. What was he supposed to think? Had the things he said finally made her see the light about Lex? Would she now realize that he was all wrong for her? But as quickly as he asked himself the questions, he knew he was just wishfully thinking. Lois was entirely too strong-willed, too independent. There was no way anyone was ever going to tell her how to feel or who to be with. But right now, his wishful thinking was all he had to hang onto. Clark stood up abruptly from the couch, knowing that he was just spinning his gears uselessly. He knew the only way he was going to know what Lois was thinking and feeling was to ask her directly, but she'd told him in no uncertain terms that she needed to be alone. Now was just not the time to press the issue. In the meantime, he needed to get out of there before the walls of his apartment closed even further in on him. He needed to go flying. Just when he'd made up his mind to do a night patrol over the city, a sudden knock at his door made him jump. He'd been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he hadn't even heard the sound of anyone approaching. Glancing down briefly at his watch, he realized that it was nearly midnight. 'Who could be coming over here at this late hour?' he wondered. Hurrying up the steps, he reached for the door and pulled it open. When he did, his heart leapt into his throat. Standing there before him, completely soaked and trembling, was Lois. Her wet, dripping hair clung to her cheeks, her mascara was smudged under her eyes, and she looked as if she'd been crying. "Lois! What's wrong? What happened?" he exclaimed, reaching out for her ice-cold hand and pulling her quickly into the apartment. He felt a momentary thrill when he realized she didn't jerk away at his touch, but immediately, he forced the feeling away. Something was obviously wrong, and finding out what had happened and if she was okay needed to be his primary focus. He shut the door behind them, then turned back to her, his expression filled with concern. "Lois, you're soaked clear through! You must be freezing. Come on," he said suddenly, putting a hand on the small of her back and ushering her down the steps and into the living room. "We've got to get you warmed back up." He let his hand drop from her back and rushed on ahead of her, quickly grabbing the large afghan from the back of the couch, then returning to drape it around her shoulders. When she was firmly and securely wrapped up, he led her over to the couch and sat her down beside him. "So are you going to tell me what happened?" he asked anxiously. Seeing the concern for her in his eyes--such a stark contrast to Lex's cold, angry ones--almost sent her already tender emotions into a downward spiral. A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye and curved a silent path down her cheek. She wrapped the blanket more tightly about her shoulders, and reprimanded herself firmly for losing her control. 'Lois, stop this! You didn't come here to dissolve into weepy tears in front of Clark. You came here to talk to him about you and Lex, and you and him....' But before she could convince herself to start, Clark's face looked increasingly worried as she was obviously struggling to control her emotions. Unable to handle her silence a moment longer, Clark put his hands on her arms and squeezed them anxiously. "Lois, you're scaring me! Please...tell me what's wrong." Whether it was the unmistakable note of concern in Clark's voice or the strength of his touch, Lois's resolve to stay in control dissolved, and the dam holding back her pent-up emotions burst, and the tears she'd promised she wouldn't shed finally started to fall. "Oh, Clark," she cried as she let herself fall forward against him, burying her face against his strong chest as her tears turned to noisy sobs. His heart continuing to pound, Clark slid his arms around held her soaked figure tightly, doing his best to convey his love and support through his touch. After several moments, he pulled her more firmly against him, holding her tightly as she continued cling to his shirt and cry. After what seemed like an eternity, Lois's tears slowly diminished, and she relaxed in his arms, completely spent and exhausted. He continued to stroke her hair soothingly for several minutes, then he nudged himself away and tipped her chin up so she was forced to look up at him. "Are you ready to talk about it?" he asked softly, gently. She sniffled a little, then sat up and adjusted the blanket around her shoulders. "So much has happened tonight, I don't even know where to begin," she admitted hoarsely. "Just start with whatever's happened that's made you this upset," he prompted patiently. Lois sighed and looked down at her the afghan covering her wet figure. "I guess the biggest news of all is...well..." She paused, unable to meet Clarks' gaze. "I broke up with Lex." ***** to be continued in part 9... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 12:37:23 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 09/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 09/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** "WHAT?!" Clark's resounding yell startled Lois, making her jump. Nervously, she looked up at him, worried that she might hear the dreaded 'it's about time' speech. But when he just continued to stare at her is shocked silence, she nodded nervously and went on. "There have just been some things these past few days that have made me think, including what you said about him tonight," Lois admitted quietly. "I guess all those things finally helped me realize that Lex and I *were* completely wrong for each other, and that we'd never have the kind of marriage I thought we were going to have." Clark finally seemed to shake himself out of his stunned silence, but instead of voicing an opinion, he simply nodded. "I see. And how did Lex take it?" Lois sighed. "Not well. He started off by telling me I was just tired and not thinking clearly, but then I tried to show him that we just didn't have anything in common, and he tried to convince me that I was wrong. But I wouldn't let him change my mind, and when I just handed him the ring back, he got angry." A scared look flashed across Clark's face momentarily. "He didn't do anything to hurt you, did he?" "No," Lois quickly reassured him. "But if you'd asked me that even two days ago, I would've insisted that Lex would never do anything to hurt me. But now...I'm not so sure I'd agree with myself." Clark's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" "Well..." Lois paused. "To be honest, Lex kind of scared me tonight. He went through so many changes of emotion, from condescending to persuasive and then to angry. It was almost as if, when the other two responses didn't get him what he wanted, he was ready to resort to force. For a minute there, I *was* afraid he was going to hurt me. It was as if I there was this whole other side to him that I'd never seen before, and it made me wonder what he was really capable of." She stopped for a moment to tuck a wet strand of hair behind her ear. "You know, all that got me really paranoid, and when I was coming over here, I got the strangest feeling that I was being followed. But then the car turned down a different street, so I figured I was just imagining things." "I don't know about that," Clark stated matter of factly, then surprised Lois by getting to his feet and striding across the room to the front windows. He then pulled the curtains aside and peered out into the darkened street. A moment later, he let out a relieved sigh. "I don't see anybody," he told her as he let the curtains fall, then came back to stand beside her. When he noted with concern that she was started to shiver, he quickly reached out a hand to take her hand in his and offered her a gentle smile. "I'll tell you what. Let's get you out of those wet clothes and into something dry. I've got a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt you can borrow. While you're changing," he pulled her to her feet and gave her a gentle shove in the direction of his bedroom, "I'll make you some nice, warm tea, and then we can talk some more. Okay?" She nodded wordlessly, unable to speak. Even though her body was shivering from the cold, wet fabric pressing against her skin, the love for her that was evident in Clark's eyes warmed her completely on the inside. She couldn't help smiling back. For the first time in her life, she had the most incredible sensation that this was exactly where she was supposed to be. The realization nearly overwhelmed her, and she felt her heart start hammering all over again. It was in that moment that she knew what she wanted to do. She was going to tell Clark she loved him. Here. Tonight. She didn't want to wait even a day longer to tell him how she felt, and finally be able to give into that urge to hold him, love him, kiss him...without worrying about the consequences. She wanted to be his, and wanted him to be hers. Her smile broadened as he reached out to touch her cheek gently, smoothing back the little drops of rain that had dripped down from her hair onto her skin, and she couldn't stop herself from responding to the urge to reach up and press her hand over his. He seemed surprised by her response to his touch, but then his smile deepened, and he stroked her skin slowly for a moment with the pad of his thumb before finally stepping back and letting his hand fall to his side. "Go ahead and get changed," he told her quietly. "The sweats are in the third dresser drawer down. I'll get your tea going." She nodded and backed toward his bedroom. "Thanks, Clark. I'll be right out." And then, before she could act on the urge to run over and throw herself into his arms, she hurried into the bedroom to change and pep herself up for her speech. As she opened the dresser drawer, Lois found it a little disconcerting to be rummaging through Clark's clothes. Disconcerting, but nice. She pulled out the first sweatshirt she touched--a light gray one that she'd see Clark wear on occasion that had 'Kansas University' written across the front in bold navy letters--and let it fall open before it. It was big, but the fabric was incredibly soft, as if it had been washed hundreds of times. Without thinking, she held it up to her nose and inhaled slowly. She smiled. It held the unmistakable scent of Clark's cologne. "Lois? Did you find them?" Clark called out from the kitchen. Lois gave herself a mental shake and reprimanded herself for letting herself get carried away. "Yeah, I got 'em," she called back as she quickly reached in and pulled out a pair of navy sweats from the drawer, then hurried into the bathroom. "I'll be right out." "No hurry. Take your time." Lois shut the bathroom door and quickly peeled off her wet clothes. She shivered as the cool air hit her bare, damp skin, and she quickly reached for Clark's sweatshirt and pulled it over her head. Then she stepped into his large sweatpants and did her best to cinch up the drawstring waistband to accommodate her petite waist. She looked in the mirror. 'Well,' she thought, 'it's not exactly the romantic, irresistible look I would've gone for, but I guess it'll have to do.' Then she washed her hands and face, grabbed a towel to wring the moisture out of her hair, then helped herself to the comb and hairdryer she found on the counter. When she emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, she actually felt human again. She walked into the kitchen where Clark was just taking the tea kettle off the stove and leaned up against the counter. "Thanks for the use of your bathroom," she tried to say casually, though even she could hear the nervous hitch that had crept into her voice. She hadn't felt nervous a minute ago, but now, as they were standing together alone in his kitchen, with what could very well be a life-altering conversation looming in the foreground, the butterflies in her stomach had suddenly fluttered into action, sending her heart pounding and her pulse racing. Clark turned to assure her that the use of his bathroom no problem, but the moment he saw her standing there, not four feet away, leaning up against his counter and wearing his old college sweatshirt and cinched up sweatpants, the smile he'd intended to give her slowly faded away. He'd seen her in business suits, ball gowns, mini skirts...even an incredibly skimpy--and sexy!--chicken costume, but nothing compared to how she looked standing there, in his kitchen, wearing his old, faded clothes. In that moment, she'd never looked more breathtakingly beautiful. "Um," he stammered, desperately searching for something to say. Then he glanced down at the tea kettle in his hand and started. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "Your tea." Lois watched as Clark quickly turned away, opening two different cupboards in his search for a mug. In a mild case of panic, she glanced down at the sweatshirt and pants she was wearing, wondering if she'd picked something he hadn't wanted her to wear. She'd couldn't help but notice his smile fade as he looked at her, then tried to cover it up by stammering about the tea. 'Way to go, Lois,' she scolded herself as Clark finally found a mug and started to pour some of the hot liquid from the kettle into the mug. 'You haven't even broached the subject of your feelings yet, and already you've alienated him.' Lois sighed in frustration as Clark turned back to her. He hastily shoved the mug in her direction, his quick motion causing the tea to come dangerously close to sloshing over the edge. "Sorry," he mumbled apologetically as she reached up for the mug. Before she took it, though, she glanced up at him briefly, then looked back down at the mug he was steadying. "Clark, um, I'm sorry if I picked the wrong things to borrow. I didn't mean to--" "Oh, no, Lois, what you're wearing is just fine," Clark hurried to reassure her. "In fact," he began, then paused and swallowed noisily. A moment later, he tried again. "Well, it's just...well...I think you...look...*great.*" His last word was said with such a husky, breathy quality that he wanted to kick himself for telegraphing to her just how much she was affecting his ability for any and *all* rational thought. But she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at his reassurance, so he simply handed her the mug, which she took and moved toward the couch. He couldn't help himself as he stole one more longing look at her as she walked away from him, noticing how her hair, still slightly damp, was just barely brushing the collar of this sweatshirt, and how the large sweatshirt and sweatpants did nothing to hide the slim, slender figure and curves that he knew were there beneath the folds of fabric. Suddenly, he felt his body temperature rising at the thought, and he knew that if he didn't get himself immediately under control, something else was going to be rising, as well. With a glance at her bare feet, he quickly turned toward the bedroom, trying to regain some control. 'Come on, Clark, snap out of it!' he commanded himself. 'Lois is your friend. Your *friend!* She's told you, in no uncertain terms, that all she wanted to be was your friend. So that's what you're going to have to be. And don't you dare even be disappointed, because you're lucky she's even *standing* here after that 'bare your whole heart and soul' stunt you pulled earlier during the counseling session. You could've scared her off for good with that one--and for a while, you were certain you did!--so don't you dare do anything to ruin this, now that she's turned to you after what happened with her breakup tonight. Be there for her, and be thankful for what you get from her, even if it is just plain and simple friendship.' So, with that stern talking-to, he steeled himself, forced his physical yearnings for her aside, then grabbed something from the top drawer of his dresser and went back out into the living room. "Here," he said, holding up the soft ball of fabric as he emerged from the bedroom. "Socks. I thought your feet might be cold." He tossed them onto the couch beside Lois, then he went into the kitchen to pour himself his own tea. When he returned, he noticed that Lois had set her mug down on the coffee table and was slipping the socks onto her feet. "Thanks," she told him with a grateful smile. "My feet *were* cold." He smiled back at her. "No problem." When he sat down beside her--at a respectable distance--he turned toward her, stretching an arm out along the back of the couch. "So," he prompted, hoping to continue their conversation. "About Luthor." "Yeah, well..." Lois said with a heavy sigh. "Let's just say that I'm just glad the whole things is over and done with. Well, hopefully." Clark caught the uncertain tone in her voice and he wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "What do you mean, 'hopefully'? Did you leave him with the impression that you might change your mind?" "Oh, no, nothing like that," Lois quickly amended. "I made it crystal clear that it was over between us, and that I just didn't love him like I thought I did. But still...what he said to me before I left makes me wonder if he's delusional enough to think there might still be a chance for us." "What exactly did he say?" Lois thought for a moment. "Something about how I meant too much to him to let things end between us, and how he wanted me to give him some time to prove himself to me." "And what did you tell him?" "I told him I couldn't, and then left." Clark's smile reached all the way into his eyes. "Good for you." "Yeah, I guess," Lois sighed. "I just wish I didn't keep having this nagging feeling that he's not going to let this go. I'm sure a man in his position didn't get where he was by taking 'no' for an answer." The muscle in Clark's jaw twitched. "Probably not," he muttered, shaking his head. Then his tone softened as he watched her fidgeting with the long drawstring on her sweats. She appeared uncomfortable talking about what had happened, and he realized how hard confronting Lex must've been on her, and how coming to the decision to break up with him must've been even harder. "So, what *did* make you decide to him you wanted to break things off?" Clark asked, suddenly curious. "Of course, if you don't want to tell me, I understand," he quickly amended when he saw her tense up. "Oh, um...it's not that I don't want to tell you," Lois responded slowly, carefully. She paused to wet her lips. "It's just that...well...this is where things get kind of complicated." Clark seemed confused. "Complicated? Um, okay," he answered, wanting to know what she meant by that, but not wanting to pressure her into talking about something she didn't feel comfortable talking about. He leaned back against the couch in what he hoped was a casual 'if you want to tell me, fine. If you don't, that's fine, too' appearance, and waited for her to go on. Lois knew that this was it: the perfect opportunity to tell him how she felt. But then she noticed just how *great* he looked sitting there, with his beautiful chocolate brown eyes regarding her attentively and his arm stretched out comfortably along the back of the couch. It was that same comfortable, casual ambience about him that had caught her attention from the very beginning. He was always so unflappable, patient and gentle. She doubted he'd have been able to worm his way into her heart without those qualities. And now that he had, she realized how lucky she was. He could've swept any number of women off their feet, chose *them* to give his heart to. But he hadn't. He'd picked her. Suddenly, Lois felt flustered. What if she couldn't live up to his expectations? He'd told her he'd been in love with her for a long time. That was a lot of pressure, trying to be what someone else perceived. Was she doing the right thing? 'If you're not sure about how you feel about Clark, then don't tell him,' the voice in her head suggested. 'But I *do* know how I feel about Clark,' she argued back. 'I love him more than I've ever loved anybody in my life. There are just so many things about having a relationship that scare me. If we can talk about those things, then we could work on them, and we could be happy.' 'Then tell him already!' the voice demanded impatiently. 'Tell him, and then talk about the things dealing with relationships that scare you. You'll never work past those things if you can't start by telling him you love him.' Lois knew the voice was right. One step at a time. Even though that first step seemed to be the most difficult and nerve wracking of them all.... 'Just take it slow,' she told herself as she tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach. 'If you don't get this right, you could ruin everything.' Feeling as if a fifty-pound weight was sitting on her chest, she quickly stood up and walked around to the other side of the coffee table. Anywhere but next to Clark. His closeness was making it impossible for her to think clearly. Lois took a couple of slow steps away, fidgeting with her hands anxiously. "Well, this actually has a lot to do with what you said tonight in the counseling session..." At that moment, Clark's heart nearly stopped beating. Which part of what he said was she referring to? He wanted to ask, but he forced himself to be patient and wait for her to continue. When she did, her tone was hesitant, nervous. "Clark, I wanted to tell you something," Lois began, speaking slowly and carefully. "What you said tonight in our counseling session really shocked me tonight." Clark cringed. He'd been right. He'd pushed too hard. "I know, Lois, and I'm really sorry that--" "No, Clark, wait," she interrupted, holding up a hand to stop him. "Let me finish." Clark paused, then nodded slowly. "Okay." When Lois saw he was waiting for her to continue, she took a quick breath and forged on. "I was listening to what you said, and my first reaction was to deny it, to write you off as not knowing what you were talking about. But...the more I thought about it, the more I realized you were right. Lex wasn't the type of man I needed. That's why I broke things off with him." Clark smiled with relief. "I'm so glad to hear that, Lois, because I--" Lois quickly cut him off with a raised hand. "Wait, Clark, I'm not done." When Clark retreated into obedient silence, she continued. "I also realized something else tonight. Do you remember all those things you said about the type of man I *do* need?" Clark nodded wordlessly. "Well, you were right about that, too. I *do* need someone who knows me inside and out, knows how to calm me down when I get angry, to motivate me when I get down, to be there when I need a shoulder to cry on, or just to hold me when I'm sad. I need someone who loves me for who I am, and isn't bent on changing me, like Lex obviously was." She paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to possibly say the next words. It was nearly impossible with Clark's intense gaze never leaving her own. She licked her lips, stalling for time, and then decided maybe she'd better sit back down. This was going to take an awful lot of courage, and she wasn't sure she could trust her shaking knees not to give out. So she hurried back over to the couch and sat down next to Clark, struggling to find her next words. Finally, she continued haltingly. "Anyway, that got me doing a lot of thinking, and I finally realized something, something that I never thought was possible." "What?" Clark prompted when she hesitated. Seeing Clark waiting anxiously to hear her next words, she felt her heart hammering loudly in her chest. But then suddenly, it dawned on her. She knew *exactly* what to say. In that moment, her nervousness had mysteriously disappeared, and a slow smile crept across her face. "Well, here's the thing. Since you're my best friend, I thought it only right that you be the first to now." She paused for dramatic effect, watching with delight as Clark unconsciously leaned forward even further, obviously eager to hear what she was about to say. But as much as she was expecting a reaction from him with her next words, she was completely unprepared for the extent of his reaction when she said, "I've finally met just such a man." All the blood drained out of Clark's face, and his mouth fell open. He looked both stunned and distraught, and was completely able to speak. When he finally closed his mouth and made a weak attempt at clearing his throat, he parted his lips and asked in a hoarse whisper, "You what?" Lois smiled giddily, hardly able to keep herself from bursting out laughing. " And better yet...I've fallen in love with him." Clark fell back against the couch, desperately trying to keep the room from spinning. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be real. But one look at her flushed cheeks, sparkling eyes and wide smile told him everything he needed to know. In one achingly miserable moment, he knew the awful truth. "You've fallen in love with someone," he echoed forlornly, hoping with all his being that this was all some sick, sordid joke. But Lois nodded. "Yes, I have. It turns out that I've actually been in love with him for quite some time now, but I didn't realize it until I heard what you said tonight about the perfect type of person for me." As she saw that Clark appeared to be in a state of shock, she couldn't help rushing on. "He's a wonderful man, Clark. In fact, I guess you could say you and him have a lot in common." "Oh. How...nice." Clark could barely choke the words out past the lump in his throat. It was all he could do not to throw something through the wall, or rush out to find this mysterious man who had swiftly won his Lois's heart, and tell whoever it was that Lois was already spoken for. ***** to be continued in part 10... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 12:37:37 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 10/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 10/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** Feeling completely demolished, Clark leaned forward and dropped his head in his hands, trying to regain his composure after she'd delivered such a devastating blow. It finally happened, he thought. His worse case scenario. Lois had met someone else. And this wasn't like Lex, because he always held some glimmer of hope that she'd come to her senses and realize what kind of man he really was. And she had. But now she'd gone out and found somebody else. And what was worse, he knew this wasn't just some fling, some rebound relationship, judging from the sparkle in her eyes and the flush to her cheeks. This man was somebody special. Somebody important. And he hated him already. 'Clark, what have you done?' he asked himself miserably. 'Whatever you said tonight in that counseling session drove her right out of Lex's arms and straight into the arms of an entirely different man. Could you have possibly made this whole situation any worse?' When he felt at least calmed down enough to listen without completely losing control, he sat back up and studied her intently, feeling even more miserable when he saw how happy she looked. But even if he didn't love her with all his heart and soul, he knew he'd never consider himself a good friend if he let her do something as foolish and headstrong as this without trying to reason her out of it. She meant too much to him to just let her go without a fight. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Lois, don't you think you're rushing into this just a little fast? I mean, you just barely broke things off with Lex, and already you're in love with someone new? Don't you think that's a little weird? Maybe you should just slow things down with this guy, Lois, and make sure you really know how you feel about him--" "But see, that's just it," Lois interrupted. "I love this man. I've loved him for a long time now, and just never realized it until now. He's the perfect man for me, so patient and gentle, and I'm pretty sure he loves me, too. This just feels right, Clark, like nothing's ever felt before in my entire life." Clark's face fell, and Lois felt a momentary stab of guilt for teasing him. But before she could let him off the hook, he sighed audibly. "Well, if that's how you feel about it, Lois," he said, knowing that his argument wasn't changing her mind. "I guess I can't stop you." But then his resolve to back off and support her instantly dissolved into thin air, and his anger erupted. "Lois, this is crazy!" he yelled, starting to pace. "You can't know this guy any better than you did Lex! And look how wrong *he* turned out to be for you! Do you really want to get yourself into another dead-end relationship like that? I mean--" "Clark!" Lois's shout stopped Clark's tirade cold. When she saw that she had his full attention, she stood up from the couch and took a step toward him. She felt a twinge of guilt for making him feel so miserable, but if he didn't stop flying off the handle, how was she supposed to clue him in? Then dared to take another step closer and then stopped when she was only an arm's distance away. "Don't you even want to know who this man is?" she asked, looking up into his pain-filled eyes. "Okay," Clark lied. Lois smiled, enjoying her little charade, since it spoke volumes about just how much Clark truly loved her. "He works at the Planet, and we met a while ago when he first started working there," she told him slowly, hoping he'd pick up the hints she was dropping. "It's just taken me this long to realize how right we are for each other, and how perfect we'd be together. So, thanks to you, I made up my mind to just come right out and tell him how I feel about him." "Yeah, thanks to me," Clark repeated, the sarcasm in his tone unmistakable. He sighed and again ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I guess I probably know him, if he works at the Planet. Who is it?" He paused. But then realization suddenly seemed to dawn in his mind, and a repulsed look crossed his face. "It's not Jimmy, is it?" Lois almost lost it. "*No,* it's not Jimmy!" she retorted indignantly. "How could you even think such a thing?" Clark tried to smile, but didn't completely succeed. "Then who, Lois? Because maybe I could tell you if he'd be all wrong for you. I mean...maybe this is just another guy who's trying to pull a Claude!" But Lois shook her head adamantly. "I know without a doubt that he'd never do that to me," she said softly, taking yet another step closer. "Clark, what I'm trying to say is...I was listening to everything you said in that session tonight, about who that perfect man for me would be, and you know what? You were absolutely right. This man *is* perfect for me, and I don't know why it took me so long to figure that out. But then, I guess I was just blind to the fact that this perfect man was right under my nose all this time. I had plenty of chances to realize it, whether it was during stakeouts alone late at night, or while we talked and laughed as we shared a pizza and watched a video, or even argued over who had the better lead on a story...." A look of utter confusion came over Clarks face, and his brows furrowed. "Arguing about story leads? Who else have you been investigating stories with, Lois?" Lois let out a tiny growl of aggravation. She stomped her foot in exasperation and said, "Clark, you are *so* dense! What I'm trying to say is that I'm in love with you! And I have been for a long time. But it took your little speech in Dr. Jenkins' office tonight to make me realize that we *are* perfect for each other, that we love each other, and should *be* together..." Clark's jaw dropped and he looked simply dumfounded. A moment later, his eyes misted over and he actually looked like he might cry. "Lois, are you really saying what I think you're saying?" She nodded slowly, her heart warming as she realized she coudlnt' have possibly gotten a better reaction. "Yes, Clark I am. I love you, and I'm so sorry that I didn't realize it sooner. I probably could've saved us both a lot of heartbreak by being honest with myself from the beginning, but I guess I just wasn't ready to admit it earlier--to myself *or* to you." She paused and timidly reached out for Clark's hands. "So, I guess what I wanted to find out was...do you still love me enough to forgive me for being so dense? So blind to what should've been so obvious?" Clark paused for a long moment, closing his eyes against the threatening tears, and wanting to simply savor this moment, to store it in his memory for as long as he lived. Never in his lifetime had he expected to hear the things Lois had just said, and nothing could've prepared him for the moment he'd finally heard those words spoken from her lips. The warmth from them started at his heart and radiated out from there until he felt warm all over. And in that moment, he felt completely, wonderfully, and blissfully happy. He finally opened his eyes and looked down into Lois's, but then some of the warmth in his body started to dissipate. She actually looked hurt, and he suddenly realized that she must've mistaken his silence for rejection. She let her hands slip from his and looked, downcast, at the floor. "Oh. I see," she simply responded. She started to turn away, but Clark quickly recaptured her hands and forced her to meet his gaze. "Lois," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I have to admit, this is a surprise. But I think it's the most wonderful surprise I've ever had in my life. Oh, Lois," he said reaching out to stroke her cheek tenderly. "You have no idea how incredible it feels to hear you say those words. And you already know how I feel about you. I've loved you from the moment I saw you barge into Perry's office, and since then, nothing has changed. If anything, I love you even more." Lois nearly wilted with relief. "Oh, Clark, I thought you were going to tell me you'd changed your mind about how you felt about me..." "Not a chance," he whispered huskily, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I've never been so sure of anything in my life." With tears of happiness and relief gathering in her eyes, Lois tightened her grip on Clark's hands, almost as if she needed the firm pressure to convince her that all this was real. All the doubts and concerns about what might happen in their relationship in the future faded from her mind, and she found herself wanting to simply lose herself in the moment, in the look of intense love and belonging that she read in Clark's eyes. Her heart swelled, and she knew that this was right. It was as if all the paths of fate had intersected into this one special moment, letting her know that this, here, standing with Clark, their hands clasped and fingers intertwined, was exactly where she was supposed to be. Untangling her fingers from one of his hands, she gently reached up to trail a finger slowly across Clark's cheek, watching in fascination as he closed his eyes at her touch, then reached up to cover her hand with his own. "Lois," he murmured lovingly. "I can't believe this is really happening. I've been hoping for this for so long. I just didn't think you'd ever come to your senses." Lois laughed softly. "Well, maybe *I'm* the dense one. But at least I finally figured it out." He smiled tenderly and enclosed his fingers around her hand. "I'm so glad you did." Then Clark's smile started to fade, and, in one heart-stopping moment, Lois realized he was going to kiss her. Breathlessly, she found herself wondering how it would feel to kiss him...not a kiss based on false pretenses, which they had shared, but one real, wonderful kiss that would betoken the turning point in their developing relationship. Nervously, Lois watched, almost as if in slow motion, as Clark took a half step toward her, imperceptibly closing the distance between them until they were only inches apart. Her breath caught in her throat as he slowly lowered his face to hers, and she found that she couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Unable to resist the lure of his lips, she tipped her face up to Clark's, and instantly, the world around them seemed to melt away as their lips met in a brilliant, earth-shattering kiss. Lois closed her eyes blissfully, savoring the delicious way Clark's lips felt on hers. The heady scent of his lingering cologne wafted around her, and she felt helpless to do anything but to respond to his kiss. She totally forgot about Lex, about the troubles of the last couple of days, of the fact that this moment was about to change her life completely. She forgot about everything except the way Clark's lips felt on hers, roaming, nibbling, tasting. The kisses they'd shared before had been nothing like this. As with the others, she'd always been unable to enjoy the sensation of his lips on hers, because she was busy thinking about who they were trying to distract, or convince of their passion. But this...this was completely different. Lois felt vulnerable, nervous, and exited, all at the same time, and she wanted to stay this way in his arms forever. When they finally pulled apart, they were both breathless and dizzy, and Lois felt so light-headed from the effects of their kiss that she couldn't seem to bring her mind back into focus. When she heard Clark speak, it was as if his voice was coming to her through a long tunnel. "Wow," he mumbled huskily, obviously as swept away by the moment as she was. "Yeah," she responded headily. "That was..." "...incredible." Lois grinned. "That's just what I was going to say." Not trusting his weak knees, Clark relaxed his grip on her and let his hands slide down until he found hers and clasped them firmly in his own. He led her silently to the couch, pulling her gently down next to him. She didn't hesitate to snuggle up against him as his arm went around her and she dropped her head to his shoulder. After a long, luxurious moment of being in each other's arms, Lois lifted her head to look up into the face of the man she loved. She smiled softly. "What took us so long?" Clark smiled back as he reached out to brush her hair back away from her face. "I don't know. Stubbornness, maybe?" Lois sat up a little and looked at him indignantly. "Are you saying I'm stubborn?" "Are you saying you're not?" he shot back challengingly, his eyes twinkling happily. "Well, okay, maybe I am," she relented. A comfortable silence ensued as Lois dropped her head back onto Clark's shoulder, and closed her eyes dreamily as he traced gentle circles on her arm. A few minutes later, though, Clark spoke again. "Maybe it took us so long because the things we've experienced--both apart and together--were meant to teach us something about friendships, love, and relationships. Do you think that's possible?" Lois lifted her hand to Clark's chest and rested it there comfortably. "I guess so. I certainly have learned a lot, especially these last few days, about taking things--and people--for granted, and realizing what I have before I stubbornly let them slip away." "I've learned a lot, too, I guess. Mostly patience." Clark grinned, and Lois thumped him on the chest. He just laughed at her indignant reaction, then sighed happily as he leaned down to kiss her gently one more time. When he pulled back, he touched his forehead to hers, then closed his eyes, simply reveling in the idea that he was now allowed to kiss her without pretense, to touch her, to be near her. It felt incredible. Moments later, his eyes flickered open and he smiled down at her. "Won't everyone at the Planet have a heart attack when they hear what's happened between us? I think Perry will actually need oxygen." Lois laughed. "I kind of suspected he was wishing we'd get together sooner or later." "Yeah, I did, too." He paused. "And my parents will be beside themselves when I tell them. They've always thought you were great. Kind of the daughter they never had." Lois stiffened. "Um, Clark," she said, straightening up a bit and looking at him hesitantly. "I know it's taken me a long time to finally get to this point, and that we probably already know each other better than most couples who enter a relationship do, but..." "But?" Clark prompted, a little nervously. "Well, it's just that...would you mind so much if we didn't rush into this? Kind of plan to take it slow? I mean, everything's just so new..." Suddenly, Clark felt incredible guilty for the thoughtless little remark about 'the daughter they never had.' Of course she'd be nervous about starting a relationship! She'd told him before how miserably her parents' marriage had failed, and he knew that she, herself, had had some bad experiences as far as relationships were concerned. Again, he realized he'd pushed too hard. "Oh, Lois, I'm sorry," he quickly apologized, sitting up a bit and reaching out gently for her hand. "I didn't mean to imply that we should run off and get married or anything...although, technically, we *are* married." He flashed her a quick grin, hoping to tease her out of her sudden change in mood. It worked. She laughed at his comment, and looked visibly relieved. But then her smile slowly faded, and she looked down at their joined hands thoughtfully. Clark could tell there was more she wanted to say, so he waited patiently until she was ready to continue. Finally, she did. "Clark, I know you've been in love with me for a long time now," she began hesitantly. "But I just realized how I feel about you a few hours ago, and all of that is just so new to me. I'm going to need some time to adjust to the idea of 'us,' you know?" He nodded, and then she seemed to pick up steam as she continued. "What you just said about Perry and your parents being so happy for us...well, it scares me a little to think that all these people are wanting for things to work out with us. Because what if things *don't* work out for us? We're taking this huge leap into what could be the most monumentally bad decision of our lives, here! What if we commit to this relationship, and things go horribly wrong? Our friendship would be ruined, and--" "Wait, wait, wait...just hold on a second," Clark quickly cut in as her concerns were starting to turn into full-fledge babbling. When she stopped at his insistence and looked at him expectantly, he gave her a gentle smile and squeezed her hand. "Lois, I understand what you're concerned about. I really do. But don't you think I've asked myself those same things a hundred times before?" He paused. "Well, I have. And do you know what I've come up with is: there really *are* no concrete answers. But, Lois, I *do* know that I love you. And if you love me, we can work through everything else. I know that this must all be so new and scary to you, but I honestly don't want you to feel any pressure. If you want to take things slow, then we will. I don't have any problems at with that." Lois heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, Clark. You have no idea how much I was hoping you'd say that. Thanks for understanding." Clark smiled supportively. "Anytime, Lois. And I want you to know that I *will* always try to be understanding. But if I'm ever acting dense," he grinned as he used her earlier word, "just smack me, okay?" Lois couldn't help grinning back. "Okay." "Now," Clark said more quietly as he leaned back into the corner of the couch and pulled her back with him. He wrapped his arms around her from behind as she leaned against his strong chest, then pressed a gentle kiss into her hair. "Is there anything about 'us' that's still worrying you? Any doubts or concerns we should talk about to help you to feel more comfortable?" Lois sighed happily and snuggled deeper into him. "Well, maybe just a few things," she admitted. "Why don't you tell me?" Clark suggested. "Unless you're too tired and want to get home to get some sleep. I just realized it's almost one AM." She whirled around to look at the clock, surprised to see that Clark was right. "I had no idea it was so late. But you know what? I'm not tired at all." "Good," Clark replied happily. "Then let's talk." ***** As Lois slipped her key into the lock of her apartment at almost four A.M., she couldn't remember ever feeling so happy, so free...so completely and totally in love. Clark had been incredibly understanding and wonderful as they talked into the wee hours of the morning about everything: her concerns about what lay ahead for their relationship, how their newly discovered feelings might affect the way they worked together at the Planet, and how they would take time out of their busy schedules to build what they had between them. Never before had Lois talked so openly and honestly with anyone before, and to be able to do so with someone she was romantically involved with was an amazing feeling. Even though little doubts and fears threatened to creep into her thoughts, she felt too enraptured with being in love with her best friend to let them have much effect on her. Walking through her darkened apartment, Lois didn't even bother to turn on any lights. She went straight to her bedroom and changed into pajamas so she could go to bed. She did have to be to work in a little over three hours, after all. But even as Lois lay in bed and stared up at her darkened ceiling, she doubted sleep would be coming anytime soon. Her whole entire life changed tonight in a matter of a few short hours. She'd broken off her engagement to a man who was all wrong for her, then found the man who was all right for her. 'Who would've ever thought Mad Dog Lane would ever fall in love?' she thought with a happily. But it was true. It had finally happened. Lois Lane was in love. ***** to be continued in part 11... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 17:58:12 +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: Hand in the candy jar Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Maybe I'M dating myself, but way BEFORE that commercial, weren't green M&M's supposed to make you ah...um, amorous? Missy _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 13:19:20 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Cindy Leuch Subject: Re: Fanfic Question: Lois' youth Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed The rivalry between Lois and Linda was in college. Lois's high school was "Metropolis High" (they're the Lions, "roar") according to the series, although a city the size of Metropolis would most definately have more than one high school (unless that's one huuuuuuge school). Hope that helps! GO CYCLONES! Cindy Leuch isuleuch@hotmail.com _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 13:22:32 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LaNita Cornwall Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" I used to work rock concerts in the late 70s. Setting up stages, unloading trucks, loading trucks, etc. The food service people were the ones who had the real fun though. We had two or three black groups that came through with M&Ms on their "had to have" list. Big bowls (think salad size for 100 people) full. But, no brown and no tan ones. So the bags had to be dumped out and the brown and tan ones taken out. Thousands of M&Ms. And no, we didn't get to eat the brown and tan ones. Never did find out what happened to them. LaNita LaNita Cornwall Library Systems Assistant Weatherford College Library 225 College Park Drive Weatherford, TX 76086 817 594-5471, ext. 456 http://www.wc.edu/library -----Original Message----- From: Carol L Moncado [mailto:cmoncado@JUNO.COM] Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 11:12 AM To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar > ROTFL! I'm glad that someone else hates the blue ones, too. :) hehehe - imagine grown up people hating a piece of candy based simply on color (especially since it still gives the same chocolate fix!)! Now light blue for Easter is okay, but the blue in the regular bags... > >CM(who may be dating herself somewhat by admitting that she > remembers > >fondly the commercials where eating a green M&M guaranteed you a > home > >run) > > I'm sure that I'm old enough to remember them - but I don't! What > were the > commercials like? Let's see - it was probably mid 80s, maybe early mid, but there were these 2 kids sitting on the bench at a LIttle League type game eating M&Ms. The one kid asks the other kid a question about them and he says that he only eats greens because they will give him a home run (I think some versions had which color got you a single etc.). So he goes up to bat and sure enough - home run! Always ate green M&Ms before I played softball so that I could hit the home run (but it never worked for me!) CM (who is one of the weird people who, when given a handful of M&Ms eats them in a certain color order - blue first and saving the best - green - for last!) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 11:50:14 -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: Re: NEW: Imbalance Part 23 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit S P O I L E R S P A C E TRASK!!!!!???????? AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway - does Kryptonite exist on this world? Loved the part with the sketch artist! Hope the pic turned out a bit less menacing than the one in the series! More soon please! CM ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 13:22:49 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Oops: Glitch in AH In-Reply-To: <0d9801c130b0$d1f116a0$0100a8c0@cat> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wendy just alerted me to an oversight in part 1 of the fic I just posted: >>"I am *not*," Lois insisted adamantly. "I would *know* if I was married! You think a woman forgets something like that? Maybe *you* would," she spat out, causing the clerk to stiffen defensively, "but I certainly wouldn't! I am not married!" "Yes, you are. It says right here that you are, as of (check HiM dates)***." << Somehow this didn't get spotted during editing, so please ignore it. It should read the date: December 12th, 1993. Sorry guys! (And thank you for pointing it out to me, Wendy! ;) Didn't mean to post such a blatant oversight. :P There are 11 posts left, but I figured I'd post them later so I didn't completely spam your mail boxes. ;) Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 13:30:24 -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: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit LOL! Don't remember that! But given the current incarnation of the green M&M.... CM On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 17:58:12 +0000 Missy Gallant writes: > Maybe I'M dating myself, but way BEFORE that commercial, weren't > green M&M's > supposed to make you ah...um, amorous? > > Missy > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at > http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 13:28:27 -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: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > You're not the only weird person, Carol, but I have a different > pattern... I > like to even up the colors so I have the same number of each (though > I don't > really worry about that til it gets down to 3 of these, 4 of > those...) and > then eat one of each color so that the proportions stay the same ;) Well, I do only eat them in pairs. 2 blue at a time (one one on each side) and so on - and only certain color combinations - for example, rarely eat a blue and green at the same time, even if they were the only two left in the bag! CM(Who can't believe she's admitting this stuff in public!) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 14:41:36 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Mary D." Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar > You're not the only weird person, Carol, but I have a different pattern... I > like to even up the colors so I have the same number of each (though I don't > really worry about that til it gets down to 3 of these, 4 of those...) and > then eat one of each color so that the proportions stay the same ;) > > Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com > http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam > **note new address** LOL! I do exactly the same thing. I didn't know anyone else did this. BTW, I just joined this list last night and wanted to let you know I'm glad to be here. Mary ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 14:04:03 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar In-Reply-To: <00b601c130ba$5ac08020$5db81b18@cinci.rr.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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 Mary D. > Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 11:42 AM > To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU > Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar > > > > You're not the only weird person, Carol, but I have a different pattern... > I > > like to even up the colors so I have the same number of each (though I > don't > > really worry about that til it gets down to 3 of these, 4 of those...) and > > then eat one of each color so that the proportions stay the same ;) > > > > Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com > > http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam > > **note new address** > > LOL! I do exactly the same thing. I didn't know anyone else did this. > BTW, I just joined this list last night and wanted to let you know I'm glad > to be here. > > Mary > ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 15:13:12 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Mark Safransky Subject: Re: Oops: Glitch in AH MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I kinda wondered about that too. Considering that the date was included later in the story. ;o) Hey, go ahead and spam us, I've caught up and want the rest!!!! Mark Erin Klingler wrote: > Wendy just alerted me to an oversight in part 1 of the fic I just posted: > > >>"I am *not*," Lois insisted adamantly. "I would *know* if I was married! You think a > woman forgets something like that? Maybe *you* would," she spat out, causing the clerk > to stiffen defensively, "but I certainly wouldn't! I am not married!" > "Yes, you are. It says right here that you are, as of (check HiM dates)***." << > > Somehow this didn't get spotted during editing, so please ignore it. It should read > the date: December 12th, 1993. Sorry guys! (And thank you for pointing it out > to me, Wendy! ;) Didn't mean to post such a blatant oversight. :P > > There are 11 posts left, but I figured I'd post them later so I didn't completely spam > your mail boxes. ;) > > Erin > __________________ > erink@ida.net > erink@lcfanfic.com > Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 14:08:04 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Sorry guys! And Welcome, Mary! :) In-Reply-To: <00b601c130ba$5ac08020$5db81b18@cinci.rr.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Oops! Sheesh, what in the heck did those technicians do to my computer when they fixed it?! :P I really apologize for the two previous posts that had nothing new in them. I opened the email to reply two different times, and both times my email program SENT them! What's up with that?? :P ANYWAY, I just wanted to welcome you to the list, Mary! We always love to get new members, and I hope you enjoy your stay here with us. :) Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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 Mary D. > Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 11:42 AM > To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU > Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar > > > > You're not the only weird person, Carol, but I have a different pattern... > I > > like to even up the colors so I have the same number of each (though I > don't > > really worry about that til it gets down to 3 of these, 4 of those...) and > > then eat one of each color so that the proportions stay the same ;) > > > > Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com > > http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam > > **note new address** > > LOL! I do exactly the same thing. I didn't know anyone else did this. > BTW, I just joined this list last night and wanted to let you know I'm glad > to be here. > > Mary > ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 14:11:06 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: Oops: Glitch in AH In-Reply-To: <3B8D3EC8.B4973F36@ix.netcom.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > I kinda wondered about that too. Considering that the date was included later in the > story. ;o) > > Hey, go ahead and spam us, I've caught up and want the rest!!!! > > Mark Wow, you're fast, Mark! I'm impressed. :) I'm also thrilled to hear you're enjoying it enough to want the rest. I'll send the next parts shortly. Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 15:17:57 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Mary D." Subject: Re: Sorry guys! And Welcome, Mary! :) > ANYWAY, I just wanted to welcome you to the list, Mary! We always love to get > new members, and I hope you enjoy your stay here with us. :) > > Erin Thanks Erin. I've been on some of the yahoo groups since January, but just found out about this list because of something posted on one of them. Wow, this seems to be a very active list. I'm enjoying your story so far, too. I wondered where all the new stories were posted to. I don't care to read stories on message boards that much (sorry). I'm just not used to it that way. I have read alot of stories on the L&C fanfic archives and Anne's Place, but its great to see new story parts. Mary ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 14:22:50 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 11/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 11/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** It was almost ten o'clock when Clark finally stepped into the newsroom after an entire morning of questioning witnesses and unsuccessfully trying to track down leads regarding Metropolis's latest car theft ring. Perry had dumped the assignment on him first thing when he'd walked into the newsroom at seven o'clock that morning. He couldn't help wondering if Perry had given it to him because he'd been one of the first reporters to arrive. He was frustrated, tired, and all he wanted to do was to see Lois. Lois. He smiled. Just the thought of her was enough to send tingles throughout his entire body. She'd been all he'd been able to think about the entire morning, which probably had a lot to do with his lack of results in breaking open the story. But last night had been incredible, unforgettable. They'd talked practically until dawn, and it had felt absolutely amazing to hold her in his arms as they spent hours talking and laughing, and, well...of course, kissing. When she'd come over, he'd honestly expected her to tell him off for all the things he'd said about Luthor during their counseling session, to tell him to mind his own business and get out of her life. But he certainly hadn't expected to hear that she'd broken off her engagement to Luthor, that she'd fallen in love with someone--and that that someone had been him! He'd always hoped and dreamed that Lois would finally come around, but to finally have her do so seemed entirely too good to be true. He'd hardly been able to let her go home when they'd realized the night had almost gone, and that they were going to need to be at work in a matter of hours. He'd wanted to continue to hold her forever, to feel her arms around him, to share the kisses and reassurances of love they both sought. But he knew there would be plenty of time for that in the future...a lifetime, in fact. Because that was how much time he planned to be spending with her. As blissfully happy as he knew felt, however, there was one thing that continued to nag at him. Superman. Now that Lois had chosen him over the elusive superhero--something he doubted would ever happen--he knew he owed it to her to come clean, to tell her the truth about his other identity. He sighed heavily. That certainly wasn't going to be easy, especially after she'd bared her soul to him, confided that she wondered if he'd been right about Lex after all, that the man held some rather dark secrets. But how would she react when she found out he was holding some very serious secrets of his own? Their newly established trust could be lost forever. It was enough to scare him into never telling her, but he knew that wasn't possible. She loved him. And now that she did, she deserved to know. But not now. She was just in too insecure a time and place in her life. If he told her now with the level of insecurity she was feeling, he'd surely drive her away. And probably for good. No, he had to pick and choose his time to tell her, and he knew for certain, this wasn't it. "Hey, Clark, where've you been?" Clark turned to see Jimmy coming up behind him. "Hi, Jimmy. I've been trying to track down some leads on that car theft ring story Perry assigned me. What's up?" Jimmy held up a handful of papers. "I've got some more information on that mysterious marriage of yours." After everything that had happened since he and Lois had left the Planet last night, Clark realized he'd forgotten all about it. "What did you find?" "Just that someone has sure gone to a lot of trouble to cover their tracks," Jimmy told him. "I tried to track down the clerk whose name is on the paperwork, and suspiciously enough, the city doesn't seem to have anyone by that name working for them. And while yours and Lois's birth dates, social security numbers and proof of residence in Metropolis were all verified, according to this, there are no copies of any of those certificates like there's supposed to be." "So what does that mean?" "Well, my guess would be that whoever this clerk is who filed the paperwork was either lazy about getting copies of the required information and has since moved out of state, or else they were in on it somehow, and managed to use a fake name and get the marriage paperwork pushed through without anybody asking any questions." "Hmm," Clark mumbled. "Sounds like getting to the bottom of this is going to be a lot harder than we'd anticipated." "Do you want me to keep looking?" "Um, not yet. Let me talk to Lois and see if she has any ideas." Jimmy nodded. "Okay. But holler if you need me to track down anything else. Oh, by the way," Jimmy said with a wink, "Lois is looking for you." Clark's eyes widened at Jimmy's knowing smile. Had Lois told him about them? Or had Jimmy just sensed things were changing between them? Before he could ask him, Jimmy had conveniently disappeared. With a shrug, Clark turned and looked for Lois. As expected, she was at her desk. His brow furrowed, however, when he saw that she was holding a very large bouquet of long-stemmed red roses and reading the accompanying card. He hadn't sent her flowers. So who had? He started walking toward her, but as he neared, he saw her frown at the card in her hand. Then she turned to an approaching garbage bin that was being rolled past her desk by a custodian, and ceremoniously tossed the roses into it. Clark couldn't help grinning. "Gee, Lois," he quipped when he stopped beside her. "Remind me not to send *you* flowers." His teasing grin faded, however, as he saw her jaw clench in anger, and she simply tossed the card at him by means of explanation. Confused, Clark caught it and opened it. His stomach knotted up when he read it: 'Lois, I still love you. Won't you reconsider? Lex' Clark's heart stopped. 