Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic FDK: Ghost Of A Chance 12/?

Hopefully this starts the story in the direction you have all been hoping for... At the least, I hope it will delay all the bad things I'm sure you guys have been planning for me!

This chapter, so easily, is very much one of my favorites !

There is a lot of raw emotion, so much pain, but also, there is HOPE .

Lois, finally, is trusting herself, and following her instincts. She knows Clark better than anyone--what's important to him, what he values, what makes him who he is--and she's coming into the reality that everything in this mess has been based on her source's fixation with Superman. For Lois to essentially be tipped off because of how well she knows her best friend--


--literally makes my toes curl .

And this section:


Amazing! Lois has found 'where' everything veered off course . I completely love that Lois is able to use these flashes of memory--which previously were so painful because of the impending loss--as an asset. That they were her clues to figure out a future WITH Clark (I'm hoping! ). She sees Clark happy--something that he has really been lacking --and realizes that in these little scenes things are ok. Great even. And its because they are together, best friends, in love.

Lois has found the root of the evil in her source's plan: Breaking apart Clark--and then therefore Superman/Utopia.

Creating a life together for Lois and Clark creates a lifetime of happiness for both of them. And that happiness is what builds all of the goodness that comes into the future.

Lois knows . And knowledge is power--especially where Mad Dog Lane is concerned .

Here's hoping Lois is able to relieve Clark of his suffering ASAP. He needs the truth--hoping it's coming soon.

Awesome job, Anti-K! So excited for more!
Laura

*takes a deep, refreshing breath*

What a much needed bit of sunlight and fresh air! Of course, I still want to smack Lois for not seeing all of this sooner (for believing that loving Clark could ruin Superman). But better late than never. I'm hoping that there is still a spark of hope left in Clark, that maybe some part of him knows there has to be more to what he thinks is going on with Lois, that will allow him to believe her when she finally confronts him with the actual truth of what she's done. He probably won't fully trust her right away (and he shouldn't), but maybe he can give her enough benefit of the doubt to take down Tempus. (Has to be Tempus. The "duh" gave it away.)

Can't wait to read more!

It's a bit late for Lois to finally realize that she has been lied to. She has accepted her visions and her source's information as the truth, as the justification for treating Clark terribly while knowing in her heart that it felt wrong to do so. But she did it anyway; she broke his heart. And now that she has seen his reaction, she feels guilty, and it's that guilt that seems to be driving her to absolve herself. But that's a pretty poor motivation, selfish rather than selfless.

She is right to understand that Superman is nothing without Clark Kent. I'm waiting for the next part, though, to see how broken Clark Kent has become. You've certainly hooked me into the story.

Plotting against you? Now there's an idea.

Sorry it's taken me so long to respond. I read the chapter about fifteen minutes after you posted it, I just forgot where I saved my response!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this chapter.


It's interesting that Lois comes right out and states that Superman is just a job. The way you've crafted their relationship is incredibly interesting because regardless of the fact that Lois knows, she's only interacted with Clark as Clark. She loves him like she did in ATAI, but I almost wonder if she can't entirely love him for himself because she hasn't been able to get to know him as he really is. I could be entirely off, but that's how it feels to me. So her statement is interesting to me because Superman never has been "just a job." He came from Clark's longing to help, but the more Superman grew and defined in character, the more he became a part of Clark. In other words, not only did Clark's longing to help become a necessity, but Superman's personality formed and define other parts of Clark's, like his over-protectiveness, his calm in dangerous situations, and his lack of patience with some of the show's villains.
I don't think Superman was ever just a job to Lois-she understood that he was a huge part of him, or she would have married Clark on the spot instead of asking for more time in order to get to know him better.
I'm not necessarily trying to be too critical here, I just wonder how you think that all fits in! This Lois has had such different experiences that I sometimes wonder what she's thinking in comparison to canon Lois.

As for the chapter itself, I think you had some really interesting ideas! As frustrating as it is, I do understand why it took Lois so long to decide she was being lied to-Dr. Deter's evil twin manipulated her into trusting him, really-in letting her know that he was telling the truth. Lois wavered, and she knew at some points that something was off about the situation, that it was exactly as her source said, but at the end of the day he was able to give her enough evidence that she trusted him. I love your approach to her realization here because Clark has always been the truth she knows above everything. And seeing him hurt like that brought that truth of him, who he is, forward. It's unfortunate that she didn't put the pieces together before then, so she wouldn't have believed what she was doing was right. A few days earlier and we could have fixed the whole situation!

Lois's source convinced her that it was right to destroy Clark for the benefit of himself and the world and that she could not let him have a say in that or know, really. Why? I know she wouldn't have gone along with things if they wouldn't make Clark happier, but that doesn't make Clark not having a say in it right. What did her source tell her to make her believe it was okay? Was it about Lois being in his life when she wasn't supposed to meet him? Does that justify her in leaving him out of things? Is it right?

Hmm, I'm scared of what Martha's going to do when she finds out about what happened. Yikes, but good for her.

I love the direction you went with Lois's memories, but it worries me that she's still fighting migraines away. If those memories were natural, then they should have been gone by now since she destroyed everything. Are they a form of torture? Will she have to live with them forever? Are the migraines a stress reaction to those memories or are they the result of some unnatural connections?

I'm afraid of what Lois's source will do when he realizes what's going on (or what will happen when he begins his plans for her, whichever comes first). Is that how Clark's going to be inserted into the action? As much as we've seen of Clark, we haven't seen much of him. I'm excited to see what kind