'She wouldn't, would she?' he suddenly worried. He quickly glanced up at her, but one look at the temper flaring in her eyes gave him his answer. She most certainly wouldn't. If anything, Lois was stubborn. Once she made up her mind about something, she rarely backed down. He closed his eyes briefly, breathing a grateful sigh of relief. "Lois," he said soothingly as he stepped closer, putting his hands on her shoulders and gently massaging the tense muscles there. "Don't let this get to you. You already told him how you feel. You don't have to feel obligated to do anything else." "Yeah, I know," Lois replied, leaning back into his touch. "I just figured I was done with this. And, well..." her voice lowered as she turned to Clark. "To tell you the truth, he still kind of scares me, Clark. You didn't see him last night. In that brief second, I think I caught a glimpse of what he's capable of. And I didn't like it one bit." Clark turned her the rest of the way around to face him, and he took her into his arms. "Well, he's just going to have to get used to the fact that you're mine now, Lois," he told her, a beautiful look of love and happiness spreading across his features. "And he's just going to have to live with that." Lois's concern melted away, and she smiled softly. "I know *I* can. Live with it, I mean." Clark's answering smile rivaled the brightness of the sun. "So can I." Then he leaned down to gently touch his lips to hers, not even considering the fact that they were in plain sight for all the newsroom to see. That was, until a series of whistles and catcalls started to reverberate in their ears, and a deep voice almost immediately followed. "What is this?" the voice thundered. "Am I running a newsroom or a bordello?" They quickly broke apart and turned to see Perry White standing not five feet away from them, looking both stunned and intimidating, with a half-scowl on his face and his hands on his hips. "Oh, um, sorry, Chief," Clark quickly stammered. "I was just, uh, about to fill Lois in on the car theft story you assigned me." A fleeting smile dared to flash across their editor's face and his eyes twinkled merrily. "Yeah. I'll bet you were." Then, with a hint of a wink at Lois, he turned away and scowled at the gawking newsroom. "All right! What is this, the seventh inning stretch? Let's get back to work!" Lois breathed a sigh of relief when Perry walked away without saying anything further. But then another thought struck her. How would Clark feel about having been caught kissing her, not only by their editor in chief, but by an entire newsroom, as well? As she turned back to look at him, though, she noted that he only seemed momentarily flustered at the attention, and not in the least bit concerned about letting everyone see how he felt about her. It made her marvel at how truly lucky she was to have someone who cared about her so much, and wasn't afraid to show it, even publicly. "Oh, I almost forgot," he said, perching on the corner of her desk. "Jimmy told me what he's been able to dig up regarding our marriage paperwork." He quickly filled her in on what Jimmy had discovered. "He asked me if we wanted him to keep digging, but I told him I'd talk to you first. What do you want to do?" Lois sat down in her chair with a sigh. "Well, since it looks like the research to get to the bottom of this could take a lot longer than we thought, I guess it doesn't make much sense to put in all that effort to figure out *how* this happened. I mean, the divorce paperwork has already been filed, and I'm definitely not scrambling to undo it in order to marry Lex." She shuddered involuntarily. "So we may as well just wait. That's all that's really left to do, since we've already been through the mandatory marriage counseling...which actually proved to be *extremely* helpful in bringing me to my senses." She grinned at him, and Clark smiled back at her brightly. Clark shrugged slightly. "Whatever you think is fine with me." "Then let's focus on something else," she suggested, leaning back in her chair. "For now, anyway. You said something to Perry about filling me in on a car theft story he assigned you?" As they got to work, the time seemed to fly by for Lois, and she found herself happier than ever for the chance to work side by side with Clark. And she had to admit, they made a great team. He thought of angles she didn't, and she suggested different ways to track down the elusive information they needed to tighten up the story that he hadn't thought of. Then they went out to interview a few other witnesses that Clark hadn't been able to contact earlier that morning, and by the time they arrived back at the Planet, Lois was a little tired by all their work, but happy. Lois smiled at Clark as they rode up in the elevator. Instinctively, she threaded her arm through Clark's and drew him close. "I can't believe all the information we were able to dig up this morning. I always knew we'd make a great team." Clark laughed. "Oh, really? Like how you told me that first day how I wasn't working *with* you, I was working *for* you, and how I was just some 'hack from Nowheresville'?" "Okay, well, maybe I didn't realize it *then,*" she admitted sheepishly, "but I realize it now. Doesn't that count for something?" "More than you know," he told her huskily as he turned to take her into his arms. "And yes, I think we make a *great* team. In more ways than one." Then he leaned down to kiss her gently, causing shivers of pleasure to tingle through his own body. If he had a lifetime to spend kissing her, it still wouldn't be enough. Just then the elevator doors opened onto the newsroom, and Clark reluctantly pulled away, thrilled to see that Lois looked as disappointed by the interruption as he was. With a tender smile, he stepped back, but reached for her hand, interlocking his fingers with hers as they walked out into the newsroom. Jimmy spotted them and quickly hurried over, several papers in his hand. He opened his mouth to speak, but then noticed them holding hands and looking incredibly happy, and his eyes widened in shock. He'd wondered about that kiss he'd witnessed between them earlier that morning, but now he was clearly confused. Just what was going on? When he finally found his voice, he tentatively handed Lois the papers and said, "Um, Lois, you had a bunch of calls while you were gone. There's one from your mom, who insisted that if you didn't call her back, she was going to come down her personally and humiliate you in front of all your coworkers." Lois rolled her eyes and Jimmy grinned. "Apparently, she's been trying to get hold of you for days. As for the rest of your messages, most of them are from Lex." Lois looked startled. "From *who*?" "Lex," Jimmy chuckled. "You know...your fianc...oh." His voice trailed off as the reality suddenly hit him, and he glanced down again at Lois and Clark's joined hands. At his look of confusion, Lois's mouth tightened into a firm line, and she snatched the papers from his hand. As she thumbed quickly through them, she replied, "To answer your question, yes, Lex and I broke up." Then she turned to Clark grimly. "But obviously *he* doesn't see it that way." "So what are you going to do?" Clark asked solemnly. Lois frowned as she reached out and pointedly dropped the messages into a nearby garbage can. "Absolutely nothing. If I don't call him back, maybe he'll get the hint and leave me alone." "Yeah, right," Jimmy scoffed. "Each time he's called, he's gotten more impatient. He didn't sound like he was about to give up." "Well, he's just going to have to," Lois said matter of factly. "And if he calls again, tell him I'm still out." Jimmy nodded. "You got it." As they watched Jimmy head back to his desk, Clark turned to Lois and laid a tentative hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine," she sighed as she moved off to walk with him down the newsroom ramp. "I'm just frustrated. Why can't he leave me alone? I told him last night that we were finished. What part didn't he understand?" "Do you want me to personally call Lex and tell him where to go?" he asked with a smile. That made her laugh. "Somehow, I don't see you as that type of person." "Well, okay, maybe I'm not." Just then, Perry's shout reverberated through the newsroom. "Lois! Clark! Where's the story on the car theft ring?!" Clark turned to their boss. "We're on it, Chief." Perry gave a quick nod. "Good! I want everything you've got on my desk in one hour." Then he turned and went back into his office. Clark sighed. "I guess we should get on it, huh?" "Yeah, I guess so." She walked with him over to their desks, then she reached out to touch his arm. "Clark, do you think we could get all our stuff wrapped up at a decent hour this evening? I'd love it if we could get out of here and spend the evening together, even if it's just going somewhere to talk." Clark's heart soared. With a tender smile, he lifted a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I'd love that." The next hour flew by as Lois and Clark worked intensely to gather everything they had on their latest story to show Perry, and they were both relieved when Perry was pleased with the information they presented him. With the go-ahead to keep working on it, Lois and Clark breezed out of his office, happy to have a few moments to catch their breaths. "Hey, how about grabbing some lunch?" Lois asked Clark. "I don't know about you, but I'm starved." "Sounds great. How about that little place--" Clark stopped abruptly in mid-sentence, and his eyes took on a far away look. Lois frowned. "Clark? What's the matter?" "Um, Lois..." Clark started to stammer, acting very preoccupied as he reached up to fumble with his tie and backed nervously toward the elevator. "I'm sorry, but, um...I just remembered...I'm supposed to go meet a source about this story, and I just realized how late I was." "But Clark, we just spent an entire morning talking to sources!" she exclaimed. "Who do you--" "Lois, I'm sorry, really, but I have to go," he said, tilting his head apologetically as he quickly backed away. "I'll be right back, though, and we can grab some lunch, I promise. Really, Lois, I'm sorry." And with that, he turned and hurried into the elevator. Lois stared after him, her mouth still open in protest. Why did he always do that? Talk about aggravating. And none of the times he came back from his little disappearing acts did he really have a satisfying explanation for leaving. Lois sighed and shook her head. Someday she was going to find out why exactly he did that. And now that they were together, with things out in the open between them, she was going to get to the bottom of it. Sitting down at her desk, she did her best to ignore her growling stomach as she started to work on their story. Before long, she was so engrossed in her work that she didn't hear the sound of approaching footsteps, followed by a deep, smooth voice. "Working hard?" Startled, she looked up from her desk, and when she saw who'd spoken, her heart sank. Lex. ***** to be continued in part 12... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 14:23:07 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 12/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 12/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** She tried to return his smile, but wasn't entirely successful. "Oh, um, Lex. Hi," she managed to choke out. His smile softened charmingly, and she was surprised that she'd never realized before how practiced it seemed. "Lois, I've been trying to call you all morning, but either someone hasn't been giving you your messages, or you've been avoiding me." Lois squirmed under his scrutiny. "Oh, um, Lex...I've just been so busy with this story Perry gave me, and--" But Lex waved off her attempt at an explanation with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry, Lois, I know how busy things can get." Then he smiled and leaned toward her, lowering his voice intimately. "But I didn't come by here to find out why you haven't returned my calls. I came to whisk you away somewhere for lunch...somewhere romantic, somewhere private, where we could go to talk..." Lois sighed heavily. "Lex, I don't think that's a good idea. I told you last night--" But Lex cut her off with a slow shake of his head. "Now, Lois, I know you were upset last night, and I know people often say things they don't really mean when they're upset. So I wanted to come by and take you somewhere where we can talk things out, fix whatever you perceive to be wrong between us." Lois stiffened and was about to argue, but then glanced conspicuously around her. The newsroom was teeming with people, and this wasn't exactly the type of conversation she wanted to have with so many people around. "Lex, let's go talk about this in one of the conference rooms, okay? There are too many distractions out here." He smiled triumphantly, as if he'd finally gotten what he'd wanted. "Perfect. It'll give us a chance to be alone, and we can get to the bottom of what's bothering you." Lois rolled her eyes at his back as he turned and led the way to the nearest conference room, and she followed him in and shut the door quietly. When she turned back to him, she saw him perch himself on the edge of the conference room table, and he looked like the cat who'd swallowed the canary. "So let's get to the bottom of this, Lois," he smiled winningly as he reached for her hand and pulled her closer to him. "What can we do to make things right between us?" "Lex," Lois began, working especially hard to remain calm but firm, instead of giving in to her urge to throttle him. "We've been over all this. I told you last night how I felt, and it wasn't because I was tired or upset. It's what I honestly feel, and you're not going to change my mind about that." "But Lois," Lex said patronizingly. "There's always a way to make something you want work. And I really want this to work between us, so let's figure out how--" Her patience finally gone, Lois jerked her hand out of his and glared at him in utter frustration. "Lex, you're not listening to me! I meant every word of what I said last night. It's over between us! I don't want to go to lunch with you, and we have nothing to talk about. I told you how I felt, and why I was breaking off our engagement. It's nothing that talking things over will fix. I just don't love you like I thought I did. And if you can't understand that, well, then I'm really sorry. But you're *not* going to change my mind." Lex stared at her for a long moment in shocked silence, almost as if he couldn't believe she wasn't giving in. But when she continued to stand there, unwavering before him, his eyes darkened and he stood up from the edge of the table slowly. "So that's it," he replied, his tone holding an icy chill. "No negotiations? No working things out?" Lois shook her head firmly. "No. It's over between us, Lex." He took a step closer, and Lois shivered involuntarily at the cold, angry expression in his dark eyes. "And you expect me to believe you came to this decision all by yourself? That nobody else was involved?" Lois's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms in front of her indignantly. "What's that supposed to mean?" His smile completely disappeared from his face, and a snarl took its place. "Do you honestly think I don't know where you went last night after we talked?" he demanded, his eyes flashing dangerously. "How *is* Clark, by the way?" Lois's jaw dropped. "How did you--" She paused, and then it hit her. "You had me followed!" When Lex remained silent, unable to deny her accusation, she lost what little control over her temper she had left. "Lex, how *dare* you! Even if I hadn't told you in no uncertain terms that it was over between us, having me followed definitely wouldn't win me back! Why are you doing this?" Lex closed the remaining distance between them, his body language threatening as he grabbed her arm above her elbow. "Did you really think I was going to give up that easily?" he demanded, his jaw clenched tightly. "That I'd just let you break off our engagement and drive off into the sunset? Whatever you think about me, I should let you know that I'm a man who gets what he wants, and I'm not afraid to go after it. Even if it means eliminating the competition, if you know what I mean." Lois felt a chill run through her body. There was no misinterpreting his thinly veiled threat. Either she stayed with him, or he'd go after anybody who attempted to come between them. Even Clark. She swallowed noisily. The thought was even too horrible to comprehend. Now that she finally had Clark in her life, she couldn't bear the thought of losing him. But then her anger flared, and she felt like slugging Lex. How could she have possibly been so delusional to think she could love him and spend her life with him? Angry with herself as well as with him, she glared at Lex and turned toward the door. "I don't succumb to threats, Lex. And if that's all you're going to do, start throwing threats around, then I'm out of here." But in a flash, Lex's expression hardened and his hand tightened on her arm, causing her to flinch and turn back to him. In a moment reminiscent of last night, Lois glimpsed something dark, something evil, in his eyes, and she got scared. Lex was a powerful man, one who obviously wasn't accustomed to being told 'no.' Was he capable of violence? She didn't know, but she wasn't about to find out. She briefly thought about resorting to her self-defense training to free herself, but decided that she didn't want to use force unless she had to. She wanted to end this as civilly as possible. Calmly, but stalwartly, she met his gaze directly and insisted, "Lex, let me go." But Lex was obviously not in an acquiescent mood. He took yet another step closer until he was pressed up against her, and when she looked up to meet his gaze, she saw that his dark eyes were flashing dangerously. His jaw was clenched when he told her firmly, threateningly, "Lois, I want us to work this out, and I'm not leaving until you tell me that we will." Lois tried to yank her arm away again, but his grip tightened even further, causing her to yelp. Tears sprung involuntarily into her eyes at the bruising grip he had on her arm, and she had to swallow hard to retain what little control she had left. "Lex, please, you're hurting me..." But her attempts to reason with him fell on deaf ears as he only continued to stare down at her, unwavering in his determination. Just as Lois was about to take matters into her own hands, a deep voice suddenly sounded in the room. "Let her go." Startled, both Lois and Lex turned to see that Clark was standing in the conference room doorway, his shoulders squared and his jaw set. His own eyes smoldered in barely contained fury as he glanced meaningfully at the vice grip Lex had on Lois's arm, then took a step toward Lex menacingly. It was apparent from the expression in Lex's eyes that he was surprised that the usually mild-mannered reporter from Kansas would dare challenge him so openly, but the look quickly faded and was replaced with one of anger. His and Clark's eyes met in a silent battle of wills, and Lois found herself as surprised as Lex to see the steely look of determination in Clark's eyes. She'd never seen him look so intimidating, so unwavering and unafraid before. It made her wonder what else she didn't know about him, and what other sides to him she hadn't seen. After what seemed like an eternity, Lex finally backed down, releasing Lois's arm with a final, angry shove. She tried not to cry out at the pain the movement caused, and was surprised when Clark was suddenly beside her, stepping in between her and Lex. Lex snarled, "You have no idea who you're dealing with, Kent." Clark's eyes flashed. "No, Lex. It's *you* who has no idea who you're dealing with. Now, before I physically throw you out of this building myself, I suggest you leave. Immediately." Lex's expression hardened, and he looked from Clark, to Lois, then back again. "Fine," he finally growled through clenched teeth. "But know this. This is *not* over. Not by any means." And with that, he sent a look of pure daggers at Clark before turning and stalking out the open conference room door. As soon as he was gone, Lois's knees--and composure--crumpled, and Clark's arms quickly darted out to grab her, and then lowered her into a nearby chair. He immediately squatted down in front of her, putting his hands on her knees. He watched, his stomach tightened up in knots, as her shoulders started to shake. "Lois, are you okay? Did he hurt you?" he asked anxiously, his concern for her evident in his touch and voice. "Let me see your arm." As Lois struggled to compose herself, he quickly reached for her short sleeve and pushed the material up to reveal her already purpling skin. He cringed. "This looks kind of bad, Lois. I think maybe we should get some ice--" But before he could finish his sentence, Lois leaned forward and dropped her head onto his shoulder, trying to draw strength from his closeness. A quiet sob escaped her lips, and she reached up to put a shaking hand over her mouth in an attempt to contain it. Clark's heart immediately went out to her, and he kneeled forward, sliding his arms around her and pulling her tightly against him. "It's okay, Lois, it's okay. I'm here," he murmured soothingly as he slipped his hand into her hair and cradled her head against his shoulder. But Lois only allowed herself a moment of weakness before pulling back stiffly and reaching up to wipe away the few tears that had escaped down her cheeks. Then she cleared her throat and stood up, pushing past Clark and walking over to the other side of the room, as if trying to distance herself from all that had just happened. Clark watched as she put a hand to her head, pushing back her hair with her fingers, then take a couple of deep, shaky breaths. It was obvious how emotional she still was, and he shook his head sympathetically. He hated to see her trying to repress her feelings, as she'd continually done since he'd known her. Hoping to convince her to not hold back her feelings, he stood up and stepped toward her. "Lois--" But Lois seemed to anticipate what he was going to say, and she quickly held up a hand to stop him. "No, Clark, I'm fine," she told him shakily. "Really. I just...I just need a minute, okay?" Clark sighed. "Lois, why do you always do this?" he persisted gently, continuing to walk towards her, though this time more slowly. "If something happens that deeply affects you, why do you feel like you have to repress your feelings?" Lois dropped her hand from her hair and turned to give him the hint of a smile. "Clark, I've spent a lifetime repressing. It just works for me, okay?" Clark chuckled softly. "If you say so." He wanted to say more, but decided against it. Stopping beside her, he laid a hand on her back and rubbed her lightly. "I just can't believe I could be so naïve," she began quietly, but her voice quickly gained strength and momentum. "How could I possibly believe that Lex was some charming, nice guy? How could I have possibly thought I *loved* him?" She took a couple steps forward, causing Clark's hand to fall to his side, and started to pace, slowly at first, then with increasing energy. Clark watched in amusement as her body movements and hand gestures became more animated, and she seemed to be on the verge of launching into a full-blown babbling episode. It never ceased to amaze him at how quickly her moods could change. In just a matter of moments, she'd gone from hurt, to tearful, to angry, and he loved her for it. She was truly an amazing woman. "What did I possibly see in him?" she demanded rhetorically, her hair flipping wildly around her face as she spun suddenly and started pacing the other direction. "Could I be so shallow that I just couldn't see beyond his power, charm, and good looks? I've always told myself that those things weren't important in a guy, and yet I went ahead and fell for it anyway! And just look what I find out is underneath that calm, charming exterior!" When Clark realized she was staring at him, obviously waiting for him to respond, he quickly replied, "Don't blame yourself, Lois. He's apparently fooled a lot of people." "Yeah, but I shouldn't have been one of them!" she argued adamantly, her cheeks flushed and her eyes flashing. "My job is to expose people for who they really are, to rip away the veil of secrecy and see what's hidden underneath. But did I have even one clue that Lex wasn't what he appeared to be? No!" She spun back around and threw her hands up into the air for emphasis. "And then he has the *nerve* to come in here, acting all charming, clearly intending to sweep me off my feet. But when I don't cave in, he has the nerve to turn all Jekyl and Hyde on me!" "I know, Lois," Clark interjected agreeably. She suddenly stopped pacing and whirled around to face Clark, putting her hands on her hips and staring at him indignantly. "And did I hear right? Did he seriously *threaten* me?!" Clark nodded, trying not to grin at how fired up she was getting. "Yes, Lois, he did." "Well, you know what?" she demanded, turning and stalking toward the doorway. "No one threatens *me* and gets away with it. Hey, Jimmy!" Clark followed her out of the conference room in time to see Jimmy jump up and hurry over, looking startled by her insistent, angry yell. "Yeah, Lois?" "Dig up everything you can find on Lex Luthor, our Metropolis's Man of the Year and so-called philanthropist. That man's hiding something, and I'm not going to *rest* until I find out what it is!" Jimmy looked surprised at her request, but knew well enough not to argue. So, with a quick nod, he hurried off to fulfill her request. As Clark watched the young man dart away, he couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. He couldn't believe it. Lois had finally realized what he'd been wanting her to realize all along--that Lex Luthor wasn't at all what he appeared to be. And now that 'Mad Dog Lane' was on his tail, Mr. Lex Luthor had better be running for cover. ***** Fighting his way through the crowds on the sidewalk outside the Daily Planet, Lex finally reached his waiting limo, still seething inside from his conversation with Lois. How dare she refuse to listen to his voice of reason! How could she not realize that he was the best thing that had ever happened to her? He knew people in high places, had connections she'd only dreamed of having for herself. Didn't she see that their union would be that definitive step in her getting that Pulitzer prize she longed for? He opened the back door angrily and climbed in. When he was settled in his seat, he picked up the phone angrily and hit one of the speed dial buttons. As he waited impatiently for his call to connect, he muttered furiously, "Does she honestly think I'm going to let her choose that hick Kent over me? He doesn't deserve such a magnificent creature, and I'm going to make sure he doesn't get her. She's going to learn--it's either me...or nobody." Just then the phone picked up and he turned his attention to it. "Nigel. Send the boys out on an errand. I want Clark Kent taken care of. Permanently. Oh, and preferably with Lois around. She needs to be taught that no one stands up to me, not even her. Tell them to do it however they like, but Lois is to remained unharmed." And with that, he hung up the phone. Turning to stare out his window at the buildings moving past, he muttered, "We'll just see how she fast she comes crawling back to me when her little boyfriend Kent is out of the picture once and for all." ***** "Okay. You wanted it, you got it," Jimmy declared as he dropped a huge stack of newly printed papers onto Lois's desk right next to the other large stack she was already reading through. "This is an up to date list of all of Lex's business holdings, financial records, and investment portfolio." Lois stared at the huge stack of papers in disbelief. "Jimmy, you've got to be kidding! All of this? There must be an entire ream of paper here!" "Almost two," he clarified with a grin. "But you're the one who wanted 'em. Have fun." Then, with a quick half-wink, he turned and hurried away. Lois let out a discouraged sigh as she looked at the now *two* huge stacks of papers sitting on her desk before her. She'd spent the last few hours pouring through every bit of information she'd been able to dig up on Lex, but so far, nothing seemed to stick out as being unusual, other than the fact that the man had more personal and business holdings than anybody she'd ever investigated. She knew Lex was the third richest man in the world and had his hands in many things, but this...this was so much more extensive than she'd anticipated. There was no way she was going to take a mere few days to get a handle on everything he had going. It could take weeks. Months. 'Oh, what am I doing?' she thought in frustration as she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes tiredly. 'I've got other work to do, other stories Perry wants me to write. Unless I find something suspicious on Lex soon, there's no way he's going to let me have the kind of time it'll take to research all this.' Knowing her time was extremely limited, she leaned forward and picked up the papers, intending to pick through it with a fine tooth comb, searching the information for any anomalies. But as hard as she tried, she just couldn't concentrate. Her mind and body were exhausted, not just from the hours she'd just spent on her research, but from everything that had happened the last several days. 'When did my life become such a soap opera?' she thought sullenly. 'Just when I think that everything is going smoothly in my life, something comes up and confuses everything. Like Lex.' She shook her head glumly. She'd had no idea breaking up with him would be such a traumatic experience. If he'd just left things alone last night after she'd talked to him in his penthouse, everything would've been fine. But then he'd pestered her all morning with phone messages and flowers, and even came all the way down to the Planet to try to charm his way back into her heart. But when he'd finally realized she wasn't falling for his act, he'd gone all Jeckyl and Hyde on her. "I can't believe he threatened me like that," she grumbled aloud. "And to think that he even threatened..." She'd been about to say 'Clark,' but suddenly stopped with a gasp of realization. She'd been so busy tracking down everything she could find on Lex that his words from earlier had slipped into the back of her mind. But now that they'd come to the forefront of her mind, they filled her with dread. 'Even if it means eliminating the competition...' he'd said. Lois swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. Had Lex been serious? Would he really follow through on such a threat? Thinking back on the infuriated expression on Lex's face when he'd said it, she felt her heart start to pound. He'd had her followed, hadn't he? Ended up accusing her of cheating on him, and left a nice sized bruise on her arm when he hadn't gotten his way, hadn't he? She shivered. He had no doubt meant every word. ***** to be continued in part 12... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 14:23:24 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 13/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 13/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** With her heart still hammering in her chest, she turned to look for Clark, feeling a sudden, desperate need to talk to him, to warn him about what she feared Lex might do. But then she remembered that Clark wasn't there. He'd slipped out for a short time to run some errands, and he hadn't come back yet. Nervously, she glanced down at her watch. It had been hours since he'd left. What could possibly be keeping him? Had Lex decided to make good on his threat? But as quickly as the thought entered her head, she forced it away, refusing to let herself even think such a horrible thing. No, even Lex was too smart to try anything in broad daylight, with a city full of people milling around. Clark was fine. But as soon as he came back, she had to talk to him about what she feared possible. Suddenly, the phone on her desk rang, causing Lois to jump. With a quick laugh at her jumpiness, she put a hand to her chest over her pounding heart and took a deep breath to calm herself. "Get a grip, Lois," she chastised herself as she reached for the phone. If anything, a phone call would be a welcome break. Holding the phone to her ear, she said into the receiver, "Lois Lane." "Hi, Lois, it's me," came the cheerful voice on the other end. "Lucy!" she exclaimed, surprised to hear her sister's voice. "How are you?" "Fine," Lucy replied easily. "But I haven't heard from you in a while, so I thought I'd call and see how the wedding plans are going." Lois cringed. She'd completely forgotten to tell her sister and mom that the wedding was off. Her mom was probably still working on finishing up the rest of her announcements, as well as finalizing catering arrangements and who knew what else. Before her mom made any more arrangements, she knew she'd better call to tell her not to bother. Lois sighed into the phone. "Actually, Lucy, there isn't going to be a wedding. I broke off my engagement to Lex." Lucy gasped. "You what? Why? What happened?" "It's a long story," Lois said slowly. Then she started to give her sister the short version of how she'd learned she and Clark were technically married, and about all the hoops they'd had to jump through to sort things out, including filing for divorce. But she couldn't bring herself to tell her sister about her budding, new romance with Clark. Not now, anyway. Her feelings were still so precious and new. When she finished telling Lucy about the ridiculous red tape they were having to go through, her sister started to laugh. "I can just imagine the scenes you must've made in City Hall when you found out you were married to that partner of yours. Speaking of which, what does Clark think about all this?" "Actually, Clark's fine with it," Lois admitted. "But you know guys. They never seem to get really emotional and worked up about things anyway. They're too 'practical' for that." But even as she spoke the words, she knew she didn't really believe them. Yes, Clark was practical. But he was also romantic, sympathetic, caring, kind, wonderful...definitely unlike any of the other guys she'd ever known. He was different, special. One in a million. Suddenly she realized that her sister was talking, and hoped she hadn't missed anything important. Trying to shake herself out of her thoughts, she forced herself to tune back in to what her sister was saying. "I should've guessed he'd react that way," Lucy was saying. "Clark does seem pretty practical and down to earth. He's quite a catch, though, if you ask me." She paused for a moment, then continued, with a smile in her voice, "If I were you, and I'd just discovered I was married to a great looking and sweet guy like Clark, I don't think I'd be in such a hurry to get divorced." "Lucy!" Lois scolded, though somewhere in some remote, impractical corner of her mind, she couldn't deny that she'd had fleeting thoughts of just that very thing. "There's no way Clark and I are going to stay married! That's just not possible." Lucy laughed. "Oh, Lois, relax. I'm just kidding. I can't help laughing, though. My sister. Married." Then she gasped excitedly and her voice rose. "Oooh, wait, I just had a thought! You know who'd get a kick out of this? Mom!" Lois's heart stopped. Surely her sister wouldn't.... Yes, she would. Her sister had never been good at keeping secrets. "Lucy, don't you *dare* tell Mom!" she exclaimed adamantly. "I swear, if you breathe a word of this, I'll never speak to you again as long as I live! Can you just imagine how much Mom would freak out?! I'd never get her off my back!" "Oh, Lois, pleease?" Lucy begged. "I owe her one for setting me up with that stuck up son of her lawyer, and hearing that you'd broken off your engagement to Lex and were now *married* to someone entirely different would definitely make her faint dead away!" Lois knew her sister was right. Feeling a sense of urgency to convince her sister, she rushed on. "Lucy, if you told her, I'd never speak to you again as long as I live! Do you hear me? Don't you say a word!" "Oh, fine," Lucy conceded, her pout clearly evident in her tone. "But you owe me. Geez, Lois, you never were any fun." Just then Jimmy stopped next to her desk, and Lois took advantage of the interruption. "Look, Lucy, I've gotta go. But promise me you won't tell Mom!" "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let me know what happens, Lois." "I will. Bye." And without waiting for a response, she hung up the phone and turned to Jimmy. "What's up?" Jimmy held up a few more papers before dropping them onto her desk. "It turns out our man Lex has quite a few 'friends' in Switzerland, if you know what I mean. Here's some overseas accounts I just tracked down." "Great," she mumbled. "Just what I need. More work." But as Jimmy headed back to his desk and she looked at the new set of papers, she knew that she would never uncover whatever secrets Lex might be hiding if she didn't have all the facts. So she shook off the discouragement that once again threatened to creep in and turned to Lex's financial records. As time wore on, though, she found her mind drifting from the research on her desk to the clock on the newsroom wall. An hour passed, then two. Where was Clark? she wondered with increasing desperation. Had something happened to him? Had Lex...? She once again shook off the feeling of dread at remembering Lex's threats, and tried to remain calm. It wasn't unheard of for Clark to disappear on errands and be gone hours on end. She'd always wondered what kinds of errands he ran that took him so long. He must be a lot busier than she'd ever thought he was. But with what? What could possibly take so many hours to accomplish, and so often? Shaking her head, she told herself it really didn't matter what Clark was doing, at least right now. What mattered the most was that he was safe. And the more time that passed, the more she worried that he wasn't. When another half hour passed, she finally stood up from her desk and grabbed her purse, unable to stand it a minute longer. She was going to go out and look for him. But just as she was threading her arm through her purse strap, she heard the elevator chime, and, just as she'd done every time she'd heard the elevator chime the past couple of hours, she looked up at it anxiously. This time, however, she was rewarded with the sight of Clark stepping out of the elevator, and she immediately felt her body go limp with relief. Unable to contain her elation at seeing him alive and well, she rushed up to him, meeting him near the ramp and throwing her arms around him. Surprised at her show of emotion, Clark slipped his arms around her and hugged her back, worrying about what had happened to send her running into his arms the moment he'd returned. It made him wish it hadn't taken him so long to help clear up that multiple car pile up on the interstate, so that he could've been there for her for whatever it was that had caused her such concern. Pulling back from their embrace a moment later, he asked with concern, "Lois, what is it? Did something happen while I was gone?" Glancing around, she suddenly noticed the curious stares they were getting from their coworkers, and she quickly grabbed his arm and hurried him into one of empty the conference rooms, swiftly closing the door behind them. At her hasty actions and the worry lines etched across her face, Clark felt his concern growing by the moment. "Lois, what's wrong? You're kind of scaring me here." She put her hands on her hips and glowered at him. "I'm scaring *you*?! Clark, do you have any idea how long you were gone? Where were you? I was scared to death that something had happened to you! I kept waiting and waiting for you to get back, and the longer it took, the more worried I got. Don't you ever do that to me again!" Clark looked at her strangely. "Lois, what's going on? I had some...things...to do, and it took me a little longer than I'd anticipated, that's all. Since when do you worry about where I am, or get scared that's something happened to me when I don't come right back? Obviously, I've missed something while I was gone." He stepped closer and reached for one of her hands. "Care to fill me in?" Lois caught herself and sighed. "Clark, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to jump all over you. It's just that...when I was taking a break from working on all that research on Lex, I suddenly remembered something he'd said to me this morning, and...well, it scared me." Clark led her over to one of the chairs at the table and sat her down in it, then lowered himself into the one next to hers. "Scared you? What did he say?" Lois took a deep breath to calm herself, then went on. "He told me that he knew that I went to your place after I left his penthouse, and said that he wasn't afraid to go after what he wanted--meaning me--" she paused to put a hand to her chest for emphasis, "even if it meant getting rid of the competition. Clark...he meant you!" She paused for a moment, waiting for Clark's reaction to her news. But when Clark remained speechless, she rushed on. "Then you came in when things were getting physical and backed him down. Don't you remember what he said? 'This isn't over by any means.' Well, you warned me about what kind of a man he was, so obviously you knew what he was capable of. And now that I've had a glimpse of that, I'm worried, Clark! What if he follows through on his threat? What if he comes after you, and tries to 'eliminate' you like he said..." At the grief-stricken look on Lois's face and the unmistakable rising panic in her voice, Clark felt horrible. And horribly guilty. Here she was, worrying about him needlessly. He couldn't be hurt...not by Lex, not by anybody. But she didn't know that. As far as she knew, he was just like every other man on the planet, able to be hurt, able to be killed. He couldn't stand to see her so worried about his health and safety, and it made him feel terrible that she'd obviously been so worried about him the past few hours when he'd been gone so long. How was he supposed to put her mind at ease, to convince her not to worry about him? Of course she would worry...he'd worry about her if the tables were turned. This wasn't something he could just brush off, and tell her not to give it another thought. When you loved someone, it was impossible not to worry, especially under circumstances such as these. She'd want an explanation, and there was only one he could give her that would convince her of his inability to be harmed. But that would only bring her a whole new set of troubles. He sighed. In order to put her mind at ease, he knew that it was time to tell her about him. They were, after all, in love and in a relationship. It would be ridiculous to think there'd ever be a perfect time, or a perfect place to reveal his secret, he realized. And there was no way he was going to let her continue to worry about what Lex might do to him. It wasn't fair to her, and it wasn't fair to him. He'd never been able to see Lois upset or scared or hurt. And she didn't deserve to be. In that moment, he'd made up his mind. It was time. He had to tell her the truth. "Maybe we should go to the police," Lois was saying as he tuned back into her babbling. "Maybe we should let them know what we suspect Lex is capable of..." "Lois, wait," Clark quickly cut her off before she could work herself up any further. "I know you're worried about Lex's threats, but really, you don't have to be." Lois wrinkled her brow in confusion. "But...Lex said--" "I know what Lex said," Clark interrupted, "but I'm not worried about him hurting me." He paused, trying to summon some inner strength, then began again. "The reason *why* I'm not worried about him hurting me has something to do with me, personally." When she looked even more confused, he sighed in frustration. "Lois, it's something about me that I haven't told you...something I've been keeping from you, from everyone. But maybe in light of the situation, it's time I told you once and for all." Lois looked at him nervously. "Um, okay. I'm listening." Clark tore his eyes from hers and looked behind him at the busy newsroom just beyond the conference room windows. "Not here," he said, turning back to her and rising to his feet. "Why don't we go someplace where we can be alone and talk? I'd really rather not have any interruptions." "Sure, Clark," she nodded, still obviously wary by his anxious tone, and wondering if whatever it was he wanted to tell her was as bad as his fidgeting made it seem. "To tell you the truth, I was actually thinking about leaving a little early today anyway." Clark looked surprised. "You were? How come?" She sighed heavily. "I don't know. I'm having a lot of trouble focusing, and I guess I'm just feeling tired and even a little down." Stepping toward her, Clark put his arms around her and drew her close. "You are? How come?" he asked tenderly. He pressed a kiss into her hair, and Lois felt herself melt against him. Why hadn't she ever realized how wonderful it felt to be in his arms, to be comforted by him? she wondered. She pressed her cheek against his chest and closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying his closeness. His arms tightening around her drew her back to his question, and she sighed. "Just so much has happened these past several days? First, that whole marriage technicality that made me crazy, then I stressed myself out about breaking things off with Lex, stressed myself out some *more* about how to tell you how I felt about you." She gave him the hint of a smile. "And just when I think my life is actually turning around, Lex shows up and threatens me--threatens us both--which leads me to hours of research, and spending long hours worrying about you. I just don't know how much more I can deal with, you know?" Her words sent a stabbing pain of guilt surging through Clark. She was right. She *had* had a rough several days, and he could only surmise that what he was about to tell her was only going to make it worse. Or at the very least, more complicated and stressful. But he tried to push his guilt aside and be supportive instead. "I know," he sympathized, tightening his arms around her. "I can see how you'd be feeling like that now after the week you've had. That kind of stress would definitely make you feel drained." "I do feel drained," she admitted wearily. "What I'd love more than anything is to go home and have a peaceful afternoon, a nice meal, and a long, hot bubble bath." She glanced down at her watch thoughtfully. "It's almost four. Maybe we should just get out of here and go to my place to talk about whatever it was you wanted to talk about. Would that work?" Clark nodded apprehensively. "That sounds good. I already gave our car theft story to Perry, so I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we ducked out of here a little early. Let me just tell him we're leaving, and then we can go." ***** Fifteen minutes later, Lois was turning off her computers, eager to get out of there a few hours early, but Clark had mixed emotions about it. Mostly, he was apprehensive, nervous about how he was going to tell Lois the truth about Superman. But he also couldn't help feeling a sense of relief that the secret he'd carried for so long was soon to one they could share. He realized this wasn't the most opportune time to tell her the truth, however, with her being so drained by everything she'd had to deal with lately, but he knew there was no way he could continue to let her worry about Lex or his men trying to hurt him. He was still feeling jittery and anxious as they stepped into the elevator and Lois punched the button for the underground parking garage. "I can't believe it was that easy," she admitted with a tired smile as the doors closed and the elevator began its descent. "I thought Perry would at least give us a little grief about us wanting to head out early." "Yeah, well," Clark began with a smile, "all I did was tell him you were feeling a little under the weather, and he practically shoved me out the door, telling me to get you home to rest. Between you and me, I think Perry has a big soft spot when it comes to you, even if he won't come right out and admit it." "Perry has a soft spot for a lot of things. Most people just take the time to see it," Lois told him with a smile. "Whatever it is, though, I'll take it. I can't tell you how glad I am to get out of there. Lex has caused entirely too many problems for me today and made this quite a day to remember." "Speaking of Lex," Clark asked. "How's the research coming?" Lois sighed. "Slow. Whatever Lex is hiding, he's covered his tracks well. I don't know what I thought, but in all the information Jimmy pulled up for me on Lex, I haven't been able to see anything glaringly obvious. I guess I should've expected that, though. If he'd been careless with whatever shady dealings he may have going, he would've been caught by now. But still, I look at those two huge stacks of papers on my desk and can't help feeling discouraged." Clark slipped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a little squeeze. "So it'll just take a little bit longer to track everything down, that's all. Don't feel discouraged. We'll just keep looking for as long as it takes." "Yeah, you're right. But for now, I'm taking a break. After the day I've had, I think I deserve one." Clark squeezed her shoulder one more time, then let his arm fall to his side. As they rode the elevator neared their stop, their conversation faded into silence. It was then that Lois noticed Clark was starting to fidget, clearly uncomfortable with the prevailing silence. Lois turned to look at him strangely as he buttoned up his coat, then unbuttoned the top two buttons before buttoning them again. 'What is with him?' she thought as she watched him continue to fidget. He wasn't normally a nervous person. But right then, he seemed anxious. Did it have anything to do with what he was planning on telling her? Did it have something to do with their new relationship? He'd said it had something to do with him personally. What exactly was that supposed to mean? Did he have some secret from his past that he'd never told anyone about? Something he was ashamed of? She shook her head. It couldn't be anything nearly as bad as he was making it out to be. After all, what could he possibly have to hide? He was from Smallville, Kansas, for crying out loud. When she finally heard the elevator chime and the doors open onto the parking garage, she was becoming nervous herself. A noise to her left made her jump, and she whipped her head around to see that a man had dropped his keys as he was opening his car door. Her suddenly heightened senses caused her to look around nervously, unable to push aside the feeling that they were being watched. Whether or not Clark wanted to believe that Lex wasn't a threat, she wasn't about to take any chances. When she felt a hand on her arm, she instantly jumped and spun around. But when she saw that it was just Clark's hand on her arm as he'd reached out to pull her out of the way of an approaching car, she immediately she felt foolish. "Sorry," she apologized sheepishly. "I guess I'm just a little bit jumpy all of a sudden. You might not be worried about Lex's threat, but I am." A fleeting look of renewed anxiety passed over Clark's face, and she wondered once again what was going on. This wasn't the unflappable Clark she knew and loved. Something was going on. And whatever it was, judging by the way he was acting, she wasn't going to be happy about it. When they finally reached her Jeep and they climbed in, she turned the key in the ignition and drove slowly out of the parking garage. Still, Clark remained nervously silent. She pulled the Jeep out into traffic and had driven several blocks without even a single word spoken. Finally unable to stand the tension even a moment longer, she fought for something--anything--to say. "You know, Clark, I was thinking," she spoke, breaking the unbearable silence as they turned down her street. "We have Lex's financial records, as well as his personal and company holdings, but we really haven't dug up much on who he was or what kind of work he did before he became who he is now. I mean, we know the standard things, like when he moved to Metropolis and how he started his road to success. But maybe we'd find something in his past that could help us know what to look for now, don't you think?" "Yeah, I think that's a good idea," he agreed, sounding relieved to be talking about something work-related. "I'm sure his usual interviews in magazines and such wouldn't give us the possible shady details of who he used to be, and who he used to deal with." Lois nodded. "Exactly. When we get back to it, let's see what Jimmy can find for us there." Finally, they were pulling up in front of her apartment, and Lois found herself breathing a sigh of relief. In her opinion, it wasn't a moment too soon. He was making her crazy. The exited the car, climbed the steps to her apartment, unlocked the door and went inside. When the door was shut behind them, Lois dropped her satchel and keys onto the credenza near the door and shrugged out of her coat, giving Clark an expecting, pointed look. "Okay, we're here. So do you want to tell me what it is you're so nervous about telling me?" Clark took off his own coat and hung it up next to hers. "Nervous?" he asked, turning to raise an innocent eyebrow her direction. "Who's nervous?" She started to laugh. "You're kidding, right? You haven't stopped fidgeting since we got into the elevator at the Planet." Clark started to argue, but then stopped. She was right, he realized. He *had* been fidgeting. But what did she expect? He was about to share something of earth-shattering, life-altering importance with her, and he was nervous. And rightfully so. She was the love of his life, the most beautiful, most wonderful woman he had ever known, and just recently, she'd confessed that she loved him, too. Every word he said, every move he made had to be perfect, or he could lose her. And there was no way he could let that happen. Releasing a shaky breath, he made a feeble gesture at her couch. "Maybe we should...sit down." ***** to be continued in part 14... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 14:23:50 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 14/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 14/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** Her expression turned solemn as she walked over to the couch and dropped down onto it. "Oh, boy. I'm not going to like this, am I?" He sighed. "I don't know, Lois. It's not so much a bad thing as it is just...a shock, I guess. But before I tell you, I want you to remember that I love you, and that you mean the world to me. I would never, ever do anything to hurt you. You know that, right?" She nodded, becoming more worried by the seriousness in his voice. Shifting anxiously, she flashed him a grin that didn't quite reach into her eyes. "What'd you do? Rob a bank, or steal a car or something?" she asked, trying to lighten the moment. He grinned a little, but her attempt at levity didn't ease his nervousness. He cleared his throat. "Lois--" "Look, Clark," she interrupted. "Whatever it is, it can't be as bad as you're making it out to be. We're both adults, and we can discuss whatever it is you have to tell me like adults. So just tell me, okay? You're killing me with all this 'remember that I would never do anything to hurt you' stuff." Clark swallowed hard. He knew she was trying to be supportive, to ease his anxiety. But once she found out what he'd been keeping from her, he wondered if she'd really be able to keep her cool. Lois Lane was famous for *not* keeping her cool. And that was with less important stuff, like stories and sources. How explosive would she become if she found out she'd been lied to, tricked into believing he was two entirely different people, and led on and encouraged by both Superman and himself? Regardless, he knew he had little choice but to tell her and hope for the best. "Just promise me you'll remember that you said we'd discuss this like adults," he stalled. "Clark, I know!" she replied in exasperation, quickly losing her patience. "Just tell me already." He took a deep breath and let it out in slowly. "Okay, fine. Here goes." He paused, searching his mind frantically for the right words. "Lois," he began hesitantly. "You know how Superman and I are friends? That you once said that I seem to be the only one who really knows how to contact him?" "Wait. This is about Superman?" she asked, looking confused. "What does this have to do with him?" "Just...bear with me a minute, okay?" he asked, trying to keep this from being any harder than it already was. When she simply nodded and continued to watch him expectantly, he took another deep breath and forced himself to continue. "You remember those things, right? Well, there's a reason why you're always able to contact him through me, and why Superman and I are so close." "Um...okay," Lois interjected, still clearly confused about what this all had to do with Superman. "Well, you see...there's a really good reason for all that..." "Clark, you just said that," she reminded him impatiently. He blinked. "Oh. Yeah, I guess I did." Unable to stand the tension a moment longer, he stood up, taking a few steps away from the couch and running his hand nervously through his thick, dark hair. Then he turned back to her, seemingly under control of himself once more. "Lois, Superman and I--we've always been close. But not for the reasons you might think. I mean, I guess you could say we've known each other all our lives." Lois's brow furrowed. "Clark, what are you trying to say?" He sighed. Boy, this was tough. Tougher than he'd even thought it would be. 'Just say it, Clark!' the little voice inside his head commanded. 'It's not going to get any easier the longer you stall.' Knowing the voice was right, he took one more deep breath in an attempt to calm himself, then returned to the couch and sat back down beside her. "Lois, I want to show you something," he said solemnly. Then, quickly and decisively, before he could change his mind, he reached for his shirtfront and started fumbling with his b uttons. Lois watched in confusion as he started unbuttoning his shirt near his chest and continued to work downward. When he'd managed to undo three or four buttons, he gently pulled apart the fabric of his shirt to reveal what lay beneath it. When he paused expectantly, she cocked an eyebrow at him, trying to figure out what it was he was trying to tell her. But as she did, she caught sight of a familiar flash of blue. 'What in the world...?' she thought, startled. Whatever it was he was wearing beneath his shirt, it looked to be made of shiny, blue spandex. But who wore shiny blue spandex? The only person she'd ever seen wear such a material was.... Her eyes widened. No, it couldn't be. There had to be some other explanation. Maybe the fabric wasn't really spandex. Maybe it was some kind of shiny cotton undershirt he'd chosen to wear that day, which was a weird enough thought in itself. But at any rate, there was only one way to find out. Tentatively, almost afraid to know the truth, she reached out and ran her fingertips across the smooth fabric. When she did, tears immediately sprung into her eyes. Spandex. It was definitely spandex. Clark felt his body quiver at her touch, but he forced himself to remain still as she pushed open his shirt further to reveal the famous red and yellow emblem on his chest. For several long moments, he watched her in silent anticipation, unable to move, unable to breathe. After what seemed like an eternity, Lois wordlessly dropped her hand from his chest and rose slowly from the couch. Crossing her arms across her chest and lifting one hand to her lips, she moved slowly away. Clark waited for the dam to burst, for her to whirl around and start yelling at him, to berate him for betraying her trust and for letting her continue to believe that he was two entirely different people, to throw him out of her apartment and tell him she never wanted to see him again. But when she continued to remain silent, he started to get nervous. Silence was definitely not what he expected. "Lois, say *something,*" he exclaimed anxiously, unable to stand the pin-drop silence for even one more moment. She turned around and he could see unshed tears shimmering in her eyes. After several more moments passed, she finally let her hand slide down from her lips and come to rest the base of her throat. When she spoke, her voice was strained with barely checked tears. "What do you *want* me to say, Clark?" He rolled his eyes and stood up from the couch. "Come on, Lois, don't do this. I can tell you're upset. Not that you don't have every right to be, after the bombshell I just dropped. But you said that whatever it was I needed to tell you, that we could discuss it like adults. So...can we? Please?" A single tear slid down Lois's cheek. "I know that's what I said, Clark, but this..." she waved her hand feebly in the air before her, "this wasn't what I was expecting you to say." "What *were* you expecting me to say?" he asked gently, daring to take a step closer. At his movement, she crossed her arms over her chest again and took an unconscious step backward. "I don't know," she admitted tensely. "But...telling me that you're Superman...that wasn't it." She took a deep breath in an effort to keep from crying. When she was able to swallow the lump in her throat, she went on. "I just can't believe this. I mean, you're Superman. I wouldn't have suspected that in a million years. It does, however, go a long way to explain why you were always able to contact him, but--No, don't touch me," she pleaded desperately as he took another step closer and reached out for her. It was all she could do to stay in control of her teetering emotions, and she was sure that his sympathetic touch would send her tumbling from her precipice. When he quickly withdrew, she swallowed loudly and explained, "I...I just need a little space. I, um...need to think...to get control of myself here before we talk about this--" Clark rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Lois, I hate it that you do this!" he exclaimed angrily. "You're always so afraid of losing control, of showing that you're human! Why do you do that? You did it this morning when Lex hurt you, and you're doing it now. What do you think, that someone might think less of you if you cried? If you admitted that you had emotions like the rest of us? For once, I wish you would just let me in and tell me how you're feeling!" Lois whirled back around, the tears clearly evident in her eyes. "What do you want me to say, Clark? That I'm angry you deceived me? That I'm hurt that you didn't trust me enough to tell me about this earlier? Well, I'm sorry. Maybe I *should* be feeling those things, but right now, I'm not sure what I feel. I'm too emotionally drained from everything that's happened to me this week, I'm not thinking clearly, and I feel emotionally unable to cope with this, or anything else for that matter." Taking a deep breath, Clark forced himself to calm down. "I know, Lois," he said sympathetically, "and I'm sorry. This really wasn't the time I wanted to tell you because I know how stressed out you've been after everything that's happened lately, but I just couldn't let you keep worrying about me being hurt by Luthor." "Well, I guess at least that's one thing I don't have to worry about," Lois admitted tearfully, "but it certainly gives me a bunch more things to deal with." "Yeah, I know," Clark said understandingly, uncertain what to do or say next. Suddenly Lois gave a little laugh and shook her head. "Don't you think this extremely ironic? This whole situation?" she asked, half-laughing, half-crying. "I mean, here I turned you down a few weeks ago because I thought I was in love with Superman, then I turned *Lex* down because I realize that I'm in love with *you*, and now, it turns out that I'm married to Superman. Don't you see some kind of strange, sardonic humor in all of this?" She shook her head and laughed another humorless laugh. "So when is it that my life stops being confusing and complicated?" "I didn't mean to make things more confusing for you, Lois--" "I know, Clark," she quickly cut him off before he could finish. "It's just..." She paused. He could see her lower lip start to quiver, and saw her almost instantaneous effort to still it. Then she shook her head and turned away in an effort to hide her threatening tears. "I just can't believe I was so dumb," she whispered tearfully. "To know you all this time and not even realize--" "Lois, this is *not* your fault," he interrupted before she could degrade herself any further. "The reason I've been able to keep this secret from everyone for so long is that I believed that people would simply see what they wanted to see. And so far, I've been right." "But me, of all people...I should've had *some* idea," she argued solemnly. "But you know, the really scary thing is, these last two days, I've discovered that I've monumentally misjudged all three key men in my life: Lex, Superman...and you. That doesn't give me a lot of confidence when it comes to my ability to see people for who they really are." His heart lurched, and he felt tears spring to his own eyes. "Lois--" But before he could continue, he watched as her face started to crumple and her shoulders started to shake. Impulsively, he opened his arms to her and she stepped forward into them, burying her face in his chest and letting the tears come. For the first time that week, she refused to try to still them, to make her chest ache by holding them in. She felt a strange comfort in Clark's arms, even though she knew she should feel angry with him, for keeping this secret from her, even when they had become close, first as partners, then as friends, and now, as even more. She cried for the emotional stress that finding out they were married had caused her, cried for how patronizingly Lex had treated her when she'd told him she wanted to break off their engagement, cried for the stress of worrying about how to tell Clark how she felt about him, cried for how Lex had hurt and threatened her just that morning, and cried for finding out that the two men she'd ever really loved in life--Clark and Superman--were really one and the same. Everything and everyone she thought she knew, she was suddenly finding out that she'd been wrong...about everything. She felt as if her wall of security was crashing down around her, leaving her feeling vulnerable and afraid. When all her tears were finally shed, she stayed where she was, unwilling to pull out of the comforting circle of Clark's arms. She turned her head and rested her cheek on his chest and concentrated on its steady rise and fall as Clark breathed. The rhythm was comforting, somehow. After a long moment, she noticed that he hadn't buttoned up his shirt, and she caught sight of the silky blue fabric beneath. Lifting her hand, she gently reached out to rest her palm on the smooth blue material covering his firmly muscled stomach. "So you're Superman," she stated somberly, slowly stepping back from his embrace. "I guess that would explain why I see you eating all that junk food and never gaining a pound. I've always hated you for that." She smiled up at him, but there was little humor in her eyes. Studying her reddened eyes and tear-streaked cheeks for a long moment, he reached out to smooth her rumpled hair back from her forehead. Knowing he'd hurt her, his own heart ached as he tried to formulate some mysterious, magical words that would make all of this better. "Lois, please...let's go sit down for a while and talk, okay?" But Lois shook her head wearily. "Clark, I know that we probably should talk about this, but right now, I just can't. My stomach's all twisted up in knots, and my head is throbbing. This past week has just been one earth-shattering moment after another. If I have to deal with even one more thing, I'm afraid I'm going to completely lose it. All I want to do is climb into a steaming hot bubble bath, get a good night's sleep, and try to regain my touch with reality. Maybe after all that, I'll feel ready to soak everything in and come to terms with all of this." "I understand," Clark answered softly. He wanted so badly to talk this out with her, but he knew going in that she was having a hard enough time dealing with her life at the moment. He could only ask for so much, and this wasn't the time to ask for more. Reminding himself to be patient, he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. Just as they pulled apart, they were startled by a loud knock at her door. Lois sighed. She didn't want to deal with anyone right now. All she wanted to do was to be left alone, to deal with this new piece of information she'd gotten on Clark. Reluctantly, she stood up and moved toward the door, where she peered cautiously through the peephole. But as she did, she froze. 'No, not now,' she pleaded silently. 'This can't be happening. As if I don't have enough to deal with already, *this* has to happen.' But taking a second look, she knew she wasn't going to be able to wish this new problem away. Things had suddenly become worse. Much worse. Closing her eyes, Lois cursed under her breath and let her head fall forward against the hard, wood door. Seeing her reaction and hearing her muttered curse, Clark's brows furrowed. "Lois? What's the matter? Who is it?" With a heavy-hearted sigh, she pulled back from the door and turned glumly to Clark. "My mother's here." ***** to be continued in part 15... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 14:24:04 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 15/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 15/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** "Really? Your mom's here?" he exclaimed, confused by her reaction. As he quickly fumbled to button up his shirt, he thought about how he'd always been happy to see his own mom. Was he missing something? "No, Clark, you don't understand," Lois rushed on in a fierce whisper, her eyes widening as she tried to explain. "This isn't a good thing. My mother is...well...she's *nothing* like your mom, let's just put it that way. You'd have to meet her to truly understand what I mean. She's down on absolutely everything I do, she nags me constantly, and I'm sure she thinks her main purpose on this earth is to make my life as complicated and miserable as possible." Clark grinned at her as she closed her hand in a vice grip on his arm, obviously desperate to keep him from opening the door. "Oh, come on, Lois, she can't be that bad." "Oh no?" she challenged. "Just wait. In two minutes you'll be running and screaming." "Lois." His smile softened. "Nothing's going to send me running. Besides, I'm sure you're just exaggerating about this." Lois shook her head adamantly. "I am *not* exaggerating." Then she quickly ran a hand through her hair and wiped at her cheeks. "Do I look okay?" He nodded. "You look beautiful." The knock came a second time, this time more demanding, and then a voice. "Lois? I know you're in there. Your boss told me you went home early, and I saw your car out front, so open up." Lois rolled her eyes. Then, with more courage than she felt, she unlocked the door and pulled it open. "Hi, Mom." "Don't 'hi Mom' me," came her mother's bitter response as pushed her way past Lois into the apartment, giving her daughter a cursory glance in the process. "By the way, you look terrible. Whatever happened to taking care of yourself?" "Gee, thanks. How nice to see you, too," she mumbled beneath her breath. Sighing heavily, she glanced over at Clark, noticing that he looked both stunned and put out by her mother's words. 'Welcome to the wonderful world of my mother,' she wanted to say. But instead, she simply shook her head in resignation and followed her mother into her living room. Her mom turned to eye Clark critically. "And who are you?" He seemed shocked by her accusing tone, but then quickly remembered his manners. Offering his hand, he hastened to introduce himself. "I'm Clark Kent, Lois's partner at the Planet." Ms. Lane's eyes narrowed. "Oh, you are, are you? Well, I have a bone to pick with you, it turns out." Clark's eyebrows shot up and he squirmed nervously. "You do? For what?" She shook her head in annoyance. "I'll get to you in a minute. But Lois," she turned to her daughter and gave her a non-too-discrete, scolding glance, "where've you been the last several days?" she demanded. "I've been calling and calling, but you never return my calls. My guess is you're been avoiding me, as usual." "Mom, I haven't been avoiding you," Lois denied with a 'here we go again' look at Clark. "But I wasn't expecting you to just drop by unannounced this afternoon." Her mother whirled around to face her and threw her hands up into the air. "Well, what did you expect? I get some short phone message from you on my answering machine saying that you weren't marrying Lex after all, so I shouldn't worry about sending out the rest of the announcements, and then nothing...no details, no explanation...nothing. So when you simply *won't* return my calls, I decided to call Lucy to see if she knew what was going on, and she told me that you told her you were already married to this partner of yours, here! So what on earth is going on?!" Lois groaned. Terrific. She was never speaking to Lucy again for as long as she lived. Suddenly feeling sick to her stomach, she dropped down onto her couch and buried her face in her hands. "Mom, this is *not* a good time for this," she mumbled through her fingers. She sat up and pushed her hair back from her face and caught the look of sympathy Clark shot her way. Then she turned to her mom, who was standing just on the other side of the coffee table with her hands on her hips and an indignant look on her face. She felt a sudden urge to throw herself out the window. "Mom, can't we talk about this later? I've had a really rough day--" "*You've* had a rough day?" her mom exclaimed, her voice rising dangerously. "I'm the one who just found out her oldest daughter's run off and gotten married, and didn't even bother to tell me she was in love with her partner from work! Which, by the way, is *not* the smartest thing to do, if you ask me." She shot Clark a hard, disproving glance. Clark stood in shock. Had her mom always been this cynical and critical of Lois? If she had, it would go a long way to explain why Lois was so guarded. Anybody would be with verbal lashings such as these. It brought him a whole new appreciation for his own parents, and for the way Lois had become the incredible person she was in spite of having loving, respectful parents. "Mom, don't jump on me for this," Lois broke in. "It was all just a big mistake. Clark and I are not really married. Well, okay, maybe we are, but it's not something we planned--" "So you eloped? How nice, Lois. Just show me you don't care enough about giving my daughter the big, beautiful wedding she deserves by eloping instead--" Lois groaned and dropped her head back into his hands. 'I quit,' Lois thought, resigned. Clark saw Lois drop her face back into his hands, and decided this was as good a time as any to jump in. He didn't care if this person *was* her mother. No one was going to treat the woman he loved like this. "Um, excuse me, Mrs. Lane, but--" Lois's mother scowled at him and corrected viciously, "That's *Ms.* Lane." He tried not to roll his eyes. "*Ms.* Lane," he echoed and began again. "Let me try to explain. Lois and I were on a stakeout at a hotel, where we had to register as husband and wife to maintain our cover. But somehow, because of some arcane state law, that made us officially married. We're working to undo it, but it might take a little time." Her mother breathed an audible sigh of relief. "Well, that certainly goes a long way to explain things. I mean, Lois...I'm glad to hear that you didn't just decide to throw your life away by breaking off your engagement to the third richest man in the world and then rushing out to marry some nobody." She gave Clark a disapproving once over, and Clark felt his defenses go up. In that moment, he'd had enough. Lois didn't deserve to be treated this way, and neither did he. In carefully measured tones, he asked, "Excuse me, Ms. Lane, but are you implying that I wouldn't be good enough for your daughter? That I'm a nobody?" Lois choked and started to cough. Well, this was new. Someone standing up to her mother. Unable to contain herself, a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, and she looked up to watch with interest as Clark, who'd suddenly drawn the complete, undivided attention of her mother, squared his shoulders and waited for a response. "No, I didn't say that," came her mom's argument. "I'm just saying that after Lex, anybody would be a step down. Maybe you're a very good reporter." She said the words with a hint of disdain. "But that's not what I want for my daughter." Clark squared his shoulders. "So you *are* saying that I'm not good enough for your daughter," he pointed out levelly. But when Ms. Lane opened her mouth to retort, he hurried on. "Just for your information, I think Lois is the most wonderful person that I've ever met, and she deserves someone who will love her and treat her with respect, not expect her to hang on his arm like some trophy everywhere they went, like Luthor would. He may be one of the richest men in the world, but there's a lot more to life and love than wealth." At her mom's look of shock and speechlessness from Clark's words, Lois's eyes grew wide. No one had ever put her mother in her place as Clark just had, and seeing her mother so completely at a loss for words was totally priceless. She watched as they continued to stare each other down for what seemed like an eternity, each waiting for the other to back down. When neither did, Lois couldn't hold it in any longer. Dropping her head into her hands, she started to laugh. She briefly wondered if her reaction was a defense mechanism to keep herself from bursting into tears, but she pushed the thought away. What was she supposed to do in a situation like this? The whole thing was just so ridiculous. Clark broke eye contact with Lois's infuriated mother, and he looked over at Lois in time to see that her shoulders were shaking. 'Great. Now her mom's made her cry,' he thought angrily. Without thinking twice, he went over to sit beside her and put a hand on her back soothingly. But when he leaned over to look at her face, he was surprised to see her laughing. Well, sort of. She appeared to be half-laughing and half-crying. Lois lifted her head slightly from her hands and wiped a few tears from her cheeks. "I can't deal with this," she muttered to herself, still laughing a little in order to keep herself from crying. "I think I'm finally losing it." Clark could see how close she was, indeed, to losing it. Deciding then and there to take charge of the situation, he stood up and fixed a firm, determined expression on his face. "I'm sorry, Ms. Lane, but this whole conversation has just come at a really bad time. Lois and I were just about to go and meet somebody when you arrived, and I'm afraid that if we don't leave right away, we'll be late." "Okay, fine. But Lois..." She turned to her daughter. "I expect a phone call from you first thing in the morning. I'll need your help to cancel some of the wedding arrangements." And with that, she turned and went out the door, shutting it decisively behind her. Lois sighed with relief when she realized she was once again alone in her apartment with Clark. She turned to him and raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "We're meeting somebody?" He ducked his head at being caught lying. "I'm sorry, I just--" "No, Clark, it's okay," she told him reassuringly. "I guess I should be thanking you for getting her out of here. I don't think I could've taken it any longer." "I know. I could tell," he told her, reaching out to give her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. "So are you okay?" His sympathetic tone caused her heart to lurch, and a couple of tears ebbed from the corners of her eyes. "Why can't we all have mothers like yours?" she asked with a watery smile. Clark's heart went out to her, and he sat down and enfolded her in his arms. "I wish you did, Lois." Lois savored the feel of his arms around her for a long minute, then pulled back with a sigh. "The only problem with telling my mom that we were on our way out the door is that she's probably out there waiting to see if we really are going to leave." He looked at her in disbelief. "You're kidding." "Sadly, I'm not. That's just the kind of non-trusting person she is." Clark's face fell. "I'm sorry, Lois. I had no idea." He paused for a minute, then inspiration struck. "I'll tell you what. Since I got you into this, why don't we cover our bases and go out--" "No, Clark, I know you mean well," she interrupted, shaking her head, "but honestly, I don't feel like going out. I just can't handle--" Clark reached out to cup her face in his hands, cutting off her argument. "What I was going to say," he told her with a gentle smile, "is that we can go to my place, and you can take your bath there. And I can go out to get us some *fabulous* dinner from absolutely anywhere you want...China, Thailand...the sky's the limit..." He was rewarded with a grin and a soft laugh from Lois, and his heart soared. Then he went on. "And we can just relax at my place for a while, and eat, and even talk...*if* you feel up to it. Or if you prefer, I can go out on patrols or something and leave you in peace. You can sack out at my apartment, or just be alone. It's completely up to you, but that way, your mother won't come after us if she *is* out there waiting to see if we really do leave." Lois had to admit, he had a point. And having dinner brought in to her from anywhere in the world? Hmm. There were some definite advantages she hadn't thought of to being in a relationship with a superhero. But that meant there was also going to be a lot to get used to. Forcing herself not to think about that, she turned to Clark and gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Clark. It sounds wonderful. You're too good to me, I think." He shook his head. "No, I'm not, Lois. You deserve everything I'm giving you, plus so much more." He lifted a hand to stroke her cheek as his eyes became sad. "I'm sorry for heaping this on you tonight, Lois," he told her quietly. "I know the kind of stress you've been under, and I had no intention of making your week any worse. I just didn't want you worrying about me getting hurt." "I know, Clark," Lois responded solemnly. "I want you to know, even though this is hard and a lot to deal with, I do appreciate you telling me about this. I think it would've been even harder to find out about it by myself." He nodded understandingly. "I thought it would be, too." He leaned forward and gave her forehead a gentle kiss. "Anyway, should we get out of here?" "Yeah, let me just grab a few things," she told him as he helped her to her feet. "What do I need to bring?" "Just yourself," he told her with a grin. "Seriously, I should have everything there you need. If you want to bring a favorite bubble bath, though, and some comfortable clothes to wear after, that might be good." Lois hurried off to collect her things, and in just a couple of minutes, she was turning off her lights and following Clark out the door. "Are you sure this isn't going to be an imposition?" she asked hesitantly. "I don't want to be a bother..." Clark rolled his eyes as they walked down the steps of her building. "Lois, you're never a bother. Besides, it's the least I could do after just killing your evening." She smiled tiredly. "Yeah, well, I guess you have a point there." Seeing the stress from her exhausting week still clearly evident on her face, his heart lurched. She'd been through so much, and he knew she was going to need some special pampering and love to get her through this. Reaching out, he slipped his arm around her shoulders and drew her close as they walked along the darkening sidewalk toward her car. When they reached the Jeep, Lois pulled her keys out of her pocket, but Clark quickly slid them out of her hand. "Let me drive, Lois. You just get in and rest until we get there." She nodded numbly, then climbed in the passenger door that Clark was holding open for her. As she waited for him to go around and get in his side, she let her head fall back against the headrest. Her lids seemed to refuse to remain open, and she finally gave in, letting them close heavily. She heard the driver's door open and close, then the engine started. As they started to move, Lois cracked her eyes open and glanced at the parked cars along the street as they drove past. "Do you see your mom's car anywhere?" Clark asked, knowing that was exactly what she was looking for. After a moment, Lois shook her head. "I don't see it, but that doesn't mean she's not around." Clark sighed. "I'm sorry about jumping in and confronting your mother like that back at your apartment. But I just couldn't stand there and let her continue to belittle you." Lois shook her head before closing her eyes again sleepily. "Don't apologize. In my opinion, she had it coming." "But I probably should've tried to be more charming, or patient or something. Standing up to her like that isn't going to win me any points when she finds out how we feel about each other." "Who cares what she thinks?" Lois grumbled without opening her eyes. "I stopped caring about her and my dad's opinions way back in high school. I've learned that no matter what, nothing is ever good enough for them. I mean, even if she and my father found out that you were Superman, they'd probably ask you why you weren't using that status to earn you the money to live a more suitable lifestyle." He shook his head as he concentrated on the road. He wished with all his heart that he could absorb some of the pain and hurt her parents had caused her in her lifetime. It saddened him to see that this incredible, wonderful woman came from such a tough background. It made his own trials seem to pale in comparison, because at least he'd had wonderful, loving parents who were there unconditionally for him to help him through everything. Trying to lighten her mood, he smiled and suggested, "So you're saying that telling them their daughter's married to the most powerful man on earth won't impress them? Darn. I was hoping to use that to gain their favor." Lois laughed softly. "Sorry to burst your bubble." When their conversation drifted off, so did Lois. It wasn't that far to Clark's apartment, but as he heard her gently snoring from the passenger seat, he almost wished it were. It was obvious she was exhausted, and needed sleep more than anything. Their arrival at his apartment came too soon, and Clark was careful to slow the car without jarring Lois from her sleep. At this time of evening, all the parking spaces were full in front of his building, and he had to park a short distance away. 'That's all right,' he thought as he pulled over to the curb and turned off the engine. 'I'll just carry her, if she's too tired to walk.' Then, hating to, he reached out and gently shook her shoulder. "Lois? We're here," he told her quietly. She stirred sleepily, and her eyes were glazed over when she opened them. She didn't speak, but reached for the handle to let herself out. But Clark was there in a flash, holding her door open for her and helping her slide out tiredly. "Do you want me to carry you?" he asked as she reached back into the car for her bag. "No, I'm fine," she told him, the cool night air rousing her a bit more. "It's not that far." She steadied herself against his arm as she pushed the car door shut and took a few deep breaths in order to further wake herself up. She tried to shake the cloudiness from her mind as they started walking down the sidewalk, and she wondered if she really felt up to taking that bath after all. All she wanted to do right then was climb into bed--any bed--and sleep for days. "Lois, why don't you let me take your bag?" he asked as he watched her struggling to put it back up on her arm when it slid off. "Clark, I can carry my own bag," she told him, trying to keep the irritation that her tiredness had caused out of her voice. "I'm not completely helpless. Besides, we're almost--" But before she could finish her sentence, two dark shadows suddenly flew out at them from the alley between Clark's building and the one next to it, and she barely had time to make out the shapes of the two large, husky men wearing ski masks and dark gloves before they were upon them. One of the men made a grab for Clark, and in the scuffle that ensued, Lois was knocked off her feet and landed on the ground with a thud. The contact briefly knocked the wind out of her, leaving her helpless to fight against the other man who came at her, jerking her to her feet and pinning her arms roughly behind her. As she struggled to get free, her captor slipped his other arm around her neck in a chokehold, managing to subdue her even further. "Lois!" she heard Clark cry out as she stood gasping for air against the man's strangling grip. Looking his direction, she caught sight of Clark, who'd managed to stay on his feet despite his husky attacker's attempt to knock him down. Before Clark could untangle himself from the man, though, Lois saw the man pull his arm back, and something shiny flashed in his hand. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized the man had a knife. But then, in a flash, she suddenly remembered that Clark was Superman. That meant he was invulnerable, didn't it? That he couldn't be hurt by these men? But if he wasn't worried about being hurt, then why was he even bothering to struggle with these men, knowing he was strong enough to simply wrap a metal pole around them until the police could come and haul them away? The fact that he wasn't doing that filled her with fear. There was so much about him she still didn't know, and fear for him and their situation gripped at her heart. She watched as Clark struggled with the man for another few moments, then she watched in horror as the man threw his arm forward, meeting his target and burying the knife into Clark's stomach. She heard herself scream as the man gave Clark a quick shove backwards, sending him tumbling to the pavement. Then the man turned to his accomplice. "Let's go!" he yelled, causing the man holding her to drop his arm from around her throat and release her arms with a final shove. Then he rushed past her, nearly knocking her from her feet again as he and his partner quickly disappeared into the darkening alley. ***** to be continued in part 16... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 14:24:19 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 16/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 16/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** When Lois regained her balance, she turned to Clark and saw him start to push himself up off the pavement. "Clark!" she cried out desperately as she rushed toward him. But before she reached him, he was getting to his feet and standing under his own power, apparently unhurt. Almost faint with relief, she barreled into him, nearly knocking him backwards as she threw her arms around his neck and let her tears of relief and anguish wet his cheek. "Clark, you're all right," she cried as she clung to him, trying to catch her breath, and letting the feel of his arms around her reassure her that he was, indeed, okay. Clark pulled her deeper into his embrace and held her tightly to him for a long moment, noticing that she was shaking in his arms. "I'm fine, Lois, I'm fine," he reassured her softly as he reached up to cradle the back of her head in his hand. Then he let out an angry sigh and turned to scowl in the direction their attackers had fled. "But those men certainly won't be if I ever find out who they are." This seemed to draw Lois out of her state of shock, and she shoved herself roughly away from Clark and soundly smacked him on the arm. "Clark, you scared me half to death! Why didn't you just take those guys out? When you didn't, I thought something was wrong with you, or that there was something you hadn't told me about you being able to be hurt. How could you scare me like that?" "Lois, I'm sorry," he told her hastily, grabbing her gesturing hands and holding them tightly in his own. "I didn't want to do anything that might make them suspect I was Superman. I can't just use my powers whenever I feel like it. I have to pick my moments." Lois took a deep breath and let it out shakily as she ran a hand raggedly through her hair. "Yeah, okay, that makes sense." Then under her breath, she muttered, "Oh, boy, this is going to take a lot of getting used to." His heart aching for her, he reached out and pulled her into his arms again and held her tightly. "I know, Lois, and I'm sorry." They stood in each other's embrace for several moments before Clark finally stepped back. "Normally, I'd go after those guys, but I don't know that leaving you alone right now would be such a good idea. Let's go into my apartment and call the police. We'll give them a description and send them out after those guys, whoever they were." Just then, something clicked inside Lois's head. "Lex!" Clark looked at her in confusion. "What?" "Remember how Lex insisted that he was going to 'eliminate the competition'? I bet he was the one who set this up!" The muscle in Clark's jaw twitched. "I wouldn't put it past him." He glanced again disgustedly in the direction the men had fled, then turned back to her, giving her a quick once over. "What about you, Lois? Are you okay?" She nodded. "I think so. I'm just a little shaken up." Turning to glance at the ground around her, Lois spotted her bag over by where she'd been knocked down, and she went over to pick it up. When she did, she caught sight of a shiny object a few steps inside the alley. Cautiously, she went over to it and crouched down beside it. "What'd you find?" Clark asked, coming up behind her. Lois picked up the object and turned to show it to him. It was the knife, apparently ditched by their attackers as they fled. As he looked closer, he saw that the blade had been bent to almost an almost perpendicular angle to the handle, and the tip of it was flattened and useless. "Guess we can't submit this as evidence," Lois stated flatly. "How exactly would we explain it?" "Yeah, you're right," Clark agreed. "It wouldn't do any good to have it dusted for fingerprints anyway, since the men were wearing gloves. Here, let me have it. I'll get rid of it later." She handed it wordlessly to Clark, then felt his arm go around her as he steered her gently toward his apartment. When they got inside and Clark turned on the lights, Lois walked over to the couch and slumped down into the deep cushions. Clark was beside her a moment later. "You okay?" he asked, putting a hand on her knee. She sighed. "I don't know, Clark, everything's happening so fast. I mean...you're Superman," she finished, gesturing feebly at his chest where she knew the emblem on his Suit lay. "And?" "And...I don't know!" she exclaimed, a hint of impatience creeping into her voice. "This is just such a shock. I mean, a few weeks ago, I would've been thrilled to find out I was actually *married* to Superman. But now..." He waited for her to go on, knowing it was important for her to steer the conversation. But it was a while before she responded, and when she did, she sounded sad. "I don't know," she repeated dejectedly. "I guess I'm just having too tough a time taking this all in. Suddenly there's this whole other side of you that I have to get to know. What if that changes everything between us? I mean, it's a lot of pressure, being in a relationship with a world famous superhero." Her eyes filled with sudden tears, and Clark's throat constricted with emotion. "Lois, you're not in a relationship with a world famous superhero. You're in a relationship with *me,*" he said gently, taking her hands in his and holding them tightly. When she looked up tearfully to meet his intense gaze, he continued quietly. "Whether or not you want to believe this, Lois, I'm the same man I was an hour ago, the man you've come to know all this time as your partner and best friend. I'm still the same man who's only ever wanted what's best for you, and who wants nothing more than to love you and hold you for the rest of my life. And when it comes right down to it, it doesn't matter that I have some...admittedly special powers that I use however and whenever I can to help whoever I can. What matters, Lois, is that you know the *real* me. I'm that man with all those funny, obsessive little quirks you always tease me about, like backing all my files up on disks, refusing to step on people's toes, being polite and gentlemanly over and above all else." He smiled gently, and was rewarded by a small smile in return. "*That's* who I am, Lois. Not the man in the Suit and cape you see flying around the world, saving people from erupting volcanoes, or holding up collapsing bridges. That's just a little part of me I hadn't told you about yet." He swallowed past the lump in his throat, then went on, with tears shimmering in his own eyes. "So please, Lois, please don't tell me that you don't know me, because you do. You know *this* part of me..." He released one of her hands to reach up and tap himself over his heart. "And that's the only part of me you really need to know to understand who I am. And this is the part of me that loves you, with everything I have in me. Isn't that what's most important?" When he finished, Lois felt her barely restrained tears start to spill down her cheeks. "Oh, Clark," she cried as she leaned forward against him, burying her face in his chest and letting the tears come. His arms tightened around her, and he held her for a long moment, then pulled back and tipped her chin up with his finger so she looked back into his eyes. "Lois, nothing changes the fact that I'm still willing to give you all the time and space you need to figure things out, but I want you to talk to me if you're upset. Don't repress things, even if that's what you're more comfortable doing, okay? I know this is a lot to have thrown on you, but I just want you to know that I'm here for you, just like I've always been. If you want to talk, even if it's three in the morning, I want you to call me, okay?" She nodded tearfully. "Okay." Clark smiled, his heart warmed to know that things were going to be all right between them, even if it took a little time. Lifting a hand to stroke her cheek, he asked, "So what about dinner? Are you hungry?" "I'm too tired to eat," she admitted apologetically. "Can I take a rain check on your offer, though? Dinner from anywhere in the world sounds amazing." Clark grinned. "No problem, Lois. Just say the word." When the conversation stilled, Clark stood up and helped her to her feet. "Come on, Lois, I'll tell you what we're going to do. You go get your things while I draw you a nice, hot bath, then I'll get out of your hair while you soak and relax. Then afterward, you can have my bed for the night and sleep off all that stress here, since I would really rather you not be by yourself at your apartment tonight. Who knows what else Lex might be up to? Anyway, after a good night's sleep, I'm hoping the world will look a little brighter to you in the morning." "I can't take your bed," Lois replied tiredly. "Where would you sleep?" "I'll just sleep on the couch. Really, Lois, it'll be fine." She sighed. "I should probably argue that this is your place, so I should take the couch, but I'm too tired to argue. Whatever you say is fine with me." "Good, because I wasn't going to take no for an answer," he told her with a smile. "Now go get your stuff, and I'll start filling the tub." A few minutes later, Clark was perched on the edge of the bathtub, holding his hand under the faucet in order to check the water temperature, when Lois appeared in the bathroom doorway. He looked up at her and smiled. "What do you think?" he asked, nodding at the water pouring out of the faucet. "Too hot? Too cold?" Lois set her bag on the counter and walked over to where he was sitting, leaning over him to put her hand under the running water. "Feels perfect," she admitted longingly. Clark gestured at her bag. "Did you bring some bubble bath?" Lois nodded, and turned to pull the tall, decorative jar from her bag and hand it to him. Clark took it from her and poured a few drops into the stream of water, watching it immediately start to form into a white cloud of bubbles. "There," he exclaimed with finality. "You should be all set." "Thanks, Clark," she told him with a genuine smile. "I appreciate this." Clark gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You just relax and enjoy yourself, Lois. Take all the time you need." He backed toward the door and reached for the knob. "I'll be right out here in case you need something." Then, with one last, caring smile, he shut the door, leaving her alone. As Lois listened to the sounds of Clark's retreating footsteps, she felt a rush of gratitude towards him, for how sweet and caring he was, and for all that he did for her. But at the same time, she also felt grateful for the chance to be alone. Today had definitely been the topper of a rather unnerving week, and she was at a complete loss to know how to deal with it. She knew she loved Clark. The fact that she'd just found out he had a whole other side of him she hadn't know about didn't change that. She realized that this was just something they were going to have to work through, no matter how long it took. She sighed. Why did her life have to be so complicated? Just when she thought she could be comfortable in her relationship with Clark, this had been thrown at her. Was this how relationships were? One stumbling block after another? If it was, how did people ever get through it? At least Clark was being supportive and patient about the whole thing, and was willing to give her the time and space she needed to come to terms with this new development. She'd always loved that about Clark. He always put her needs before his own. That was a good thing when it came to being in a committed relationship, didn't it? Confused now more than ever, she sighed heavily. It was just all too much. For now, she just wanted to lose herself for a short time in a long, luxurious bath, then indulge herself in a good night's sleep. Maybe then she'd finally be able to figure things out. ***** As Lois soaked in the tub, Clark wandered around his apartment, unable to relax. Their run in with those thugs--he agreed with Lois that they had to be Luthor's men--just a short time ago hadn't been entirely unsuspected, but the way it had happened and the timing of it made him furious. Lois didn't need any more stress in her life right now after everything she'd recently been through, and especially the bombshell he'd dropped on her tonight. He had half a mind to pay Luthor a little visit as Superman, but he knew that wasn't going to solve anything. Still, he thought, the sooner they were able to put the man away, the better. Resisting temptation to use his special vision to peek in on how Lois was doing, Clark told himself that she was fine, and just having some well-deserved rest. He wandered over to his couch and sat down, trying to relax, as well. It had been a tough day not only for Lois, but for him, too. He kept telling himself that his talk with Lois about his other identity had gone well--far better than he'd hoped. But aside from the stress and emotional exhaustion she was justifiably feeling, something about her demeanor continued to nag at him. He remembered her words from earlier: 'These last two days, I've discovered that I've monumentally misjudged all three key men in my life...' He shook his head. The fact that she was obviously being so hard on herself about misjudging the men in her life continued to gnaw at him relentlessly. He knew she was very driven, a perfectionist, someone who'd learned to rely on her instincts about people and situations for every choice that she made. So to hear her say that proved to him that she was suffering a huge blow to her confidence. And that bothered him. She didn't have the safety net of people to turn to when things turned sour, like he did. Not that he had all that many people to turn to, but his parents were always there for him, no matter what. But she didn't even have that luxury of turning to her own family when she was down. He tried to remember if she ever mentioned friends, or certain people in her life who she trusted and felt comfortable enough with to talk to about things, but it didn't take him long to realize that he couldn't think of a single person--except him. And now, *he* was the one who'd thrown the biggest stumbling block of all in her path. And that made him feel terrible. Just then he picked up the sound of the tub draining, and he figured that meant Lois was done. Deciding a cup of hot, calming tea before she went to bed would be helpful, he started to rummage in his cupboard for the things he'd need. A few minutes later, Clark heard the bathroom door open, and he turned to see Lois emerging from. His heart stopped. She was dressed for bed, wearing a white T-shirt, soft flannel boxers, and white ankle socks, and while she'd combed her hair, it was still wet, and hung down, lightly brushing the top of her shoulders. She looked simply breathtaking. Trying to get his breathing back to normal, he swallowed hard and gave her a smile. "Feeling better?" he asked from his position by the stove. "A little," she admitted with the hint of a smile. "Thanks for the use of your tub." "Anytime." He pulled the kettle off the burner and reached into the cupboard for two mugs. "I made you some chamomile tea. I thought it might help you sleep." "Thanks, Clark, that was sweet," she told him, moving into the kitchen and accepting the mug he offered her. Clark poured some of the hot liquid into a mug for himself, then joined her at the table. They sipped their tea in silence for several moments, an air of comfortable silence around them. Clark finally broke the silence. "I called the police while you were in the tub. I told them what happened and gave them a brief description of those two guys, but they want us to come down in the morning to file an official report." Lois nodded slowly. 'Yeah, I guess we should. When we nail Lex, it'll just serve as one more nail in his coffin." Seeing her staring down unseeingly into her tea, he reached across the table and took her hand. "Are you okay?" he asked gently. She sighed. "I don't know, Clark. There's just so much I have to think about. Nothing seems to make sense to me anymore. Everything I thought I knew, it turns out that now I don't. I mean, it the last few days, I've discovered that I'm not as good as I thought I was at sizing people up. And if I've been so wrong about the key people in my life, what else have I been wrong with?" "Lois--" "No, Clark, think about this. Here I thought Lex was some brilliant, charming, wonderful philanthropist, who actually cared about me...the *real* me...and it turns out that he probably never even *knew* the real me, and figured I'd make some great trophy to show off and parade around." And then there's Superman..." Her voice trailed off, and Clark felt a lump gather in his throat. "What about him?" "Oh, I still don't know how I feel about that yet. The idea of you being Superman is still going to take some getting used to. But you..." she began. "Look how wrong I was about you. I've always thought of you as this sweet, gentle man--who you are, don't get me wrong--but I would have never guessed that you were the superhero who was single-handedly changing the world. I guess it makes sense, though. You never seemed to be afraid of much, and always walked around with this amazing air of confidence...." "Lois, don't be so hard on yourself," he told her gently. "You're exhausted and emotionally drained. After you've had some time to sleep this off, I promise you, you'll feel better, and the world will seem to be a brighter place." "Maybe you're right," Lois sighed. "I *am* right," Clark insisted. "Now, all I want you to think about now," he began, taking her now-empty mug and set it on the counter, then pulled her to her feet and steered her into his bedroom, "is getting some sleep. I put a couple of extra blankets on the foot of the bed in case you get cold, and if you need anything tonight, just call. I'll be right out there on the couch." When he pulled back the covers for her, she climbed under them obediently and lay down, smiling as he pulled the blankets back up to her chin. "Thanks, Clark. It feels great to be pampered." "Don't mention it," he told her with a gentle smile of his own. "Everyone needs to be pampered once in a while, and right now, it's just your turn." He turned his attention to straightening the blankets around her and making sure she was comfortable. Then he turned back to her and met her gaze. "You going to be okay tonight?" Lois nodded. "I'll be fine." "Okay," he replied warmly. "But remember. Just holler if you need anything." "I will." Their eyes met and held, and Clark felt his heart lurch at the sight of this beautiful, incredible woman, so vulnerable and confused, lying in his bed, trusting him to help get her through this trying time in her life. It had always been something he'd dreamed of, to spend every moment of every day with Lois, and having her there with him now, and knowing that she'd be there when he woke up, it seemed a step toward the fulfillment of that dream. Feeling more love for her then than he'd ever thought possible, he leaned down and touched his lips to hers, kissing her gently. When they pulled apart, a hint of her usual spark reached into her eyes. "Goodnight, Clark," she told him sleepily. He smiled softly. "Goodnight, Lois. I'll see you in the morning." And with that, he turned and left the room, shutting off the light. ***** to be continued in part 17... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 14:24:31 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 17/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 17/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** Clark was already up the next morning when his alarm clock rang. In fact, he'd been awake most of the night, too. Ever since he'd lain down on his couch last night to try to sleep, Lois had been all he'd been able to think about. He'd been unable to erase the image of how vulnerable and lost she'd looked, especially as they'd talked before she'd gone to bed. Clark sighed. The best thing he could do for her now, he realized, was to be there for her, and to help her through any tough times that might be lurking on the horizon. Once things were back on track and her life started to return to some semblance of normality, he was sure she'd start feeling more comfortable again, and was certain her confidence would return. But until then, he promised himself, he was going to do everything in his power to make her happy. After lying there for a while longer, he finally got up from the couch and tiptoed quietly into the bedroom to check on Lois. He was sure she'd chastise him for letting her sleep so late, since it was almost already nine o'clock, but he didn't want her waking up a moment before she was ready. He'd even called Perry to let him know that they were going to be a little late to work, since Lois hadn't been feeling well the night before, and he was letting her sleep late. But that may have been a mistake, Clark had realized after hanging up the phone, since their editor had seemed clearly surprised to deduce that they'd spent the night together. If Clark hadn't known better, he would've thought that Perry had actually sounded secretly pleased. When he reached the bedroom doorway, he caught sight of her curled-up, sleeping form, her curves still apparent from beneath his bedspread, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Even asleep, she was beautiful. He dared to take a silent step closer. As he did, a tender smile began to tug at the corners of his mouth. She wasn't beautiful. She was breathtaking. Her dark hair was partially curtaining her face, and her eyes were closed peacefully, her long lashes creating a captivating contrast against her light, smooth skin. He stood there for a long, blissful moment, content to listen to the sound of her slow, peaceful, easy breathing. He had an incredible urge to be there beside her, to feel her skin against his, wishing that he could wake up to her beside him every morning for the rest of his life. With one last, longing look at her sleeping form, he turned away and walked quietly into the kitchen to start making some breakfast. Opening his cupboards, he studied their meager contents. Maybe if he made a good, hearty breakfast for Lois, she'd have a better start to her day. Heaven knew she could use it. But at the same time, he realized that she'd never seemed like much of a breakfast person. As long as he'd known her, she'd been in too much of a hurry to eat much in the morning, and usually seemed satisfied with a simple cup of coffee and some toast or a pastry. Deciding to stick with that, he dropped a couple of slices of bread into the toaster and was just preparing to make some coffee when he heard a knock at the door. He turned toward it in surprise. 'Who could that possibly be so early in the morning?' he wondered silently. He hurried to the door in an effort to get rid of whoever it was before they woke up Lois, but when he opened it, he was surprised to see a relatively young man standing there, who he was sure he'd never seen before in his life. "Yes?" Clark inquired. "Mr. Clark Kent?" the young man asked. When Clark nodded, he held out a large envelope. "You've been served. Have a good day." As the young man turned and disappeared down the steps, Clark looked curiously at the envelope in his hand as he shut the door. 'Served what?' he found himself wondering. Puzzled, he slid his finger under the envelope flap and worked it open as he walked into the kitchen. When he had it open, he leaned back against the kitchen counter and pulled the papers out of the envelope and unfolded them warily. His eyes flew over the page, and when he realized what the papers were, his heart sank. The divorce papers. 'How did they get this rushed through so quickly?' he asked in numb disbelief. 'We just barely saw the counselor a couple of days ago. This was supposed to take weeks...months!' He caught sight of the lawyer's name at the top left corner of the page, and recognized it as one of the Daily Planet's attorneys. It made sense that if Lois had wanted to rush this thing through, she would've asked Perry if she could utilize the Planet's legal offices in order to do so. Clark could even see that Perry probably would've encouraged it, since he would've no doubt felt guilty about such a fiasco occurring during a Daily Planet stakeout assignment. It made sense, but still, Clark found himself having a hard time feeling better about it. He tried to tell himself that he'd known this was coming, though maybe not quite this soon, and that he should've been expecting it. But for some ridiculous reason, he knew that some tiny, irrational part of his mind had secretly hoped that they could stay married. 'But that's so ridiculous!' he scolded himself brusquely. 'People just don't say, "Hey, we're already technically married, so since we just recently realized that we love each other, what the heck...let's stay married."' The thought almost made him laugh out loud. And even though things were very different between them than they were even a few days ago, and that they'd both opened up about how they felt about each other, he knew exactly what would happen if he told her now that he didn't want a divorce after he'd already agreed to go through the necessary steps to fix this error. She'd panic. Such a request from him would put an incredible amount of pressure on her, especially after everything she'd just been through these last few days. After all, she'd just broken off her engagement with another man, found out he was Superman, and was now dealing with a bout of insecurity and self-doubt stemming from the fact that she'd misjudged him, as well as the other men in her life. She needed time to adjust, to come to terms with everything that had recently happened to her, and rushing her into something as serious as talk of marriage just because their relationship was starting off in a good direction--it just wasn't a good idea. Besides, when they *did* get married, he wanted it to be the best moment of his life, and of hers. He wanted it to be something very memorable and special. He didn't want their marriage to happen simply because they had a piece of paper proving that they were. So, as much as he wanted to simply throw the papers away and pretend he'd never even seen them, he knew that just wasn't possible. After all, Lois had gone to all the trouble to get with a lawyer and have the divorce papers drawn up; obviously, this was what she wanted. What right did he have to refuse? He sighed. Knowing he was right didn't make this any easier. With a heavy heart, he turned and picked up a pen from behind him on the kitchen counter, and took a deep breath to give himself the courage to go on. Then he inked his name to the bottom of the papers where it was indicated he needed to sign, folded them up, slid them into a fresh envelope, added a stamp, and quickly copied the address onto the front of the envelope. When it was all done, he held the envelope in his hands and stared down at it, feeling an irrational wave of sadness wash over him. "Who was at the door?" At the sound of Lois's voice, Clark jumped. He spun around, trying to slow the pounding of his heart, and hastily hid the envelope behind his back before she could see it. He hated lying to her, but in this case, he felt justified. She'd been through enough these last few days. She didn't need to be reminded of their pending divorce, especially since he could vividly remember how upset she'd been while confiding in him how devastating it was to her that she was going to be officially labeled a "divorcee," and that she felt it meant she'd failed in a relationship without even trying. He wasn't about to stir up all those deeply upsetting emotions after everything she'd just been through. "Oh, um...nobody," he quickly stammered, hoping she wasn't awake enough to catch him in his lie. "Just someone selling something." "So early?" she asked through a sleepy yawn. She shuffled toward him and slowly stretched her arms above her head, causing her T-shirt to rise and give him a glimpse of the smooth, silky skin lying beneath. He swallowed hard. Even with her tousled hair and her sleep-filled eyes, he couldn't help noticing how incredible she looked first thing in the morning. "Yeah, well...you know salespeople," he went on, trying to cover his nervousness, both from his lie and from his physical yearnings. "They'll do anything to get you to buy what they're selling." "I guess they will, if they're soliciting this early," she said, dropping her arms back to her side and closing the distance between them. "Is that toast I smell?" "Um...toast. Yeah, I made us some toast," he stammered, hurrying over to the toaster and quickly lifting the front of the toaster so he could carefully ease the envelope he was still holding beneath it. Then he set the toaster back down, feeling relieved that no one would ever suspect something was underneath. "Are you hungry?" Lois watched as he reached up to pull a couple of plates from the cupboard and nearly dropped them onto the floor. She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Clark? Are you okay? You seem nervous or something." Clark jumped guiltily and turned toward her, this time clattering the plates onto the counter top noisily. He felt his face flush with color. "Oh, um, no, Lois, I'm fine. I was just hurrying a little to fast, I guess. I was hoping to have breakfast ready for you as soon as you woke up. How did you sleep, by the way?" he asked, trying to change the subject. "Good. Better than I thought," she admitted, shuffling to a stop beside him and running her fingers through her hair. "How about you? Did you get any sleep out here on the couch?" He pulled the toast from the toaster slots and set the crisped pieces of bread onto the plates. As he turned to open the fridge, he nodded, his attention still on preparing breakfast. "Enough. What would you like on your toast? Butter? Jam? Honey?" She grinned as he watched him, standing poised at the fridge's open door, awaiting her response as if waiting for the answer to the most important question in the world. "Butter's fine." As he pulled out the butter, and some honey for himself, Lois stepped toward him and took the container of butter from his hands. "Clark. You don't have to go to all this trouble. I feel guilty enough that I monopolized your bed last night without you making me breakfast and waiting on me hand and foot." Clark's face softened into a smile. Setting the honey down on the counter next to the plates, he turned and reached up to cup her face in his hands. "I like to do things for you, Lois. It makes me happy." She grinned. She wasn't about to begrudge him that. Besides, it had been a long time since she'd felt so pampered and loved. "Well, if it makes you happy," she acquiesced, her grin broadening. She lifted her hands to his waist and settled them there gently, and Clark drew her face gently toward his, causing her heart rate to increase to dramatic levels. Then when his lips were only a breath away from hers, she closed her eyes, eagerly anticipating his kiss. When his lips touched hers, any confusion that may have been lingering from the night before was instantly swept away, and she knew that there was no mistaking the feelings of love and passion that surfaced whenever he was near. The touch of his lips to hers simply took her breath away, and she wondered if a lifetime would be enough to savor the feeling. Superhero or not, this man certainly knew how to kiss. When they finally pulled apart, breathless and dazed, Lois smiled up into his beautiful face. "Thanks for making me breakfast," she told him gratefully. "That was really sweet of you." Clark grinned at her, then gave her one last, quick kiss before releasing her and turning his attention back to the toast. "Well, it's not the most elegant breakfast, but it didn't seem like you were much of a breakfast person anyway." "I'm not. Toast and coffee will be perfect." They finished preparing their simple breakfast in no time, then sat down at the table to talk as they ate. Clark felt a huge rush of relief to see that Lois seemed to be feeling better, both physically and emotionally. But even so, he wondered if the hint of whatever it was that might still be bothering her, still lurking there beneath the surface, was really there, or if it was just his imagination. He doubted it was his imagination. It seemed unrealistic to think that everything that she'd recently been through was going to just resolve itself in a good night's sleep, but he hoped it wouldn't be long before she was able to work through whatever conflicts remained, either on her own or by talking to him. And he hoped that she *would* talk to him, and promised himself that he'd make it easy for her to, by being there for her and giving her lots of opportunities to do just that. As they finished eating, Lois stood up and walked over to the sink with her dishes. "I can't believe how late it is," she said, glancing up at the clock. "Perry's going to be furious." "No, he won't," Clark told her as he stood up and followed her. "I already called him to let him know you were feeling a little under the weather, and that we'd be a little late." As naturally as if he did it every day, he put his hand on the small of her back as he leaned around her to deposit his plate in the sink. She turned at his touch and grinned. "That sounds pretty domestic, you calling in sick for me. I bet Perry was jumping to all kinds of conclusions about us when you called and told him that. I can just see him dying to know all the details." Clark chuckled. "Well, now that you mention it, he did seem rather surprised and interested when I phoned. And this, combined with that kiss he got on us for at the Planet yesterday, I'm sure he's dying of curiosity." "Let him think what he wants. What he thinks is probably less confusing than the truth, anyway." She sighed, and a hint of her stress from last night returned. Clark felt a twinge as he suddenly remembered the divorce papers he'd just been served, but quickly pushed them aside, knowing that this was one of those times he'd promised himself he'd help Lois through. He wasn't about to let herself get down again. Trying to downplay her reaction to her own words, he put his hands on her hips and steered her out of the kitchen. "Yeah, maybe, but let's not think about it right now," he admonished. "You had some time to relax last night *and* a good night's sleep. Let's start this day off on the right note and not dwell on everything that's happened these last few days. Why don't you get dressed in the clothes you wore over here last night, and then we'll get out of here and go to your apartment, where you can put on something for work." Lois's hint of a frown was quickly replaced by a smile as she laughed at Clark's gentle firmness. "Man, you're bossy this morning," she quipped over her shoulder at him as he continued to push her toward his bedroom. When they stopped in the doorway, he turned her toward him and smiled. "You'd better believe it. Now go and change. I'll straighten up the kitchen while you're changing, then I'll change when you're done." And with that, he closed the door between them, leaving her unable to argue. As he heard her moving about his bedroom, Clark went into the kitchen, then glanced nervously back in the direction of his bedroom. When he was felt certain that Lois wasn't watching, he hurried over to the toaster and quietly, cautiously lifted it up and removed the envelope hidden beneath. He sighed sadly as he once again held it in his hand, then moved quickly over to his suit jacket, which was still draped over the back of his recliner. With one more wary glance at his closed bedroom door, he lifted his coat and silently slid the envelope into the inside pocket. As much as he hated to, he'd wait until Lois wasn't looking, and then drop it in the first mailbox he could find. ***** "Do you want me to drive, Lois?" Clark asked as they left his apartment and walked down the street to her car. But Lois shook her head. "No thanks, Clark, I'll be fine," she told him, unlocking the doors and climbing behind the steering wheel. "I feel a lot better today." Clark finished buckling his seatbelt, then reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm glad. But remember, if you need to talk--" "Clark, I'm fine," she persisted, rolling her eyes in exasperation. As Lois started the car and pulled away from the curb, she sighed inwardly. She knew Clark was serious about wanting to help her work through things and to have her talk to him about what might be bothering her, but the truth of the matter was, she wasn't ready to talk about things yet. There was still so much she wanted to figure out herself first, to come to terms with how she felt about last night's discovery, and about how she was feeling about everything. As of yet, she still didn't know how or what she was feeling. As Lois concentrated on steering through the mid-morning city traffic, Clark spoke. "You know, as much as I hate to bring this up, we really should swing by the local police precinct to give them our statement about last night's attack." "Yuck, you're right," Lois grimaced, suddenly slamming on her brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of them. "When we get to my apartment, why don't you call Perry while I'm changing my clothes, and tell him that's where we're going to be. It could take *hours* finding somebody in that donut convention to give our statement to." When they reached Lois's apartment, they hurried up the stairs and Lois quickly unlocked the door. "I'll just be a second," she said before rushing into her bedroom and shutting the door behind her. While she changed, Clark called Perry to report in, then waited for Lois on the couch as she finished getting ready. When she emerged from her bedroom, she was dressed in a short black skirt that set off her long, shapely legs, and a smart black and white blouse that accented her newly-brushed, dark, silky hair. But Clark had to bite his lip to keep from laughing as he watched her struggled to carry her shoes under one arm, while trying to put a tiny, gold hoop earring on at the same time. "Here, Lois, let me help," he offered quickly, standing up to grab her shoes before they fell to the floor. "Oh, thanks, Clark," she breathed as she worked at her earring for another moment, then started to insert the other tiny hoop into her other ear. As Clark sat back down on the couch with her shoes in his hands, she sighed. "You know...your being here reminds me of last night when my mother barged in. Now that was a moment to remember," she muttered sarcastically as she shook her head. "To tell you the truth, after meeting my mom last night, I would've thought you'd be miles away from here by now." Clark laughed. "Not a chance," he responded with a definitive shake of his head. "Nothing is going to keep me away from you." "Not even a wicked mother in law?" she challenged, reaching for her shoes that he still held. "She *is* technically your mother in law, you know." "I know." He flashed her a brilliant smile. "Let's just say I'd consider it a challenge to win her over." Lois studied him for a moment, then allowed an answering smile to creep across her face. "With that dazzling smile of yours and those small town charms, you just might be able to pull it off." "As long as I don't mention that I also moonlight in tights, right?" he joked. But as soon as he said it, he knew he'd made a mistake. Her smile faded and the troubled look returned to her eyes. "Lois, I--" "No, Clark, it's okay, you didn't say anything wrong," she reassure him quietly. "I just forgot about that for a minute. It's going to take me a while to adjust to the fact that you're..." "Superman?" he prompted gently. When she nodded wordlessly, he sighed. "It's all right, Lois, you can say it. Besides, it's not really who I am, remember? We talked about this. 'Superman' is just a name, that's all...a name, by the way, that *you* gave me." She smiled a little at that. "I guess I did, didn't I?" Then she shook her head. "I'm just going to need some time to figure some things out, and think about things...and no," she interjected before he could say what she knew he was going to say, "I'm not ready to talk about it yet." He nodded. "Fair enough. Anyway," he said, changing the subject. "Perry knows we're going to be at the police station, so let's get going. I don't want to spend any more time there than we have to, either." ***** to be continued in part 18... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 14:24:46 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 18/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 18/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** "Well, I, for one, am glad that's over," Lois grumbled as she and Clark exited the police station nearly two hours later and walked back to her Jeep. "How could it possibly take them two hours to take a simple statement?" "They were busier than usual this morning," Clark offered diplomatically. "Yeah, right," Lois argued with an irritated roll of her eyes. "Perry's going to be furious about us getting to work so late." "Lois, he'll understand," Clark placated, forcing himself to remain patient. Lois unlocked the driver's side door of her Jeep and pulled it open. "I hope so, because..." Her voice trailed off suddenly when she saw Clark stop in the process of opening his passenger door, a strange, faraway look on his face. She furrowed her eyebrows. "What's wrong?" A moment later, he turned to Lois and met her gaze. "Uh, Lois, I've gotta go," he stammered anxiously, reaching up to finger his earlobe. "Something's going on. I hear a bank alarm." She blinked. "A bank alarm? How can you--ohhh," she said with sudden understanding. He needed to go and be Superman. She shook her head. For whatever reason, she was still having a hard time associating her mild-mannered, gentle, sometimes even seemingly-awkward partner with a certain world-famous man of steel who flew, captured criminals and helped ease the effects of natural disasters, and who, she had to admit, looked absolutely amazing in revealing blue tights. The thought of Clark is that skin-tight Suit almost made her laugh out loud. It just seemed so weird. If Clark hadn't shown her the Suit beneath his clothes the night before, and saw the bent knife resulting from when the thug had tried to stab him, she wouldn't have believed he was the same man, the superhero, who single-handedly intimidated the entire world's criminal element. That was definitely going to take some getting used to. Before she could come to terms with the situation, Clark started fumbling with the knot of his tie as he hurried around the front of the car to stand beside her. "Why don't you go on back to the Planet, and I'll meet you there in a little while?" he suggested, looking rather anxious to get going. "Will you be all right?" She nodded impatiently "Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine, go ahead. I'll, uh...see you in a while." With a brief, grateful nod, Clark backed away, looked around him carefully, then darted around the corner of the nearest building and into an alley. Moments later, Lois heard the unmistakable sound of Superman's sonic boom, and she saw a familiar streak of red and blue flash across the sky. With a heavy sigh, Lois climbed into her Jeep and steered it numbly toward the Planet. Too many thoughts filled her mind, and she found herself wrestling with them uselessly in an effort to sort them out. Before she was ready, she'd arrived at the Planet and was riding up in the elevator to the newsroom. She was still lost in her thoughts when the elevator doors opened, and it wasn't until she was halfway down the ramp and heard Perry's shout from his office that she was able to bring herself back to the present. "Someone turn on those TVs!" came Perry's shout as he came thundering out of his office, gesturing toward the wall of TV monitors. In a matter of seconds, several of the screens were switched on, and her coworkers started to mill around them, straining to hear what was being said. "What's going on?" she asked as she stopped next to Perry. He gave her a quick, cursory glance. "How nice of you to join us," he commented in his customary, gruff fashion. Then he turned his attention back to the TVs and nodded at the picture on the screen of a large brick building--a bank, the reporter was explaining--and responded, "The police just got wind of the bank on ninety-third and Oxford being robbed. They suspect it's the same guy who's been hitting banks and taking hostages all up and down the coast." Lois nodded in response, then focused on the drama unfolding on the screens before them. The reporter was explaining that the police were gathering outside the bank in response to a silent alarm triggered from within. They were told the would-be robber was holding hostages inside, and was planning to kill a hostage every fifteen minutes if he didn't get what he wanted. The police scrambled about frantically as they tried to summon a hostage negotiator. Just as the camera panned away from the reporter and zoomed in on the bank, an audible gasp came from the crowd, and the camera suddenly darted to the left, looking for the source of the gathering crowd's reaction. And then she saw him. Superman. Clark. He had drifted down to the ground next to a group of officers and began talking to one in particular, who Lois assumed was the one in charge. Then, moments later, she saw Clark nod resolutely and, in the blink of an eye and a colorful flash and red and blue, he streaked into the building and returned only seconds later with the very disgruntled would-be robber in tow. A huge cheer went up from the crowd gathered around the bank, as well as from her coworkers standing around her, their eyes riveted to the TVs in the newsroom, as Superman turned the criminal over to the waiting police. Glancing around, Lois studied the faces of those surrounding her as they stared up in a kind of hallowed awe at the red and blue clad superhero on the TV as he turned his attention to ushering the obviously shaken hostages out of the building. But as Lois herself turned back to the screen, she realized something. She no longer looked at the superhero with the same awe she recognized on the faces around her. Suddenly, he was simply Clark, the man she'd come to know as her partner and friend, the man she hung out with in her off-work hours, sparred with over possible story angles at work, and always turned to whenever she was down or discouraged. 'Superman...' she thought, shaking her head as she continued to watch him on the TV monitor. She'd always trusted Superman implicitly, knowing without a shred of doubt that he was telling her the truth, and taking what he said as gospel, above and beyond what anyone else said. She, as well as so many others, looked up to him as a pillar of strength and truth and morality and ethics. Not that those things had been a lie. Not by any means. But now, her image of him was changing. Not changing for the worse, necessarily, but simply changing. Before she'd found out that the handsome and elusive superhero was actually her partner, she had to admit, she'd always thought of him as some sort of God. But now she realized that he wasn't. He was just a man--yes, a super man--but still just a man, like any other man. She'd always thought of the superhero as being invulnerable, and maybe he was physically...for the most part, anyway. But now that she knew that he was Clark, she realized that he was actually quite vulnerable in so many ways. He had feelings and insecurities, and was able to feel joy and sorrow, just like everyone else. He had strengths and weaknesses, goals and aspirations. He wanted to live a normal life, wanted to simply be who he was--Clark. Yes, he also wanted to help people, to do what he could to help others with the powers he'd been given, and she realized that the costume was just a way he was able to do that and still maintain his ability to lead a normal life. He wanted to continue to be her partner, to be her friend, to come over at night to watch videos and eat pizza, to joke around with Jimmy and take part in the weekly card game hosted by Perry, to have someone love and be loved by, to feel wanted and needed. Shaking her head in disgust, she suddenly realized she felt both angry with herself and ashamed for not realizing all this sooner, for not being able to see the superhero beyond the flashy costume and dazzling good looks and physique. If she had, maybe she would've discovered the truth long before this. "So where's Clark?" came Perry's voice from beside her, shaking her out of her reverie. "Shouldn't one of you two be getting on this?" Thinking quickly, she swallowed and replied, "Oh, um, he had a source to talk to down at the police station. As soon as he gets back, we'll get right on this." Then, with the hint of a smile, she added silently, 'Maybe we'll even get an exclusive from Superman's point of view.' Perry nodded, accepting her answer without question, and immediately Lois felt guilty for lying to her boss, the man who she'd come to think of as more of a father than just as somebody she worked for. But even as she turned away guiltily and walked over to her desk to sit down, she knew that she couldn't have told Perry the truth: that he was watching Clark on TV even as they spoke. After all, now that she knew Clark's other identity, she realized she had a responsibility to help maintain his cover. Suddenly, she felt a strange sense of empathy for Clark. All his sudden disappearing acts now made sense, and all those ridiculous excuses he was so famous for came to her mind. No wonder they always sounded so ridiculous. He was so intent on rushing to the scene of whatever crime he was needed at that he didn't have time to think of a rational excuse. He obviously just said the first thing that popped into his mind so he could go and help those involved. She remembered how angry she sometimes got when he rattled off one of his infamous excuses to her. And now she'd just found herself doing the same thing. Ironic. Definitely ironic. She sighed. Her life had certainly taken a dramatic turn in the last twenty-four hours. Clark's admission last night had certainly come as a shock, but the more time she had to think about the reasons why he'd kept his other identity a secret from everyone--including her, until recently--made sense, she had to admit. But she also realized that there were clearly things about him that she still had yet to learn, things that might take a while to discover about and get used to. Wasn't that what having a relationship was all about, though? she asked herself. Getting to know the other person better, finding out if you were compatible, if you enjoyed the same kinds of things? But whether or not she wanted to believe it, she knew Clark had been right last night. Superhero or not, she *did* know him, knew the loving, caring, gentle person he was deep down inside. They'd been through thick and thin together, and he'd always been there for her, to stand up for and protect her, both as Superman and as Clark. He'd cheered her up when she was down, celebrated with her when she was up, and battled alongside her when they needed to fight for each other, or for their stories. That in itself spoke volumes about the person he really was. Yes, she knew him. And yes, she loved him. But that wasn't what worried her. His announcement last night had only served to illustrate a point. Relationships were never smooth. *Their* relationship had never been smooth. So what did that tell her about what lay ahead? Had she honestly thought that once she'd discovered how she really felt about Clark, and gathered her courage to tell him what she'd come to realize, that things would suddenly become smooth sailing? Well, they'd only been a couple for one day, and look what she was now facing: the realization that he was both the partner and best friend she'd grown to love, and the superhero she'd sought after and admired. What other stumbling blocks might be thrown into their path? And would they be able to survive them? Lois leaned forward to put her elbows on her desk and dropped her head into her hands. It was sad to say, but she knew there were no guarantees, no happily ever after relationships. Being in a committed relationship wasn't easy, she realized, and she wasn't afraid of that. But she was afraid of investing so much time and emotion into a relationship if it was doomed to failure from the start. And if something were to ever happen to break them up, would she be able handle it? She thought back to the time when Clark--Superman, she now realized--had left Metropolis during the city's heat wave, thinking his super powers were to blame. She remembered how miserable she'd felt, knowing that she'd lost her best friend. And that had happened months ago, before they'd gotten to this level of their relationship. Would her heart survive if he ever left her like that again? Her heart lurched at even the thought, and she realized then that it wouldn't. She would be simply devastated. So where did that leave her? Was she going to let this latest development scare her off, to keep her from following her heart? Finding out something about your boyfriend--even though this was admittedly a huge thing to discover--seemed incidental when you compared it with, say, changing feelings, or a cheating spouse. Those things happened; sad, but true. She'd seen both in her own family, even. And look what had happened. Her parents had gone through a nasty, bitter divorce, and had dragged her and Lucy along for the ride. She'd never completely recovered from that experience, and she'd only been through it as a child. What would that be like to go through it first hand? Unable to bear the thought, Lois pushed her deliberations aside and rubbed at her temples in an effort to ease her threatening headache. She doubted the answers she sought were going to come any time soon. ***** Clark stepped off the elevator almost two hours after he'd left Lois at the police station, and his eyes instinctively swept across the newsroom, looking for her. His pulse quickened when he spotted her sitting at her desk, her head bent over a large stack of papers. He smiled. As usual, she seemed happily engrossed in whatever research it was she was doing. But as he neared, he watched her put her hands to her temples and rub them tiredly. His brow furrowed. Why hadn't he noticed right away how tired and pale she looked? When he reached her desk, he stopped quietly next to her. "Lois? Are you okay?" At the sound of her partner's softly spoken question, Lois looked up from the large stack of papers she was perusing and forced a cheerful smile. "I'm fine," she replied, dodging his question. "So? How'd it go?" "With Superman's help, the bank robber was apprehended and all the hostages have been tended to. I got us both the exclusive story." He winked at her. She smiled. "I wonder how you managed to do that." He dropped onto the corner of her desk and scrutinized her carefully. "Lois, are you sure there isn't something else bothering you? Maybe this thing about me and...well, you know..." She startled, and he knew from her expression that he'd hit the nail on the head. "No, that's not bothering me," she started to argue. But when she saw that he wasn't buying it, she sighed. "Well, okay, maybe it is a little. It's just...I know what we talked about, and you're right. I do know the real you. And honestly, this doesn't change the way I feel about you, but it does bring up a lot of issues that I'm not sure I'm ready to face or deal with. To be quite honest, they scare me a little." Clark lowered himself onto the corner of her desk. "What scares you?" he asked gently. "Is it something about us?" "Not so much about us, I guess," she admitted, "as much as it is about relationships in general." He nodded patiently. "So what is exactly that's bothering you?" Lois gave a little sigh and glanced around to make sure no one was listening. Then she continued on in a whisper, "Your news last night--and even everything that's happened in the last few days--has given me a lot to think about, as far as our relationship is concerned. It's proven to me that nothing is ever easy for us, Clark. What makes us think we're going to be able to make our relationship work? Lots of relationships *don't* work. What if ours doesn't?" "Lois," Clark said, lowering his voice, as well. "Our relationship's going to work because we were meant to be together, Lois. I'm certain of that. We love each other, and nothing's going to change that." Lois sighed sadly. "But see? That's just it. Everyone starts out loving each other in the beginning. Then things come up, problems, and many of them can't be overcome. They tear a couple apart. I know about this firsthand because I saw my parents go through it. They loved each other at the beginning. But now they can hardly stand to be in the same room together. I don't want that to happen to us." Clark opened his mouth to speak, but Perry's loud voice suddenly interrupted their conversation. "All right, people! Twenty minutes 'til deadline. Lois! Clark! I need to see what you've got on this bank robber and hostage story, and I need to see it now." Then, without a second glance, he turned and walked into his office. Lois rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you. Perry wants us to write something about that for tonight's edition. I already jotted some stuff down, and that, along with your exclusive from Superman should appease him." "Yeah, that sounds fine," Clark agreed, but he was still too preoccupied by what Lois had just told him to get excited about the story. He saw Lois's gaze drop to her lap, and he wished they'd had more time to talk through her fears and insecurities. "Lois, why don't we hurry and finish up with Perry, then we can go somewhere to talk some more about this?" But Lois shook her head as she gathered up her papers. "No, Clark, I'm okay. Really. As much as I'm sure you want to help, I'm afraid this is something I'm going to have to work out on my own." Clark studied her for a long moment, as if deciding to press the issue or let her have her space. Finally, he nodded reluctantly. "Okay, Lois. But promise me that you'll come talk to me when you're ready. I'm willing to listen. All you have to do is say the word, okay?" Lois nodded, then collected the paperwork she'd been working on and hurried into Perry's office to show him where they were at with their story. But as much as she tried to concentrate on her presentation of their newest leads to their editor in chief, her heart wasn't in it. She had too much else on her mind. ***** "It's been such a perfect day, hasn't it?" Lex sing-songed as he burst into the room where Nigel was setting his table for dinner. "I can't imagine ever having a more perfect day than this," he announced, beaming triumphantly as he strolled out onto the balcony and lifted his hands into the air, gesturing at the world around him before finally resting them on the railing. "Sir?" Nigel inquired, pausing in his duties to watch his boss turn and stroll back into the room. If possible, Lex's grin widened even more. "The stock market is up, my costs are down, and Lois Lane will soon be back in my arms, now that I've dispatched of that annoying reporter partner of hers. The world has never been a more wonderful place." Nigel's jaw tightened and he averted his gaze. "Before you continue to take over the world, I think you should have a look at the evening paper." Lex took the paper eagerly. "Ah, the Daily Planet. I wonder what kind of grief they're splashing across their front pages, reporting the untimely passing of one of their reporters." He grinned victoriously as he gave the folded paper a shake, causing it to open in his hand. But when he didn't see the headline he was expecting, his smile changed to a confused frown. It wasn't so much the headline that caused his change in his demeanor, but the byline: Would-be Robber Apprehended by Superman, Hostages Safe by Lois Lane and Clark Kent Slowly, his fist started to clench around the paper, balling it up tightly. "Kent's alive?" he demanded, looking up at Nigel, who was suddenly busying himself by setting the trays containing his boss's dinner onto the table. "How could this have happened? Didn't you send the men to take care of him?" "Yes, I did, but apparently they failed. They haven't reported in since they went out last night." "Undoubtedly because they couldn't face me after such a failure. Well, what are you waiting for? Find them!" Lex hollered in a fit of rage. "And when you do, I want them killed. Then send somebody more competent to finish the job *they* were supposed to do!" Nigel cleared his throat and straightened up beside him. "At this time, that may not be wise," he advised. Lex caught his breath and turned to Nigel with a hint of his customary calmness. "And why is that?" "Because I've heard through channels that Ms. Lane has been talking to some of your disgruntled, former employees." Lex lifted an eyebrow. "And?" "It appears she's investigating you, sir. And when that woman snoops, I suspect trouble is not far behind. You know as well as I do what she's capable of." Lex's face paled slightly as he pushed his chair back from the table. Then, with a new air of calmness, he stood and walked over to stare out the window for several silent moments, his hands clasped lightly behind him. When he responded, his voice was quieter and more purposeful. "Have you seen to it that all the paper trails have been destroyed?" "Yes, sir, I have. We're working on that now." Lex nodded somberly. "Good. I want to make sure she doesn't find anything. Let her sources talk. As long as we're covering our backs, she won't find any incriminating evidence." Lex shook his head and turned back. Strolling over to the table that Nigel had finished setting for him, he mumbled, "I hope what I did didn't put her on my trail." Nigel leaned closer. "Pardon?" Lex shook his head slowly, then sat down at his plate. "Never mind, Nigel, it's not important. What *is* important is that I be kept appraised of her and Kent's little so-called 'investigation,' understood? I don't want them getting too close." Nigel nodded. "Understood." When his servant was gone, Lex continued to sit motionless for several long minutes, staring silently down at his food as he contemplated Nigel's warning. This was an interesting development. He'd never before worried about the lovely and beautiful Lois Lane making waves. She had no reason to suspect him of anything. He'd been suave and charming, literally sweeping the woman off her feet. He'd dazzled her and shown her a lifestyle much more exciting and enchanting than her own. But now... He shook his head. Maybe he shouldn't have gone so far yesterday morning. With Lois's stubbornness and temperament, he should've known she couldn't be pushed or threatened so brazenly. He'd overstepped himself, and had caused a potentially dangerous problem. He, of all people, knew what Lois Lane was capable of. Picking up his fork, he pushed his food around his plate for a few minutes before setting the fork back down. With a sigh, he pushed his plate away. For some reason, he'd suddenly lost his appetite. ***** to be continued in part 19... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 14:25:00 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 19/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 19/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** "Jimmy! What were you able to dig up on those leads I gave you on Lex?" Lois asked a few days later as she bustled into the newsroom after a morning of following leads. She was pleased that several of those leads had even panned out. The day before yesterday, an anonymous source had tipped her off that Lex had ordered an incriminating paper trail to be destroyed, and she and Clark and Jimmy had flung themselves into it, determined to gather up and learn what they could before it disappeared. As things started to unfold before them, it was beginning to be clear that Lex had made many enemies and burned many bridges as far as his dealings were concerned, and now, the people he'd once trusted with his underground dealings were angry enough to come forward under a veil of anonymity to shed some light on his criminal business and personal dealings. If things kept going as they were, and they kept uncovering incriminating evidence as quickly as they were, Lex's life was soon to be a whole lot more interesting. It was obvious the authorities were going to be able to build quite a substantial case against him. Because of the recent flood of information and paper trails being uncovered, though, she and Clark were up to their eyebrows with work. But Lois honestly didn't mind. This was when she was at her best: focused, unrelenting, following leads and striving to bring down the bad guys. By all appearance, Mad Dog Lane was back. At least, that was what almost everyone else around her thought. Everyone except Clark, that is. While she was outwardly the same tenacious, determined investigative reporter everyone knew, only Clark seemed to know the truth, that her "business as usual" attitude was just a facade. He knew she was fighting an internal battle, and she could tell that he was genuinely worried about her. He made a valiant effort to be there for her every day, to be supportive, and to try to make her happy. He showed up at her apartment every morning to ride with her to work, fussed over her much of the day, bringing her coffee and her favorite chocolate donuts, and was with her every evening, either bringing her to his apartment to watch videos, or keep her company and talk with her at hers. And knowing her as well as he did, Clark suspected her fears and insecurities were at work. It tore him apart, knowing that she was battling the silent war raging within, and even though she'd told him that she needed to figure some things out on her own, he'd made every effort to get her to talk over the last few days. But Lois knew she just wasn't ready. She'd been unable to come to any decisions, and talking about it seemed pointless until she did. Ever since that day almost a week ago when she'd watched Clark as Superman on TV, her days passed in a haze. She'd forced herself to go through the motions of getting up, going to work, and pretending to be busy. But truthfully, all she seemed to be able to think about was Clark, and the concerns and insecurities his revelation of his other identity had presented. The only thing that seemed to make her forget her woes for even a little while was the fact that their investigation on Lex was going so well. She smiled. She would love nothing more than to be the one to reveal him for what she suspected he was to the world. That would be such sweet revenge for the way he'd treated her, and everybody else, for that matter. Jimmy's answer to her question brought her back to the present. "Still working on it, Lois. But you did have a call from somebody named Cochran. He said he had some information for you on Lex." She felt a surge of adrenaline at the mention of one of Lex's employees who she suspected could give her that important piece of information that would help her put the nail in his coffin. "Great, Jimmy, thanks," she replied. "Where's his number?" "On your desk," he called back. "Oh, and there's a package for you there, too. It must be important because it was delivered special courier a little while ago." Lois looked surprised. "Oh...okay, thanks." Temporarily forgetting her phone message, she walked curiously around the corner of her desk and spotted the large, official looking envelope. Curiously, she pulled open the seal along the edge of the envelope and removed the papers. When she did, her heart landed in her feet with a thump. The papers were from the Metropolis circuit courts, and explained that her and Clark's paperwork had been completed, and they were being summoned to appear before the judge for final resolution of their divorce in two days' time. 'How could this be?' she thought dismally as she continued to read the details, the words blurring together on the page and her mind whirling. She'd only met with the Planet's attorney approximately two weeks ago, and she'd been told it would take months to finalize the divorce. Besides, she hadn't heard a single thing from Clark, saying he been served, or even signed and sent the paperwork in. Surely he would have said something, wouldn't he? She was so wrapped up in trying to come to terms with the paperwork in her hand that she didn't hear Perry approaching. "Lois? Is everything okay?" he asked, his usual southern drawl subdued by the quietness of his voice. "Oh, um...yeah," she responded, trying to pull herself together. She waved the papers in Perry's direction. "I'm just a little...stunned, I guess. These are from the Metropolis circuit courts. They say that Clark's and my divorce paperwork is done, and that we're supposed to appear in court in two days." She met Perry's gaze for several moments, then glanced back down at the papers in her hand numbly. Perry's brow furrowed. "It's what you wanted, isn't it?" Feeling somewhat disoriented, Lois pulled her eyes from the paper and looked up at him once again. "What? Oh...well, yeah," she exclaimed hurriedly. "I guess I just, um, wasn't expecting to see them so soon, that's all." Perry put a hand on Lois's shoulder. "Well, I confess that I may have had something to do with that. I felt somewhat responsible for this whole thing since it happened when you two were on the job, so I asked our legal department to use their connections to push your case through as quickly as possible. I hope that was okay." "Yeah, Perry, that's fine," she assured him. "I guess I should thank you for doing that. I just...I didn't expect this right now, you know?" At the dazed and pained expression in her eyes, his heart went out to her. After all, he felt closer to her than he did his own sons. If he'd ever had a daughter, he would've wanted it to be her. People often called him hardened and calloused. Maybe he was in some respects, but he always had a soft spot in his heart for this young lady. Giving her a sympathetic smile, he gave her shoulder a squeeze before backing away. "Hang in there, Lois," he said simply before turning and heading back to his office. Lois watched him go, then turned back to the papers in her hand. Perry's sympathy definitely helped, but still she felt numb and more than a little shaken up. She reached for the desk beside her and used it for support as she lowered herself into her chair. Staring blankly down at the documents, she realized she didn't know how she felt. On the one hand, she knew she should be relieved that the proceedings were almost over. Once they were, she could forget about dealing with divorce legalities and get on with her life. And her life was certainly different now than it had been before all this had happened. After all, she and Clark were now in a happy, solid relationship. Sure, there were going to be some things about his alter ego to get used to, but she knew she would after time. She loved him, alter ego or not, and she knew he loved her. But did that mean they were going to stay in love forever? *Would* what they had last? She remembered her deliberations over the past several days, and was once again forced to wonder about the future. She stared at the legal documents in her hand. Was *this* their future? she couldn't help wondering. If they got married sometime down the road, was this what she was going to see again in five years? Ten years? Twenty years? Her mom and dad had been madly in love with each other, as she and Clark were now, but she knew how *that* had turned out. They'd slowly grown apart, became different people, and turned to other sources of fulfillment: her father to his secretaries, and her mom to alcohol. Would Clark turn to something else? Someone else? Obviously, there were things about him she didn't know. That was obvious by the blow he'd just delivered to her in her apartment not so many days previous. So how well *did* you have to know a person before you knew if you'd stay together forever? And could anyone guarantee "forever" in the first place? With her track record with relationships, she had a hard time believing in forever. 'This reality,' she thought, her hand tightening on the papers, 'seems more likely.' With her fears and insecurities continuing to assault her, sending her into a deep, spiraling depression, she was too preoccupied with her own struggles to notice the pair of eyes that were suddenly upon her, watching with concern and confusion as her eyes began to mist with tears. Just having come from the research department, Clark watched as Lois slumped dejectedly in her chair, staring dismally at the papers in her hand. Stunned, he found himself unable to move as he watched the single drop of moisture escape her lid and start a path down her cheek. His heart lurched. She was crying. And what was more, she was crying at work. He knew how obsessive she was about showing any kind of emotion that could be perceived as a weakness, especially at work. Knowing that whatever she held in her hand must be the key, he glanced quickly around him to make sure nobody was watching, then lowered his glasses and used his special vision to zoom in on the papers she held. He skimmed the first couple of paragraphs, then grimaced. The court system certainly wasn't wasting any time in rushing this divorce through. He didn't know whether to be relieved or saddened. Regardless, it was obvious how Lois was taking the news. And it wasn't well. He couldn't help remembering what she'd confided that day in her apartment not so long ago: "You know what my family life has been like, Clark, and I swore I'd never make the same mistakes they did. But here I am, soon to be considered a 'divorcee,' without even ever having been married. I've failed, Clark. That's what my records are going to say. That I failed. And I failed without even trying, without ever having been married." He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the haunting insecurities she'd confided in him that day, but he simply couldn't. This was a big blow for her. If there was something he could do to help, to cheer her up or simply offer her a shoulder to cry on, he wanted to be there for her. His heart breaking for her, Clark detoured at his desk to drop off his armload of papers, then walked timidly over to her. "Lois?" he began tentatively. Lois jumped at the sound of his voice, then hastily reached up to wipe away the unsuspecting tears and quickly clearing her throat before turning to him and attempting a sad smile. She indicated the papers she was holding. "These were on my desk when I got back. Do you know what they are?" He nodded grimly. "Yeah, um...I saw. Are you okay?" She shrugged, then straightened up a bit in her chair. "Well, I have to admit, they came as kind of a shock. I mean...I didn't even know you'd been served, or had signed the papers and sent them in or anything. Why didn't you say something, Clark?" she asked, an accusing tone creeping into her voice as her gaze hardened. "If you had, at least I would've been a little more prepared for this." Clark panicked. 'Oh, way to go, Clark,' the little voice in his head chastised him. 'Instead of trying to save her some heartache by *not* telling her about receiving the divorce papers, you've only succeeded in upsetting her more.' Realizing his intentions had once again backfired, he crouched down beside her and lowered his voice apologetically. "I'm sorry, Lois," he told her quietly. "After you ran out of our counseling session with Dr. Jenkins that night, she signed off on our paperwork and told me I just had to drop it by the courthouse. Then when I got served the official papers last week, I decided not to tell you because I didn't want to make you more upset about this than you already were. I was only trying to protect you. I honestly didn't think that it would upset you not to have some warning. I'm really sorry." Lois stared at him intently, and she could tell from the concern in his eyes and the worry lines forming around his mouth that he truly was sorry, and that his intentions had indeed been good, if not a little misguided. That seemed to be one of Clark's personality quirks, she was beginning to realize, to protect people first and worry about the consequences of those actions second. It probably stemmed from all those years of having the responsibility of superpowers. Her anger dissipating, she gave a weary sigh. "Oh, just forget about it. I know you were only trying to look out for me, Clark, and I'm sorry I snapped at you. I wax just a little caught off guard, I guess, that's all." When the worry lines around his mouth started to fade, she forced a smile and tried to lighten the mood. "Well, we're supposed to appear before the judge the day after tomorrow to finalize the divorce. Turns out this all went through so quickly because Perry asked the legal department to use connections to rush it through. So, if all goes according to plan, we'll be divorced in less than a week. You'll be officially rid of me." She gave a half-hearted smile to prove she was joking, but Clark didn't buy it. He saw how incredible forced it seemed. Besides, he knew how she felt about this. To her, it was no joking matter. His heart aching, he placed his hand on her arm. "Lois, I don't *want* to be 'officially rid of you.' I love you." But when she only turned to stare back down at the papers, he tried again. "I know this has all been such a mess," he said gently, "and you're probably feeling pretty insecure about this right now, but it doesn't have to be this way. I'm still here for you, Lois, and I always will be. Please believe that." She nodded imperceptibly, but refused to meet his eyes as she felt fresh tears start to threaten once again, triggered by the concern and sympathy in his voice. "I know, Clark." "Do you?" he asked, seeing the doubt clearly written on her face. "With everything that's happened these last two weeks, you just seem...I don't know, misplaced, or something." When she didn't respond, Clark gave her arm one more squeeze, then tried to cheer her with a smile. "Hey, I've got an idea. How about a trip to the Chocolate Palace? My treat. We can sit down and talk about things--" She smiled up at him, grateful for having such a good friend, but she felt too miserable to even think about having company for the next little while. More than anything, she just wanted to go somewhere by herself and indulge herself in some good old-fashioned self pity. "Thanks, Clark, but I think I just want to be alone for a while. Okay?" His smile faded as he took in the doomed sadness in her eyes, and his heart went out to her once again. But he knew he wasn't going to be able to force her to talk. She would when she was ready, and not a moment sooner. He knew he was just going to have to be patient. Finally, he nodded. "Sure, Lois. I understand. But if you want to talk, I'm right here. And call me later, okay? You know I'll just worry about you if you don't." She smiled. "I know. Don't worry; I'll be okay. I just need some time to regroup." And with that, she stood up, picked up her satchel and headed for the elevators. It was all Clark could do to stay where he was as he watched the doors close between them, but he knew he had to let her go. For now, anyway. After all these years, she had her own way of doing things, and she wasn't about to change them now. As much as he hated it, he was going to have to let her sort things out. She'd come to him when she was ready. ***** By seven o'clock that evening, Clark still hadn't heard from Lois. And just as he'd warned her he'd be doing, he was worrying. He knew she had a lot on her mind right now, but the haunted, depressed look in her eyes made his heart lurch, and he couldn't stop himself from wondering if she was okay. For what felt like the millionth time that day, Clark crossed his apartment and picked up the phone. Punching in the number he knew by heart, he waited through two, three, then four rings. By the time it rang for a fifth time, he sighed and hung up. She still wasn't there. 'Or maybe she's just not answering the phone,' he suddenly thought. He briefly toyed with the idea of flying over to her apartment to see if that was the case. 'But if she's there and not answering the phone, wouldn't that mean she's not *ready* to talk?' he countered silently. 'If you go flying over there, demanding to talk, you're just going to pressure her.' He paced back to the other end of his apartment as he contemplated that. It made sense, but it didn't make him feel any better. He'd just about decided to fly over her apartment to just see if she was even there when he heard a sudden knock on his door. His heart pounding, he practically flew up the steps and reached for the doorknob. When he pulled the door open, he sighed with relief. It was Lois. ***** to be continued in part 20... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 14:25:17 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 20/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 20/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** "Lois, I've been worried about you! How come you didn't call like you said you were going to?" he asked, putting a hand on her elbow and quickly ushered her into his apartment. "So I came by instead of called," she told him, smiling a little at his fussing. "What's the big deal?" He shut the door behind her, then turned back to study her carefully. While the bags were still evident beneath her eyes and her face showed the telltale signs of crying, her countenance seemed a little brighter, her demeanor a little less dispirited. Under his conspicuous scrutiny, Lois shifted uncomfortably. Clark had always been the only one she'd ever known who was able to see right through her carefully-managed, hardened veneer to the emotional, sensitive person hidden beneath. She didn't know whether to be grateful for that or not. When he didn't say anything right away, she cleared her throat awkwardly. "So, uh, can I come in? I was hoping we could...um...you know, talk." That seemed to shake him out of his studious reverie. "Oh, yeah, I'm sorry," he stammered, his cheeks coloring. He quickly waved his hand toward the living room couch. "Do you want to sit down?" "Yeah, that sounds good," she replied softly. She followed Clark over to the couch and sat down, her nervousness growing as he sat down next to her and then leaned forward apprehensively. "So how are you doing?" he asked with obvious concern. "Are you feeling any better than you were this morning?" "I think so," she admitted with a tired sigh. "I guess getting those papers hit me pretty hard." Clark nodded sympathetically. "I could tell. Do you want to talk about it?" Lois hesitated, and when she did, Clark reached out and gently slid his hand around hers and began to rub the back of her hand with the pad of his thumb. It was an encouraging, patient gesture, and it went a long way to reassuring her and giving her the strength to talk to him about what was in her heart. "Yeah, I guess I do," she finally answered wearily. She dropped her gaze down to her joined hands for several moments as she tried to gather her thoughts. Finally, she took a deep breath to give herself strength, then looked back up to meet his gaze. "I've been kind of struggling these last few days, and getting the papers this morning just sort of capped everything off." He nodded encouragingly. "What is it that's been bothering you?" Taking a deep breath, she told him, "I don't know if you'll be able to understand any of this, since you come from a very different background than mine, but I thought I'd at least get all this off my chest." When he gave her hand a patient squeeze, she continued. "Our partnership's never been dull, Clark, that much is obvious. And if our partnership's never been dull, what makes you think our relationship's going to be anything different?" His brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm not sure I'm following you, Lois." "Well, think about it," she rushed on, her voice gathering strength. "Since we've been partners, we've argued too many times to count, battled each other for stories and leads, and challenged each other's ideas and investigative methods. Then there was the time you made me think you were quitting your job at the Planet and going to work at the Star, and that kind of deceit you used to fool me doesn't even begin to include all the times you deceived me while you were pretending to be two entirely different people. You even said goodbye and left when everyone thought Superman was causing that heat wave--breaking my heart in the process, I might add. We've had a rocky year together, Clark," she pointed out matter of factly. "Wouldn't that say something about how our future's going to be?" "Lois," Clark replied gently but firmly, tightening his grip on her hand. "I won't deny that the past year has been...interesting." He smiled. "But you're just focusing on the stumbling blocks we've had. Do you want to know what I see?" When Lois nodded imperceptibly, he continued. "I see that in spite of those troubles, we're still together, and doing better than ever. And not only are we still friends, we're in love and in a loving, committed relationship. Don't you think that's a good indication about how we've come through all of those trials?" Lois nodded. "I'm not disputing that what we have is something special. But what happens when things continue to be rocky?" she persisted. "I mean, my parents probably thought they had something special, too, and look how they ended up. They traumatized Lucy and me by going through a nasty, bitter divorce. That doesn't exactly leave me with the best example to follow." Clark reached out for her other hand and held both of them firmly in his own hands. "But that's not going to happen to us, Lois--" "How can you know that, Clark?" she interrupted. "I mean, things happen in relationships, Clark; it's sad, but true. Most people going into relationships probably insist that 'that's not going to happen' to them, but often it does." Clark opened his mouth to argue, but she hurried on. "All I know is that I looked down at those papers talking about our divorce today and I panicked. I couldn't help thinking, 'Is this going to be our future? Is this some sign, some warning about what's eventually going to happen to us?'" "Lois," Clark broke in. "I know you worry about this because you've had bad relationships, both with your family and others, but I firmly believe that if we truly love each other, we can get through everything else." He paused for a long moment, seemingly searching for just the right words. When he continued, his voice was gentle but firm. "Lois, I'm not going to tell you that there won't be any hardships in our future because there will be. Any relationship has them. I know because I've seen my own parents go through them. But I firmly believe that two people who really love each other can get through those hard times because they love each other, and are always there for each other. Just like we are, Lois. And if you want to look at it this way, we already have a head start on having a successful relationship. We started out as friends." He smiled gently as he reached up to tuck a stray strand of her silky, dark hair behind her ear. "And because of that, we've come to know each other so well that we can practically tell what the other person is thinking before they say it. We've been through everything together, Lois, and have been there for each other and have helped each other through everything. I feel like we've *already* spent a lifetime together because of everything we've already been through." He paused, then averted his eyes for a long moment before looking back up to steadily meet her gaze. "But how I feel about this doesn't matter if you don't think it's worth the risk. It's obvious what your head's telling you, Lois. But what's your heart telling you?" Lois let out a shaky breath. "It tells me that I love you, and that I want to be with you more than anything. I'd like to think you'll always love me and be there for me, just as I will be for you, but it's just such a hard concept for me to grasp." "Then let me prove it to you, Lois," he insisted emphatically. "I told you before, we don't have to rush this. We can take things slow, and I'll prove to you over time that my love is for real, and that I'm going to be here for you, no matter what." Lois's eyes misted over at his words. Feeling a rush of emotion and gratitude to have such a wonderful man in her life, she slid her hands out of his and moved into his arms. When she buried her face in the hollow of his neck and he responding by wrapping his arms around her, she sighed contentedly. "Thank you, Clark, for being so understanding...for not running away when I temporarily freak out." She smiled against his neck, and he chuckled softly. "I think I'm getting used to you freaking out from time to time," he teased, tightening his arms around her. "I'm just glad you finally wanted to talk to me about this." He held her for another minute, then released her and tipped her chin up until she was forced to meet his gaze. "Lois, if it would make things more comfortable for you, let's just take things one day at a time and go from there. No pressure, no stress-inducing expectations." He grinned. "The bottom line is, you're the most important person in my life, and the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm going to do everything in my power to prove to you that what we have between us is going to last. I love you, Lois. And nothing in the world is ever going to change that." Lois felt a wonderfully warm shiver of happiness rush through her as he continued to gaze lovingly down into her eyes, and her heart soared. "Oh, Clark," she breathed, feeling as if all the stress, emotional struggles and seemingly insurmountable insecurities from the past two weeks had suddenly been lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you. And I love you, too." Clark smiled softly, his eyes twinkling merrily as his face moved imperceptibly closer to hers, causing Lois's heart to beat wildly. And when he slowly shifted his position on the couch, moving himself even closer, Lois realized just what it was that Clark's nearness did to her. To cover the sound of her pounding heartbeat echoing in her own ears, she swallowed noisily. Then, without even meaning to, she found herself starting to babble nervously. "Clark," she began softly, trying not to think about how incredible he looked close up, and how full and inviting his lips looked as they neared hers. "Just so you know, I should warn you that just because we've cleared some things up, that doesn't mean I won't still panic from time to time. But even if I do, I want you to know that it doesn't mean I'm not happy being with you. It just means that if I start to get a little anxious about things--" "Lois?" Clark interrupted, lifting a hand to trail a finger lightly along her jaw line from ear to chin. His touch immediately stopped her rambling, and she tried to force her stomach to stop turning somersaults as his face slowly moved within mere inches from hers. "Yeah?" she managed weakly. His lips now only a breath away from hers, his eyes danced mischievously before hers as she stared helplessly into their depths and watched as a soft smile played slowly across his lips. "Shut up," he said simply. An answering smile found its way onto her own face, but before she could move, respond, or even breathe, his lips parted imperceptibly and hovered over hers for a delicious, eternal moment. She saw him glance down at her own lips, inviting and hungry, then lift his gaze up to hers once more, as if waiting for some sign of silent permission to be given. Her heart pounding crazily with anticipation, she slid her arm around his neck and traced her finger along the smooth skin along his collar. Obviously, that was all the encouragement Clark needed. She saw him close his eyes, and she let her own eyes drift shut, waiting eagerly for what she was sure was going to be her own little piece of heaven. With a gentleness she'd never before experienced, she felt Clark's lips touch hers lightly, just an instant before his mouth closed rhythmically upon hers with the contact, sending a firestorm of ecstasy coursing through her veins. Heady and breathless, Lois felt his lips lift gently away from hers, and in that moment of pure elation, the softness of his kiss made her wonder if she hadn't simply imagined it. But before she could wonder further, his lips were on hers once again, moving over hers softly, his mouth opening and closing in time with hers in a passionate, arousing rhythm. Lois tightened her arms around his neck, enjoying the beautiful intimacy of the moment as his lips continued to roam over hers, nibbling, tasting, and best of all, telling her without words just how much he loved her. When they finally pulled apart, Lois struggled to catch her breath and tried to stop the world from spinning around her as Clark let his forehead fall against hers. For several long, wonderful moments, they simply leaned forward into each other, reveling in the intimacy of the moment. When the sound of their deep breathing slowly diminished, Lois forced her heavy lids open, still reluctant to leave the comfortable, warm, heart-stopping moment behind. When she did, she saw Clark's eyes staring lovingly back into her own. "Wow," she added breathlessly, her head still reeling from their kiss. Clark grinned slowly. "I know. That was..." "Incredible," she finished with a smile. Nodding in agreement, Clark's arms tightened around hers, then leaned in for one more kiss. But in the moment before he closed his eyes to kiss her, Lois caught sight of something incredibly marvelous in those beautiful, warm depths that she'd never seen in them before. Or maybe she'd just never let herself see it before. Either way, she knew there was no more denying it. In his eyes, she had seen their future. And from what she could tell, it was going to be simply glorious. ***** "Lois, come on! We're going to be late." Looking up from her computer screen at the sound of Clark's pleading voice, she saw him hurrying over to her desk, shrugging into his suit jacket as he went. "Almost ready," she replied. "Just one more paragraph." She turned her attention back to her monitor and typed furiously for another minute as Clark stood next to her desk, straightening his jacket and fidgeting with the knot on his tie. Then, with a flourish, Lois hit the last two keys and sat up excitedly in her chair. "Voila! One fact-filled expose sure to make Lex run for cover." Clark watched as she LAN'd their story to Perry, then shut down the program. Dropping his hand from his tie, he held her chair for her while she stood up. "Are you sure we're ready to go public with this?" he asked as she turned and reached for her satchel and coat. "I mean, the police haven't even finished going through all the evidence we've presented them with. Maybe we're jumping the gun here." "Clark, thanks to some mighty fancy talking and heavy persuasion on my part, Tony Cochran just turned state's witness a mere hour ago. And even if he hadn't, the paper trail on Lex and his empire that we were lucky enough to uncover before it mysteriously disappeared is enough to convict him and his cohorts on for the next fifty years. By the time the officers read Lex his rights for numerous counts of accessory to murder, extortion, blackmail, and many other crimes too numerous to mention, they're going to be hoarse. Whether he believes it or not, he's going to go away for a looong time." She lifted her coat from its hook and threw it across her arm with a victorious smile. Clark chuckled. "The one lesson in life Luthor obviously never learned: Never mess with Mad Dog Lane." She grinned. "You'd better believe it." Reaching up to grab his tie, she tugged him toward the elevators. "Come on, Kent. We've got a hearing to go to." "Hey, watch it, lady," Clark protested with a laugh, brushing her hand off his tie and straightening the silk fabric she'd rumpled. "There's a lesson you need to learn. Never mess with a man's tie." "Oh, really?" Lois asked as they started up the newsroom ramp. "And just what do you think you're going to do about it?" "Mmmm," Clark contemplated as they stopped in front of the elevators. "How about this?" Then, before she could utter another sound, he moved forward and captured her lips with his own, sending a shiver of delight coursing through her veins. When they pulled apart, Lois was simply speechless. "You know what?" he asked, flicking a friendly finger down her nose. "I think I like you speechless." Then, with a maddeningly triumphant smile, he stepped into the open elevator and pulled her along with him. As the elevator doors shut, two pairs of eyes turned away from the scene. "I'd say they're back on the mend," came the gravelly, yet happy, voice of the Daily Planet's Editor in Chief. "What do you say, Jimmy?" "Well, they certainly look happier than ever," Jimmy agreed with a smile. "I never would've guessed it, but obviously that little accidental marriage of theirs turned out to be a blessing in disguise." Perry gave a throaty chuckle as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets and rocked forward and then back on his toes. "Yeah, well, sometimes, Jimmy, love just needs a little shove. And I have to admit, when it comes to shoving, I'm the best around." Jimmy's jaw dropped as he turned to look at his boss. "Chief, are you saying that you were behind all this?" "Now, Jimmy, don't go jumping to any conclusions," Perry interjected gruffly. "I'm not saying that I did anything. All I'm saying is, a man in my position wouldn't be a man in my position if I didn't know a few things about life and love. Besides, whoever did something like that would've had to be familiar with some rather interesting arcane laws, had some connections down at City Hall, and knew that Lois and Clark were going to be at the Lexor Hotel that night." After a brief pause, Perry gave Jimmy a secretive smile as he turned to walk into his office. "I don't know anybody like that. Do you, Jimmy?" Then, in the instant before Perry shut his office door between them, Jimmy could've sworn he caught the hint of a wink. But then the door shut, and Jimmy could only stare after his boss in stunned silence. As he turned to leave, though, he suddenly caught an unmistakable sound coming from the other side of the door. He raised an eyebrow. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought he'd just heard Perry yodel. Smiling and shaking his head, Jimmy headed back to work. Confessions or not, his boss knew way more about life and love than anyone gave him credit for. ***** to be *concluded* in part 21... :) Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 14:25:27 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 21/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Title: The Accidental Husband Author: Erin Klingler Rated: PG Part: 21/21 Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public ***** EPILOGUE: ***** Later that afternoon... Lois and Clark walked out of the courthouse and down the cement steps after spending the last couple of hours waiting to see the judge. When they finally had their turn, the judge had heard the circumstances of their mysterious marriage, looked over their paperwork, and quickly granted their request for a divorce. And that was that. 'Well, it's finally over,' she thought solemnly. But as much as she'd been dreading this day for weeks, now that it was all over and she and Clark were officially divorced, she felt surprisingly unaffected. It had taken her a while to realize that Clark was right, that a mere piece of paper didn't mean she was a failure when it came to relationships. It was just a thing, a mere legal technicality. It wasn't something to dwell on when it came to her happiness. And if you looked at it one way, she could see that their "mystery marriage" had been a blessing in disguise. If none of it had ever happened, she and Clark might still be only partners, and she might've even been married to Lex. She shuddered. 'Enough of those thoughts,' she insisted, quickly pushing them aside. She didn't ever want to think about that again. Besides, she had more important things to think about now. Like being in love. As they reached the bottom of the courthouse steps, she felt Clark reach for her hand. When she turned to look at him, she saw that he was looking at her with a tender smile on his face. "What?" she asked, suddenly feeling somewhat self-conscious. "Nothing." He grinned. "It's just that it's a beautiful day, and I've got an incredibly beautiful woman next to me. I think I'm the luckiest man in the world." Unable to stop the smile from creeping across her face, she stopped on the path and allowed Clark to pull her in for a kiss that left her both heady and breathless. When they finally stepped apart, Clark gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they continued down the sidewalk. "So," he asked lightly. "How does it feel to be divorced?" Lois let a rush of air escape from between her lips. "Weird," she admitted. "How about you?" A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "I never thought a divorce could be so amicable." Lois laughed, suddenly feeling back to her normal, cheery self. "Oh, really?" she challenged, stopping and pulling Clark over to the building's stucco wall so they were out of the walkway and the crowd of people. "Amicable? Is that all we are?" "I guess that depends on your description of amicable," he teased back, trapping her against the wall and moving closer until his face was within inches of hers. Lois cocked an eyebrow at him. "I thought there was only one definition. You know, friendly, on good terms with someone." Clark's voice became husky as he narrowed the distance between them even more. "Well, we're definitely...friendly." He grinned mischievously at her. "And I guess you could say that we're also 'on good terms.'" Lois found it hard to be in such close proximity to this man who she'd only recently thought could never be more than a friend, and actually compose an intelligible response. Forcing her gaze away from his full, rich lips, marked endearingly by the tiny mole over his upper lip, she ventured, "Oh, really? How good terms?" Clark's eyes danced enchantingly before hers. "Let me show you." And with that, he leaned down and touched his lips lightly to hers for the second time in a matter of minutes. But as their kiss went from teasingly light to heart-stoppingly passionate, Lois felt pulled into a heady sensation of total and complete surrender. "Wow," Lois breathed when the kiss ended and she felt her headiness subside. "If that's 'amicable,' I can't wait to see 'passionate.'" Clark grinned, thrilled that his kiss could have such an effect on her. "Neither can I," he agreed whole-heartedly. When the intimacy of the moment started to fade, he pulled back and reached for her hand again, pulling her along with him as they walked down the courthouse steps. As they walked, Lois swung their clasped hands lightly between them. "So now that all the legalities are said and done, I just have one question." Clark turned to look at her curiously. "What's that?" "Since we're officially divorced, does this mean I'm entitled to alimony?" Lois grinned wickedly. His laughter echoed off the stucco walls around them, and Lois knew she'd never tire of hearing the sound of that laughter. "Nice try, Lois," he said simply. When his laughter faded, Lois leaned over and bumped her shoulder against his. "You know, Clark, after I got used to the idea of being married, even if it was to you," she grinned, "I kind of liked it." Clark's expression softened as he looked down at her tenderly. "Yeah, so did I." "Why is that?" He looked at her in surprise. "What do you mean?" "Well, I always grew up telling myself that the idea of marriage just wasn't natural, that two people couldn't share their lives together. I didn't ever *want* to get married. But these last few days...I guess the idea of being married--especially to you--well, it kind of grew on me." Clark nodded solemnly. "It did for me, too." "So...where do we go from here?" she asked seriously. He gave her hand a squeeze. "Let's just plan to do what we talked about--take things one day at a time and see where that leads us." "One day at a time," Lois echoed. Clark nodded. "You know, continue to be partners, go out regularly, get to know each other a little better. For example, I didn't even know you'd been married before." Lois's face broke out into a smile. "You didn't? Well, he was quite a wonderful man." "Really?" Clark taunted, his teasing smile reaching all the way into his eyes, making them sparkle and dance with life. "If he was so wonderful, then how come you're not still married to him?" "Because it all came on so suddenly," Lois teased, playing along. "We barely knew each other, plus there was this other guy I was engaged to marry." "But that other guy's history, right? He's no longer part of the equation?" Lois shook her head. "Nope." "Well, then next time, I'll just have to make sure it's not as sudden, and that we know each other very well." He leaned in to kiss her, his lips brushing over hers lightly, sending her once again reeling from his touch. But then his words hit her, and her eyes flew open. She pulled away so she could look into his gorgeous, chocolate brown eyes. "Wait. 'Next time'?" Clark smiled softly and nodded. "You bet. At least that's what *I'm* shooting for." Lois mulled that over in her mind for a long moment, then smiled as his words vined their way down from her mind and entangled themselves around her heart. "'Next time,'" she repeated again, this time with a smile. "I like that sound of that." ~~The End. :) Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 14:35:23 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Liz Berard Subject: Re: Oops: Glitch in AH MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I'd never thought I'd say this...Please spam away!!! LizB Erin Klingler wrote: > > There are 11 posts left, but I figured I'd post them later so I didn't completely spam > your mail boxes. ;) > > Erin > __________________ > erink@ida.net > erink@lcfanfic.com > Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 19:39:47 +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: Re: Hand in the candy jar Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Add me to the obsessive compulsive MnM eaters. I eat them in matched color pairs -- one piece for either side of my mouth. No matter that they all seem to end up on one side. ;) And my favorite MnM color (which is odd, considering my favorite colors are blue, pink and purple) is brown! Can't stand the blue (but I eat them anyway ), and no longer like green because of the new green commercials. Bethy _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 14:46:26 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: Oops: Glitch in AH In-Reply-To: <3B8D43FB.25B1330D@earthlink.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > I'd never thought I'd say this...Please spam away!!! > > LizB LOL I'm happy to hear you're enjoying it, too, Liz! :) I'm just crossing my fingers that the rest of you aren't grumbling at me beneath your breaths and feeling like I'm spamming you. :) Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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, 29 Aug 2001 19:51:20 +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: Re: Question: Jimmy + car? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Thank you Nan, Irene, Pat, Meredith and Kathy. I have now given Jimmy a car. ;) Since we aren't sure what he had, and it doesn't seem to matter that much, I just won't go into too much detail with it. Thanks again! Bethy _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 12:55:43 -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: NEW: The Accidental Husband In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii S P O I L E R S P A C E Erin, I just finished reading the last part of this story. I wallowed shamelessly in the WAFFs and sighed my way happily to the ending. Wow! Just lovely! Definitely being added to my Kerth pile for nomination! I loved the ending. It was perfect. Irene who, now that this story is done, can't help wondering about the sequel to The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) ===== sirenegold@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 13:50:02 -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: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I've heard of that with lots of groups - my hubby is an MTV/VH1 behind the music/Travel Channel etc. junkie - will only eat a certain color - mainly green. My brother in law is in charge of the stuff like that at the minor league stadium in our area and his wife was telling me about some of the stuff they had to get - $1000s of food (very specific) etc., only certain kinds of water and so on. It's kinda crazy. Of course, I'm also one who thought red was inherently wrong except in Christmas packages (Which are hte best because they have lots of greens), but I accept them on a much better level than blue ones. In fact, they are second only to green. Orange is above blue, but barely. Then brown and then yellow. (And orange and brown can be eaten together - it was my school colors in HS - hey we were weird!) CM(who prays they still put red ones in regular bags because she doesn't buy them often - she's gaining enough weight being pregnant w/o adding a big bag or two of M&Ms into the mix each week!) On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 13:22:32 -0500 LaNita Cornwall writes: > I used to work rock concerts in the late 70s. Setting up stages, > unloading > trucks, loading trucks, etc. The food service people were the ones > who had > the real fun though. We had two or three black groups that came > through > with M&Ms on their "had to have" list. Big bowls (think salad size > for 100 > people) full. But, no brown and no tan ones. So the bags had to be > dumped > out and the brown and tan ones taken out. Thousands of M&Ms. > > And no, we didn't get to eat the brown and tan ones. Never did find > out > what happened to them. > > LaNita > ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 13:51:34 -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: Valley of the Shadow, 16/17 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Okay - here you go - last part on Fri! CM ***** >From part 15: Perry couldn't suppress a grin. "Well, Clark hasn't hit the pavement yet, so that's a good sign." Jimmy chuckled at the thought of CK being thrown over the balcony by Lois, plummeting down through the air, arms and legs flailing. "She may not be terribly fond of him right now, but I don't think even Lois would stoop that low." "You never know, son. You never know." ***** Part 16: "Clark, that was absolutely delicious." "I agree." They were sitting on the couch, wrapped in each other's arms, when there was another knock at the door. Clark looked through the door as he disentangled himself from his wife's arms. "I think it's dessert." "Yum! Is there any chocolate?" Clark just wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Why don't you go hide out in there for a minute," he nodded towards the bedroom as he put his glasses on, "and I'll get the door." Lois stood, but before she went into the other room, she pulled his head to hers and kissed him soundly. "How 'bout I start the hot tub?" Clark smiled at her. "Sounds good to me." He kissed her again. "Now go." She laughed softly and went into the other room. Clark did his best to look dejected as he opened the door. "Sir, this was sent up for you and the lady. Can I take your dinner dishes for you?" "Uh, sure. Thanks." He helped the man wheel the dessert cart in and the dinner cart out and then tipped him. "I just hope it does some good," he muttered, just loud enough for the man to hear, knowing it would be reported to their three friends. As soon as the door closed, one of the patented Kent grins spread across his face. He wheeled the cart into the bedroom just in time to see his wife disappear beneath the suds in the Jacuzzi. "What'd they send?" Clark smiled as he lifted the silver dome. "One of your favorites - chocolate and strawberries." "Ooo, yum." "I brought the rest of the champagne and thought that we could enjoy them in here. How's that sound?" "Perfect." Clark grinned and, having noticed the straps of his wife's swimsuit, spun into a pair of shorts. He set the cart with the strawberries and the chocolate next to the Jacuzzi and handed Lois a glass of champagne. He flipped the light switch and used his vision to light the candles around the room. He joined her in the tub, sitting close to her, one arm lying along the tub behind her. "Shorts, huh?" "Yep." He fiddled with the straps tied behind her neck. "Unless you have other ideas." Lois rested her head in the crook of his shoulder. "No, I think we should leave things as they are for now." He kissed the side of her head. "I think that sounds good, but if I'm going to feed you chocolate covered strawberries in a hot tub, things could get, ah," he scratched his head with his free hand, "a little tense for both of us." "Well, then." Lois kissed his chin. "We'll just have to see what happens, because not only are you going to feed me some of those strawberries, but I'm going to feed you some back and I'm *not* getting cheated out of chocolate covered strawberries for anything." Clark laughed. "Fine. Whatever happens..." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Happens." He placed another soft kiss on her cheek and then another one on the side of her neck. "Good. Now, if you don't give me some of those strawberries, you'll wish Kryptonite had gotten to you instead of me," she threatened, with a wicked little grin. "As you wish, milady." ***** Clark was awakened by a shaft of light hitting his eyes. He blinked a few times and started to roll over, but was stopped by the unfamiliar weight on his chest. He looked down to find the beautiful brunette head of his wife resting in the crook of his shoulder and one arm flung across his body, doing what no one else could - keeping the man of steel down. With one hand he brushed a long strand of brown hair away from her face and tucked it behind one ear. She looked as at home as ever in the silk top of his pajamas. He still wasn't sure what had possessed him to bring silk on a stakeout, but he was glad he did. Lois moaned a little in her sleep as she rolled over. Clark rearranged the covers to keep her warm and carefully left the bed. He had planned on just pulling the shades a little closer together, but couldn't resist the pull of the beautiful morning just outside. He opened the door to the balcony and stepped out, breathing deeply of the morning air. ***** "CHIEF!" Jimmy hit the older man on the arm. "Wha? Huh? What is it?" Perry sat straight up in the chair. "Look." Jimmy handed over the binoculars. Perry peered through them and sure enough, there on the balcony - the bedroom balcony - of the honeymoon suite was Clark. "I want to see." This came from Lucy who had finally woken from her slumber. She took the offered binoculars and stared up at her brother-in-law. "Hmmm. Bedroom balcony. Pajama bottoms, no shirt. Look at those muscles..." "HEY!" "Sorry, sweetie, but you have to admit - Clark is well-built." She planted a quick kiss on his lips to let him know she only cared for him. "I would say something good happened last night." Perry yawned. "So they made up?" "If I had to guess... Hang on, the door's opening." ***** Lois awoke to find the bed next to her empty. That was nothing unusual, but the warmth still on the other side was. She smiled as she saw her husband leaning on the railing outside their room. There was nowhere else she'd rather be than out there beside him. He didn't turn as she walked onto the balcony, so she stood behind him, arms around his waist, head resting on his strong, warm back. "Good morning, snuggle bunny." She hadn't said that phrase in months and it sounded good. Clark chuckled as he turned in her embrace. He tucked that wayward strand back behind her ear as he looked into her beautiful eyes. "Good morning, my little tornado." He kissed her on her forehead. "I didn't think I could forget how good you look in the morning, but it appears my memory failed me." Lois rested one hand on his chest. "You're not so bad yourself you know." She started to stand on her tiptoes so she could kiss him, but a gentle pressure on her waist stopped her. "What?" "We have an audience." "What are you talking about?" "Perry, Jimmy and Lucy have a room a few floors down and binoculars." "So they're spying on us, huh?" "Yep." "Well, then let's give them something to look at." "Are you sure?" "I think the secret's out already, Clark. We wouldn't be here like this - half-dressed, on the same balcony, looking like a couple in love - if we were still fighting." "True." "So," Lois shrugged. "Let's give them something to talk about." ***** Lucy watched through the binoculars and the other two squinted into the sun as Lois reached her arms around Clark's neck and pulled him down to her. All three turned away as the kiss deepened. Perry cleared his throat. "Uh, well. I guess that answers that question." Lucy turned back just in time to see her sister lead Clark back into the room and shut the door. "I guess it does." The ringing phone startled all three. Perry answered it and spoke briefly with whoever was on the other end. He laughed as he hung up the phone. "That was the front desk. The couple in the honeymoon suite said we can go home now." ***** "So you called them?" Lois yawned and stretched again as she left the bathroom. Clark reclined on one elbow, appreciating as never before the site of his wife's long legs. "I called the front desk and had them call. I also ordered breakfast." "You did?" "Yup." "How did you know what I want?" Lois sat on the bed next to him, one long leg tucked underneath her. Clark shrugged and smiled. "I guessed." Lois reached out and brushed the hair off his forehead. "There's only one thing I really want this morning." Clark grinned. "I thought we decided to wait a little bit on that." Lois shrugged. "So I'm not all that patient. Deal with it." Clark laughed and kissed her shoulder. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I told them to send breakfast up in an hour." "You didn't?" Clark nodded as he kissed the side of her neck. "Charged it to Perry's room, too." Lois laughed and stretched out next to her husband. She reached up cradled the side of his face in her hand. "I have missed you so much, Clark. Not just your kisses, but all of you. I've missed my best friend." Clark's eyes misted over as he stroked her cheek. "I've missed you, too, Lois. I've missed everything about you. Your smile, your eyes, your laugh. Watching you try to make dinner. Sitting on the roof of our building. Flying with you. Taking you to our little island. Holding you in my arms. Listening to you whine about not being able to go out on a story. The sound of you breathing in the middle of the night. Talking to you about any and every thing. Even fighting with you because then we could make up. Making out behind the Tasty Freeze in Smallville." He kissed her softly. "Trips to the hayloft. Everything." He kissed her again. Lois suddenly sat up. She started hesitantly, "Clark?" "What is it, honey?" "There's something we need to talk about before we... you know." Clark sat up next to her. "What is it?" "We have to talk about what happened." "We have, Lois. It wasn't anybody's fault, except whoever kidnapped me. Not yours or mine and we have to move on with our lives. Together." She turned and looked at him earnestly. "I know that, Clark. But last time we were here, we made a baby. Neither one of us had any kind of protection and after we found out we were pregnant, we never bought any. The timing's right, but I'm not ready to get pregnant again. Not when we just got back together and are still working things out." "I should have thought of that earlier." Clark's eyes showed his pain and his worry. "I'm sorry, Lois. And I should have asked you something else a long time ago." "What's that, Clark?" "What did the doctor say about you? Are *you* okay?" Lois nodded. "I can still have babies. I'll just have to be even more careful with my pregnancies from the beginning." She took a deep breath. "He can tell us if the baby was a boy or a girl. If we want to know." "Do you want to?" Lois nodded. "He offered to tell me right away, but I didn't want to find out without you. I think that if we found out, we could give this baby a name and maybe have a small memorial service and have some closure." "I'd like that, Lois. Thank you for suggesting it. And thank you for waiting for me to find out. I'm just sorry it took us so long. We owe our baby better than that." He pulled her close and she snuggled her back into his chest. "I can't go through that again, Clark." "You won't." "How can you be sure?" Clark wrapped his arms a little tighter around her. "I can't promise that you... that *we* won't ever have problems with a pregnancy or lose another child - we can't control any of that. This baby could have been born and then been in a car accident or any number of things. I *can* promise you that if anything ever happened again, you wouldn't have to go through it alone. I won't ever let anyone or anything come between us ever again." "I know, Clark, but still." "I know." They sat there together for a long time, enjoying the company they had missed so much. "Why don't you go take a shower? I'll call Perry and leave him a message, telling him we're taking a few days off. Then, if you want to, I'll take our stuff down to the Caribbean and come back for you." Lois nodded. "When do you want to find out about the baby? I mean, do you want me to try to get in to see the doctor before we go or wait 'til we get back or what?" "It's up to you, sweetheart. Do you want to know before we go? Or do you think it would put a damper on things?" "It's going to put a damper on whenever we find out." "I know, but would you rather just spend the next few days together and work on us? Then we could deal with naming the baby and planning a service later." Lois thought about it for a few minutes. "I think that I would like to spend the next few days grieving together over the child we lost *and* working on putting us back together. What do you think?" Lois could hear the tears in his voice as he spoke. "I think that sounds perfect." ***** TB Finished on Friday ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 16:04:39 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: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/29/01 2:56:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time, mdenhart@CINCI.RR.COM writes: > LOL! I do exactly the same thing. I didn't know anyone else did this. > I'm sure there a lot of us weirdos out here... ;) --Laurie (ok, I do it the same way pam does...) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 15:13:24 -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: NEW: The Accidental Husband MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > S > P > O > I > L > E > R > > S > P > A > C > E And I was all ready to wait until tomorrow to read this on the boards! WOOHOOO! Course you realize you left some loose ends - do they get the goods on Lex? How long before 'next time'? And so on! Loved it Erin! I looked forward to reading this when you first said it was coming and it was worth the wait! CM ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 16:25:31 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Mark Safransky Subject: Re: NEW: The Accidental Husband MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Can I just say WOW!! Erin, this was great. Thanks for sharing this wonderful story with the rest of us. A fantastic way of bringing down Luthor and WAFFing us along the way. ;o) Now we just have to look forward to your next effort. Keep up the great work, Mark ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 15:20:26 -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: Kinda OT: Supes in other media MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Namely, Family Matters. I am watching it right now and a very young Steve Urkel is dressed as Supes for Halloween. He and Laura (Tina Turner) are stuck in a bank with a robber and there have been quite a few Supes references - including calling Laura "Lois". I think the 'superpowers' must have gone to his head because he just took out the robber - oh, wait, he was dreaming! (I really am watching this right now!) Hmmm - now if they had put him in the Supes outfit much later in the series after Jaleel WHite (isn't that his name?) grew up... He's incredibly disappointed when Laura doesn't fall for the super-alterego (though later she does fall for Stephan Urke'l and then Steve Urkel, so I guess it's kinda similar!) Anyway... I'm bored and the list is active, so I thought I'd post. Now off to finish my puzzle - hopefully! CM(Who would love some green M&Ms right about now!) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 15:26:35 -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: NEW: The Accidental Husband MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit AHHHH! I skipped a segement! So skip the original message... On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 15:13:24 -0500 Carol L Moncado writes: > > S > > P > > O > > I > > L > > E > > R > > > > S > > P > > A > > C > > E > > And I was all ready to wait until tomorrow to read this on the > boards! > WOOHOOO! That's still right! But of course, I still want to know about 'next time'! And loved the meddling Perry (let him meddle myself sometimes!) - leave it to him! He's not editor because he can yodel you know! Anyway... CM ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 21:55:15 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Meredith Knight Subject: New - All Stirred Up, part 1/? MIME-Version: 1.0 This is my first fanfic; in fact, it's the first fiction I've written since high school. My beta readers have persuaded me to start posting it, even though it isn't finished yet. :^o All constructive comment welcome. Many thanks to Diane, Irene and Yvonne for help and masses of encouragement. :^D This story assumes that the events chronicled in Witness took place before those of Honeymoon in Metropolis. Standard disclaimers apply. Oh, and I should probably warn you that there's no A-plot to speak of. |^) ----->8-------------------------------------------------->8----- All Stirred Up Introduction As Superman strode through the small throng gathered to watch his departure, Lois was waiting for him. "How do you feel?" "This will work." "That's a relief. Why are you so sure?" "Because it has to." She smiled. "The power of positive thinking, huh?" "How are you feeling, Lois?" "Scared enough for the both of us." He scanned her face. Everyone else he had seen that morning was terrified by the prospect of the Nightfall Asteroid hitting the Earth; they had no thought beyond relief at the news that Superman was proposing to fly several million miles into space to deal with the threat to themselves, their homes and loved ones. In Lois's face, for the first time, he could see concern for the danger to Superman himself. It helped to calm the sick feeling in his stomach. He lifted a hand to caress her cheek. "I'll be back, Lois. We'll go flying." Her face relaxed a little, and her lips curved at the comforting thought. "I hope so." "I have to go." "Good luck." But even as he turned he felt her hand on his arm; as he swung back to her, her hands curled about his neck and she was kissing him. It was all he could do to remain passive under the storm of emotion that swept over him. He willed his lips to stay unresponsive, his breathing to stay calm, and after a few seconds her lips faltered and she drew back, smiling tremulously at him. He gazed at her briefly, conscious of the news cameras whirring a few feet away, and hoping that his expression betrayed none of the mixture of passion and torment her gesture had aroused in him. Then he swung away again and walked briskly to where the EPRAD officials were fidgeting with their equipment while they waited for him. The technicians spent a few minutes fitting him with the radio microphone and oxygen tank, and he listened politely to General Zeitlin's pompous platitudes, firmly turning down the offer of the nuclear charges the General was so anxious to test. Finally, there was no more to do. He walked to a clear space and turned towards the crowd and the cameras, his gaze finding Lois once more and drinking in the sight - the last sight? - of her encouraging face. Then he lifted skywards, chuckling inwardly a little at the "ooh" of the crowd, awed as ever at the offhand display of his superability. At last he was alone and could stop worrying about whether Superman's guard might slip. He flew straight up until the sky darkened, and the stars began to wink into life. Above the sun, the three points of the Summer Triangle showed clearly, and he adjusted his course directly towards the northernmost star. Professor Daitch had painstakingly gone over the details of his route with him, relieved to find that Superman had a fair knowledge of the heavens - although he probably imagined that knowledge came from Superman's space-faring past, rather than from long nights spent floating serenely above Earth's troposphere, gazing spellbound at the wondrous vista of sky frosted with stars that no earthbound, human eyes could see. The earphones crackled into life, and he heard the voice of the EPRAD Mission Control operator. "EPRAD to Superman, EPRAD to Superman. Come in, Superman." Grimacing at the hackneyed phrases, he cleared his throat and responded, "Superman here." "Report your progress, please, Superman." "I'm on course towards Deneb, as planned. I'll be leaving the atmosphere shortly. I'll let you know if I have any breathing difficulties; otherwise I will conserve my oxygen supply. Over and out." He grinned at the confused babble of consternation that rose from the roomful of self-important officials and politicians, and thumbed the mike switch to the off position, mentally tuning out the noise from the earphones. Superman's reputation for taciturnity certainly had its uses. As the air thinned, the wind of his passage diminished and died, and the profound silence of space took its place. Superman adjusted the oxygen mask so that he could continue to breathe comfortably. The sun grew brighter even as the sky faded to black. All the summer stars were visible now, the Zodiac constellations - Aquarius, Capricorn, Sagittarius and the long arch of Scorpio - strung out like a necklace behind the sun, crossing the gauzy scarf that was the Milky Way. He rolled over to put the sun behind him, picking out the Big Dipper and the North Star. Soon a milky glow near Greenland heralded the rising of the full moon above the Arctic Circle, and he gasped in delight. He had walked on the moon itself before, but this he had never seen. All too soon, EPRAD Mission Control broke into his reverie to remind him of his next course correction. He rolled back to face the sun, checking his direction, and then veered directly towards it. As the heavens rolled beneath him, he was presented with a new vista of the southern sky, which he so seldom saw now that he had settled in Metropolis. Determined to dwell as little as possible on the reason he was out here communing with the stars, he let his thoughts roam over the last few months, and the excitement and challenges that Metropolis had brought him. He had always wanted to write for the "greatest newspaper in the world", as Perry was so fond of calling it. He had anticipated the thrill of being at the forefront of the breaking news, as well as the excitement of living in the vibrant bustle of one of the world's biggest cities. But he had expected to be able to remain anonymous among the teeming millions; he hadn't expected to find such good friends at the Planet - Jimmy, Perry, and above all Lois. Complicated, domineering, uncompromising, pig-headed, brilliant Lois. She had been defensive from the start, although she had dealt with him in her normal head-on, take-no-prisoners fashion. "You are not working with me, you are working *for* me. I call the shots, I ask the questions. You are low man, I am top banana, and that's the way I like it. Comprende?" And then, when he had succeeded in challenging her preconceptions, "Don't fall for me, farmboy. I don't have time for it." The warning had come way too late. Long before she had started to let down her barriers, showing him the vulnerable self that lurked behind her defences and the deep scars that had forced her to hide that self, he had already been head-over-heels in love with her. He felt he was making slow headway against her determination to keep the world at bay. With the prank he had pulled on her, sending her to search the sewage works for Superman's spacecraft, he had quickly established that he was no spineless pushover; but she was also starting to realise that, excellent reporter though he was, he posed no threat to her status as the Daily Planet's top investigative journalist. The night that he had announced he was leaving the Planet for good, she had even admitted that she was starting to like having a partner. On a personal level too, she was gradually allowing him closer and closer. He had managed, albeit by the skin of his teeth, to avoid damning himself forever by yielding to her pheromone-induced advances. When Barbara Trevino and her sidekick had threatened Lois's life, she had turned to Clark for help and comfort. She had even asked him to walk her home after all the danger was over. And then, in the few days they had spent together in the Lexor Hotel's honeymoon suite, they had had time to relax and have fun together, and get to know each other better. It had taken all his self-control to avoid taking unfair advantage of the situation, and when the chambermaid had threatened to catch them in a compromising position with the surveillance equipment, he had yielded to the impulse of the moment and swept Lois into a different kind of compromising position altogether. Yet instead of being outraged and retreating behind her defences again, Lois had accepted it almost without comment - Clark could have sworn that after her initial astonishment, she was even starting to respond by the time the maid had left them to their own devices. The only fly in the ointment was... his own Spandex-clad alter ego. Superman had seemed like a brilliant solution to all Clark's identity problems, allowing him to make full use of his special abilities while still maintaining a normal lifestyle. Allowing him to risk having friends who knew his real name and the whereabouts of his parents; allowing him to live in one place for months, perhaps even years, instead of having to move on every time someone became suspicious about a fortunate coincidence or a burst of supernatural good luck. Who would have guessed that the woman of Clark's dreams would fall as heavily for the mysterious superhero as Clark himself had done for her? It didn't help that Clark found it nearly impossible to ignore Lois when he was in the suit, and that he sometimes yielded to the temptation to visit her apartment for no particular reason during his evening patrols. And the only time he had really kissed her without reservation, putting his true feelings into the kiss, it had been as Superman. The memory of that kiss still sent delicious thrills down his spine, making his toes curl. Of course, he had had the excuse of being under the supposed influence of the pheremone perfume, and ever since that day he had retreated behind Superman's emotionless mask, giving her absolutely no encouragement; but he could still see the stars in her eyes every time she looked at Superman. How on earth was an ordinary man like Clark Kent going to attract her attention against that sort of competition? Once again Mission Control disturbed Superman's thoughts, reminding him of his third, and final, course correction. He searched the sky "below" him, almost immediately spotting the Nightfall Asteroid. His previous course had taken him up and over the asteroid, so that he could smash into its weakest point from a course almost perpendicular to its own, maximising the chances that the asteroid debris would be scattered away from the Earth. He picked out the Southern Cross constellation, slightly ahead of the asteroid, and turned to head directly towards it, to his fateful rendezvous. It was time to stop dwelling on his private concerns, and start concentrating on the dangerous task before him - for the whole world's sake, as well as for his own. ***** "Several hours ago, Superman said his final goodbyes to the crowd. He was described as calm but determined. His last words were, and I'm quoting now, 'I'll do my best.'" Gathered with her colleagues in front of the big newsroom television, Lois scowled and muttered under her breath, "No, they weren't!" The tension was making her stomach churn, and the hype from the newscaster, intent on milking the situation for all it was worth, was only making it worse. She had been spoiling for a fight with somebody all afternoon, just to blow off steam; but Clark had gone home with a headache halfway through the morning, and everyone else had kept well out of her line of fire. A flicker of worry crossed her face as she thought about Clark. He was frequently nowhere to be found, but he was never sick. She hoped it had nothing to do with being knocked down by that car in front of the Planet yesterday. Then her attention was drawn back to the newscaster, who was announcing a live feed. ***** "I can see it now. In fact, it's difficult to see anything else. It's immense." "Roger, Superman. We copy you on the ground. Do you have stress point acquisition in visual?" "Yes, I have." "Stand by for final briefing procedure." "I know what I have to do. Well, here I go." Superman thrust both his fists ahead of him and tucked his chin against his chest, bracing himself for the impact. ***** "Impact in 5, 4, 3 ..." The newsroom collectively held its breath. The televised display showed the asteroid breaking up, debris shooting in all directions. Then EPRAD Mission Control was saying something about having lost transmission with Superman. Ignoring the wave of faintness that threatened to overcome her, Lois protested gamely, "Well, his microphone went out. He's fine. He has to be!" -- Meredith Knight "All the pebbles had fat smiling faces, and the anemones had mad bright eyes above their frills." ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 16:15:45 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: OT: Illya / MFU (was Re: Mary Sue Characters) On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 05:56:45 -0500, Chris Carr wrote: >You can add me to the list of people who like Illya. :) It's always nice to have one more. :-) > >If anyone is interested, there is some Man From UNCLE fan fiction at: > >http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Orion/5317/index.html > >Chris Thanks for the link; I'll check it out. :) Shadowfax ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 17:25:17 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Elizabeth Rowe(Juliet)" Subject: Re: Athlete' Words of Wisdom MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/28/2001 6:14:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time, no1supermom@HOTMAIL.COM writes: > Shaquille O'Neal on his lack of championships: "I've won at every level, > except college and pro." > ____________________________________________________________ > Keep in mind this was BEFORE he won back to back championships for the Lakers. juliet ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 21:26:05 +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: Alien Gift (10/?) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Thank you for the comments on part 9, Carol. >Glad Elsha is remembering some stuff! And here comes more memories. >LOL at the "duh!" Well, then I'm glad that I didn't delete it. :D Here's part ten and, as always, comments welcome here or privately at bethyem@yahoo.com. Part Ten Later that evening, after everyone had gone to bed, Lois allowed herself to think about what had happened at the piano. As soon as Clark had gotten home, she and Elsha had told him about it as soon as he returned, each overlapping the other in their hurry to tell what happened. After they grew tired of analyzing the event, they had gone out for ice cream -- just as Elsha wanted. It turned out to be a many-reasoned celebration. But what Lois hadn't told was her reaction. The fear and almost anger she had felt. She could tell Elsha had been zoning out as she explained the basics of piano playing, but hadn't been at all prepared for what came next. She had thought Elsha was bored, or talking to Clark, or maybe just daydreaming and imagining herself as a famous concert pianist. She wasn't ready for her to remember. She had squashed the emotion as soon as she recognized it, but it wouldn't leave, even now. She was afraid. She was afraid that when Elsha remembered, she'd remember how to contact her own people and Lois and Clark would have to give her up. She was too attached to even think of giving her precious daughter up. Then she had heard herself offering Elsha the chance to play. Why had she done that? It might make her remember more! Elsha's expression had been uncertain and Lois was quick to offer the chance to back out, as much for her own comfort as Elsha's. But Elsha had refused. Resigned, and hoping she was hiding it well enough, Lois had helped Elsha get settled on the bench. The child had paused for a moment with her eyes closed and then began playing. The melody was familiar, yet strange. Beautiful, but haunting. She played on, enraptured. Lois had felt Elsha's emotions radiating outward even as her own psyche responded to the music. She didn't want to respond! She wanted to hate it. She wanted to hate everything connected to this little girl's past. And yet, at the same time, she wanted to love it. Because it was a part of this precious child, and Lois loved Elsha so much. When Elsha finished, she had turned to Lois with a brilliant smile on her face. "I remembered." "That's wonderful, darling," Lois remembered saying, with tears in her eyes. She had forced herself not to ponder the consequences right then; she wasn't going to analyze her emotions; she wasn't going to think about what this meant to their future. She was simply going to share in her daughter's joy. "Absolutely wonderful." But now, with Elsha safely asleep, Lois had to examine those feelings. Those unwelcome, almost traitorous, feelings. She tried to shove them away. She loved Elsha and wanted what was best for her. She wanted her to be happy. Even if it broke her own heart. But what she *really* wanted was for Elsha to be happy there, with them. * * * The phone rang, startling Clark from a sound sleep. As he groped for the receiver, he realized, not without some surprise, that Elsha hadn't woken them up with a scream the night before. He wondered if there was any connection to her memory at the piano. But there was no way to know yet, and he supposed they'd just have to wait and see what happened next. "'lo?" he said, just now wondering who could be calling so earl-- Then he saw the clock. Was it really ten o'clock?!? He and Lois must both be sleep deprived from those interrupted nights. "Clark? This is Constance. Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you? I've been waiting to call, and I thought for sure you'd be up by now..." She babbled, too. Maybe Lois was contagious. He grinned at the thought. "No, it's not a problem. What did you need?" *And why are you calling us on a Sunday morning, anyway?* he wanted to know, but wasn't rude enough to ask. Fortunately, he didn't have to. "I'm really sorry for calling on a Sunday morning, but I got some news and didn't think I should wait to let you know." He perked up. News about the adoption? Was it going to go through? Hope rose in a small bubble, then fear pierced and popped it. Her voice was way too serious for such joyous news. "Is there a problem?" he forced himself to ask. "I hope not. But it could become one. You see, social services has discovered that you've had Elsha for over a month and not taken any steps to enroll her in school. They see it as a sign of negligence and even irresponsibility." "But-- But we talked about that. We all agreed that with her injuries and amnesia, combined with the short amount of time left of the school year, it would be better to wait and enroll her for the new year in the fall." "Clark?" Now Lois was awake, too. "Is something wrong?" she whispered. "Just a second," he mouthed, "I'll tell you everything in a minute." And he turned his attention back to Constance. "I know we all agreed on that, but they don't see it the same way. They've decided that, with that information, they have enough of a case against you to reject your application. I personally don't see why they insist on making such a big deal over this, but then again, I don't have the same experience with investigating prospective adoptive parents that they have." "Have they taken any official steps yet?" he asked. "No. With the weekend, they haven't had the chance. But I can assure you that, since their decision has been made, they'll get the ball rolling first thing tomorrow morning." "Well, is there anything left that we can do?" The sliver of fear had now grown into a large monster eating away at his insides. They couldn't lose her now. Monetary investments aside, they loved her. And she loved them. She was safe, comfortable, happy with them. He wasn't going to give up without a fight. "We can appeal. But it would mean going to court. Are you prepared for that eventuality?" "I'll have to talk it over with Lois, but I'm certain she'll agree with me. We mean to keep Elsha and we are willing to go almost any lengths to do so." "Okay. Well, you can start preparing some arguments in your defense. Get that doctor, Klein was it?, and to be a witness. He can substantiate your decision to postpone school. And he can verify the amnesia. You might also find some friends, colleagues, etc, who will be willing to be character witnesses. We will also need to present proof of residency, employment, salaries, insurance, etc, but we already have most of that prepared from the paperwork we already completed. Then we have to wait." "Wait?" "Yes. We can't appeal a decision that hasn't officially been made. As soon as you receive notification, however, or as soon as I can find out it's official, then we can file an appeal and get a court date." "Okay. I'll talk to Lois and we'll get started right away. Thank you for letting us know, Constance." "You're welcome. Oh, and Clark? Good luck." "Thanks." With that, he hung up and turned to Lois. "What's wrong?" She had only heard one side of the conversation, and he was sure it didn't sound good. He quickly filled her in on the rest and then hugged her fiercely. "We'll get through this, honey. And we'll win." It may be false hope, but he was clinging to it until forced to let go. * * * Momma and Daddy acted weird all day. They made phone calls, and made lists, sorted papers and worried in low tones. It was all Elsha could do not to eavesdrop. Before Dr. Klein came over to take off her casts, Daddy had speed-read through a whole bunch of physical therapy sites on the web. He had Momma discuss it with Dr. Klein and together they came up with a series of exercises for Elsha to do to strengthen her weakened muscles. Today, the first real day without the casts, she'd gone through the whole routine. It was hard! After a month of not using them, her muscles didn't want to obey. And yet, when she had played the piano yesterday, her arm hadn't bothered her at all. Now that she was done with her exercises and even practiced walking a little -- without supervision, of course, Momma and Daddy had expressly forbidden her to try walking yet. She thought they were being worry-warts, and so tried it anyway when they were out of the room. It was an interesting feeling, and difficult, too. After a few steps, she was worn out, and decided to postpone any further practice. There was no reason to push it today. Besides, she didn't want to risk getting caught. She heard a loud rumble and looked out the window in surprise. It was raining! Oddly enough, this was the first time it had rained since she arrived. Mesmerized, she watched the raindrops weave a trail down the glass panes. They were so beautiful. There was a bright flash, and then another rumble made jump. The sky was dark, especially after the glow of the light. A shadow ran across the room and Elsha tensed. Normally she wasn't afraid of the dark, but this was eerie. She sensed no one in the room with her, and yet, wherever she looked, she saw shadows. Shapes, and people. Evil eyes glared out at her from hidden cracks. They crept closer and she heard wicked laughter. There was a glint of something bright and she knew it was a knife. Teeth flashed and she knew they were grinning in anticipation of the torture about to come. They were going to hurt her, and there was nothing she could do about it. She sat there, defenseless, instinctively knowing it was futile to cry out for help, as they crept closer and closer and closer until... "How about some dinner, Elsha?" * * * Clark flipped on the light as he asked the question. He hadn't realized how dark it had gotten as the storm clouds rolled in. He looked curiously at Elsha. She was sitting on the couch, huddled in a little ball, looking for all the world like a scared kitten. "Elsha? Are you okay?" Dumbly, she shook her head no. "What's wrong?" {People.} {What people?} He automatically slipped into mind-voice with his response. {Scary people. I could see them. They had bad eyes. And they were coming to get me. Don't let them get me!} "Shh," he murmured as he sat beside her and stroked her hair. "There's nobody in here now but me and you. And I'll keep you safe." With all his heart he wished he would be able to follow through on that promise. The fear that she was showing strengthened his resolve not to let Elsha know about the adoption problems yet. She was already uneasy, and he didn't want to add to that. "What do you say we go into the kitchen and your mom can read to us while I mix up some grub?" He purposely used the term that he knew always got a laugh from her. This time he only received a small smile. {Okay.} He wondered what had spooked her so badly, then attributed it to the storm. After all, it was her first thunderstorm on earth. And many children were scared of thunder. * * * Over the next few weeks, much happened in the lives of the Lane family. The piano incident, as they’d begun calling it, seemed to have opened a floodgate for Elsha. Whereas before she’d viewed new experiences and information with the curiosity of a child, now she sought them out with an almost feral hunger. Sometime, as with the kettra and the piano, the experience would bring forth a memory. Other times, it was a new experience, nothing more. Once Elsha gained a taste for remembering, though, she was almost inconsolable after any ‘empty’ new experience. She had been adjusting well to Lois and Clark, and to having amnesia, before she remembered. But before she had had less sense of what was missing. And as she gained herself back, with each new addition, the void in her mind only became more pronounced. With each new memory, Elsha changed. Sometimes just a little bit, sometimes greatly. At first they didn’t even notice, and once they did, they tried to ignore it. Only in private would they let their fears surface. “She’s growing up before our eyes,” said Lois one day, and she meant it literally. Oh, sure, Elsha still had her adorable little-girl face, and her outward form had changed little, if at all, aside from regaining lost muscle in her injured limbs. But mentally... Her entire character and attitude matured at an abnormal rate. She retained her sweet personality but gained wisdom and insight. Or rather, remembered it. And the result was terrifying to Lois and Clark. Here was this innocent looking child, voicing opinions and analyzing situations that most seven-year-olds wouldn’t have even been aware of. Through it all, Jim was a constant help. Lois had kept her internal promise to befriend him, and in turn he was quite taken with Elsha. Even as she ‘grew up’ and Lois and Clark felt at odds as to how to deal with it, Jim never flinched. He didn’t even seem to notice the incompatibilities between body and mind. It wasn’t long before he heard the whole story behind Elsha’s arrival -- minus the Superman part, of course. It was a few weeks after the piano incident. They had learned quickly enough that Elsha was capable of walking on her own, which had been an immense relief. With everything else happening, it meant one less worry. However, she did have to be very careful when out of the house, or when the anti-grav unit wasn't on. She did her best, but it was difficult for the energetic girl. So her favorite times were when they were home alone and the machine could be on. Then she could run, dance, jump and play, with no worries. The day Jim 'found out,' he wasn't expected. Lois was running errands and Clark was upstairs, working. Elsha had the stereo on and was bouncing all around the living room, dancing and playing, ostensible 'dusting.' However, very little dusting actually got done. Instead, as she danced, she used the feather duster as a microphone to sing along. All of a sudden, for no reason she could explain, she looked up and out the front window. She saw Jim standing on the walkway leading up to the front door, his mouth open as he stared. He saw her looking at him and quickly closed his mouth and continued up the path. {Daddy,} she thought. {Jim's here and we kinda have some explaining to do.} At that exact second, the doorbell rang. {Go ahead and get the door, Elsha,} Clark responded. {I'll be right down. Do you want to let me know what's going on now?} {Basically he saw me in the living room.} {What were you doing?} {Dusting,} she said, but with a guilty overtone. She could feel his grin in response. {Which means you were dancing and singing, right?} {Exactly.} She let Jim in, Clark came down, and they explained everything. That she was an alien, she had amnesia but was beginning to regain some memories, she couldn't handle Earth gravity but was 'normal' when the gravity was 'turned down' in their house. They explained the telepathy, and even gave him a demonstration. "It tickles!" was his excited response. After he left, assuring them he'd keep the secret, Elsha apologized. {I'm sorry.} Her gaze was contrite and Clark was quick to reassure her. {It's not your fault. We'll just have to be a little more careful about windows in the future. Besides, it might be kind of nice to have Jim know. And we know we can trust him.} {And he caught on to mind-voice much faster than Momma. He's almost as good as you!} {Yeah,} Clark thought back in mock embarrassment, {and he doesn't even have a Kryptonian background to help him.} Once Jim was in on the secret, he became even more involved with the Lane family than he'd been in the weeks previous. He was there, backing them up in court, giving support and sympathy as they got stalled at every turn. They hadn't gotten an absolute 'No' or had Elsha taken from them yet, but neither had they received full custody. When Lois complained often at the incompetency of social services, Jim was there to remind her of the articles she had done on abused children. Social service workers couldn't afford to take any chances when placing a child. And yet, she pointed out, they had no problem leaving Elsha with them indefinitely while they decided. He offered a listening ear whenever Lois and Clark needed to vent about their frustration and confusion with Elsha's emerging memories. It was like trying to deal with the normal span of childhood and adolescence crammed into a few months. The terrible twos had nothing on elementary school, junior high and high school wrapped in one. The good news was that they didn't have to deal with the physical aspects of puberty yet. He gave unconditional friendship to Elsha as she, herself, dealt with the impact of remembering. She tried to explain how it felt once, but found she couldn't put it into words. The closest she got was saying it felt like déjà vu all the time. And then the déjà vu would segue into a memory and she would go into what looked like a trance. Jim got pretty good at noticing the trances, waiting patiently until she emerged, and then giving her a chance to share the memory immediately -- she found it less jarring if she could talk about it right away. In many ways it seemed as if he had joined their small family. Life wasn't normal, but life was good. Who needs normal, anyway? * * * TBC... Some have mentioned that the pace needed to be stepped up. Does this work? Or still too slow? Suggestions, comments, complaints, and unfettered praise all welcome. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 16:36:25 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: New - All Stirred Up, part 1/? S P O I L E R S P A C E Hi, Meredith, This is your *first* fanfic??? All I can say is . . . WOW! You had me hooked by the end of the second paragraph! You really seemed to get into Clark's head; I liked "hearing" his thoughts - especially when Lois was kissing him. ;-) This is the beginning of a beautiful fanfic. But . . . you're not going to leave us hanging, are you? When do we get the rest of it? Shadowfax On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 21:55:15 +0100, Meredith Knight wrote: >This is my first fanfic; in fact, it's the first fiction I've written >since high school. My beta readers have persuaded me to start posting >it, even though it isn't finished yet. :^o All constructive comment >welcome. > >Many thanks to Diane, Irene and Yvonne for help and masses of >encouragement. :^D > >This story assumes that the events chronicled in Witness took place >before those of Honeymoon in Metropolis. Standard disclaimers apply. >Oh, and I should probably warn you that there's no A-plot to speak of. >|^) > > >----->8-------------------------------------------------->8----- > >All Stirred Up >Introduction > >As Superman strode through the small throng gathered to watch his >departure, Lois was waiting for him. "How do you feel?" > >everything under control.> "This will work." > >"That's a relief. Why are you so sure?" > >"Because it has to." > >She smiled. "The power of positive thinking, huh?" > >"How are you feeling, Lois?" > >"Scared enough for the both of us." > >He scanned her face. Everyone else he had seen that morning was >terrified by the prospect of the Nightfall Asteroid hitting the Earth; >they had no thought beyond relief at the news that Superman was >proposing to fly several million miles into space to deal with the >threat to themselves, their homes and loved ones. In Lois's face, for >the first time, he could see concern for the danger to Superman himself. >It helped to calm the sick feeling in his stomach. He lifted a hand to >caress her cheek. > >"I'll be back, Lois. We'll go flying." > >Her face relaxed a little, and her lips curved at the comforting >thought. "I hope so." > >"I have to go." > >"Good luck." But even as he turned he felt her hand on his arm; as he >swung back to her, her hands curled about his neck and she was kissing >him. It was all he could do to remain passive under the storm of >emotion that swept over him. He willed his lips to stay unresponsive, >his breathing to stay calm, and after a few seconds her lips faltered >and she drew back, smiling tremulously at him. He gazed at her briefly, >conscious of the news cameras whirring a few feet away, and hoping that >his expression betrayed none of the mixture of passion and torment her >gesture had aroused in him. Then he swung away again and walked briskly >to where the EPRAD officials were fidgeting with their equipment while >they waited for him. > >The technicians spent a few minutes fitting him with the radio >microphone and oxygen tank, and he listened politely to General >Zeitlin's pompous platitudes, firmly turning down the offer of the >nuclear charges the General was so anxious to test. Finally, there was >no more to do. He walked to a clear space and turned towards the crowd >and the cameras, his gaze finding Lois once more and drinking in the >sight - the last sight? - of her encouraging face. Then he lifted >skywards, chuckling inwardly a little at the "ooh" of the crowd, awed as >ever at the offhand display of his superability. > >At last he was alone and could stop worrying about whether Superman's >guard might slip. > >He flew straight up until the sky darkened, and the stars began to wink >into life. Above the sun, the three points of the Summer Triangle >showed clearly, and he adjusted his course directly towards the >northernmost star. Professor Daitch had painstakingly gone over the >details of his route with him, relieved to find that Superman had a fair >knowledge of the heavens - although he probably imagined that knowledge >came from Superman's space-faring past, rather than from long nights >spent floating serenely above Earth's troposphere, gazing spellbound at >the wondrous vista of sky frosted with stars that no earthbound, human >eyes could see. > >The earphones crackled into life, and he heard the voice of the EPRAD >Mission Control operator. "EPRAD to Superman, EPRAD to Superman. Come >in, Superman." > >Grimacing at the hackneyed phrases, he cleared his throat and responded, >"Superman here." > >"Report your progress, please, Superman." > >"I'm on course towards Deneb, as planned. I'll be leaving the >atmosphere shortly. I'll let you know if I have any breathing >difficulties; otherwise I will conserve my oxygen supply. Over and >out." He grinned at the confused babble of consternation that rose from >the roomful of self-important officials and politicians, and thumbed the >mike switch to the off position, mentally tuning out the noise from the >earphones. Superman's reputation for taciturnity certainly had its >uses. > >As the air thinned, the wind of his passage diminished and died, and the >profound silence of space took its place. Superman adjusted the oxygen >mask so that he could continue to breathe comfortably. The sun grew >brighter even as the sky faded to black. All the summer stars were >visible now, the Zodiac constellations - Aquarius, Capricorn, >Sagittarius and the long arch of Scorpio - strung out like a necklace >behind the sun, crossing the gauzy scarf that was the Milky Way. He >rolled over to put the sun behind him, picking out the Big Dipper and >the North Star. Soon a milky glow near Greenland heralded the rising of >the full moon above the Arctic Circle, and he gasped in delight. He had >walked on the moon itself before, but this he had never seen. > >All too soon, EPRAD Mission Control broke into his reverie to remind him >of his next course correction. He rolled back to face the sun, checking >his direction, and then veered directly towards it. As the heavens >rolled beneath him, he was presented with a new vista of the southern >sky, which he so seldom saw now that he had settled in Metropolis. >Determined to dwell as little as possible on the reason he was out here >communing with the stars, he let his thoughts roam over the last few >months, and the excitement and challenges that Metropolis had brought >him. > >He had always wanted to write for the "greatest newspaper in the world", >as Perry was so fond of calling it. He had anticipated the thrill of >being at the forefront of the breaking news, as well as the excitement >of living in the vibrant bustle of one of the world's biggest cities. >But he had expected to be able to remain anonymous among the teeming >millions; he hadn't expected to find such good friends at the Planet - >Jimmy, Perry, and above all Lois. > >Complicated, domineering, uncompromising, pig-headed, brilliant Lois. > >She had been defensive from the start, although she had dealt with him >in her normal head-on, take-no-prisoners fashion. "You are not working >with me, you are working *for* me. I call the shots, I ask the >questions. You are low man, I am top banana, and that's the way I like >it. Comprende?" And then, when he had succeeded in challenging her >preconceptions, "Don't fall for me, farmboy. I don't have time for it." >The warning had come way too late. Long before she had started to let >down her barriers, showing him the vulnerable self that lurked behind >her defences and the deep scars that had forced her to hide that self, >he had already been head-over-heels in love with her. > >He felt he was making slow headway against her determination to keep the >world at bay. With the prank he had pulled on her, sending her to >search the sewage works for Superman's spacecraft, he had quickly >established that he was no spineless pushover; but she was also starting >to realise that, excellent reporter though he was, he posed no threat to >her status as the Daily Planet's top investigative journalist. The >night that he had announced he was leaving the Planet for good, she had >even admitted that she was starting to like having a partner. > >On a personal level too, she was gradually allowing him closer and >closer. He had managed, albeit by the skin of his teeth, to avoid >damning himself forever by yielding to her pheromone-induced advances. >When Barbara Trevino and her sidekick had threatened Lois's life, she >had turned to Clark for help and comfort. She had even asked him to >walk her home after all the danger was over. > >And then, in the few days they had spent together in the Lexor Hotel's >honeymoon suite, they had had time to relax and have fun together, and >get to know each other better. It had taken all his self-control to >avoid taking unfair advantage of the situation, and when the chambermaid >had threatened to catch them in a compromising position with the >surveillance equipment, he had yielded to the impulse of the moment and >swept Lois into a different kind of compromising position altogether. >Yet instead of being outraged and retreating behind her defences again, >Lois had accepted it almost without comment - Clark could have sworn >that after her initial astonishment, she was even starting to respond by >the time the maid had left them to their own devices. > >The only fly in the ointment was... his own Spandex-clad alter ego. >Superman had seemed like a brilliant solution to all Clark's identity >problems, allowing him to make full use of his special abilities while >still maintaining a normal lifestyle. Allowing him to risk having >friends who knew his real name and the whereabouts of his parents; >allowing him to live in one place for months, perhaps even years, >instead of having to move on every time someone became suspicious about >a fortunate coincidence or a burst of supernatural good luck. > >Who would have guessed that the woman of Clark's dreams would fall as >heavily for the mysterious superhero as Clark himself had done for her? >It didn't help that Clark found it nearly impossible to ignore Lois when >he was in the suit, and that he sometimes yielded to the temptation to >visit her apartment for no particular reason during his evening patrols. >And the only time he had really kissed her without reservation, putting >his true feelings into the kiss, it had been as Superman. The memory of >that kiss still sent delicious thrills down his spine, making his toes >curl. Of course, he had had the excuse of being under the supposed >influence of the pheremone perfume, and ever since that day he had >retreated behind Superman's emotionless mask, giving her absolutely no >encouragement; but he could still see the stars in her eyes every time >she looked at Superman. How on earth was an ordinary man like Clark >Kent going to attract her attention against that sort of competition? > >Once again Mission Control disturbed Superman's thoughts, reminding him >of his third, and final, course correction. He searched the sky "below" >him, almost immediately spotting the Nightfall Asteroid. His previous >course had taken him up and over the asteroid, so that he could smash >into its weakest point from a course almost perpendicular to its own, >maximising the chances that the asteroid debris would be scattered away >from the Earth. He picked out the Southern Cross constellation, >slightly ahead of the asteroid, and turned to head directly towards it, >to his fateful rendezvous. It was time to stop dwelling on his private >concerns, and start concentrating on the dangerous task before him - for >the whole world's sake, as well as for his own. > >***** > >"Several hours ago, Superman said his final goodbyes to the crowd. He >was described as calm but determined. His last words were, and I'm >quoting now, 'I'll do my best.'" > >Gathered with her colleagues in front of the big newsroom television, >Lois scowled and muttered under her breath, "No, they weren't!" The >tension was making her stomach churn, and the hype from the newscaster, >intent on milking the situation for all it was worth, was only making it >worse. She had been spoiling for a fight with somebody all afternoon, >just to blow off steam; but Clark had gone home with a headache halfway >through the morning, and everyone else had kept well out of her line of >fire. > >A flicker of worry crossed her face as she thought about Clark. He was >frequently nowhere to be found, but he was never sick. She hoped it had >nothing to do with being knocked down by that car in front of the Planet >yesterday. Then her attention was drawn back to the newscaster, who was >announcing a live feed. > >***** > >"I can see it now. In fact, it's difficult to see anything else. It's >immense." > >"Roger, Superman. We copy you on the ground. Do you have stress point >acquisition in visual?" > > "Yes, I have." > >"Stand by for final briefing procedure." > >me to stand by?> "I know what I have to do. Well, here I go." > >Superman thrust both his fists ahead of him and tucked his chin against >his chest, bracing himself for the impact. > >***** > >"Impact in 5, 4, 3 ..." The newsroom collectively held its breath. The >televised display showed the asteroid breaking up, debris shooting in >all directions. > >Then EPRAD Mission Control was saying something about having lost >transmission with Superman. Ignoring the wave of faintness that >threatened to overcome her, Lois protested gamely, "Well, his microphone >went out. He's fine. He has to be!" > > >-- >Meredith Knight > >"All the pebbles had fat smiling faces, and the anemones had mad bright >eyes above their frills." ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 17:48:44 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: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/29/2001 10:46:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time, chiefpam@NC.RR.COM writes: > > So, if you're going to allow nfic, Crys, d'you think you should change the > site's name? How about "The Author's Dirty Mind" /me runs and hides > > /me smacks Wendy upside the head! But, you bring up an interesting point... if any of the authors that have already written an essay would like to do a SECOND essay for an nFic favorite, I can definately find room for it :) -Crys- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 17:52:17 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: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/29/2001 10:46:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time, chiefpam@NC.RR.COM writes: > >>And if we get Chris Mulder, I'd love to see her talk about Love Beyond All > Measure/Dimensions of Loving. I love those stories!<< > > I'll send her Crys's open invitation (I already forwarded her the kind > comments from you and Kathy) Those are special to me, too -- I can still > remember reading LBAM for the first time ... and I definitely remember the > torture of beta-reading DoL! Chris was the original Queen of the > A-plots; I don't recall that many other people were doing them back then. > I remember the day I got got Dimensions of Loving... I'd written to Chris to ask if the sequel mentioned in the old Krypton Club newsletter had been finished... she answered me on Thanksgiving morning! I read the whole day long!! My husband was so upset with me . But I just couldn't stop, y'know... it was too good. I *had* to know what would happen next. I think that's the first story that I can remember reading so clearly... it's right up there with "where were you when the Challenger exploded?" or "Where were you when Kennedy was shot?" It was a life altering event. Some stories are just that good :) -Crys- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 16:56:45 -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: Re: The Author's Mind Crys, take a look! That was PAM'S suggestion, not mine!! But if you're serious about that second interview, I am getting hassled on IRC about Without Consent... Wendy On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 17:48:44 EDT, Crystal Wimmer wrote: >In a message dated 8/29/2001 10:46:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time, >chiefpam@NC.RR.COM writes: > > >> >> So, if you're going to allow nfic, Crys, d'you think you should change the >> site's name? How about "The Author's Dirty Mind" /me runs and hides >> >> > >/me smacks Wendy upside the head! > >But, you bring up an interesting point... if any of the authors that have >already written an essay would like to do a SECOND essay for an nFic >favorite, I can definately find room for it :) > >-Crys- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 23:10:35 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Meredith Knight Subject: All Stirred Up, part 1/? In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Shadow Fax writes >WOW! *blush* Why, thank you. I hope I can keep it up... >But . . . you're not going to >leave us hanging, are you? When do we get the rest of it? Oh yes, I forgot that bit. I'm going to try and post twice a week. It sort of depends on whether the tendency for each section to take longer to write than the last is a trend or just temporary... Meredith -- Meredith Knight "All the pebbles had fat smiling faces, and the anemones had mad bright eyes above their frills." ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 22:48:16 +0100 Reply-To: Yvonne Connell Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Yvonne Connell Subject: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wendy asked: > So, what other nfics, as opposed to PGfics, would people like to see authors > discuss? Crys, should this be copied to the nfic list? Well, I'd like to hear the tale of the Rat ;) Especially with regard to Lonesome. On the PG front (yes, I know you didn't ask, but I want to answer ), I really hope Jenni signs up to tell the tale of how Universal Union got written, because that's an amazing story. I'd also like to see Shayne tell us the story of Dear Lois and/or Hearts and Diamonds. Yvonne (yvonne@yconnell.fsnet.co.uk) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 23:26:40 +0100 Reply-To: LabRat Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Organization: LabRat Subject: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Yvonne wrote: > Well, I'd like to hear the tale of the Rat ;) Especially with regard to > Lonesome. Aw, shucks. Thanks for the interest, Yvonne, but like I said earlier on irc, I'm not sure Lonesome HAS a story. It would kind of go....it got wrote. The End. I am somewhat guiltily reminded, however, that I promised Crys a story about Caped Fear some time ago....ooooops. LabRat :) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 23:30:14 +0100 Reply-To: Yvonne Connell Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Yvonne Connell Subject: Re: New - All Stirred Up, part 1/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Yippee! You posted :))) Yvonne (yvonne@yconnell.fsnet.co.uk) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 17:29:34 -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: The Author's Mind LabRat wrote: >>>I'm not sure Lonesome HAS a story. It would kind of go....it got wrote. The End.<<< And, as *I* said on IRC, NO WAY! I remember all those discussions about the pink pig, the minimelon, and 'kinky Clark' in the bathroom! Not to mention the baseball bat and the tipsy scene. There is *definitely* a story there! (Not to mention that Are You Lonesome Tonight? is now my favourite LabRat fic!) Wendy ----------- Wendy Richards wendy@lcfanfic.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 08:26:45 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Ursula Bento Subject: Re: Question: Jimmy + car? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jimmy did have a car Bethy. It was only mentioned once though, I think. In 'Lucky Leon' he almost crashed and Superman saved him. It wasn't anything special, not the kind of car I would think Jimmy to own. He's the kind of guy riding along in an old, rackety vehicle that breaks down a lot. He can't afford anything else! Looking forward to your story, Ursie ----- Original Message ----- From: Bethy Em To: Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 4:46 AM Subject: Question: Jimmy + car? > I remember this discussion coming up once (don't know where, and don't > remember the outcome), but did Jimmy ever have a car? I would like him to > have one in a short story I'm writing, but don't want to jar the readers too > much if he didn't. Would it jar y'all to have him have a car? > > If he can have one, what kind should it be? > > Thanks! > > Bethy > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 18:42:19 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: The Author's Mind On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 22:48:16 +0100, Yvonne Connell wrote: > >On the PG front (yes, I know you didn't ask, but I want to answer ), I >really hope Jenni signs up to tell the tale of how Universal Union got >written, because that's an amazing story. I'd also like to see Shayne tell >us the story of Dear Lois and/or Hearts and Diamonds. > Yes, yes, yes! to all those suggestions! UU is so creative! And Hearts and Diamonds, too! I noticed that on the Author's Showcase website, Shayne mentioned that H&D was the easiest to write, and coincidentally or not, it's my personal favorite, even beating out Fugue/Fusion with that sexy Kade guy. Another author I'd like to know about is Tank. I've been reading his evil stories and I'd really like to know how that guy's mind works. ;-) I'd also like to hear from you, Yvonne. It's been a while since your Showcase interview and I'd like an update . So how about giving us some info on TMIAR or FOD? (And BTW, I'm waiting not-very-patiently for FOD IV. :) Shadowfax ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 16:50:51 -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: Hand in the candy jar In-Reply-To: <000701c130af$3f624760$6501a8c0@nc.rr.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii --- Chief Pam wrote: > > You're not the only weird person, Carol, but I have > a different pattern... I > like to even up the colors so I have the same number > of each (though I don't > really worry about that til it gets down to 3 of > these, 4 of those...) and > then eat one of each color so that the proportions > stay the same ;) > LOL! Pam, I do exactly the same thing! Only I eat Smarties - much tastier. Are they available in the U.S.? Irene ===== sirenegold@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 16:59:56 -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: New - All Stirred Up, part 1/? In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Meredith, I'm so glad that you've decided to start posting! I'm not going to spoil anything for anyone, but I will say that as one of Meredith's beta-readers, I know this just gets better and better! Amazing story on its own, and then when we realise that it's your first... Wow! Irene ===== sirenegold@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 00:08:27 +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: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Crystal wrote: >. But I just couldn't stop, y'know... it was too good. I *had* to know what would happen next. I think that's the first story that I can remember reading so clearly... it's right up there with "where were you when the Challenger exploded?" or "Where were you when Kennedy was shot?" It was a life altering event. Some stories are just that good :) Yes, Crystal!! I remember EXACTLY where I was as I reading FFTG. In my church's daycare, watching a bunch of kids as they were watching a Veggie Tales video and reading the words, 'how do you make love to someone for the last time..." (in my own words...) I had tears in my eyes and was hoping another adult wouldn't come in to 'see how I was doing' with the kids. I never forget that! :))) Missy _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 19:40:00 -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: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 16:24:37 +0100, Wendy Richards < w.m.richards@HRM.KEELE.AC.UK> wrote: I think I'd be happy if she wrote about just about any of her >other stories! Revisionist History; When Day Breaks...; oh, and all the >stories we've already mentioned! Ah, yes, Revisionist History ... the story that convinced me I couldn't write. History was actually the second story I ever wrote. (The first being Camping; sorry, Wendy, I know it needs an insulin warning , but that's kind of how fanfics were back then! Like Pam, I was writing during the third season so Camping got caught up in the "the show contradicts the story" problem. I had L&C getting married the June after their November engagement because it never occured to me that they'd try to get them married as soon as February! I figured I was safe with May sweeps, darn it. ) But anyway, back to History. When I wrote the story, I sent it to my then- editor (whose name I won't mention since she's no longer in FoLCdom) and, well, she ripped it apart. I was devastated. I looked through all the edits and suggestions and was completely overwhelmed. Even when I saw what she meant, I had absolutely no idea how to fix the problems. I put the story away and didn't write again for a few months, until finally, over the summer between S3 & S4 (the NK arc), I started writing Winners. Winners took me several months to finish (at 230+K, it was shockingly long < g>), but when I finally got it done, I was totally high on fanfic writing. In fact, I was on such a roll that while I was waiting for my editors to get back with me, I tossed off (sorry, UKers ) a little story called Giving Thanks in a couple of sittings. After adding those two stories to my list of finished fics, I finally had my confidence back. Curious, I pulled out the file I had on Revisionist History, including the overwhelming edits. But as I looked through the edits this time, I found myself smiling. "Oh, I see what she means ... yeah, that's an easy fix; I'll just do such-and-such." "Ah, yes, that makes sense, wonder why I didn't notice that ... I'll just clean that up like this." And even more liberating, "No, that's not a good change; this way will work much better." (You mean you don't have to take every suggestion your editor gives you?? Gasp! ) Suddenly it all made perfect sense. It did take a bit of work on my part to perfect the story -- and working with a new editor (Sheila Harper, the start of a beautiful friendship :)) helped, too -- but it was fun work, a challenge to catch everything. What a difference! So, the moral of the story, grasshoppers ;), is that if you are a new writer who finds yourself intimidated by us "old timers", don't be. We started out exactly where you are now. :) Kathy (gee, that was kind of an Author's Mind interview right there, wasn't it? ) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 20:48:35 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: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/29/01 6:19:32 PM Eastern Daylight Time, yvonne@YCONNELL.FSNET.CO.UK writes: > I'd also like to see Shayne tell > us the story of Dear Lois and/or Hearts and Diamonds. > or Fugue! :) Rat told us on IRC the story of Lonesome: it's a story. It got written. The end. ;) So if you want more than that, Yvonne, you'll have to pry it out of her! How about Irene's Firestorm? --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 19:50:42 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Brown Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 17:58:12 +0000, Missy Gallant wrote: >Maybe I'M dating myself, but way BEFORE that commercial, weren't green M&M's >supposed to make you ah...um, amorous? LOL, thank goodness someone here is the same age as me. Yes, Missy, that was exactly what we used to say when I was a kid. In fact, until Carol explained the "home run" commericial as having two little kids at a ball game, I thought she meant the *other* meaning for "home run". ;) And in order to combo post ... Irene, yes, we have Smarties here, though for some reason, they seem to be most popular as Halloween candy. I love them! And to Mary D, welcome to the list! What a thread to come in on. We've wandered a bit off topic, but rest assured this did somehow start out as a L& C related discussion. Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 20:04:28 -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: Sorry guys! And Welcome, Mary! :) On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 15:17:57 -0400, Mary D. wrote: >Wow, >this seems to be a very active list. I'm enjoying your story so far, too. >I wondered where all the new stories were posted to. I don't care to read >stories on message boards that much (sorry). I'm just not used to it that >way. I have read alot of stories on the L&C fanfic archives and Anne's >Place, but its great to see new story parts. We are in an active phase right now, which has been really fun! We do slow down from time to time, but we always seem to pick up again eventually. :) As list mom, let me officially welcome you (and any other newbies that might be lurking out there :)). A couple websites you might be interested in as a newcomer to the list ... http://listserv.indiana.edu/archives/loiscla-general-l.html This is where all of our posts are archived, going back to when the list was created in August 1997 (holy smokes, we've been around for that long???). If you want to catch up on any stories or threads you've joined in the middle of, that's the place. You can also go NOMAIL with the listserv and use the website to read the posts on-line, similar to a newsgroup or message board. This is a good solution if you don't want your mailbox to fill up while you are on vacation, too. Our FAQ for the listserv is housed at the L&C Fanfic Archive: http://lcfanfic.com/faq_listserv.html Please read it, memorize it, live it. We are a very friendly and forgiving bunch here, and enjoy answering questions ... but it makes my life a lot easier when I don't have to continually answer posts that say "how do I get off this list?" ;) Enjoy the list, and hope to see you posting again soon. :) Kathy The Establishment ;) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 20:30:24 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: The Author's Mind On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 22:48:16 +0100, Yvonne Connell wrote: >Wendy asked: > >> So, what other nfics, as opposed to PGfics, would people like to see >authors >> discuss? Crys, should this be copied to the nfic list? > >Well, I'd like to hear the tale of the Rat ;) Especially with regard to >Lonesome. > I'd like to hear this on behalf of the PG contingent, too . Although my preference runs more toward Sugar & Spice. :-) I'd also like to hear from some of the newer (to me) writers, including-but- not-limited-to Carol Moncado and Terran. They're building up impressive track records! I love the sometimes-poignant humor in Carol's stories, and Terran's writing has a unique quality that intrigues me. Uh-oh, this list is getting pretty long . Maybe you should feature a different writer every day, Crys! Shadowfax ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 21:37:49 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Mary D." Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar From: "Kathy Brown" > And to Mary D, welcome to the list! What a thread to come in on. We've > wandered a bit off topic, but rest assured this did somehow start out as a L& > C related discussion. > > Kathy Thanks, Kathy. I've also been catching talk about various stories and their authors. Some titles I recognize from web site archives I've seen them on. But how do I go about finding the others? Some of these I haven't seen? All the fanfiction talk has gotten me excited about writing again. I started a couple of L&C stories, then I got stuck and pu them away. Partly because of needing info about what happened in episodes or the chronology of events in Lois & Clark's lives, or just getting into their heads. I've written in another fandom and didn't realize how difficult it would be getting into a new set of characters heads. I actually only started watching L&C last winter when I discovered it on TNT. And even though I have seen all eps now, some I have only seen once. Maybe I should try it again. Mary ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 22:05:20 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chief Pam Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey Mary (do I recognize you from the afolcslife list?) Welcome to this list, regardless :) > Thanks, Kathy. I've also been catching talk about various stories and their > authors. Some titles I recognize from web site archives I've seen them on. > But how do I go about finding the others? Some of these I haven't seen? If you haven't yet discovered http://lcfanfic.com get thee to the Archive, post haste :) There are several FAQ files there that will be useful, as well as 1500 fanfics If you mean nfic, you might want to check out www.annesplace.net and get the password from Anne. > All the fanfiction talk has gotten me excited about writing again. I > started a couple of L&C stories, then I got stuck and pu them away. Partly > because of needing info about what happened in episodes or the chronology of > events in Lois & Clark's lives, or just getting into their heads. I've > written in another fandom and didn't realize how difficult it would be > getting into a new set of characters heads. I actually only started > watching L&C last winter when I discovered it on TNT. And even though I > have seen all eps now, some I have only seen once. Maybe I should try it > again. Of course you should :) If you have specific questions, feel free to ask the list ... seriously, someone recently asked which episode had Lois picking through a handful of M&Ms, and one of the list members tracked the scene down! We've also provided the approximate weight of Siberian tigers, so there's not too much that stumps us Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam **note new address** "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of having a country of English cooks, German lovers, French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." --P. J. O'Rourke ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 21:12:09 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carol L Moncado Subject: Re: New - All Stirred Up, part 1/? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Great start! Can't wait for more to find out what heppens! CM ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 20:50:26 -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: Hand in the candy jar MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > LOL, thank goodness someone here is the same age as me. Yes, > Missy, that > was exactly what we used to say when I was a kid. In fact, until > Carol > explained the "home run" commericial as having two little kids at a > ball > game, I thought she meant the *other* meaning for "home run". ;) LOL! That never even occurred to me! > > And in order to combo post ... > > Irene, yes, we have Smarties here, though for some reason, they seem > to be > most popular as Halloween candy. I love them! My hubby buys them by the bag full and takes them to work or eats them 8 or 10 rolls (is that the right term for the 'individual' packages?) at a time! CM (who broke down and made her husband take her to Walmart and buy a big bag of M&Ms!) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 21:07:35 -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: NEW: Alien Gift (10/?) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >LOL at the "duh!" > > Well, then I'm glad that I didn't delete it. :D Well, duh! Of course I'd like it!> Life wasn't normal, but life was good. Who needs normal, anyway? *sigh* Normal would be nice - or at least peachy for a while. It's been rough lately - though it's not like I've found an alien child! > Some have mentioned that the pace needed to be stepped up. Does > this work? > Or still too slow? Suggestions, comments, complaints, and > unfettered praise > all welcome. Consider this unfettered praise! Loved it - so glad that Jimmy, er, Jim is in on at least part of the secret! More soon! CM ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 20:57:14 -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: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Shadowfax said: > I'd also like to hear from some of the newer (to me) writers, > including-but- > not-limited-to Carol Moncado and Terran. They're building up > impressive > track records! I love the sometimes-poignant humor in Carol's > stories, and > Terran's writing has a unique quality that intrigues me. WOW! Thanks Shadow! Actually, Crys did ask me already and I keep putting it off. I haven't decided what story to write about - suggestions? And I probably am still considered a newbie - only been around since Jan and posted my first story part in Feb, before I really had a clue what was going on. Thanks! CM (who would open said M&Ms but went to an all you can eat restaurant a little while ago and has already invaded much of the baby's space, but is really looking forward to eating (probably) the whole bag tomorrow!) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 22:16:46 -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: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 10:12:18 -0500, Shadow Fax wrote: > >As for *your* stories, Kathy, I *would have* said that WFBL is my favorite, >but that's because I forgot that you were the one who wrote TTLG. I *love* >TTLG, even more than Movers and Shakers. M&S had an exciting A-plot, and I >always enjoy stories where the two Clarks appear together (loved that line >where Lois said that she had two Supermen to look after her ), but I >like "Through the Looking Glass" even more. I guess it's because of the >contrast between the bleak future Clark was facing at the beginning of the >story, and the hope that you left him with in the end. Well, thank you very much! I have to admit, this thread has got me re- reading several of my own stories, to try to figure out which might be my choice to write about. (And thanks, Crys, for saying that authors are welcome to submit. I figured you were making invitations and, well, I hadn't gotten one. ;)) I decided to re-read my S5/6 eps this week, and I got through "Fatal Attraction", "Through The Looking Glass" and "Movers & Shakers". I'd have to say that of the three, I was most partial to M&S because I remember very vividly how happy I was living in that universe while writing it. :) I like the idea of Clark basically living a celebrity's life; he is popular, well- known and visible, but he is not constantly under the microscope. And, of course, he finally has the stability and love he's always dreamed of. :) I also admit I loved coming up with more constrasts between our universe and the Alt one with the various characters -- like Martin Snell as an honest cop while Mayson Drake is a corrupt attorney. (Poor Mayson, between M&S and WFBL, she's had it rough ... imagine what I'd do to her if I *didn't* like her? ) And, of course, I got to give Bernie hair. I'm really glad to hear that people like TTLG and "The One That Got Away", though. It can be really hard for me to be objective. As with all my stories, sometimes I read them and really like them, while other times I doubt whether they measure up. So thanks! :) Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 00:03:40 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Mary D." Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar Pam wrote: > Hey Mary (do I recognize you from the afolcslife list?) Welcome to this > list, regardless :) Yeah, it's probably me from afolcslife list you recognize. Been on that one since January I think right after I discovered L&C on TNT -- long enough to let people know how much of a newbie I am :) > If you haven't yet discovered http://lcfanfic.com get thee to the Archive, > post haste :) There are several FAQ files there that will be useful, as > well as 1500 fanfics If you mean nfic, you might want to check out > www.annesplace.net and get the password from Anne. I actually found Anne's Place first and the nfic. :) It was a little later I found http://lcfanfic.com I explored the fiction there and never noticed the FAQs or the info about joining this list until someone said something on a yahoo list - I think it was on afolcslife... > Of course you should :) If you have specific questions, feel free to ask > the list ... seriously, someone recently asked which episode had Lois > picking through a handful of M&Ms, and one of the list members tracked the > scene down! We've also provided the approximate weight of Siberian tigers, > so there's not too much that stumps us I have started to notice that. I browsed through the last month's worth of the archives of this list and saw some interesting questions and silly ponderings. Mary ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 21:05:14 -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: Re: Hand in the candy jar In-Reply-To: <020e01c13108$ebed9580$5db81b18@cinci.rr.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >I actually found Anne's Place first and the nfic. :) It was a little later >I found http://lcfanfic.com I explored the fiction there and never noticed >the FAQs or the info about joining this list until someone said something on >a yahoo list - I think it was on afolcslife... Welcome, Mary! Mighta been me - a newbie there asked about JimmyFic :) and I told her about this list, since we've had some recently. Glad you benefited from it... In an earlier post you mentioned that you've written for another fandom - you wouldn't be the Mary D that's on some of my JAG lists, are you? If not, what other fandoms, may I ask? Anyway, glad you are here, and looking forward to getting to know you better - as well as sampling your LnC fic; if you're my JAG lists' Mary D, I've enjoyed your writing there :DDD Melisma (skittering back under her Rock, suddenly shy and feeling like she's made a fool of herself *again*... :o) Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 01:08:35 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Mary D." Subject: Re: Hand in the candy jar > Welcome, Mary! Thanks for the warm welcome. I like this list already. And I see all these names posting that I have been reading in the archives. I finally found where you were all hiding. > > > Mighta been me - a newbie there asked about JimmyFic :) and I told her > about this list, since we've had some recently. Glad you benefited from it... Yeah, that's the post that made me look for the link at the LC fanfic archives.:) > In an earlier post you mentioned that you've written for another fandom - > you wouldn't be the Mary D that's on some of my JAG lists, are you? If not, > what other fandoms, may I ask? Nope, I'm not that Mary D. I've been part of the "Forever Knight" fandom since 1997, but didn't start writing until 1999. I've written mostly adult or what you call nfic in L&C fandom. I have written one PG fic as part of a challenge, which I had to turn around and follow up with an adult sequel. I write my adult fic under the nickname "NiteMar". Anyway, if anyone is interested, this is the link to "NiteMar" fiction page. http://home.att.net/~nitemar/index.html There is also a link there to the one PG story, since one of the adult stories is a sequel to it. Mary (wondering what folders I put those L&C stories in that I started on.) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 06:22:59 +0000 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: superman is a legend Subject: Re: Question: Jimmy + car? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I think Jimmy rented the car but I don't know what happened to it after superman rescued Jimmy. -Kal_EL348 Amy: "I know what his heart wants" Buffy: "Funny, I know what your face whats" *#! POW !#* -Buffy The Vampire Slayer >From: Meredith Knight >Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" > >To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU >Subject: Re: Question: Jimmy + car? >Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 08:14:51 +0100 > >There's something that's always puzzled me about Pheremone My Lovely. >Jimmy drives up to the nightclub in an ultra-smooth red convertible of >some sort, and talks to Amber. Then he wanders out into the road, >nearly gets run down, and Superman flies him home. Where did he get the >car, and what happened to it? Did it just get towed away from the front >of the club??? > >Meredith > > >Bethy Em writes > >I remember this discussion coming up once (don't know where, and don't > >remember the outcome), but did Jimmy ever have a car? I would like him >to > >have one in a short story I'm writing, but don't want to jar the readers >too > >much if he didn't. Would it jar y'all to have him have a car? > > > >If he can have one, what kind should it be? > >-- >Meredith Knight _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 16:44:21 +0930 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jill Kaye Subject: Re: Athlete' Words of Wisdom In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" . I hate Aussie Rules or any sort of football but I do understand it (most of the time). ~Larissa~ hey, >since these threads have been going I've decided to add this, >I was listening to a game of footy(aussie rules) on the radio and the >commentator said >"And he's kicked the ball straight to James Hird... unfortunately he's on >the bench" >It might not be funny if you don't know aussie rules but I found it amusing >:) > >-Kal_EL348 (go West Coast Eagles!!) > >Amy: "I know what his heart wants" >Buffy: "Funny, I know what your face whats" >*#! POW !#* >-Buffy The Vampire Slayer > > > >>From: "Marilyn L. Puett" >>Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" >> >>To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU >>Subject: Athlete' Words of Wisdom >>Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 17:14:09 -0500 >> >>Nan's courtroom statements and Ursula's post prompted me to post this email >>that I received. Of course, I have a son in college on an athletic >>scholarship. But I swear I've NEVER heard him make a statement as dumb as >>these. ;-) >> >>Athletes' Words of Wisdom >> >> >>"I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes." >>--Senior basketball player at the University of Pittsburgh >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>"Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like >>Norman Einstein." >>--Football commentator and former player Joe Theismann, 1996 >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>"You guys line up alphabetically by height." >>--Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>"You guys pair up in groups of three, then line up in a circle." >>--Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Clemson recruit Ray Forsythe, who was ineligible as a freshman because >>of academic deficiencies: "I play football. I'm not trying to be a >>professor. The tests don't seem to make sense to me, measuring your >>brain on stuff I haven't been through in school." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Boxing promoter Dan Duva on Mike Tyson hooking up again with promoter >>Don King: "Why would anyone expect him to come out smarter? He went to >>prison For three years, not Princeton." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Stu Grimson, Chicago Blackhawks left wing, explaining why he keeps a >>color photo of himself above his locker: "That's so when I forget how to >>spell my name, I can still find my clothes." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Shaquille O'Neal on whether he had visited the Parthenon during his >>visit to Greece: "I can't really remember the names of the clubs we went >>to." ____________________________________________________________ >> >>Shaquille O'Neal on his lack of championships: "I've won at every level, >>except college and pro." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Lou Duva, veteran boxing trainer, on the Spartan training regime of >>heavyweight Andrew Golota: "He's a guy who gets up at six o'clock in the >>morning regardless of what time it is." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Pat Williams, Orlando Magic general manager, on his 1992 team's 7-27 >>record: "We can't win at home. We can't win on the road. As general >>manager, I just can't figure out where else to play." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Chuck Nevitt, North Carolina State basketball player, explaining to >>Coach Jim Valvano in 1982 why he appeared nervous at practice: "My >>sister's expecting a baby, and I don't know if I'm going to be an uncle >>or an aunt." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Tommy Lasorda, Dodgers manager, when asked in 1981 what terms >>Mexican-born pitching sensation Fernando Valenzuela might settle for in >>his upcoming contract negotiations: "He wants Texas back." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Darrell Royal, Texas football coach, asked in 1966 if the abnormal >>number of Longhorn injuries that season resulted from poor physical >>conditioning: "One player was lost because he broke his nose. How do you >>go about getting a nose in condition to play football?" >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Mike McCormack, coach of the hapless Baltimore Colts, after the 1981 >>team's co-captain, offensive guard Robert Pratt, pulled a hamstring >>running onto the field for the coin toss against St. Louis: "I'm going >>to send the injured reserve players out for the toss next time." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Steve Spurrier, Florida football coach, telling Gator fans in 1991 that >>a fire at Auburn's football dorm had destroyed 20 books: "But the real >>tragedy was that 15 hadn't been colored yet." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Jim Finks, New Orleans Saints general manager, when asked after a 1986 >>loss what he thought of the refs: "I'm not allowed to comment on lousy >>officiating." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Alan Kulwicki, stock-car racer, on racing Saturday nights as opposed to >>Sunday afternoons: "It's basically the same, just darker." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Lincoln Kennedy, Oakland Raiders tackle, on his decision not to vote: "I >>was going to write myself in, but I was afraid I'd get shot." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Jim Colletto, Purdue football coach and former assistant at Arizona >>State and Ohio State, on his 11-year-old son's reaction after he took >>the job with the Boilermakers: "He said: 'Gosh, Dad, that mean's we're >>not going to any more bowl games.'" >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>LaVell Edwards, BYU football coach and one of 14 children: "They can't >>fire me because my family buys too many tickets." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Frank Layden, Utah Jazz president, on a former player: "I told him, >>'Son, what is it with you? Is it ignorance or apathy?' He said, 'Coach, >>I don't know and I don't care.'" >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Torrin Polk, University of Houston receiver, on his coach, John Jenkins: >>"He treats us like men. He lets us wear earrings." >>____________________________________________________________ >> >>Shelby Metcalf, basketball coach at Texas A&M, recounting what he told a >>player who received four Fs and one D: "Son, looks to me like you're >>spending too much time on one subject." > > >_________________________________________________________________ >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 16:44:30 +0930 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jill Kaye Subject: Re: Athlete' Words of Wisdom In-Reply-To: <001a01c13090$e3472900$14cb223f@lizo> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Wow, a Crows supporter. My parents support the Crows :) ~Larissa~ ROTFL!! > >I think it translates! > >Liz (Go Crows!) > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "superman is a legend" >To: >Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 11:00 PM >Subject: Re: Athlete' Words of Wisdom > > >> hey, >> since these threads have been going I've decided to add this, >> I was listening to a game of footy(aussie rules) on the radio and the >> commentator said >> "And he's kicked the ball straight to James Hird... unfortunately he's on >> the bench" >> It might not be funny if you don't know aussie rules but I found it >amusing >> :) >> >> -Kal_EL348 (go West Coast Eagles!!) >> >> Amy: "I know what his heart wants" >> Buffy: "Funny, I know what your face whats" >> *#! POW !#* >> -Buffy The Vampire Slayer >> >> >> ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 01:07:05 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: StarKitty Subject: Re: NEW: Alien Gift (10/?) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Yay! Part 10! I love this story :) and it's nice that you've brought Jimm . . . um, Jim into the group who know about Elsha :) Oh, and always remember, I won't object to you posting every day ;) or maybe even twice a day? ;) Tara ------------------------ I'm starting a Procrastinators Anonymous group . . . I'm going to get started on it tomorrow. No, really! Brigadier General StarKitty Team: SG-6 - Search/Rescue Unit: Sorcerers of the Tau`ri www.stargate-sg1.com http://www.geocities.com/thestarkitty/ ICQ: 40739331 jilectan@hotmail.com starkitty__@hotmail.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bethy Em" To: Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 2:26 PM Subject: NEW: Alien Gift (10/?) > Thank you for the comments on part 9, Carol. > > >Glad Elsha is remembering some stuff! > > And here comes more memories. > > >LOL at the "duh!" > > Well, then I'm glad that I didn't delete it. :D > > Here's part ten and, as always, comments welcome here or privately at > bethyem@yahoo.com. > >>snip<< > TBC... > > Some have mentioned that the pace needed to be stepped up. Does this work? > Or still too slow? Suggestions, comments, complaints, and unfettered praise > all welcome. > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 03:37:11 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology Kathy wrote, in relation to her wonderful stories: >>>It can be really hard for me to be objective. As with all my stories, sometimes I read them and really like them, while other times I doubt whether they measure up.<<< And you think that's unusual??? *Most* times, if I happen to be looking back at completed stories of mine, I doubt that they're much good! And you don't want to know what I tend to think of my stories while I'm writing them! Missy, thank you. :))) You've made me blush furiously, and I feel amazingly humbled to hear that FTGG affected you in that way. Wendy ------------- Wendy Richards wendy@lcfanfic.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 03:46:39 -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: The Author's Mind ShadowFax wrote: >>>I'd also like to hear from you, Yvonne. It's been a while since your Showcase interview and I'd like an update . So how about giving us some info on TMIAR or FOD? (And BTW, I'm waiting not-very-patiently for FOD IV. :)<<< Well, unless you really hate reading stories in instalments, you'll find FoDIV being posted on Zoom's message boards in weekly parts, as we speak. Yvonne's up to... what? Part 15? And it's every bit as brilliant and exciting as I'd been hoping! The URL is http://www.lastson.com/boards, and you'll find the story in the fanfic folder; since there's no Table of Contents, just use the search facility to find all the parts. Wendy ------------ Wendy Richards wendy@lcfanfic.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 01:48:17 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: StarKitty Subject: Re: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 21/21 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wow, Erin! This is a great story! :) Tara ------------------------ I'm starting a Procrastinators Anonymous group . . . I'm going to get started on it tomorrow. No, really! Brigadier General StarKitty Team: SG-6 - Search/Rescue Unit: Sorcerers of the Tau`ri www.stargate-sg1.com http://www.geocities.com/thestarkitty/ ICQ: 40739331 jilectan@hotmail.com starkitty__@hotmail.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Erin Klingler" To: Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 2:25 PM Subject: NEW: The Accidental Husband part 21/21 > Title: The Accidental Husband > Author: Erin Klingler > Rated: PG > Part: 21/21 > Feedback: Any and all welcomed, private or public > > ***** > > EPILOGUE: > > ***** > > Later that afternoon... > > > Lois and Clark walked out of the courthouse and down the cement steps after spending > the last couple of hours waiting to see the judge. When they finally had their > turn, the judge had heard the circumstances of their mysterious marriage, looked > over their paperwork, and quickly granted their request for a divorce. And that was > that. > > 'Well, it's finally over,' she thought solemnly. But as much as she'd been dreading > this day for weeks, now that it was all over and she and Clark were officially > divorced, she felt surprisingly unaffected. > > It had taken her a while to realize that Clark was right, that a mere piece of paper > didn't mean she was a failure when it came to relationships. It was just a thing, a > mere legal technicality. It wasn't something to dwell on when it came to her > happiness. And if you looked at it one way, she could see that their "mystery > marriage" had been a blessing in disguise. If none of it had ever happened, she and > Clark might still be only partners, and she might've even been married to Lex. > > She shuddered. 'Enough of those thoughts,' she insisted, quickly pushing them > aside. She didn't ever want to think about that again. Besides, she had more > important things to think about now. Like being in love. > > As they reached the bottom of the courthouse steps, she felt Clark reach for her > hand. When she turned to look at him, she saw that he was looking at her with a > tender smile on his face. > > "What?" she asked, suddenly feeling somewhat self-conscious. > > "Nothing." He grinned. "It's just that it's a beautiful day, and I've got an > incredibly beautiful woman next to me. I think I'm the luckiest man in the world." > > Unable to stop the smile from creeping across her face, she stopped on the path and > allowed Clark to pull her in for a kiss that left her both heady and breathless. > When they finally stepped apart, Clark gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they > continued down the sidewalk. > > "So," he asked lightly. "How does it feel to be divorced?" > > Lois let a rush of air escape from between her lips. "Weird," she admitted. "How > about you?" > > A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "I never thought a divorce could be so > amicable." > > Lois laughed, suddenly feeling back to her normal, cheery self. "Oh, really?" she > challenged, stopping and pulling Clark over to the building's stucco wall so they > were out of the walkway and the crowd of people. "Amicable? Is that all we are?" > > "I guess that depends on your description of amicable," he teased back, trapping her > against the wall and moving closer until his face was within inches of hers. > > Lois cocked an eyebrow at him. "I thought there was only one definition. You know, > friendly, on good terms with someone." > > Clark's voice became husky as he narrowed the distance between them even more. > "Well, we're definitely...friendly." He grinned mischievously at her. "And I guess > you could say that we're also 'on good terms.'" > > Lois found it hard to be in such close proximity to this man who she'd only recently > thought could never be more than a friend, and actually compose an intelligible > response. Forcing her gaze away from his full, rich lips, marked endearingly by the > tiny mole over his upper lip, she ventured, "Oh, really? How good terms?" > > Clark's eyes danced enchantingly before hers. "Let me show you." And with that, he > leaned down and touched his lips lightly to hers for the second time in a matter of > minutes. But as their kiss went from teasingly light to heart-stoppingly > passionate, Lois felt pulled into a heady sensation of total and complete surrender. > > "Wow," Lois breathed when the kiss ended and she felt her headiness subside. "If > that's 'amicable,' I can't wait to see 'passionate.'" > > Clark grinned, thrilled that his kiss could have such an effect on her. "Neither > can I," he agreed whole-heartedly. When the intimacy of the moment started to fade, > he pulled back and reached for her hand again, pulling her along with him as they > walked down the courthouse steps. > > As they walked, Lois swung their clasped hands lightly between them. "So now that > all the legalities are said and done, I just have one question." > > Clark turned to look at her curiously. "What's that?" > > "Since we're officially divorced, does this mean I'm entitled to alimony?" Lois > grinned wickedly. > > His laughter echoed off the stucco walls around them, and Lois knew she'd never tire > of hearing the sound of that laughter. "Nice try, Lois," he said simply. > > When his laughter faded, Lois leaned over and bumped her shoulder against his. "You > know, Clark, after I got used to the idea of being married, even if it was to you," > she grinned, "I kind of liked it." > > Clark's expression softened as he looked down at her tenderly. "Yeah, so did I." > > "Why is that?" > > He looked at her in surprise. "What do you mean?" > > "Well, I always grew up telling myself that the idea of marriage just wasn't > natural, that two people couldn't share their lives together. I didn't ever *want* > to get married. But these last few days...I guess the idea of being > married--especially to you--well, it kind of grew on me." > > Clark nodded solemnly. "It did for me, too." > > "So...where do we go from here?" she asked seriously. > > He gave her hand a squeeze. "Let's just plan to do what we talked about--take > things one day at a time and see where that leads us." > > "One day at a time," Lois echoed. > > Clark nodded. "You know, continue to be partners, go out regularly, get to know > each other a little better. For example, I didn't even know you'd been married > before." > > Lois's face broke out into a smile. "You didn't? Well, he was quite a wonderful > man." > > "Really?" Clark taunted, his teasing smile reaching all the way into his eyes, > making them sparkle and dance with life. "If he was so wonderful, then how come > you're not still married to him?" > > "Because it all came on so suddenly," Lois teased, playing along. "We barely knew > each other, plus there was this other guy I was engaged to marry." > > "But that other guy's history, right? He's no longer part of the equation?" > > Lois shook her head. "Nope." > > "Well, then next time, I'll just have to make sure it's not as sudden, and that we > know each other very well." He leaned in to kiss her, his lips brushing over hers > lightly, sending her once again reeling from his touch. > > But then his words hit her, and her eyes flew open. She pulled away so she could > look into his gorgeous, chocolate brown eyes. "Wait. 'Next time'?" > > Clark smiled softly and nodded. "You bet. At least that's what *I'm* shooting > for." > > Lois mulled that over in her mind for a long moment, then smiled as his words vined > their way down from her mind and entangled themselves around her heart. "'Next > time,'" she repeated again, this time with a smile. "I like that sound of that." > > > ~~The End. :) > > > > Erin > __________________ > erink@ida.net > erink@lcfanfic.com > Visit my Lois & Clark/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek > ***** > "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." > __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 11:15:54 +0100 Reply-To: LabRat Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Organization: LabRat Subject: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > The URL is http://www.lastson.com/boards, and you'll find the story in the > fanfic folder; since there's no Table of Contents, just use the search > facility to find all the parts. > Or, you can use the Mbs Index - http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Meteor/7378/lnc.html where you will find direct links to all parts of all the stories posted on the mbs. :) LabRat :) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 10:30:46 +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: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi everyone :-) I don't have any time to get into this really interesting discussion but here is something where I couldn't resist: Kathy wrote >The first being Camping; sorry, Wendy, I know it needs an insulin warning , but that's kind of how fanfics were back then! < And I loved it! I'm one of the readers who would really LOVE to see more stories like "Camping with Clark". It was so sweet to see Lois and Clark in a happy marriage. I loved the interaction with Clark's friends and the little glimpses we got from Clark's past. It was great! One story that also comes to my mind right next to "Camping" as a really nice waffy story is Zoomie's "12:01". I LOVE that kind of stories. Don't get me wrong, angst is not so bad either, but nothing goes over a nice WAFF fest! Nicole -- AKA CKgroupie on IRC/AIM NKWolke@t-online.de "The Dean Cain News Page" http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 07:45:54 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LaNita Cornwall Subject: Re: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Camping With Clark is the story that got me started looking for more L&C fanfic. And it's still one of my all time favorite stories. And my favorite type. Angst is not one of my favorite things and I have to be in just the right mood to read it. That mood doesn't come around very often. Fan fiction is what made me start looking for the show. I didn't watch it when it was on regular TV. I don't watch much TV and the kids have a tendency to dominate it anyway. So Wendy got me hooked on all of this to begin with. :) Thanks, I owe you one. LaNita LaNita Cornwall Library Systems Assistant Weatherford College Library 225 College Park Drive Weatherford, TX 76086 817 594-5471, ext. 456 http://www.wc.edu/library -----Original Message----- From: Nicole Wolke [mailto:NKWolke@T-ONLINE.DE] Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 3:31 AM To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Subject: Re: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology Hi everyone :-) I don't have any time to get into this really interesting discussion but here is something where I couldn't resist: Kathy wrote >The first being Camping; sorry, Wendy, I know it needs an insulin warning , but that's kind of how fanfics were back then! < And I loved it! I'm one of the readers who would really LOVE to see more stories like "Camping with Clark". It was so sweet to see Lois and Clark in a happy marriage. I loved the interaction with Clark's friends and the little glimpses we got from Clark's past. It was great! One story that also comes to my mind right next to "Camping" as a really nice waffy story is Zoomie's "12:01". I LOVE that kind of stories. Don't get me wrong, angst is not so bad either, but nothing goes over a nice WAFF fest! Nicole -- AKA CKgroupie on IRC/AIM NKWolke@t-online.de "The Dean Cain News Page" http://members.tripod.de/CKgroupie/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 08:40:35 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 03:37:11 -0500, Wendy Richards wrote: > >And you think that's unusual??? *Most* times, if I happen to be looking >back at completed stories of mine, I doubt that they're much good! This is a joke . . . right??? Shadowfax, scratching her head and wondering if this is really one of FOLCdom's most popular authors talking, the writer who routinely makes everyone's list of favorites. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:58:32 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Gerry Anklewicz Subject: Re: New - All Stirred Up, part 1/? In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit What a wonderful beginning, Meredith. You've got my attention. I enjoyed reading Clark's thoughts as he flew up to Nightfall. I'll patiently? wait for more. Gerry ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 15:08:15 +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: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit LaNita wrote: > Camping With Clark is the story that got me started looking for more L&C > fanfic. [snip] > > So Wendy got me hooked on all of this to begin with. :) Thanks, I owe you > one. LaNita, I'd love to thank you for the compliment, but it's *Kathy* you should be thanking here! *She* wrote Camping With Clark, not me! ShadowFax, I missed your comments about A Conscious Choice and It Happened One Super Night/It's A Super Life earlier; thank you. I'm very flattered indeed. :) This discussion's certainly showing me how popular features like The Author's Mind and The Writers' Showcase are - it's really great to see that. I do remember when The Writers' Showcase was running the first time, about three years ago, we used to discuss the interviews on this list too. Thanks, Anne, for resurrecting the Showcase and for the new Where Are They Now? feature; and thanks, too, to you, Crys, for The Author's Mind. :) Hey, maybe someone else might host another kind of interview: The Reader's Choice, in which fanfic *readers* talk about what they like in fic? I could see merry and Ray being *very* popular choices for interviewees there! Wendy -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:27:31 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: The Author's Mind On Wed, 29 Aug 2001 20:57:14 -0500, Carol L Moncado wrote: >WOW! Thanks Shadow! Actually, Crys did ask me already and I keep >putting it off. I haven't decided what story to write about - >suggestions? No, none. I've been wondering what story you would choose and *I* would have a hard time picking a favorite from among them. They're all so sweet and funny! And Truth or Dare is not only funny, but a bit poignant at times, too. Since I can't pick a *favorite*, though, I'm wondering how on earth you got the idea for Truth or Dare. The story behind *that* story would no doubt make for interesting reading. :-) Of course, I'd also like to get the skinny on Lois and Clark and the IRS. And Superman's Shower. And Early Anniversary. And . . . . See? It's too hard to pick just one. Sigh. >And I probably am still considered a newbie - only been >around since Jan and posted my first story part in Feb, before I really >had a clue what was going on. > >Thanks! > >CM (who would open said M&Ms but went to an all you can eat restaurant a >little while ago and has already invaded much of the baby's space, but is >really looking forward to eating (probably) the whole bag tomorrow!) Enjoy! I'm glad you cleared up that bit about the green MnMs. The only thing that I remember about the colors is that they stopped making the red ones for awhile because it was said that the dye they used at the time causes cancer. I'm glad that they're making the red again. I just wish they'd stop using those awful blue ones! Shadowfax ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 10:28:51 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: About the authors ... Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wendy writes ... << Thanks, Anne, for resurrecting the Showcase and for the new Where Are They Now? feature; >> I wish I could take a lot of this credit, but Labby and Helene do the hardest part of it ... getting the interviews. Like the Author's Mind, this isn't a by invitatoin only affair, if you know of any authors you would like to see featured, drop us a line at showcase@annesplace.net. Anne ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:52:55 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: The Author's Mind On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 11:15:54 +0100, LabRat wrote: >> The URL is http://www.lastson.com/boards, and you'll find the story in the >> fanfic folder; since there's no Table of Contents, just use the search >> facility to find all the parts. >> > > >Or, you can use the Mbs Index - >http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Meteor/7378/lnc.html where you will find >direct links to all parts of all the stories posted on the mbs. :) > and Wendy wrote: >Well, unless you really hate reading stories in instalments, you'll find >FoDIV being posted on Zoom's message boards in weekly parts, as we speak. >Yvonne's up to... what? Part 15? And it's every bit as brilliant and >exciting as I'd been hoping! >The URL is http://www.lastson.com/boards, and you'll find the story in the >fanfic folder; since there's no Table of Contents, just use the search >facility to find all the parts. Thanks for the links, guys. :) And yes, Wendy, I really *do* hate reading stories in installments . I was aware that Yvonne has been posting her story, but unless a story is very short, I almost always wait until it hits the archives before I'll read it. I like to be "inside" the story, living it with the characters until I reach "The End." Suspense kills me. BTW, does anyone know if it is considered rude to call people "guys?" Where I grew up, we used the term generically, to refer to both males and females, but aeons ago in school we were told that it's impolite to refer to someone as a guy. Likewise, "fellow," which used to be an insult. Shadowfax ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 16:07:46 +0100 Reply-To: LabRat Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Organization: LabRat Subject: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > BTW, does anyone know if it is considered rude to call people "guys?" > Where I grew up, we used the term generically, to refer to both males and > females, but aeons ago in school we were told that it's impolite to refer > to someone as a guy. Likewise, "fellow," which used to be an insult. > > Shadowfax As far as I'm aware guys is used in the modern sense generically to mean all. I use it in that sense certainly. LabRat :) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 11:52:44 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: About the authors ... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/30/01 10:29:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time, AMCiotola@AOL.COM writes: > I wish I could take a lot of this credit, but Labby and Helene do the > Oh... it's Helene's fault. Now I get it. She's using those disemboweling tools on you authors? ;) --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 10:45:39 -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: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:27:31 -0500 Shadow Fax writes: > > No, none. *sheesh* YOU'RE a big help!:D 've been wondering what story you would choose and > *I* > would have a hard time picking a favorite from among them. They're > all so > sweet and funny! And Truth or Dare is not only funny, but a bit > poignant > at times, too. > > Since I can't pick a *favorite*, though, I'm wondering how on earth > you got > the idea for Truth or Dare. The story behind *that* story would no > doubt > make for interesting reading. :-) Of course, I'd also like to get > the > skinny on Lois and Clark and the IRS. And Superman's Shower. And > Early > Anniversary. And . . . . See? It's too hard to pick just one. > Sigh. But see those just happened. there was no diabolical planning behind them. Just started typing and stopped 15 pages later or so. Hmm - Superman's Shower was a little more than that, have to think about it... > >CM (who would open said M&Ms but went to an all you can eat > restaurant a > >little while ago and has already invaded much of the baby's space, > but is > >really looking forward to eating (probably) the whole bag > tomorrow!) > > Enjoy! Oh I will! (Couse that will counteract the work out I just finished - don't worry all, I'm being careful - don't do near as much as I did before I was 8 months pregnant - and my doc already thinks I've been gaining too much weight the last month and a half or so. Oh, well - only live once!!!!) > > I'm glad you cleared up that bit about the green MnMs. The only > thing > that I remember about the colors is that they stopped making the red > ones > for awhile because it was said that the dye they used at the time > causes > cancer. I'm glad that they're making the red again. I just wish > they'd > stop using those awful blue ones! They had 4th of July ones at Walmart last night - kinda weird. Ditto - no more blue! Maybe we should start a campaign! We could carry signs and set up a website www.blueiswrong.com or something!:D CM(Who is going to eat breakfast before getting into the M&Ms!) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:08:01 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chief Pam Subject: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >>CM(Who is going to eat breakfast before getting into the M&Ms!) Enjoy them while you can, Carol! I nursed both my kids, and while there's tons of wonderful things about nursing, it is true that what you eat can affect the baby... and it was eating a bag of M&Ms that made me realize that the reason baby Marissa could be so fussy at times was that she hated it when I ate chocolate! Man, I hated giving up chocolate, but the decision was made easier by the fact that whenever I cheated, she'd scream bloody murder at the next feeding time. Nothing's worse than an unhappy baby :) PJ (who had to give up onions for Michael, but somehow that wasn't such a big deal ) Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam **note new address** "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of having a country of English cooks, German lovers, French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." --P. J. O'Rourke ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carol L Moncado" To: Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 11:45 AM Subject: Re: The Author's Mind > On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:27:31 -0500 Shadow Fax > writes: > > > > > No, none. > > *sheesh* YOU'RE a big help!:D > > 've been wondering what story you would choose and > > *I* > > would have a hard time picking a favorite from among them. They're > > all so > > sweet and funny! And Truth or Dare is not only funny, but a bit > > poignant > > at times, too. > > > > Since I can't pick a *favorite*, though, I'm wondering how on earth > > you got > > the idea for Truth or Dare. The story behind *that* story would no > > doubt > > make for interesting reading. :-) Of course, I'd also like to get > > the > > skinny on Lois and Clark and the IRS. And Superman's Shower. And > > Early > > Anniversary. And . . . . See? It's too hard to pick just one. > > Sigh. > > But see those just happened. there was no diabolical planning behind > them. Just started typing and stopped 15 pages later or so. Hmm - > Superman's Shower was a little more than that, have to think about it... > > > >CM (who would open said M&Ms but went to an all you can eat > > restaurant a > > >little while ago and has already invaded much of the baby's space, > > but is > > >really looking forward to eating (probably) the whole bag > > tomorrow!) > > > > Enjoy! > > Oh I will! (Couse that will counteract the work out I just finished - > don't worry all, I'm being careful - don't do near as much as I did > before I was 8 months pregnant - and my doc already thinks I've been > gaining too much weight the last month and a half or so. Oh, well - only > live once!!!!) > > > > I'm glad you cleared up that bit about the green MnMs. The only > > thing > > that I remember about the colors is that they stopped making the red > > ones > > for awhile because it was said that the dye they used at the time > > causes > > cancer. I'm glad that they're making the red again. I just wish > > they'd > > stop using those awful blue ones! > > They had 4th of July ones at Walmart last night - kinda weird. Ditto - > no more blue! Maybe we should start a campaign! We could carry signs > and set up a website www.blueiswrong.com or something!:D > > > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:17:46 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: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/30/2001 9:41:03 AM, shadowfax27@HOTMAIL.COM writes: << On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 03:37:11 -0500, Wendy Richards wrote: > >And you think that's unusual??? *Most* times, if I happen to be looking >back at completed stories of mine, I doubt that they're much good! This is a joke . . . right??? >> No joke ... I'm quite sure. Most authors are always seeking to improve their writing. I know I am, and the authors I've spoken with feel the same... with each story, we try to improve upon what we've done before... whether it's story, romance, characterization, conversations, grammar... whatever. So, if this is happening, then it makes sense you'd look back at your first works and think... "OMG!! What was I thinking??" It's not a sign that you started out poorly, just that you have improved. I have seen the improvement in Wendy's stuff... from very good, to great, to OUTSTANDING! It makes a lot of sense that she'd be more critical of her first works. In addition, writers tend to be very critical of themselves in the first place... that's why we want to improve. See paragraph one . -Crys- just another writer ;) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 11:18:34 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kathy Seidl Subject: Looking for a partner / partners Hi everyone! :) I'm being haunted - by a fanfic idea. I just won't get it out of my head... So I finally sat down and wrote down some notes on what wouldn't let go of me. It's (hopefully) going to be a "Lois & Clark"/"V - The Miniseries" X-over story. But it seems that this short story idea of "What if..." has taken on a life of its own and wants to be written as a rather longish piece... So I realized that I'd rather have and might actually need a partner / partners for this project, since I don't really want to give it up, and neither do I want to completely give it to someone else... I'd be in heaven if there're people out there still remembering "V" willing to partner up with this newbie! :) Please email me at KitKaos@hotmail.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 11:14:10 -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: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit GIVE UP CHOCOLATE?! AHHH! NOOOOOOOO! I love my child - though I haven't met him or her yet - but give up chocolate?! *sigh* If I must, I must. But I am kinda hoping this child loves chocolate so I won't have to. Just curious, does she like chocolate now? And onions? No sweat! (no tears either!) I've heard breast feeding can burn up to an extra 1000 calories a day, so you can bet I'm going to give it a shot! Especially with the cost of formula these days! CM (Who will find out soon what this child won't like!) On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:08:01 -0400 Chief Pam writes: > >>CM(Who is going to eat breakfast before getting into the M&Ms!) > > Enjoy them while you can, Carol! I nursed both my kids, and while > there's > tons of wonderful things about nursing, it is true that what you eat > can > affect the baby... and it was eating a bag of M&Ms that made me > realize that > the reason baby Marissa could be so fussy at times was that she > hated it > when I ate chocolate! Man, I hated giving up chocolate, but the > decision > was made easier by the fact that whenever I cheated, she'd scream > bloody > murder at the next feeding time. Nothing's worse than an unhappy > baby :) > > PJ > (who had to give up onions for Michael, but somehow that wasn't such > a big > deal ) > > Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com > http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam > **note new address** > > "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of > having a country of English cooks, German lovers, > French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." > --P. J. O'Rourke > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Carol L Moncado" > To: > Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 11:45 AM > Subject: Re: The Author's Mind > > > > On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:27:31 -0500 Shadow Fax > > > writes: > > > > > > > > No, none. > > > > *sheesh* YOU'RE a big help!:D > > > > 've been wondering what story you would choose and > > > *I* > > > would have a hard time picking a favorite from among them. > They're > > > all so > > > sweet and funny! And Truth or Dare is not only funny, but a bit > > > poignant > > > at times, too. > > > > > > Since I can't pick a *favorite*, though, I'm wondering how on > earth > > > you got > > > the idea for Truth or Dare. The story behind *that* story would > no > > > doubt > > > make for interesting reading. :-) Of course, I'd also like to > get > > > the > > > skinny on Lois and Clark and the IRS. And Superman's Shower. > And > > > Early > > > Anniversary. And . . . . See? It's too hard to pick just one. > > > Sigh. > > > > But see those just happened. there was no diabolical planning > behind > > them. Just started typing and stopped 15 pages later or so. Hmm > - > > Superman's Shower was a little more than that, have to think about > it... > > > > > >CM (who would open said M&Ms but went to an all you can eat > > > restaurant a > > > >little while ago and has already invaded much of the baby's > space, > > > but is > > > >really looking forward to eating (probably) the whole bag > > > tomorrow!) > > > > > > Enjoy! > > > > Oh I will! (Couse that will counteract the work out I just > finished - > > don't worry all, I'm being careful - don't do near as much as I > did > > before I was 8 months pregnant - and my doc already thinks I've > been > > gaining too much weight the last month and a half or so. Oh, well > - only > > live once!!!!) > > > > > > I'm glad you cleared up that bit about the green MnMs. The > only > > > thing > > > that I remember about the colors is that they stopped making the > red > > > ones > > > for awhile because it was said that the dye they used at the > time > > > causes > > > cancer. I'm glad that they're making the red again. I just > wish > > > they'd > > > stop using those awful blue ones! > > > > They had 4th of July ones at Walmart last night - kinda weird. > Ditto - > > no more blue! Maybe we should start a campaign! We could carry > signs > > and set up a website www.blueiswrong.com or something!:D > > > > > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:25:13 -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: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Janine used to get colic when I ate chocolate. It was murder for a chocoholic like me to give it up, but nothing is worse than a colicky baby screaming for hours on end. Nan Chief Pam wrote: > >>CM(Who is going to eat breakfast before getting into the M&Ms!) > > Enjoy them while you can, Carol! I nursed both my kids, and while there's > tons of wonderful things about nursing, it is true that what you eat can > affect the baby... and it was eating a bag of M&Ms that made me realize that > the reason baby Marissa could be so fussy at times was that she hated it > when I ate chocolate! Man, I hated giving up chocolate, but the decision > was made easier by the fact that whenever I cheated, she'd scream bloody > murder at the next feeding time. Nothing's worse than an unhappy baby :) > > PJ > (who had to give up onions for Michael, but somehow that wasn't such a big > deal ) > > Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com > http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam > **note new address** > > "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of > having a country of English cooks, German lovers, > French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." > --P. J. O'Rourke > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Carol L Moncado" > To: > Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 11:45 AM > Subject: Re: The Author's Mind > > > On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:27:31 -0500 Shadow Fax > > writes: > > > > > > > > No, none. > > > > *sheesh* YOU'RE a big help!:D > > > > 've been wondering what story you would choose and > > > *I* > > > would have a hard time picking a favorite from among them. They're > > > all so > > > sweet and funny! And Truth or Dare is not only funny, but a bit > > > poignant > > > at times, too. > > > > > > Since I can't pick a *favorite*, though, I'm wondering how on earth > > > you got > > > the idea for Truth or Dare. The story behind *that* story would no > > > doubt > > > make for interesting reading. :-) Of course, I'd also like to get > > > the > > > skinny on Lois and Clark and the IRS. And Superman's Shower. And > > > Early > > > Anniversary. And . . . . See? It's too hard to pick just one. > > > Sigh. > > > > But see those just happened. there was no diabolical planning behind > > them. Just started typing and stopped 15 pages later or so. Hmm - > > Superman's Shower was a little more than that, have to think about it... > > > > > >CM (who would open said M&Ms but went to an all you can eat > > > restaurant a > > > >little while ago and has already invaded much of the baby's space, > > > but is > > > >really looking forward to eating (probably) the whole bag > > > tomorrow!) > > > > > > Enjoy! > > > > Oh I will! (Couse that will counteract the work out I just finished - > > don't worry all, I'm being careful - don't do near as much as I did > > before I was 8 months pregnant - and my doc already thinks I've been > > gaining too much weight the last month and a half or so. Oh, well - only > > live once!!!!) > > > > > > I'm glad you cleared up that bit about the green MnMs. The only > > > thing > > > that I remember about the colors is that they stopped making the red > > > ones > > > for awhile because it was said that the dye they used at the time > > > causes > > > cancer. I'm glad that they're making the red again. I just wish > > > they'd > > > stop using those awful blue ones! > > > > They had 4th of July ones at Walmart last night - kinda weird. Ditto - > > no more blue! Maybe we should start a campaign! We could carry signs > > and set up a website www.blueiswrong.com or something!:D > > > > > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:29:39 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: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I'm rather fond of W&Ws myself ... but to each their own. ;) Anne ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:34:16 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chief Pam Subject: Re: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Don't panic yet, Carol It may not be an issue at all. And these days, Marissa *loves* chocolate (I guess she just wanted to eat it firsthand ) Breastfeeding is wonderful for a number of reasons (burning calories among others) and once I got the hang of it, I found it wonderfully convenient, which was why I was determined to keep doing it with Marissa -- even if it meant giving up chocolate I've even seen research that suggests to me that Michael's autism could have been a lot worse if I hadn't nursed him -- who'dathunkit? Good luck with getting started -- it can be tricky, figuring it all out. Feel free to shoot me an email if you want advice, encouragement, or just someone to talk to :) Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam **note new address** "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of having a country of English cooks, German lovers, French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." --P. J. O'Rourke ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carol L Moncado" To: Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 12:14 PM Subject: Re: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind > GIVE UP CHOCOLATE?! AHHH! NOOOOOOOO! > > I love my child - though I haven't met him or her yet - but give up > chocolate?! > > *sigh* If I must, I must. But I am kinda hoping this child loves > chocolate so I won't have to. > > Just curious, does she like chocolate now? > > And onions? No sweat! (no tears either!) > > I've heard breast feeding can burn up to an extra 1000 calories a day, so > you can bet I'm going to give it a shot! Especially with the cost of > formula these days! > > CM (Who will find out soon what this child won't like!) > > On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:08:01 -0400 Chief Pam writes: > > >>CM(Who is going to eat breakfast before getting into the M&Ms!) > > > > Enjoy them while you can, Carol! I nursed both my kids, and while > > there's > > tons of wonderful things about nursing, it is true that what you eat > > can > > affect the baby... and it was eating a bag of M&Ms that made me > > realize that > > the reason baby Marissa could be so fussy at times was that she > > hated it > > when I ate chocolate! Man, I hated giving up chocolate, but the > > decision > > was made easier by the fact that whenever I cheated, she'd scream > > bloody > > murder at the next feeding time. Nothing's worse than an unhappy > > baby :) > > > > PJ > > (who had to give up onions for Michael, but somehow that wasn't such > > a big > > deal ) > > > > Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com > > http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam > > **note new address** > > > > "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of > > having a country of English cooks, German lovers, > > French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." > > --P. J. O'Rourke > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Carol L Moncado" > > To: > > Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 11:45 AM > > Subject: Re: The Author's Mind > > > > > > > On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:27:31 -0500 Shadow Fax > > > > > writes: > > > > > > > > > > > No, none. > > > > > > *sheesh* YOU'RE a big help!:D > > > > > > 've been wondering what story you would choose and > > > > *I* > > > > would have a hard time picking a favorite from among them. > > They're > > > > all so > > > > sweet and funny! And Truth or Dare is not only funny, but a bit > > > > poignant > > > > at times, too. > > > > > > > > Since I can't pick a *favorite*, though, I'm wondering how on > > earth > > > > you got > > > > the idea for Truth or Dare. The story behind *that* story would > > no > > > > doubt > > > > make for interesting reading. :-) Of course, I'd also like to > > get > > > > the > > > > skinny on Lois and Clark and the IRS. And Superman's Shower. > > And > > > > Early > > > > Anniversary. And . . . . See? It's too hard to pick just one. > > > > Sigh. > > > > > > But see those just happened. there was no diabolical planning > > behind > > > them. Just started typing and stopped 15 pages later or so. Hmm > > - > > > Superman's Shower was a little more than that, have to think about > > it... > > > > > > > >CM (who would open said M&Ms but went to an all you can eat > > > > restaurant a > > > > >little while ago and has already invaded much of the baby's > > space, > > > > but is > > > > >really looking forward to eating (probably) the whole bag > > > > tomorrow!) > > > > > > > > Enjoy! > > > > > > Oh I will! (Couse that will counteract the work out I just > > finished - > > > don't worry all, I'm being careful - don't do near as much as I > > did > > > before I was 8 months pregnant - and my doc already thinks I've > > been > > > gaining too much weight the last month and a half or so. Oh, well > > - only > > > live once!!!!) > > > > > > > > I'm glad you cleared up that bit about the green MnMs. The > > only > > > > thing > > > > that I remember about the colors is that they stopped making the > > red > > > > ones > > > > for awhile because it was said that the dye they used at the > > time > > > > causes > > > > cancer. I'm glad that they're making the red again. I just > > wish > > > > they'd > > > > stop using those awful blue ones! > > > > > > They had 4th of July ones at Walmart last night - kinda weird. > > Ditto - > > > no more blue! Maybe we should start a campaign! We could carry > > signs > > > and set up a website www.blueiswrong.com or something!:D > > > > > > > > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:42:28 -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: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit That I have to agree with. I nursed all my babies and, with the first five, I returned to my pre-pregnancy weight within a few months. Unfortunately, with the twins, I had a c-section. Combining that with the fact that there were 2 of them, the stress was too much and my milk dried up the second month. Needless to say, I'm still fighting the extra weight, 14 years later. (sigh) Nan Chief Pam wrote: > Don't panic yet, Carol It may not be an issue at all. And these days, > Marissa *loves* chocolate (I guess she just wanted to eat it firsthand ) > > Breastfeeding is wonderful for a number of reasons (burning calories among > others) and once I got the hang of it, I found it wonderfully convenient, > which was why I was determined to keep doing it with Marissa -- even if it > meant giving up chocolate I've even seen research that suggests to me > that Michael's autism could have been a lot worse if I hadn't nursed him -- > who'dathunkit? > > Good luck with getting started -- it can be tricky, figuring it all out. > Feel free to shoot me an email if you want advice, encouragement, or just > someone to talk to :) > > Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com > http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam > **note new address** > > "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of > having a country of English cooks, German lovers, > French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." > --P. J. O'Rourke > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Carol L Moncado" > To: > Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 12:14 PM > Subject: Re: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind > > > GIVE UP CHOCOLATE?! AHHH! NOOOOOOOO! > > > > I love my child - though I haven't met him or her yet - but give up > > chocolate?! > > > > *sigh* If I must, I must. But I am kinda hoping this child loves > > chocolate so I won't have to. > > > > Just curious, does she like chocolate now? > > > > And onions? No sweat! (no tears either!) > > > > I've heard breast feeding can burn up to an extra 1000 calories a day, so > > you can bet I'm going to give it a shot! Especially with the cost of > > formula these days! > > > > CM (Who will find out soon what this child won't like!) > > > > On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:08:01 -0400 Chief Pam writes: > > > >>CM(Who is going to eat breakfast before getting into the M&Ms!) > > > > > > Enjoy them while you can, Carol! I nursed both my kids, and while > > > there's > > > tons of wonderful things about nursing, it is true that what you eat > > > can > > > affect the baby... and it was eating a bag of M&Ms that made me > > > realize that > > > the reason baby Marissa could be so fussy at times was that she > > > hated it > > > when I ate chocolate! Man, I hated giving up chocolate, but the > > > decision > > > was made easier by the fact that whenever I cheated, she'd scream > > > bloody > > > murder at the next feeding time. Nothing's worse than an unhappy > > > baby :) > > > > > > PJ > > > (who had to give up onions for Michael, but somehow that wasn't such > > > a big > > > deal ) > > > > > > Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com > > > http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam > > > **note new address** > > > > > > "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of > > > having a country of English cooks, German lovers, > > > French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." > > > --P. J. O'Rourke > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Carol L Moncado" > > > To: > > > Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 11:45 AM > > > Subject: Re: The Author's Mind > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:27:31 -0500 Shadow Fax > > > > > > > writes: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > No, none. > > > > > > > > *sheesh* YOU'RE a big help!:D > > > > > > > > 've been wondering what story you would choose and > > > > > *I* > > > > > would have a hard time picking a favorite from among them. > > > They're > > > > > all so > > > > > sweet and funny! And Truth or Dare is not only funny, but a bit > > > > > poignant > > > > > at times, too. > > > > > > > > > > Since I can't pick a *favorite*, though, I'm wondering how on > > > earth > > > > > you got > > > > > the idea for Truth or Dare. The story behind *that* story would > > > no > > > > > doubt > > > > > make for interesting reading. :-) Of course, I'd also like to > > > get > > > > > the > > > > > skinny on Lois and Clark and the IRS. And Superman's Shower. > > > And > > > > > Early > > > > > Anniversary. And . . . . See? It's too hard to pick just one. > > > > > Sigh. > > > > > > > > But see those just happened. there was no diabolical planning > > > behind > > > > them. Just started typing and stopped 15 pages later or so. Hmm > > > - > > > > Superman's Shower was a little more than that, have to think about > > > it... > > > > > > > > > >CM (who would open said M&Ms but went to an all you can eat > > > > > restaurant a > > > > > >little while ago and has already invaded much of the baby's > > > space, > > > > > but is > > > > > >really looking forward to eating (probably) the whole bag > > > > > tomorrow!) > > > > > > > > > > Enjoy! > > > > > > > > Oh I will! (Couse that will counteract the work out I just > > > finished - > > > > don't worry all, I'm being careful - don't do near as much as I > > > did > > > > before I was 8 months pregnant - and my doc already thinks I've > > > been > > > > gaining too much weight the last month and a half or so. Oh, well > > > - only > > > > live once!!!!) > > > > > > > > > > I'm glad you cleared up that bit about the green MnMs. The > > > only > > > > > thing > > > > > that I remember about the colors is that they stopped making the > > > red > > > > > ones > > > > > for awhile because it was said that the dye they used at the > > > time > > > > > causes > > > > > cancer. I'm glad that they're making the red again. I just > > > wish > > > > > they'd > > > > > stop using those awful blue ones! > > > > > > > > They had 4th of July ones at Walmart last night - kinda weird. > > > Ditto - > > > > no more blue! Maybe we should start a campaign! We could carry > > > signs > > > > and set up a website www.blueiswrong.com or something!:D > > > > > > > > > > > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 18:59:09 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Kathy S." Subject: Re: Fanfic Question: Lois' youth Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Thanks alot, Cindy! :) >From: Cindy Leuch >Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" > >To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU >Subject: Re: Fanfic Question: Lois' youth >Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 13:19:20 -0500 > >The rivalry between Lois and Linda was in college. Lois's high school was >"Metropolis High" (they're the Lions, "roar") according to the series, >although a city the size of Metropolis would most definately have more than >one high school (unless that's one huuuuuuge school). Hope that helps! > >GO CYCLONES! >Cindy Leuch >isuleuch@hotmail.com > >_________________________________________________________________ >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:23:21 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: NEW: The Accidental Husband In-Reply-To: <20010829195543.72550.qmail@web10903.mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > S > P > O > I > L > E > R > > S > P > A > C > E > > Erin, I just finished reading the last part of this > story. I wallowed shamelessly in the WAFFs and sighed > my way happily to the ending. > > Wow! Just lovely! Definitely being added to my Kerth > pile for nomination! > > I loved the ending. It was perfect. Thanks Irene, for your wonderful, glowing compliments! And thank you to Carol and Mark, as well, for telling me that you enjoyed this so much. Comments like yours definitely motivate me to keep writing. :) As for this: > Irene > who, now that this story is done, can't help wondering > about the sequel to The Darkest Hour (Before the Dawn) LOL! Can't help but admit that I've had a lot of you twisting my arm lately to get on this sequel. Maybe I'll just have to do it. Thanks again, guys. I'm thrilled you enjoyed it. :) Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:24:04 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Fanfic Question: Klein's name MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi all :) Quick question: It's *Bernie* Klein, right? Is that short for Bernard? I can't remember. Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 10:36:47 -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: Fanfic Question: Klein's name MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Yes. Dr. Bernard Klein of STAR Labs. Nan Erin Klingler wrote: > Hi all :) > > Quick question: It's *Bernie* Klein, right? Is that short for Bernard? I can't > remember. > > Erin > __________________ > erink@ida.net > erink@lcfanfic.com > Visit my Lois & Clark/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek > ***** > "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." > __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 13:35:38 -0400 Reply-To: ardchem@earthlink.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "ardchem@earthlink.net" Subject: Re: Fanfic Question: Klein's name Content-Transfer-Encoding: Quoted-Printable MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Yep, His first name is Bernard, but it might be spelled Bernerd, though that looks wrong. IIRC the first time it was mentione= d was in LotF. Klein cracks a joke to L&C when they are asking about the Space Station and pronounces his name like Bern= erd. Also, the mayor in...darn it I can't remember the name of the episode...the one where Superman's powers go nuts, th= e one with Perry's son and the red kryptonite. Anyway, the mayor calls him Bernerd. Lisa M. Ramirez ardchem@earthlink.net Original Message: ----------------- From: Erin Klingler erink@IDA.NET Hi all :) Quick question: It's *Bernie* Klein, right? Is that short for Bernard? I can't remember. Erin -------------------------------------------------------------------- Mail2Web - Check your email from the web at http://www.mail2web.com/ . ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 19:35:49 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Kathy S." Subject: Re: Fanfic Question: Klein's name Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Yes! :) >From: Erin Klingler >Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" > >To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU >Subject: Fanfic Question: Klein's name >Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:24:04 -0700 > >Hi all :) > >Quick question: It's *Bernie* Klein, right? Is that short for Bernard? I >can't >remember. > >Erin >__________________ >erink@ida.net >erink@lcfanfic.com >Visit my Lois & Clark/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek > ***** >"It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they >happen." >__________________ _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:36:09 -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: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 08:40:35 -0500, Shadow Fax wrote: >>And you think that's unusual??? *Most* times, if I happen to be looking >>back at completed stories of mine, I doubt that they're much good! > >This is a joke . . . right??? > >Shadowfax, >scratching her head and wondering if this is really one of FOLCdom's most >popular authors talking, the writer who routinely makes everyone's list of >favorites. LOL, I need to forward this thread to Sheila Harper. She's nomail on the list now, but this is right up her alley. If you want a shocker, I'll give you one -- Sheila doubts herself *way* more than either Wendy or I do, which to me is just ... just ... completely astounding! That woman has talent oozing out of her pores. Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:35:09 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: Fanfic Question: Klein's name In-Reply-To: <3B8E79AF.10AC3345@earthlink.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Yes. Dr. Bernard Klein of STAR Labs. Thanks everyone! :) Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:56:31 -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: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 11:14:10 -0500, Carol L Moncado wrote: >GIVE UP CHOCOLATE?! AHHH! NOOOOOOOO! > >I love my child - though I haven't met him or her yet - but give up >chocolate?! LOL, don't worry, it's not a given. I can eat anything, even spicy food, and Donny doesn't blink. For a tiny little shrimp, he sure loves to eat. I did give up dairy products because I thought that might be aggravating his reflux, but I honestly haven't been able to make any correlation. And now that he's five months, he's not only outgrowing the reflux and starting to gain some weight (we're actually up to the 25th percentile, woo hoo! ), but he's eating cereal made with formula and having no reactions whatsoever. So I get to start drinking milk and eating yogurt again, yay me. Oh, and not to burst your bubble, but don't rely completely on nursing to take off all the weight. It might, but it might not ... remember your appetite increases by those same 500 or however many calories, too. And you can't diet like you might have before you were pregnant because it might affect your milk supply. And yes, I know of what I speak because I lost half of my pregnancy weight within the first few weeks ... and am still holding onto the other half. I recently looked at photos of myself in a bathing suit at LAFF last year and said "Waah, I wanna look like that again!!!" Gee, Pam, we should have written this stuff into S6. ;) Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 13:05:38 -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: The Author's Mind On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:52:55 -0500, Shadow Fax wrote: >BTW, does anyone know if it is considered rude to call people "guys?" >Where I grew up, we used the term generically, to refer to both males and >females, but aeons ago in school we were told that it's impolite to refer >to someone as a guy. Likewise, "fellow," which used to be an insult. It doesn't bother me; I do it myself. But then again, I'll also occasionally say "girls" when talking about adult females. IMO, "guys" has expanded into a new term for "everyone here". I didn't know "fellow" used to be insulting, though. BTW, Carol M ... "Truth or Dare"? I think I've missed that one. Will it be on the Archive soon? Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 13:10:07 -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: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Oh how well I remember the night I ate chili without thinking! Ouch! But earlier on with my second child, I had to give up dairy products. We have a family history of milk allergy, which was part of what prompted me to nurse in the first place. But with Adam, the dairy products I ate were affecting him and causing colic-like symptoms. Once I eliminated them (and was careful to make sure my vitamins contained an adequate amount of calcium), it was like they'd given me a new baby! Anything, and I mean ANYTHING that a nursing mother consumes (food, drink, even medications) goes into your milk supply and then into the baby. So if you go to the family doc with bronchitis, make sure he/she knows you are breastfeeding so that appropriate medication can be prescribed. Just two more cents worth from a mom who nursed each baby for 18 months. Marilyn AKA Supermom >From: Chief Pam >Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" > >To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU >Subject: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind >Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:08:01 -0400 > > >>CM(Who is going to eat breakfast before getting into the M&Ms!) > >Enjoy them while you can, Carol! I nursed both my kids, and while there's >tons of wonderful things about nursing, it is true that what you eat can >affect the baby... and it was eating a bag of M&Ms that made me realize >that >the reason baby Marissa could be so fussy at times was that she hated it >when I ate chocolate! Man, I hated giving up chocolate, but the decision >was made easier by the fact that whenever I cheated, she'd scream bloody >murder at the next feeding time. Nothing's worse than an unhappy baby :) > >PJ >(who had to give up onions for Michael, but somehow that wasn't such a big >deal ) > >Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com >http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam >**note new address** > >"The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of >having a country of English cooks, German lovers, >French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." >--P. J. O'Rourke >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Carol L Moncado" >To: >Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 11:45 AM >Subject: Re: The Author's Mind > > > > On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 09:27:31 -0500 Shadow Fax > > writes: > > > > > > > > No, none. > > > > *sheesh* YOU'RE a big help!:D > > > > 've been wondering what story you would choose and > > > *I* > > > would have a hard time picking a favorite from among them. They're > > > all so > > > sweet and funny! And Truth or Dare is not only funny, but a bit > > > poignant > > > at times, too. > > > > > > Since I can't pick a *favorite*, though, I'm wondering how on earth > > > you got > > > the idea for Truth or Dare. The story behind *that* story would no > > > doubt > > > make for interesting reading. :-) Of course, I'd also like to get > > > the > > > skinny on Lois and Clark and the IRS. And Superman's Shower. And > > > Early > > > Anniversary. And . . . . See? It's too hard to pick just one. > > > Sigh. > > > > But see those just happened. there was no diabolical planning behind > > them. Just started typing and stopped 15 pages later or so. Hmm - > > Superman's Shower was a little more than that, have to think about it... > > > > > >CM (who would open said M&Ms but went to an all you can eat > > > restaurant a > > > >little while ago and has already invaded much of the baby's space, > > > but is > > > >really looking forward to eating (probably) the whole bag > > > tomorrow!) > > > > > > Enjoy! > > > > Oh I will! (Couse that will counteract the work out I just finished - > > don't worry all, I'm being careful - don't do near as much as I did > > before I was 8 months pregnant - and my doc already thinks I've been > > gaining too much weight the last month and a half or so. Oh, well - >only > > live once!!!!) > > > > > > I'm glad you cleared up that bit about the green MnMs. The only > > > thing > > > that I remember about the colors is that they stopped making the red > > > ones > > > for awhile because it was said that the dye they used at the time > > > causes > > > cancer. I'm glad that they're making the red again. I just wish > > > they'd > > > stop using those awful blue ones! > > > > They had 4th of July ones at Walmart last night - kinda weird. Ditto - > > no more blue! Maybe we should start a campaign! We could carry signs > > and set up a website www.blueiswrong.com or something!:D > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 13:12:05 -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: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Anne! Are you one of those poor souls who got a job at the M&M factory and got fired because you threw out all the misspelled ones? LOL!!! Marilyn AKA Supermom >From: Annette Ciotola >Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" > >To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU >Subject: Re: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind >Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:29:39 EDT > >I'm rather fond of W&Ws myself ... but to each their own. ;) > >Anne _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 13:16:44 -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: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I used to hate the doctor when he said, "It took you nine months to put on this weight, so don't think you'll take it off in six weeks." Thoughts of car bombs and Uzi's and Chinese water torture would go through my head. Wait til they start walking though -- you'll burn up a lot of calories and get great excercise just chasing them! 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: Re: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind >Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:56:31 -0500 > >On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 11:14:10 -0500, Carol L Moncado >wrote: > > >GIVE UP CHOCOLATE?! AHHH! NOOOOOOOO! > > > >I love my child - though I haven't met him or her yet - but give up > >chocolate?! > >LOL, don't worry, it's not a given. I can eat anything, even spicy food, >and >Donny doesn't blink. For a tiny little shrimp, he sure loves to eat. > >I did give up dairy products because I thought that might be aggravating >his >reflux, but I honestly haven't been able to make any correlation. And now >that he's five months, he's not only outgrowing the reflux and starting to >gain some weight (we're actually up to the 25th percentile, woo hoo! ), >but he's eating cereal made with formula and having no reactions >whatsoever. >So I get to start drinking milk and eating yogurt again, yay me. > >Oh, and not to burst your bubble, but don't rely completely on nursing to >take off all the weight. It might, but it might not ... remember your >appetite increases by those same 500 or however many calories, too. And >you >can't diet like you might have before you were pregnant because it might >affect your milk supply. And yes, I know of what I speak because I lost >half >of my pregnancy weight within the first few weeks ... and am still holding >onto the other half. I recently looked at photos of myself in a bathing >suit >at LAFF last year and said "Waah, I wanna look like that again!!!" > >Gee, Pam, we should have written this stuff into S6. ;) > >Kathy _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 13:10:26 -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: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > BTW, Carol M ... "Truth or Dare"? I think I've missed that one. > Will it be > on the Archive soon? It's actually "A Friendly Little Game of..." (truth or dare). It was on the list and the boards, but *guilty look* I have about 3 stories that havne't sent ot the archive yet. Hmmm - may have to fill up Labby's box here in a minute. And I supposed I can go ahead and send Valley of the Shadow since I finish posting it tomorrow! Course that means I need something else to work on. And I don't think the LC dream I had last night would work - a wacked out LC alt-universe/universe crossover with some time travelling and Cat involved. Maybe it was the all you can eat restaurant last night... Glad you're interested! CM ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 13:19:19 -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: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit WOW! I can't believe all the advice I'm getting - and in an effort to attempt to keep this on topic - that could be used in a post-pregnancy fanfic. NO dairy?! That's worse than no chocolate! (The all you can eat restaurant I ate at last night has free refills on milk and I was in heaven! 32 ounce mugs and I drank almost two!) I know it's not the end all cure all for losing weight. But it sure can't hurt! HOpefully, I'll be able to keep working out and continue eating better (my habits have *drastically* improved since I found out that I was pregnant!) and the weight will just fly off. (Okay so I'm in a dream world - let me live here for a little while longer!) DOesn't help that one of my friends who is about 19 weeks is a skinny-minny (probably about like Lois/Teri - but a bit more realistic!) and she lost her weight right away with her first. Thanks for all the suggestions and offers to help - I may be emailing everyone for advice and help before this is all over! We went to a class on breast feeding the other night and they were showing a video on how to hold hte baby etc. and they showed this lady feeding twins at the same time. It looked like more than I could handle - so kudos to all the mothers of twins out there! We've had three ultrasounds and each time they assured us that there is only one in here! Phwhew! Another one next week and you can bet we'll ask again! Thanks again! CM(Who thinks Pam should be posting more HD instead of answering these questions!*BG*) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 13:24:30 -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: Hyperion question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On the ground floor is the LR, kitchen and dining room. Is there also a den/office of some kind? And what's the deal with two sets of stairs? Is it two half sets to the landing and then the same set to the upstairs? Or was that my imagination? This is for the sequel to VotS - need a place for people to talk privately while others are in the LR, DR and possibly kitchen. If no den - other suggestions? Thanks! CM ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 14:32:15 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chief Pam Subject: Re: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >>CM(Who thinks Pam should be posting more HD instead of answering these questions!*BG*) << LOL! I'm writing, honest! But Michael's home from school now and it's much harder to write when there's a kidvid playing five feet away :) Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam **note new address** "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of having a country of English cooks, German lovers, French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." --P. J. O'Rourke ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 11:36:49 -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: Hyperion question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I have no idea if there was a den, so I invented one for one of my stories. Why not? Just because they didn't show it doesn't mean it wasn't there . Nan Carol L Moncado wrote: > On the ground floor is the LR, kitchen and dining room. Is there also a > den/office of some kind? > > And what's the deal with two sets of stairs? Is it two half sets to the > landing and then the same set to the upstairs? Or was that my > imagination? > > This is for the sequel to VotS - need a place for people to talk > privately while others are in the LR, DR and possibly kitchen. If no den > - other suggestions? > > Thanks! > > CM ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 10:49:30 -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: Carol's projects (was Re: The Author's Mind) In-Reply-To: <20010830.131924.-222469.9.cmoncado@juno.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Course that means I need something else to work on. And I don't think >the LC dream I had last night would work - a wacked out LC >alt-universe/universe crossover with some time travelling and Cat >involved. Maybe it was the all you can eat restaurant last night... Hold it, Carol - that sounds interesting! Please write it... I'll have you know that at least two of my stories are based on dreams that I initially thought were wacked out. But those stories are the ones I get the most and best feedback from. So, you never know unless you try Melisma (slinking back under her Rock to get ready for a job interview a one-and-a-half-hour transit ride from her home. Is she *nuts*, or just desperate????) Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 19:13:46 +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: About the authors ... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Oh... it's Helene's fault. Now I get it. She's using those disemboweling > tools on you authors? ;) LOL! As if. But really, a lot of the credit goes to Anne for helping LabRat and me to get organised, and for uploading the new interviews to her site every week. We owe you a lot, Anne! :) Helene :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kaethel Kaethel@wanadoo.fr ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 14:22:48 -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: The Author's Mind On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 13:10:26 -0500, Carol L Moncado wrote: >It's actually "A Friendly Little Game of..." (truth or dare). It was on >the list and the boards, but *guilty look* I have about 3 stories that >havne't sent ot the archive yet. Bad Carol, bad! It's not nice to hold out on the Archive! ;) Do you know what month/week "Friendly Little Game" was posted to this list? It would help me find it on the archive ... Thanks, Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 14:45:47 -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: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Bad Carol, bad! It's not nice to hold out on the Archive! ;) *sigh* I know, I know! > > Do you know what month/week "Friendly Little Game" was posted to > this list? > It would help me find it on the archive ... It was in July sometime, I think. I'm almost positive - or hey - I could just send it to you! I think it ended up being about 20-25 pages. Let me know which you prefer and what format you'd prefer. CM(off to email Labby!) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 14:48:16 -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: Carol's projects (was Re: The Author's Mind) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >Course that means I need something else to work on. And I don't > think the LC dream I had last night would work - a wacked out LC > >alt-universe/universe crossover with some time travelling and Cat > >involved. Maybe it was the all you can eat restaurant last > night... > > > Hold it, Carol - that sounds interesting! Please write it... I don't know how it started - just that there was 2 Lois', a swimming pool and a Superman with a red plastic face. > Melisma (slinking back under her Rock to get ready for a job > interview a > one-and-a-half-hour transit ride from her home. Is she *nuts*, or > just > desperate????) Little of each?! And besides, the muse for the Valley sequel took off today and though I only added about 2 pages, I changed quite a bit so I'm more happy with it - though some of the gentle readers may not agree with the way that I'm taking it. Now if the aplot muse could take off... CM(Who misses Melisma!) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 13:29:51 -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 August 24 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi FoLCs! Lots of activity to check out on the L&C Message Board Index and Links page at http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Meteor/7378/lnc.html New stories this week: DOOMSDAY: LIFE: NATHAN WELTY FASHION DICTATES OF BEING A SUPERMAN, THE COMPLETE VIGNETTE BUMPKIN AKA MARNIE ROWE IT'S NOT EASY BEING ME COMPLETE VIGNETTE BETHY LARA AND JOR: THE LAST ADVENTURES OF KRYPTON: HAZEL STRANGERS AND FRIENDS COMPLETE VIGNETTE JONWOLFF AND LOTE TREE STRANGERS AND FRIENDS 2: WOUNDED SOULS COMPLETE VIGNETTE JONWOLFF AND LOTE TREE TIME FLIES (WHEN YOU'RE GOOFING OFF IN UTOPIA) COMPLETE VIGNETTE PAM JERNIGAN UNTITLED: PROLOGUE: JULIET New part(s) posted: ALIEN GIFT: BETHY BURDEN OF CONSCIENCE: RACONTEUR27 DUET: SHAYNE TERRY HEARTS DIVIDED: PAM JERNIGAN IMBALANCE: PHIL ATCLIFFE AND WENDY RICHARDS JUST LIKE CLARK: KESHANDRA PHOENIX RISING: JIMMY'S SISTER SECOND THOUGHTS: WENDY RICHARDS SHADES OF GRAY: CINDY LEUCH STRANGERS III: MISSY GALLANT VALLEY OF THE SHADOW: CAROL MONCADO Completed stories this week: HERITAGE: NAN SMITH LITTLE HELP, A: CRYSTAL WIMMER PURPLE CHAOS: EMILYH New TOC's BURDEN OF CONSCIENCE: RACONTEUR27 Added to the Archive this week: Brave New World by ChrisH. Enjoy! Dawn & the Index Crew __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 16:33:09 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: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/30/01 1:37:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time, kathybrown91@HOME.COM writes about Sheila Harper: > That woman has talent oozing > out of her pores. > And plenty left to spare!! --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 22:17:45 +0100 Reply-To: Yvonne Connell Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Yvonne Connell Subject: Re: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > I'd also like to hear from you, Yvonne. It's been a while since your > Showcase interview and I'd like an update . So how about giving us some > info on TMIAR or FOD? (And BTW, I'm waiting not-very-patiently for > FOD IV. :) Thanks to Wendy for spelling out where to find FoDIV :) And thank you for asking, Shadowfax. Alas, I tend to cringe at all my stories 6 months after they're written, so I'd be hard pushed to come up with a favourite story to talk about . Maybe, at a push, Purity, since it hasn't matured into the cringe-zone yet ;) Yvonne (yvonne@yconnell.fsnet.co.uk) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 17:16:35 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: The Author's Mind MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 8/30/01 5:15:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time, yvonne@YCONNELL.FSNET.CO.UK writes: > Alas, I tend to cringe at all my stories 6 months after > they're written, so I'd be hard pushed to come up with a favourite story to > talk about . Maybe, at a push, Purity, since it hasn't matured into the > cringe-zone yet ;) > Yes, Yvonne, I'd like to hear the story behind that one (and also how you managed to make a PG version). --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 22:27:05 +0100 Reply-To: Yvonne Connell Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Yvonne Connell Subject: Question for fanfic - Clark's apartment MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Yes, this old chestnut . Votes please - does Clark's apartment have = an upper floor? Thanks :) Yvonne (who knows which answer she'd prefer, but isn't telling...) (yvonne@yconnell.fsnet.co.uk) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 22:40:18 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Meredith Knight Subject: Babies was Re: M&Ms was Re: The Author's Mind In-Reply-To: <20010830.131924.-222469.10.cmoncado@juno.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 As it happens, I've been wondering what a Kryptonian baby would think of ultrasound scans... Carol L Moncado writes >in an effort to >attempt to keep this on topic - that could be used in a post-pregnancy >fanfic. [snip] >We've had three >ultrasounds and each time they assured us that there is only one in here! -- Meredith Knight "All the pebbles had fat smiling faces, and the anemones had mad bright eyes above their frills." ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 22:37:01 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Meredith Knight Subject: Re: M&Ms was Re: Re: The Author's Mind In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 When my first son was three days old, I had half a glass of perry with dinner. He slept really well that night, but boy was he grumpy in the morning! Meredith Marilyn Puett writes >Oh how well I remember the night I ate chili without thinking! Ouch! -- Meredith Knight "All the pebbles had fat smiling faces, and the anemones had mad bright eyes above their frills." ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 22:45:31 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Meredith Knight Subject: Re: Question for fanfic - Clark's apartment In-Reply-To: <011801c1319a$84ef89a0$286f86d9@91bb00j> MIME-Version: 1.0 Just having been there myself... The virtual tour on Zoom's site shows a staircase in the bedroom going up to what looks as if it could be a study. But I doubt it was there in S1 or early S2 (all the eps I've seen so far.) Meredith Yvonne Connell writes >Yes, this old chestnut . Votes please - does Clark's apartment have an upper >floor? > >Thanks :) >Yvonne >(who knows which answer she'd prefer, but isn't telling...) >(yvonne@yconnell.fsnet.co.uk) -- Meredith Knight "All the pebbles had fat smiling faces, and the anemones had mad bright eyes above their frills." ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 19:56:48 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jacalyn Sue Newman Subject: Re: Looking for a partner / partners In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" >I'd be in heaven if there're people out there still remembering "V" willing >to partner up with this newbie! :) I remember V! --I should, since I'm the author of the LA Chronicles. :-) I also know Wendy Richards does, too, since she mentioned it in "Green Card." I'd be willing to bet that there are plenty of other people out there who remember it. (Wendy, I loved that reference, by the way. I was delighted to see V mentioned, in any context, but the way Lois put it, I was howling!) I can't volunteer as a writer simply due to a lack of time. But maybe someone else will step up to the plate and help you out. If you just want to bounce ideas off of someone familiar with both universes, however, I'm MORE than happy to be a springboard! Jackie -- Jacalyn S. Newman jacalynsue@earthlink.net ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 19:42:01 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology << On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 03:37:11 -0500, Wendy Richards wrote: > >And you think that's unusual??? *Most* times, if I happen to be looking >back at completed stories of mine, I doubt that they're much good! On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 12:36:09 -0500, Kathy Brown wrote: > >LOL, I need to forward this thread to Sheila Harper. She's nomail on the list >now, but this is right up her alley. If you want a shocker, I'll give you >one -- Sheila doubts herself *way* more than either Wendy or I do, which to >me is just ... just ... completely astounding! That woman has talent oozing >out of her pores. > and Crys wrote: >writers tend to be very critical of themselves in >the first place... that's why we want to improve. and Yvonne wrote: >Alas, I tend to cringe at all my stories 6 months after >they're written, so I'd be hard pushed to come up with a favourite story to >talk about . Maybe, at a push, Purity, since it hasn't matured into the >cringe-zone yet ;) Whoa! Incredible to hear all this self-doubting from some of FOLC-dom's most established authors! And I can assure all of you that no matter how much you may doubt your own stories, we fans go back and read them over and over again. :-) And Yvonne, just pick any of them to write about. My faves are FOD and TMIAR, but it would be fun to hear about the origins of any of them. :) Shadowfax ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 21:22:04 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chief Pam Subject: Re: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >>Whoa! Incredible to hear all this self-doubting from some of FOLC-dom's most established authors! And I can assure all of you that no matter how much you may doubt your own stories, we fans go back and read them over and over again. :-) << Well, just to be contrary, I'll say that I like most of my own stories Yes, I can see the flaws in the earlier ones, and I do cringe at various points ... but overall I'm very forgiving of myself Yes, I'm still always trying to improve, but I can see the good points of most of my stories, and enjoy them for what they are... Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam **note new address** "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of having a country of English cooks, German lovers, French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." --P. J. O'Rourke ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 20:33:49 -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: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 21:22:04 -0400, Chief Pam wrote: >Well, just to be contrary, I'll say that I like most of my own stories >Yes, I can see the flaws in the earlier ones, and I do cringe at various >points ... but overall I'm very forgiving of myself Yes, I'm still >always trying to improve, but I can see the good points of most of my >stories, and enjoy them for what they are... LOL, Pam. To be fair, I have to clarify that I don't dislike my own stories, not at all. My comment was more about me wondering whether other people really liked them. See, readers, this is why you have to send feedback -- we really don't always know how our stories will be received! :) Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 20:39:50 -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: Question for fanfic - Clark's apartment On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 22:27:05 +0100, Yvonne Connell < yvonne@YCONNELL.FSNET.CO.UK> wrote: >Yes, this old chestnut . Votes please - does Clark's apartment have an upper floor? There is definitely a spiral staircase going up to *somewhere*, but we never saw exactly what was up there. Personally, I think it was a small loft-type space, that could have either been used for storage or for a small study/ reading area, depending on the occupant's needs. But it definitely wasn't living space, or else I'm sure we would have seen Clark using it. Nor could it be a spare bedroom since Clark always slept on the couch when his parents stayed over. I think he used it for storage. Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 21:14:09 -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: Carol's "A Friendly Little Game" Well, Carol, I found your story on the listserv archive -- very cute! I thought Lois arguing back and forth with herself was hilarious, and some of her comments, LOL! Some favorite lines: "You realize you said that out loud?" "AHHHH!" and "Put the teeth away but leave the chest." LOL! The middle part was definitely a new take on the revelation question -- who could imagine there would be another way to write one? And the ending was very sweet, too. Very fun, Carol, thanks for pointing me to the right month. :) Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 22:20:02 -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: Carol's "A Friendly Little Game" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 21:14:09 -0500 Kathy Brown writes: > Well, Carol, I found your story on the listserv archive -- very cute! > I > thought Lois arguing back and forth with herself was hilarious, and > some of > her comments, LOL! So glad you enjoyed it! It was fun to write! > The middle part was definitely a new take on the revelation question > -- who > could imagine there would be another way to write one? I'm attempting (okay - sort of thinking in the back of my mind while doing other things) about another one I don't think I've seen - but I haven't read everything, (Is there anyone who can claim to have read *all* 1500+ stories? No exceptions?) so I can't claim for sure that it hasn't been done. Although I must admit - I enjoyed the idea of the "Wet, White Shirt" more! There are some things that even a super aura can't protect you from! > > And the ending was very sweet, too. > > Very fun, Carol, thanks for pointing me to the right month. :) Hey - no problem! CM(Who sent Labby 5 or 6 stories earlier this evening!) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 21:19:20 -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: I'm a Grandma again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Just to brag. Andrea Kaitlin Smith was born at 6:38 this morning, weighing seven pounds, ten ounces. Mother, baby and daddy are doing fine. Nan ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 00:28:17 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Singin Drew Subject: Re: I'm a Grandma again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations Nan! We're all very happy for you!! Kristin ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 00:58:17 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chris P Subject: Re: I'm a Grandma again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congrats, Nan. You're going to catch up to me soon. Glad everyone is okay. :) Chris ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 00:25:03 -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: Carol's projects (was Re: The Author's Mind) In-Reply-To: <20010830.144833.-222469.13.cmoncado@juno.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >I don't know how it started - just that there was 2 Lois', a swimming >pool and a Superman with a red plastic face. Neither did I know how my Star Trek dream started - all I knew was I was on the Enterprise. I made up the rest, and 'Through A Glass Darkly' was born. As to 'What REALLY Happened', I was agonizing over some crap happening in FoLCdome at the time, and I started to see a correlation with Serena and Billy, maybe - so really, it was more of a daydream than a dream... But I'm giving for free what Helene asked me to give her, so I'll shut up now :) >> Melisma (slinking back under her Rock to get ready for a job >> interview a >> one-and-a-half-hour transit ride from her home. Is she *nuts*, or >> just >> desperate????) > >Little of each?! Teehee, now I know who my friends are! After that hour-and-a-half transit ride, which got me there *barely* in time, the interview was only about 5 minutes, and I won't even hear back until Wednesday next week. In the meantime, I get poorer and poorer. And Welfare (if I get approved for it) will pay total per month $60 *less* than my rent alone is - they are telling me I have to either move to cheaper digs or get a roommate. And those of you who know this area, and/or have been to my place, know how impossible either of those options are... Grrrr... Anyone know of a job around here that I'm guaranteed to be able to get hired for - or a job elsewhere that would be worth my trouble moving away from here for? (again, that I'd be guaranteed to get...) >CM(Who misses Melisma!) Aw... WAFF... Bet you regret saying that after my above venting... Sorry gang... Melisma (under her Rock, not sure what to do at the moment) Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 10:19:01 +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: NEW: Imbalance Part 24 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII [Everybody's on the move! Clark's flying to a fire; Lois is running away from Perry's plans for publicity photos (of course, she'd kill me for writing that: Lois Lane does *not* run away from anything -- to which my response is, "More fool you, lady!" B-P); and Trask is on his way to Metropolis. To find out what happens when some of them arrive... ...now read on:] ***** It wasn't hard to find the scene of the fire; the column of smoke coming from the burning building was so noticeable against the late afternoon sky that even a Metropolis cabbie couldn't miss it -- which was just as well for the cabbie in question, because Lois was in no mood to put up with evasions. It was bad enough that the building was on the edge of Suicide Slum and she'd had to threaten the driver with reporting him to the Hack Bureau just to get him to go there; if she'd had to put up with the old "lost driver" scam, she'd have fed him to his own meter! She scrambled from the cab, flinging the fare at the annoyed cabbie, and ran towards the fire trucks and ambulances. She could see a streak of red and blue flashing in and out of the building and an ever-growing crowd of dazed people being treated by paramedics and a couple of local doctors; Clark-- Superman! -- must be evacuating the building. She saw the multi-coloured streak solidify into the familiar form of "the guy in the suit", as Clark was prone to describing himself in costume. He was talking to someone from the Metropolis Fire Department -- in fact, unless she missed her guess, it was the Chief himself -- before vanishing again in a blur and a rush of wind. Well, she couldn't interrupt Clark while he was busy -- she couldn't *catch* him, for one thing -- but the Chief didn't seem to be too busy at the moment, so... Actually, this was good luck; the Chief was an old acquaintance of hers, in a manner of speaking, and they'd always got along well, so he ought to be good for a few quotes. She pulled out her mini-recorder and held it out to him while making her usual introductory speech: "Chief -- Lois Lane, Daily Planet. What can you tell me about this fire?" Lois' sudden appearance didn't seem to disturb the Chief -- but then, she realised, he was probably used to it from her. "Not much, Ms Lane. We'll know more once we get it out, but the old buildings around here have been bad risks, fire-wise, for a long time." He paused and thought for a moment, and motioned for her to turn off the recorder. When she did, he continued in a low voice, "Off the record, I'm going to be looking for signs of arson when we're done; there are rumours that certain persons want the land around here for development, but the city won't let them throw out the people who live here..." Lois nodded. "Thanks, Chief," she said, equally low, "I'll keep that in mind." Switching the recorder back on, she raised her voice again. "Do you know if there are any casualties?" "No deaths as far as we know at this time. And you can thank *him* for that!" He pointed up, towards where the figure of Superman could be seen hovering against the sky. Even as they watched, he vanished, to reappear seconds later over by the makeshift medical station with a wounded fire-fighter. "He has been a godsend this afternoon. That's the third of my men he's pulled out of a bad situation since he got here." "And how do you feel about that?" "What do you mean?" "Well, some people might say that he's doing your job for you. Are you at all worried that he might put you out of business?" The Chief snorted. "I don't think so -- and neither does *he!* Wasn't it you, Ms Lane, who interviewed him when he said that he wanted to help us, not replace us? Well, I'm here to tell you that the man means what he says: the first thing he did when he arrived here was ask *me* what he could do to help. No grandstanding, no prima donna behaviour, just, 'You're the expert -- how can I help?'" He turned away from Lois to survey the situation; then, apparently satisfied with what he saw, he went on, "Not that I don't think that he'd do the whole job for us if he could, just to keep my people from getting into trouble--" There was a crash, and part of the building began to collapse. The Chief stopped answering Lois and barked orders into his radio, telling his teams to get back. The fire-fighters withdrew in good order, with no injuries or damage to their equipment because the falling structure was well away from them. Things seemed to be going as well as could be expected under the circumstances... ...until a familiar streak of colour and another loud crash announced that Superman had slammed into the building, and the impact started a process of disintegration much closer to the appliances -- and their crews. "Jesus! What the hell is he doing?" the Chief cried as bits of rubble began to fall around the trucks. The fire-fighters scattered, police, ambulance and appliance drivers trying frantically to back up as the entire side of the building began to come apart. Once safely away from the danger zone, there was nothing anyone could do except watch as half the apartment block fragmented and succumbed to gravity, collapsing into a heap of twisted girders and smashed brick with a slow, almost eerie grace, to the accompaniment of a thundering rumble that was as much felt as heard. In the silence that followed that extraordinary sound, men and women looked at one another with stunned incredulity. The building now barely deserved the name, but at least the fire was out... There were a few small flames here and there amongst the rubble, but, to the eyes of the trained fire-fighters, this job had just entered the mopping-up stage. To Lois' eyes, though, there was something -- or, rather, some*one* -- missing. "Where's Superman?" she said softly. "I don't know," replied the Chief, equally softly. "Any more than I know what he thought he was doing when he hit the building like that. Why did he do it? I know the place was about to fall down anyway, but we could have saved it -- at least for long enough for the people living in it to get their belongings out. What was he trying to do? And why didn't he get out?" Lois had no more answer than anyone else, so she remained silent, anxiously searching the scene for any sign of her partner... but with no success. She couldn't understand it; Clark couldn't be hurt by something as ordinary as a falling building... could he? With a sudden rush of anxiety, she realised that, except for their first meeting (when he'd swallowed that detonator), she'd never actually *seen* his supposed invulnerability in action. His strength, yes -- spectacularly, in fact; flying, many times; speed, super-senses... even his "heat vision" and super-cold breath -- but never his invulnerability. Even when he'd had a missile launched at him, he'd said that he hadn't let it *hit* him; he'd caught it and thrown it away! So... Her mind raced as she tried to work out from what she knew for certain, as opposed to his telling her, just what he must be able to withstand. He had to be pretty tough, or the super-strength and speed would tear him apart, and he *had* swallowed that detonator -- a mini-bomb in itself, which had gone off in his *stomach*... but what did that mean when he brought a building down on top of himself? She just didn't know... The fire-fighters began to cautiously approach the remains of the building, taking care to extinguish any small fires. Other than that, the scene was still and could have been a painted backdrop for a play set in a post-apocalyptic future... ...until the ground began to shake slightly and a rumble began to come from part of the collapsed building, slowly growing louder... "Back!" yelled the fire Chief. "Everybody *back!*" The small figures, dwarfed by the piles of brick and steel, turned and ran, even as the rubble they left began to shake -- at first, just a little, and then violently... ...and then part of the wrecked structure began to rise, forming a narrow column that grew and grew, becoming higher and higher until it *erupted*, showering the nearby landscape with rocks, pieces of masonry and metal, and dust... ...which cleared to reveal a tall figure -- a man, standing silhouetted in the evening light against the almost surreal background, covered in grime but still imposing, his cape flapping gently in the same small breeze that drove the dust away to reveal him. Lois began to run towards him, as did many of the MFD people, drawn unconsciously to this incredible being... but then he bent down and lifted another man from the ruins: a fireman, obviously rather beat up but still alive, still in one piece -- and in *his* arms, a little girl of no more than two or three, clinging to her rescuer with frightened, wide-eyed desperation. Superman slowly floated into the air, and the approaching crowd stopped in its tracks to watch as the two men and the girl passed over them silently, eventually coming back to earth by an ambulance. Medical personnel were all over the three of them in an instant, and Lois could see Clark fending off offers of assistance for himself; in her mind, she could almost hear him telling the paramedics not to bother with him, but to spend their time helping someone who needed them... He went to leave, but the man he'd just saved reached up from a stretcher to grab his arm. There was a short conversation, and again, Lois thought she could guess what was being said: the fireman would be trying to thank Superman, but the hero would be more concerned that he relax and recover -- and, above all, not fuss! The caped figure walked away, and everyone nearby stopped for just an instant to watch before turning back to their work with a renewed sense of purpose. Only Lois saw him disappear into the shadows near a partly-collapsed wall, and somehow, in some inexplicable way, she knew that something was wrong. She'd become separated from her interviewee in those few moments in which she and many others had run towards Superman, so she was able to follow Clark without having to make excuses or explanations. Once she reached the darkened area that he'd entered, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the gloom; and when they did, she was stunned to see him leaning against the wall, half doubled over, his hands on his knees... *trembling?* This was so surprising that it took her a second to really take in what she was seeing; after that, she stayed frozen for a few moments, unable to quite comprehend it -- or what could possibly be the cause of it. Was he hurt? He didn't look it... Was he in pain? Could he have internal injuries? *What was wrong?* Tentatively, she approached him, not quite daring to touch him, lest she hurt him... or, even worse, though she didn't really want to think of the possibility, or why it worried her so, lest he reject her. "Cl-- Superman?" she began, her tone soft and hesitant, "What's wrong? Are you hurt? Can I help...?" She didn't know it, but it took every ounce of self-control he had not to sweep her up in his arms and bury his face in her hair... but he couldn't do that -- not yet, however much he may have needed to. Instead, he tried to pull himself together and answer her question; this was *not* a good time to fall apart... "It's... all right," he said eventually, his voice matching the shake in his body, "I'm okay... It's just that... oh, God... that was so close, Lois... I mean, if I'd been a fraction of a second slower, or the building had been in the slightest bit worse condition... that fireman -- that incredibly brave man... and that little girl... they would have been *crushed!* It was *so* close..." His voice trailed off, and Lois looked at him helplessly. He needed help, but she wasn't sure what to do. Her instincts were screaming at her to comfort him; to let him know that he'd done the right thing, that it had all turned out okay -- to *hug* him, if she was honest with herself, but she couldn't bring herself to do that. She hadn't hugged anyone for a long time, and it didn't seem... right to suddenly start again; not in public, not with Superman -- even if he was Clark Kent in a flashy suit. But then he began to speak again, and she pushed her dilemma to one side as she listened to him. "I'm sorry, Lois... " Lois said nothing, but her eyes widened; what was he *apologising* for? "This... this doesn't happen often. I mean, I ought to be used to it by now, after... after helping at this sort of thing for so long... but... but sometimes... and it was *so* close... "I... I saw the wall start to go... and I checked where it was going to land, to make sure that it wouldn't hit anyone... and that it wouldn't damage the rest of the structure... and then I *saw* them! They were right under where it was going to hit! The little girl must have been hiding under something -- her bed, a couch, something like that -- and the fireman had just found her... and the roof was about to cave in on them!" Lois grimaced slightly -- not at what Superman was saying, but the way he was saying it. She knew that she had once had a tendency to... babble was the way certain people had put it, when she got nervous or upset, and this seemed to be pretty much the same thing. Not that she babbled any more herself, of course; Perry was the only person she felt even remotely secure enough with to indulge herself like that -- or, he *had* been, prior to Clark's arrival -- and the editor knew how to stop her before she really got started that way. Nonetheless, this "talking jag" that Clark was on now sounded very similar to the way her "babbling" had been described by people that she thought she could rely on to be accurate. The question was, what could she do about it? Let him talk it out, or try to stop him, the way Perry dealt with her? She wasn't sure that she *should* stop him; it must have hit him pretty hard to affect him like this -- he'd said that himself, more or less -- and maybe he needed to let it all out. "I... I couldn't wait," he was saying. "I *had* to help them. I... I knew that going after them would weaken the building -- might even bring it down completely... because there was no time to do anything other than smash straight into it and force my way down to them..." He began to talk about how worried he'd been that someone else might get hurt because of what he'd had to do to get to the man and the girl -- "...but I had no choice! If I didn't go in, then and there... they'd *die!*" -- when he was interrupted. "Yeah, but they *didn't!* And no-one else was hurt. You got there in time..." Both Lois and Superman looked around in surprise at the sound of that solemn voice. It was the fire Chief, regarding the Man of Steel with a compassionate expression. He came over and put one hand on the super-hero's shoulder. "Now, I know what you're going to say: 'Yeah, *this* time. But what if I hadn't? What if, next time...?' Well, all I can say is, to *Hell* with 'what-if's'! All you can do-- all *anyone* can do, is do their best. And *your* best just saved two lives! "You listen to me, son. You can do some pretty amazing things, but you aren't God -- so you *will* fail, sometime. And when you do, you're going to feel terrible. I know-- *everybody* in the Fire Department knows how that feels. But when that tragedy stares you in the face, or you're faced with some Monday morning quarterback who is *so* sure, sitting back in the comfort of his armchair, that he could have done a better job, you just remember tonight. You think about the wife of the man you stopped a building from falling on, and the mother of the little girl he saved, and ask yourself this: do *they* think any the less of you because you're only human? I don't think so." Superman was silent for quite some time, but then he said in a tone that was quieter than before, but still retained some of the earlier tremor, "But I'm *not* human..." The Chief didn't bat an eye. "So what?" he challenged, squeezing Superman's shoulder in a friendly fashion. "You may be from another planet, but you sure are a *man*, by any measure that's worth making -- and we're all the better for it! And you're welcome at any MFD station, any time -- and you can quote me on that, Ms Lane!" He released his grip on the Man of Steel, but maintained eye contact for a few seconds more before addressing Lois. "Ms Lane, you seem to be the nearest thing this *man* has to a friend. He's more than done his job here, so take him somewhere and look after him, will you, please -- because the next time the MFD has to deal with something like this, I want him *there!*" With that, he strode away to supervise the mopping-up process, leaving behind an amazed Superman and a gently smiling Lois. She took her partner's hand, amazed, both at her daring and the fact that she *wanted* to do it -- Lois Lane, hold a man's hand? -- and gently pulled him along with her as she started to walk out of the shadows and towards the street. "Come on," she said, "He's right. You need to get out of here and clean yourself up -- you're a mess!" She smiled to show that all she meant was his appearance. "Why don't you go home? I've got to head back to the office to write this up, but I could look in on you on my way home... just to make sure you're okay," she hastily added. Again, it struck her as incredible that she could be so concerned about a man, but... well, perhaps not so surprising. After all, this wasn't just any ordinary man, and he'd just performed a pretty spectacular feat. All the same, this man-- alien-- *friend* -- was getting under her skin in a way no man had ever managed before. And, strangest of all, she liked the feeling it gave her inside. "No..." he replied tiredly. "If... if it's all the same to you, I'd... I'd like to go back to the Planet with you. I don't really want to be by myself right now. Is that okay?" "Sure," she said, concerned by the fatigue that she could hear. "You'll have to clean yourself up, though -- unless you have a good explanation for how Clark Kent got covered in dust and ashes?" He looked down at himself, and saw what she meant. Raising his head, he met her smile with one of his own -- a poor, tired, wan one, Lois thought, but a smile nonetheless, and that was good. "Oh. Okay... How about if we call into my place and I grab a quick shower before we go to work?" Lois looked at her watch. "Okay -- provided it really *is* quick. I don't want to be working too late, and this is going to take a while to write up." "Not a problem," he said, sounding more like himself, to Lois' relief. "I can shower at super-speed, if I have to; I prefer to take my time, just like anyone else, but, when I need to, I can be in and out in a few seconds." Lois firmly stomped on the images that the idea of a super-speed shower brought to mind, forcing herself to pay attention as Clark asked, "Did you bring the Jeep?" "No, I took a cab. You better change, and then we can go look for another one -- if we can *find* one around here..." "No, let's fly. It'll be quicker." Lois grinned; she'd been hoping he'd say that, but hadn't liked to ask directly. She let his hand go just long enough to check that her bag was zipped shut; her hand felt empty, bereft, without his fingers curled around hers. Again, this was a completely alien reaction for her. She shrugged away the irony of that thought, given who she was with, then met Clark's eyes in hopeful anticipation. He got the message and scooped her up in what was rapidly becoming a practised manoeuvre for both of them -- even if this was only... what? The fourth or fifth time he'd taken her flying? -- before rising into the air, and then, as if someone had thrown a switch, disappearing into the distance with the sonic boom that was becoming a familiar background sound in the city of Metropolis. ***** [And they're on the move again... Oh, well, maybe now, L&C will get a chance to be still for a little while -- which might be just as well, because that *other* traveller is on his way, and when *he* arrives... things will not stop moving for quite some time! Be there for the start, next time.] Phil ---- "Sic Transit Gloria Barramundi" (Or, So Long and Thanks for All the Fish!) -- not the late, lamented Douglas Adams, but me: Phil Atcliffe (Phillip.Atcliffe@uwe.ac.uk) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 10:26:18 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nicola Baker Subject: Re: I'm a Grandma again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Awww, congratulations! Nic ----- Original Message ----- From: Nancy Smith To: Sent: Friday, August 31, 2001 5:19 AM Subject: I'm a Grandma again! > Just to brag. Andrea Kaitlin Smith was born at 6:38 this morning, > weighing seven pounds, ten ounces. Mother, baby and daddy are doing > fine. > > Nan > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 07:53:27 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: I'm a Grandma again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations, Nan (and Tara!), and the new mom and dad! Maureen ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 07:58:05 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Chief Pam Subject: Re: NEW: Imbalance Part 24 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Oh, *nice*, Phil... s p o i l e r s p a c e I was wondering what was up when Superman crashed into the building ... had Trask arrived early and fired something, or what? But that was a spectacular rescue, and I'm not surprised he almost fell apart afterward. I'm glad Lois was there to help him (and to see that he *does* need her help). Nice speech from the fire chief, too; I expect he's used to giving it to his men, and it was very generous of him to extend it to the newbie ;) Looking forward to the calm before the storm! :p Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / ChiefPam@nc.rr.com http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam **note new address** "The EU is a noble attempt to fulfill the age-old dream of having a country of English cooks, German lovers, French defense forces and Italian efficiency experts." --P. J. O'Rourke ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 08:46:48 -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: I'm a Grandma again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations Nan!!! KathR ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nancy Smith" To: Sent: Friday, August 31, 2001 12:19 AM Subject: I'm a Grandma again! > Just to brag. Andrea Kaitlin Smith was born at 6:38 this morning, > weighing seven pounds, ten ounces. Mother, baby and daddy are doing > fine. > > Nan > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 08:19:53 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: Authors Mind This Week... and an apology >On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 21:22:04 -0400, Chief Pam wrote: > > >>Well, just to be contrary, I'll say that I like most of my own stories On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 20:33:49 -0500, Kathy Brown wrote: > >LOL, Pam. To be fair, I have to clarify that I don't dislike my own stories, >not at all. It makes sense that authors would like their own stories; after all, they're writing them the way they want to see things. :) >My comment was more about me wondering whether other people >really liked them. Well, we do! As for Wendy, I took her comment to be like Kathy's, wondering about her stories' effect on people, which I thought was pretty amazing. I've been hooked on Wendy's stories since the beginning and I've always thought that she's fantastic. :-) And, Crys, I share your love for Chris Mulder's stories. I have difficulty naming any one story as my "favorite," though. I usually think more in terms of "favorite*s*." Like someone else who posted here mentioned, I might read one type of story when I'm in the mood for comedy, and another type when I want to read wonderful WAFFy introspection, still another when I want a compelling A-plot, and yet another when I want some combination of the above. I enjoy reading all types of stories, and I really hope you guys (in the generic sense) will all keep on writing them! :-) Shadowfax ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 08:27:21 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: James Tull Subject: Re: I'm a Grandma again! Yeah!!! Another author is born. James ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 08:33:48 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: Carol's "A Friendly Little Game" On Thu, 30 Aug 2001 21:14:09 -0500, Kathy Brown wrote: >Well, Carol, I found your story on the listserv archive -- very cute! I >thought Lois arguing back and forth with herself was hilarious, and some of >her comments, LOL! I love this story too, Kathy. :) I'm sorry that I gave the wrong title at first. I had named the file "Truth or Dare," so when I looked in my folder with Carol's stories, that's what I thought it was. > >Some favorite lines: > >"You realize you said that out loud?" "AHHHH!" > >and > >"Put the teeth away but leave the chest." LOL! > >The middle part was definitely a new take on the revelation question -- who >could imagine there would be another way to write one? > >And the ending was very sweet, too. > >Very fun, Carol, thanks for pointing me to the right month. :) > I love Carol's writing, not only because it's so funny and sweet, but also because she has the knack for getting into Lois's head. Her Lois is a woman deeply in love with a man whom she knows loves *her*, too, but yet is hesitant about committing to a relationship with him. Wonderful characterization! I can't wait to read more, Carol! :-) Shadowfax ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 08:52:33 -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: I'm a Grandma again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations Nan merry ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 10:06:31 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Gerry Anklewicz Subject: Re: I'm a Grandma again! In-Reply-To: <3B8F1048.4BEA156F@earthlink.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Congratulations Nan. That's wonderful news about Andrea Kaitlin. Best wishes to Mom, Dad and especially Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Tara. Gerry ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 18:41:40 +0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Gay Devlin Subject: The Accidental Husband In-Reply-To: MIME-version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Hi Erin, Just a quick note to say that I very much enjoyed your last story, The Accidental Husband. I'm glad Lois got rid of Lex without him succeeding in some diabolical plot in between times. I liked Clark's talks with Lois and am glad he didn't go in for pages of guilt. One question - how could the guy Lex had follow Lois know that it was Clark Kent's apartment. Aren't there others in the building beneath him? And how could he find out in the middle of the night? Even if he read the names on the mailboxes presumably he'd have to give Lex a list of surnames - like Ambrose, Carter, Grant, Kent, McLean, Thompson etc.?? And then Lex would only recognise CK? Just a thought. I also like that you finished the story relatively swiftly. I've got to the stage where I am no longer reading the instalments but waiting till they come out in a block and at least I have the final one. I find I get caught too many times with people who stop part way through. And since I don't have any imagination whatsoever I count on others to share theirs with me! But it was a good story and certainly a keeper for me. Grateful thanks for continuing to write L&C fanfic. Gay ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 10:05:30 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Looking for a partner / partners Jackie wrote: >>>I also know Wendy Richards does, too, since she mentioned it in Green Card." [snip] (Wendy, I loved that reference, by the way. I was delighted to see V mentioned, in any context, but the way Lois put it, I was howling!) <<< I did?! I honestly can't remember anything like that! I never watched V at all - never had any interest in it, to be honest - so if there was a reference it was either accidental or I must have been searching hard for a cultural reference which would fit. And that doesn't really sound right, since I don't remember doing it at all! Wendy ---------- Wendy Richards wendy@lcfanfic.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 10:51:16 -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: The Accidental Husband Gay wrote: >>>One question - how could the guy Lex had follow Lois know that it was Clark Kent's apartment. Aren't there others in the building beneath him? And how could he find out in the middle of the night? Even if he read the names on the mailboxes presumably he'd have to give Lex a list of surnames - like Ambrose, Carter, Grant, Kent, McLean, Thompson etc.?? And then Lex would only recognise CK?<<< This isn't a criticism of Gay, just a general point which occurred to me. I think we are really far more demanding of our fanfic writers than we are the scriptwriters when it comes to explaining just *how* things are worked out. All the evidence has to be completely in place, all the 'i's dotted and the 't's crossed. We have to know *exactly* what evidence L&C found to lead them to the villain, and precisely how the villains managed to track *them* down. And yet when I was watching OB yesterday I found myself amazed by some of the leaps of logic we were expected to accept. For instance, Lois thinks that she can prove that Ryan was at the weapon demonstration by comparing a sample of his handwriting in her high-school year book with a signature sheet. Objection 1: how many people's handwriting in their late twenties looks the same as it did when they were 18? Objection 2: since when did a signature bear much resemblance to the writer's normal handwriting? Then, later, the messages being left as technology is damaged contain quotes from Molly's book. The instant conclusion drawn - as if there was no doubt - was that Molly was behind the sabotage. (Okay, she wasn't in the end, but why the certainty?). I'm sure we could all think of similar occasions when plotting in the episodes appeared to leave loopholes; and yet we expect so much more of fanfic writers. Why is that? Wendy ------------- Wendy Richards wendy@lcfanfic.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 10:53:55 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: I'm a Grandma again! In-Reply-To: <3B8F1048.4BEA156F@earthlink.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Add my congratulations to the others, Nan! Yay! :) Just think how much you'll be able to spoil that grandbaby, then send it home. Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/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 Nancy Smith > Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 9:19 PM > To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU > Subject: I'm a Grandma again! > > > Just to brag. Andrea Kaitlin Smith was born at 6:38 this morning, > weighing seven pounds, ten ounces. Mother, baby and daddy are doing > fine. > > Nan > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 18:15:51 +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: Why we expect so much of our fanfic writers (Was Re: The Accidental Husband) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wendy asked: > I'm sure we could all think of similar occasions when plotting in the > episodes appeared to leave loopholes; and yet we expect so much more of > fanfic writers. Why is that? I can only speak for myself, but I think the main reason is that we expect fanfic to be better than the show. I know I do. I recently ran into one of my very favourite episodes on TV (The Green Green Glow of Home), and I was extremely disappointed in some of the scenes (all right, it was dubbed in French, which didn't help). Somehow I had kept fond memories of the episode and when I watched it I expected it to be outstanding. And yet... Yet I was missing some of the emotion appearing in rewrites of this episode. Maybe the fact that I'd just read part one of Raconteur's excellent Burden of Conscience made me more demanding towards the original episode, which I was expecting to be more dramatic than it actually was. And regarding the details to make the entire plot work, I suppose it's related. We want fanfics to be a lot more perfect than the show, even though as writers, we know it's practically impossible to build a A plot that can stand every nitpick (heck, I know, A plots are a total nightmare for me to write). There'll always be *something* we missed, some tiny detail we forgot about (and which went unnoticed by our BRs as well) and which could have ruined the entire A plot. Ah well... Helene :) (who feels much more comfortable writing B plots ) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 17:29:48 +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: The Accidental Husband In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII On Fri, 31 Aug 2001 10:51:16 -0500 Wendy Richards wrote: > I'm sure we could all think of similar occasions when plotting in the episodes appeared to leave loopholes; and yet we expect so much more of fanfic writers. Why is that? < Maybe because they're _fans_? Which means that: -- they care about the characters and situations (or should) and want to get them right (or should); -- they don't have suits on their backs demanding everything by Tuesday regardless of what it does to quality, so they have time to consider this sort of thing; -- they're not limited to 44 minutes of script, and so can cover aspects of plot and character in more detail; and -- they write for a fan audience, which is smaller, but more vocal, more articulate and knows the subject in far greater detail than the general public or suits for whom the pros write. There are probably other reasons, but those'll do for a start. Face it, fellow scribes: we write for what is probably the most demanding kind of audience outside of academic journals; of course, they're also far more willing to let us do our thing our way than other audiences would be or are, _and_ they provide FDK, so they're worth the effort we put in. Phil ---- "We gotta get out into Space / If it's the last thing we ever do!" -- Return to the Forbidden Planet A sentiment echoed by Phil Atcliffe (Phillip.Atcliffe@uwe.ac.uk) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 11:40:31 -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: The Accidental Husband Interesting responses, Phil and Helene. :) While not disagreeing at all with what Phil says, I should perhaps make one thing clear in response to this: >>>Face it, fellow scribes: we write for what is probably the most demanding kind of audience outside of academic journals; of course, they're also far more willing to let us do our thing our way than other audiences would be or are, _and_ they provide FDK, so they're worth the effort we put in.<<< I wasn't complaining about there being higher expectations on fanfic writers; far from it! In fact, I know I'm guilty of exactly that myself when I read fanfic; I want to know how the pieces are assembled, how the bad guy got away, why Clark or Lois did or did not do whatever they did. It simply struck me as interesting given that I had watched OB, and been quite surprised by the plot holes I noticed. And so I thought I'd ask the question. And yes, fanfic writers in general do an excellent job of filling in the gaps! :) Wendy -------------- Wendy Richards wendy@lcfanfic.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 09:49:33 -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: I'm a Grandma again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congrats, Nan. My first time is coming in October and I can hardly wait. :) Jude ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nancy Smith" To: Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 9:19 PM Subject: I'm a Grandma again! > Just to brag. Andrea Kaitlin Smith was born at 6:38 this morning, > weighing seven pounds, ten ounces. Mother, baby and daddy are doing > fine. > > Nan ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 11:34:17 -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: Imbalance MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey Phil and Wendy - Excellent as always. Ditto Pam, though I think I figured it out right away - with the wall and all. More soon! CM ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 11:01:44 -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: I'm a Grandma again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I was wondering about this! Congrats! CM > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Nancy Smith > To: > Sent: Friday, August 31, 2001 5:19 AM > Subject: I'm a Grandma again! > > > > Just to brag. Andrea Kaitlin Smith was born at 6:38 this morning, > > weighing seven pounds, ten ounces. Mother, baby and daddy are > doing > > fine. > > > > Nan > > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 11:45:03 -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: Carol's "A Friendly Little Game" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit when I looked in my > folder > with Carol's stories, that's what I thought it was. I have my own folder? WOW! I'm honored! > I love Carol's writing, not only because it's so funny and sweet, > but also > because she has the knack for getting into Lois's head. Her Lois is > a > woman deeply in love with a man whom she knows loves *her*, too, but > yet is > hesitant about committing to a relationship with him. Wonderful > characterization! I can't wait to read more, Carol! :-) Thanks - hope I can live up to all that. It has occurred to me that I prefer to write Clark in the long stories, that are more angsty, serious stuff (First Night, VotS, TCOTDC - once it took off on me) and Lois in the more fun, revelation type things. Wonder why that is? Maybe cuz every woman's dream man is Clark Kent/Superman? And as much as I love my husband, there are just no Superpowers involved! I'll try to come up with something else for you guys soon! CM ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 12:15:30 -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: Valley of the Shadow, 17/17 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Here's the last part! Comments welcome! CM ***** >From part 16: Lois nodded. "When do you want to find out about the baby? I mean, do you want me to try to get in to see the doctor before we go or wait 'til we get back or what?" "It's up to you, sweetheart. Do you want to know before we go? Or do you think it would put a damper on things?" "It's going to put a damper on whenever we find out." "I know, but would you rather just spend the next few days together and work on us? Then we could deal with naming the baby and planning a service later." Lois thought about it for a few minutes. "I think that I would like to spend the next few days grieving together over the child we lost *and* working on putting us back together. What do you think?" Lois could hear the tears in his voice as he spoke. "I think that sounds perfect." ***** Part 17: Two hours later, their bags were in the little hut and they were in the waiting room at Dr. Moore's office. "I don't know if I can do this, Clark." "We can go if you want to and do this another time." Lois took a deep breath. "No, if we don't do this now, we never will." Amber came to the door and called their names. "It's now or never, Clark." "Then let's go." Hands firmly intertwined they entered the doctor's office. ***** "I can't tell you how glad I am to see the two of you together." The smile on Dr. Moore's face was genuine. "So are we, Dr. Moore." Lois smiled at Clark and squeezed his hand. "What did you want to see me about?" Lois took a deep breath before she started. "We've decided that we want to know if the baby was a boy or a girl, if there was anything wrong with the baby and what the cause of death was." "That's a lot to want to know. Are you sure?" Lois and Clark shared a look and Clark answered for both of them. "We've been through a lot the last few months and we think that knowing all of this will help us put everything behind us and give us some closure." Dr. Moore nodded. He looked at Lois' chart before beginning. "As far as the baby is concerned, there was no obvious sign of the cause of death. Like I told Lois before, as best we could tell it was just the stress and everything that happened that weekend. Your body couldn't deal with it and the baby took the brunt of that. There wasn't anything obviously wrong with the baby, though there was more development than we had expected to see." "What do you mean by that, Doctor?" Clark had to know if there was something dangerous about his Kryptonian heritage. "I mean, Lois was about 14 weeks pregnant, but the baby appeared to be at 14 1/2 to 15 weeks along. It's not a very big deal as every baby develops somewhat differently." "Does that mean I would have delivered early?" Lois wanted to know as much as possible as well. They had discussed it and hoped that some good could come out of this for their future children, so they would know what to expect. "Maybe, maybe not. It's hard to tell. The development could have slowed down later and been more on par with what is normal. But normal, or average, is just that. Some develop faster, some slower. Within a certain range there is nothing to worry about and you were definitely within that safe range." Lois and Clark exchanged a relieved look. "As for the gender of the baby, you had a little boy." The tears started to run down Lois' face and Clark had to swallow hard to keep his eyes from overflowing. "Thank you, Dr. Moore. Lois and I appreciate your honesty." "I wish it didn't have to be this way, but please let me know if there's ever anything I can do for you." The couple stood and Clark again answered for both of them. "We will." They shook hands and the couple started to leave. Lois turned back. "Dr. Moore, we're not ready to try for a family just yet." He nodded. "I understand." He scribbled on his prescription pad. "Here. This should do the trick until you're ready, but they won't help right away, so I would suggest another form of protection until then." Lois took the offered sheet. "Thank you." ***** Another hour later, they touched down on the sandy beach. They had agreed to wait until they were alone to talk. The pharmacy had taken longer than they expected and the flight had been a quiet one. Clark gently set Lois on her feet, but didn't release his hold on her. They stood there for what seemed like eons, tears silently flowing down their cheeks. Finally, Lois spoke. "I didn't think I had any tears left." "Me either. But if I had to share this with anyone, I'm glad it's with you." "Same here." "Do you want to talk about it now?" Lois shook her head and stepped back. "I'd like to change clothes first and maybe get something to eat." "Would you like me to go get something?" "No. I don't want you to leave. Do we have anything here?" Clark nodded. "I stopped by my apartment earlier and picked up some stuff." "That's something else we need to talk about, Clark. Where are we going to live?" "We'll figure something out." He took her hand and led her up the little path to their hut. "You change and I'll get us something to eat." He put a hand under her chin and turned her face so he was looking her in the eye. "Let me know when you're ready to talk. Until then, I won't say a word." Lois nodded, unable to speak and amazed again at the compassion in the man she married. Soon, they were sitting on the sand, eating sandwiches and making small talk. Clark was going to ask to stop following the baseball team and to be partnered with his wife once again. Neither thought Perry would mind. That was how they spent the rest of the day - getting reacquainted with each other. All day, they stayed close together, touching often. Little touches, holding hands, hugging, anything to reaffirm the other's presence. It was dusk before Lois brought up the baby. Clark was sitting behind Lois, rubbing her neck as they stared at the bright reds and oranges in the sky, reflected on the water. "We had a boy, Clark." He stopped his gentle ministrations and pulled her close to him. "I know." "What would you like to name him?" "I don't know. We never really talked about it before." "Would you like for him to be a 'junior'?" Clark thought about it for a minute. "I don't think so. I never really liked that idea. I mean, I understand why people do it, but I just never really wanted to. I always figured that my wife and I would pick a name that meant something to us." "Okay. So what name do we want to use?" "We could use names from our family or friends. Fathers, uncles, cousins." "You mean something like Jonathan Samuel?" "Or Samuel Jonathan. Either is a possibility." Lois took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around Clark's, hugging them closer to her. "Would we rather save that name for one of our children who live?" Clark thought about that. "I think we should pick a name that we like, and use it regardless. This child deserves that much." "I agree." "Do we want to name the baby for our dads?" "I don't know. Your dad, sure, but you know how well my dad and I get along. I'm not sure if I even want to name a baby for my dad. If we named the baby 'Jonathan Samuel', Dad would want to know why his name didn't come first. If we named the baby after your dad and not him, he'd be really upset. If we named the baby after him and saved Jonathan for another baby, he'd be upset because we named a baby who was already," her voice cracked, "dead after him." He held her a little tighter. "So, it's both or neither." "Right." "Do you like either one?" "I don't know. What other options are there?" "There's your Uncle Mike. My Uncle Joe. There's names that we just like, that aren't related to us in any way." "True. I think I like Joe. We could call him Joey." "Joey. I like that." "How about Joseph Michael, after our favorite uncles?" "Joseph Michael. Joey. I like that, too." "So it's settled?" Lois nodded as they both stared at the waves and the setting sun. "Joey, we'll always miss you and we'll always love you." Silent tears once again ran down their cheeks, but this time they were tears of healing and not of sorrow. They were recovering. Together. ***** ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 13:36:12 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Gerry Anklewicz Subject: Re: Why we expect so much of our fanfic writers In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Wendy wrote: I wasn't complaining about there being higher expectations on fanfic writers; far from it! In fact, I know I'm guilty of exactly that myself when I read fanfic; I want to know how the pieces are assembled, how the bad guy got away, why Clark or Lois did or did not do whatever they did. It simply struck me as interesting given that I had watched OB, and been quite surprised by the plot holes I noticed. And so I thought I'd ask the question. Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't many of the first fanfics actually plugging in the holes that the writers of the show left open? If so, then fanfic writers realize that our readers want more detail. That's what we do. Look at all the questions about timeline, what's upstairs in Clark's apartment, does Lois have a one bedroom or two bedroom apartment, where does Lois buy her chocolates? Those questions show that we are far more interested in accuracy and staying within the parameters set by the series. Although Clark's apartment is on street level, he manages to have a balcony that he can be pushed from (ASU) when it is convenient. The writers/directors created what they needed at the moment rather than looking at the logic of what they were doing. The series was (weekly) story driven. Our fics are driven by the canon and by the characters. I also think that we take greater pride in our writing, perhaps because we are amateurs, and so we want to be accurate. In the end, this reaching for perfection, makes great reading. Thanks to all you writers for caring so much. gerry ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 12:50:38 -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: Looking for a partner / partners On Fri, 31 Aug 2001 10:05:30 -0500, Wendy Richards < wendy@KINGSMEADOWCR.FREESERVE.CO.UK> wrote: >I did?! I honestly can't remember anything like that! I never watched V at >all - never had any interest in it, to be honest - so if there was a >reference it was either accidental or I must have been searching hard for a >cultural reference which would fit. And that doesn't really sound right, >since I don't remember doing it at all! Now I'm really curious ... when I read Jackie's comment, I, too, remembered a recent V reference that I *thought* was in one of your stories, Wendy, and since Green Card is one I just read ... hmmm. Jackie, can you find the reference? Now I'm really curious what story *I* read it in, too, if Wendy denies it's hers! Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 10:53:54 -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: I'm a Grandma again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit LOL. Thanks everyone. Andrea is my third grandchild. She has an older brother, (Austin, age 4) and sister (Erin, age 2). Austin is thrilled with his new sister. Erin doesn't understand much about it yet. Just wait a couple of years and we'll see what big brother thinks of having two little sisters to gang up on him! Nan Erin Klingler wrote: > Add my congratulations to the others, Nan! Yay! :) Just think how much you'll be > able to spoil that grandbaby, then send it home. > > Erin > __________________ > erink@ida.net > erink@lcfanfic.com > Visit my Lois & Clark/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 Nancy Smith > > Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 9:19 PM > > To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU > > Subject: I'm a Grandma again! > > > > > > Just to brag. Andrea Kaitlin Smith was born at 6:38 this morning, > > weighing seven pounds, ten ounces. Mother, baby and daddy are doing > > fine. > > > > Nan > > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 11:02:32 -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: Why we expect so much of our fanfic writers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Look at all the questions about timeline, what's upstairs in Clark's > apartment, does Lois have a one bedroom or two bedroom apartment, where > does Lois buy her chocolates? Those questions show that we are far more > interested in accuracy and staying within the parameters set by the > series. Although Clark's apartment is on street level, he manages to have > a balcony that he can be pushed from (ASU) when it is convenient. I think I just figured it out. The stairs go up to a small room of some sort, and *that's* where the upper balcony comes in! Nan ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 10:24:32 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Debby Subject: Re: "Missing" Metallo Scene (was Re: Hand in the candy jar In-Reply-To: <20010828.115215.-343437.0.cmoncado@juno.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 11:52 AM 08/28/2001 -0500, you wrote: >> I got mine from a few different sources, but I do remember that >> Debby Stark >> had some on disk/CD available at one point ... if she doesn't enter >> this >> thread, you might want to email her privately and ask if she still >> has them >> available. :) > >As of a couple of months ago she did, so if you're interested you really >might want to contact her. > >CM I'm at dls@thuntek.net and I can still make CDs of scripts for a price to cover my work and cost, with the understanding that they should not then be placed anywhere on the net to avoid legal problems. Kathy noted how in an early version of House of Luthor, Clark told Lois he knew she had turned Lex down at the altar. However, that wasn't show in the final, screened, TV version--which is a good thing, as I based a lot of Dawning on the fact (as viewers knew it) that CK *didn't* know. It would be like Lex to pipe the audio (if not also the video) portion of the wedding down to the basement as further torture for Superman, but he apparently didn't do that. Debby dls@thuntek.net ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 10:27:40 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Debby Subject: Re: "Missing" Metallo Scene (was Re: Hand in the candy jar In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 01:38 PM 08/28/2001 -0400, Carolyn wrote: >Thanks for posting this Kathy:) > >I am now sorry I didn't look harder fore L&C scripts when I was on >Hollywood Boulevard during LAFF.......:( When I was last in Burbank (um... '97?) there was a movie memorabilia store there that had a branch in Hollywood. Both sold scripts, but the Hollywood one seemed to concentrate/specialize in TV scripts--and it didn't open til noon and had poor lighting and no air conditioning--blah! It was on a corner and I believe it was about to move. I bet they have a web site somewhere... I believe the scripts (for I know people who bought them) were around $10 +tax each for regular TV scripts, higher for scripts with more pages (1.5 hour/pilot type scripts). >Carolyn Debby dls@thuntek.net ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 13:19:49 -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: Why we expect so much of our fanfic writers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > I think I just figured it out. The stairs go up to a small room of > some sort, > and *that's* where the upper balcony comes in! LOL! Of course - perfect sense! Go, Nan! I always thought they just went to the roof of Clark's building and pushed him from there. Course - and I've only seen the ep once (or at least this part of it) so I'm not even sure which ep (TOGOM? Only seen it once) - when the Cheese of the Month Club excuse is used Clark goes back down some stairs to get to his mailbox. I had always thought that there was a set of stairs leading straight to his front door. "Things that make ya go hmmmm...."? CM ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 13:40:11 -0500 Reply-To: bbmedos@booksanctuary.com Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "B. B. Medos" Subject: Re: Why we expect so much of our fanfic writers (Was Re: The Accidental Husband) In-Reply-To: <00b301c13238$35950300$e1ecfac1@oemcomputer> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Helene wrote: << And regarding the details to make the entire plot work, I suppose it's related. We want fanfics to be a lot more perfect than the show, even though as writers, we know it's practically impossible to build a A plot that can stand every nitpick (heck, I know, A plots are a total nightmare for me to write). There'll always be *something* we missed, some tiny detail we forgot about (and which went unnoticed by our BRs as well) and which could have ruined the entire A plot. >> I haven't read the rest of this thread yet, but I just had to comment. I'm not sure that we expect fan fiction to be better, but rather more satisfying. There is a difference because whether we want to admit it or not, the series writers do have limits on what they can do in certain areas and that is going to leave emotional holes in the stories we "wish" we could see. Fan fiction gets to fill in those holes which is invariably going to be more satisfying no matter how well-written an individual episode might be. Beverly :-) bbmedos@booksanctuary.com http://www.booksanctuary.com BookNotesPlus: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BookNotesPlus Mysterious Romance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mysteriousromance ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 20:28:33 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Meredith Knight Subject: Re: Why we expect so much of our fanfic writers In-Reply-To: <20010831.131952.-185399.0.cmoncado@juno.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 I don't buy the ground-floor apartment at all. In Neverending Battle, when his landlord arrives to give him an extra key, and Clark redecorates the apartment in about one minute flat, there are definitely stairs outside the front door - the landlord goes down to the first turn in the stairs while figuring out the keys, iirc. (I'm allowed to pick which bits of which episodes to believe in, aren't I? ) Meredith Carol L Moncado writes >> I think I just figured it out. The stairs go up to a small room of >> some sort, >> and *that's* where the upper balcony comes in! > >LOL! Of course - perfect sense! Go, Nan! > >I always thought they just went to the roof of Clark's building and >pushed him from there. > >Course - and I've only seen the ep once (or at least this part of it) so >I'm not even sure which ep (TOGOM? Only seen it once) - when the Cheese >of the Month Club excuse is used Clark goes back down some stairs to get >to his mailbox. I had always thought that there was a set of stairs >leading straight to his front door. > >"Things that make ya go hmmmm...."? > >CM -- Meredith Knight "All the pebbles had fat smiling faces, and the anemones had mad bright eyes above their frills." ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 14:43:40 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: 'V' in Wendy's fic (was: RE: Looking for a partner / partners) In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >I did?! I honestly can't remember anything like that! I never watched V at > >all - never had any interest in it, to be honest - so if there was a > >reference it was either accidental or I must have been searching hard for a > >cultural reference which would fit. And that doesn't really sound right, > >since I don't remember doing it at all! > > > Now I'm really curious ... when I read Jackie's comment, I, too, remembered a > recent V reference that I *thought* was in one of your stories, Wendy, and > since Green Card is one I just read ... hmmm. > > Jackie, can you find the reference? Now I'm really curious what story *I* > read it in, too, if Wendy denies it's hers! AH-HA!! It WAS it Wendy's GC! I knew it was, too, and it was bugging me! So I found it! Here's the reference: >>"If he's an illegal alien, he should be deported. Everyone knows he only got married to pull the wool over the INS's eyes. I mean, he's a space alien! Like something out of ET, or V, or who knows what! << So there ya go, Wendy. Nice to know you suffer from writer's amnesia like many of us do! Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 21:23:50 +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: Re: I'm a Grandma again! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -----Original Message----- From: Nancy Smith To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Date: 31 August 2001 05:43 Subject: I'm a Grandma again! >Just to brag. Andrea Kaitlin Smith was born at 6:38 this morning, >weighing seven pounds, ten ounces. Mother, baby and daddy are doing >fine. > >Nan > > Congratulations Nan. Liz Reid ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 15:58:49 -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: 'V' in Wendy's fic (was: RE: Looking for a partner / partners) Oh, nice find, Erin! And yes, I'd completely forgotten that it was in there. It was just a tiny reference, for me; I think I just must have grabbed for some other TV programme or film about aliens. So V must have made some impact on my subconscious! So how does this count on the scale of LabRat failing to recognise her own fic in a fanfic quote quiz? Worse? Wendy ------------ Wendy Richards wendy@lcfanfic.com ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 23:14:20 +0100 Reply-To: Yvonne Connell Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Yvonne Connell Subject: Re: Why we expect so much of our fanfic writers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > I don't buy the ground-floor apartment at all. In Neverending Battle, > when his landlord arrives to give him an extra key, and Clark > redecorates the apartment in about one minute flat, there are definitely > stairs outside the front door - the landlord goes down to the first turn > in the stairs while figuring out the keys, iirc. I'm with you, Meredith :) I've always imagined his apartment to be on the top of the building - I've seen him pushed off the balcony, I've seen Lois stand on the balcony looking in through his picture window, I've seen him climb stairs (which looked like internal stairs) up to his front door, and all I can remember seeing through his window is sky (ie, not neighbouring buildings). The only evidence I've heard to support the ground floor theory is that people who visited the Warner Bros set said it was on the ground floor - but *everything* is on the ground floor on sets! Thanks, Kathy, for the store-room theory. It's not quite what I wanted to hear, but at least you and a couple of others have indicated that they think there's *something* up there :) Yvonne (yvonne@yconnell.fsnet.co.uk) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 17:13:03 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: The Accidental Husband On Fri, 31 Aug 2001 10:51:16 -0500, Wendy Richards wrote: > >And yet when I was watching OB yesterday I found myself amazed by some of >the leaps of logic we were expected to accept. For instance, Lois thinks >that she can prove that Ryan was at the weapon demonstration by comparing a >sample of his handwriting in her high-school year book with a signature >sheet. Objection 1: how many people's handwriting in their late twenties >looks the same as it did when they were 18? Objection 2: since when did a >signature bear much resemblance to the writer's normal handwriting? > >Then, later, the messages being left as technology is damaged contain >quotes from Molly's book. The instant conclusion drawn - as if there was no >doubt - was that Molly was behind the sabotage. (Okay, she wasn't in the >end, but why the certainty?). Good point about OB's plotholes, Wendy; it does seem dumb to conclude that Molly was behind the sabotage simply because of the quotes from her book. The book was a published work; *anyone* could have read it and quoted her. > >I'm sure we could all think of similar occasions when plotting in the >episodes appeared to leave loopholes; and yet we expect so much more of >fanfic writers. Why is that? > Just for the record, here's one reader who doesn't give a hoot about holes in A-plots . I tend to suspend disbelief when I'm reading a fanfic or watching the show, so discrepancies don't bother me too much. What *does* bother me is if Lois or Clark starts acting out of character from the persona that the author established for him or her. If the author writes Lois as a sensible, rational person and she suddenly starts behaving erratically, or if Clark is depicted as a low-key person and he suddenly starts losing his temper all the time, it would "jar" me out of the story. And I expect the same high standards from the professionals as I do from the fanfic writers . Throughout the LnC run on television, I expected Lois to act like Lois and Clark to act like Clark. A change in either of their personalities would bother me more than the A-plots starting to resemble cartoons. Shadowfax ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 17:21:45 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shadow Fax Subject: Re: Why we expect so much of our fanfic writers (Was Re: The Accidental Husband) On Fri, 31 Aug 2001 13:40:11 -0500, B. B. Medos wrote: > >I haven't read the rest of this thread yet, but I just had to comment. I'm >not sure that we expect fan fiction to be better, but rather more satisfying. >There is a difference because whether we want to admit it or not, the series >writers do have limits on what they can do in certain areas and that is going to >leave emotional holes in the stories we "wish" we could see. Fan fiction gets to >fill in those holes which is invariably going to be more satisfying no matter >how well-written an individual episode might be. > "Emotional holes." I like that phrase . And yes, that's what I expect from fanfiction. I'm more interested that the stories fill in "emotional holes" than that they have perfect plots. It sounds like I'm in the minority, though. Shadowfax ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 23:38:24 +0100 Reply-To: Yvonne Connell Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Yvonne Connell Subject: Re: Why we expect so much of our fanfic writers (Was Re: The Accidental Husband) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > "Emotional holes." I like that phrase . And yes, that's what I expect > from fanfiction. I'm more interested that the stories fill in "emotional > holes" than that they have perfect plots. It sounds like I'm in the > minority, though. Oh, no - I agree totally with that, too! As I said to someone else recently, I believe the one thing which really distinguishes a written story from the screen version is the ability to convey inner thoughts and feelings. Yes, a good actor or actress can give us the feeling and emotion, but they can't really tell us what the character is thinking - not to the same depth as can written narrative. Therefore, for me, a written story which simply contains dialogue and action is missing the point a little. Yvonne (yvonne@yconnell.fsnet.co.uk) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 18:00:36 -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: The Accidental Husband On Fri, 31 Aug 2001 18:41:40 +0400, Gay Devlin wrote: >One question - how could the guy Lex had follow Lois know that it was Clark >Kent's apartment. Aren't there others in the building beneath him? And >how could he find out in the middle of the night? Even if he read the >names on the mailboxes presumably he'd have to give Lex a list of surnames >- like Ambrose, Carter, Grant, Kent, McLean, Thompson etc.?? And then Lex >would only recognise CK? I've got two possible explanations for you (or Erin, should she chose to address the glitch). First, the tail could have quietly checked out which apt she went into, and pulled up Clark's name that way. Or, second, since we never see an apt number on Clark's door, maybe they aren't numbered that way at all. For example, Clark's address could be 344, his next door neighbor's apt could be 346, etc. This second option seems to be the most logical since we've never been given any indication that Clark has an apartment number. Now wasn't that easy? Heck, if FoLCs can come up with ingenious ways to explain Lois's changeable apartment numbers, doing the same for Clark should be a snap. Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 19:32:35 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Mary D." Subject: Re: The Accidental Husband > Now wasn't that easy? Heck, if FoLCs can come up with ingenious ways to > explain Lois's changeable apartment numbers, doing the same for Clark should > be a snap. > > Kathy Lois has changeable apartment numbers? I never noticed anything before. BTW, I go along with those saying Clark's apartment was an upper level apartment. I remember the balcony and the landlord on the steps thing too. Mary ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 18:46:08 -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: The Accidental Husband MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit . > BTW, I go along with those saying Clark's apartment was an upper > level > apartment. I remember the balcony and the landlord on the steps > thing too. > > Mary And only having seen this ep once - I know, I know, I could dig out the tape... - I thought he went to the bottom of the stairs to the sidewalk. Kinda like the stairs to Lois' building - regardless of what floor she was on :) - or the brownstone (did they have a thing for homes with stairs leading up to them?) And that begs the question - did the brownstone have a basement of some kind? In the ep with the ghost, it looks like there is some kind of railing with a... not sure what word I'm looking for here but where it looks like the ground floor is half underground, like in a tri-level and there is a window or something there. If it's ground level, without a half underground floor, why are there stairs? Random thoughts. Random answers anyone? CM ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 16:44:29 -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: Clark's Apartment (was Re: The Accidental Husband) In-Reply-To: <20010831.184610.-185399.4.cmoncado@juno.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I remember (HOL, some others too I think) where you had to walk down some stairs after walking into Clark's apartment. Like, it was sunken or something. But he had at least one or two steps up to the door, too. I always thought that was strange. I always thought it was like a loft, that had high ceilings - so maybe he put in a second level, and that second level had a balcony. Who's to know? Melisma (under her Rock, wondering how lucid that sounds... sigh) At 06:46 PM 31/08/2001 -0500, you wrote: >. >> BTW, I go along with those saying Clark's apartment was an upper >> level >> apartment. I remember the balcony and the landlord on the steps >> thing too. >> >> Mary > >And only having seen this ep once - I know, I know, I could dig out the >tape... - I thought he went to the bottom of the stairs to the sidewalk. >Kinda like the stairs to Lois' building - regardless of what floor she >was on :) - or the brownstone (did they have a thing for homes with >stairs leading up to them?) And that begs the question - did the >brownstone have a basement of some kind? In the ep with the ghost, it >looks like there is some kind of railing with a... not sure what word I'm >looking for here but where it looks like the ground floor is half >underground, like in a tri-level and there is a window or something >there. If it's ground level, without a half underground floor, why are >there stairs? > >Random thoughts. Random answers anyone? > >CM > > Visit my rock at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 20:04:56 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jacalyn Sue Newman Subject: Re: 'V' in Wendy's fic (was: RE: Looking for a partner / partners) In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" Wendy wrote: >I did?! I honestly can't remember anything like that! I never watched V at >all - never had any interest in it, to be honest - Thou speakest blasphemy, dearest Wendy!! :-) No interest? Me shakes my head in amazement. Then Erin found the reference in Green Card I had mentioned, and Wendy replied: >Oh, nice find, Erin! And yes, I'd completely forgotten that it was in >there. It was just a tiny reference, for me; I think I just must have >grabbed for some other TV programme or film about aliens. So V must have >made some impact on my subconscious! I recommend a DVD rental of the original 4 hr miniseries as treatment for this sad affliction. It was a very intelligent, telling reference you made and I'm surprised you didn't know how relevant it was! WOW. The Visitors are EXACTLY the sort of aliens Trask was worried about. Well, when Kathy writes and posts her story, you'll all get "educated" about the social commentary of V. :-) Going back to hide in my cave.... Jackie -- Jacalyn S. Newman jacalynsue@earthlink.net ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 02:23:05 +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: Why we expect so much of our fanfic writers (Was Re: The Accidental Husband) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Seems my earlier post was misunderstood, so to clarify... I never meant to say that A plot prevailed in my mind over B plot and characterisation (anyone who knows me would tell you that I'm a sucker for B plots and not quite fond of A plots ;)). Of *course* the first thing I look at when reading a fanfic is the emotional content, but here I thought we were talking about little A plot details to which readers pay attention, even though the show's writers didn't seem to care much for such trivialities. The emotional content is different, and I think it was (mostly) well dealt with in the original episodes: of course there are flaws, and not only because the TV format doesn't allow introspection. What got mentioned in an earlier thread, about the post Lois/Lex relationship, or the post TOGOM trauma never being dealt with, gave fanfic authors a lot of occasions to fill in "emotional holes". But with the A plot details it wasn't a matter of lack of mention, but a matter of lack of logic, for which readers are a lot more demanding than they were with the show. Let's face it, we want each of our fics to be logical, and if, for example, we write something that can be contested, like the examples Wendy gave for Operation Blackout, the readers will protest, understandably. It doesn't mean that the A plot is what matters most to them, but that it does matter, because it's part of the whole story. Helene :) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 20:50:36 -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: I'm a Grandma again! In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Congratulations Nan...:) Now, of course, you'll have to write a nice waffy story to celebrate the occasion:) Such happy news:) Regards Anita ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 20:32:10 -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: The Accidental Husband On Fri, 31 Aug 2001 19:32:35 -0400, Mary D. wrote: >Lois has changeable apartment numbers? I never noticed anything before. LOL, yes, they are quite famous in FoLC-lore, actually. Different episodes have Lois living in apt 105 and 501. (Many have joked that they must have moved the sets around and when they recreated Lois's apt door, they put the numbers on backwards. ;)) Lois's apartment has also been seen as part of a brownstone (Clark looks across the street to see her and Dan sitting outside on the steps) and in a highrise building (she falls several stories only to get caught on a flagpole before Superman can resuce her). We also hear Clark ask her "who else would be floating outside your third story window?" (Yes, creative landlords, putting apt 501 on the third floor. ) Heck, compared to Lois's living quarters, Clark's is amazingly stable. Kathy ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 23:46:15 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Marnie Rowe Subject: Re: The Accidental Husband MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Heyya all, I have a few thoughts on how the outside of Clark's apt was set up... okay 344 Clinton there are a few stairs leading up to the front door where they go down again to go into his sunken living room, the spiral stairs are in his bedroom and they go up to a study desk and loft with a skylight. The balcony is where the long set of stairs are hugging the side of the building which is built on a hill so that the back half of the building is a full story above the street. So in the front the building could be a half story above street level and in the back it would be more than high enough for a story and a half or two full stories, like that would be where the balconies were, it could be a renovated warehouse which is really what the end product looked like to me. With a few very nice additions...like the balconies at the back and the stoops at the front. Marns ~Pobody's Nerfect ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary D." To: Sent: Friday, August 31, 2001 4:32 PM Subject: Re: The Accidental Husband > > Now wasn't that easy? Heck, if FoLCs can come up with ingenious ways to > > explain Lois's changeable apartment numbers, doing the same for Clark > should > > be a snap. > > > > Kathy > > Lois has changeable apartment numbers? I never noticed anything before. > BTW, I go along with those saying Clark's apartment was an upper level > apartment. I remember the balcony and the landlord on the steps thing too. > > Mary > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 22:52:07 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Weird Punctuation! :P MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I know, I know...most of you probably hate these punctuation debates, but I hope you won't throw cyber tomatoes at me if I bring something up. I was reading through a section of my Chicago Manual of Style tonight (okay, I'm sick, I know, but I actually like learning about grammar and punctuation! ), and saw something that just made me go "Ewww!" It must be correct, at least in some circles, considering the source, but it just looks so wrong to me. I think someone might have mentioned it here before, but I couldn't remember what had been said. Anyone have any clarifications on this? (And why does this just rub me the wrong way??) Regarding commas after ellipses and em dashes (those are the elongated dashes, I just learned ) : section 5.89: A comma should be used after a dash, however, to separate quoted material from the words that identify the speaker: "I assure you, there will never be--," Syliva began, but Mark interrupted her. And then this: section 5.12: A comma is used after the closing series of dots to separate the speech from the words identifying the speaker: "But...but...," said Tom. UGH. I know there are different Manuals of Style out there. Do any of them contradict this? Or is this the same throughout? I'd just love to be able to pretend I never saw this if I could get away with it. It just doesn't look right to me. Sorry to take up email space for those of you not interested, but I was hoping someone could shed some light on this for me. Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my Lois & Clark/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________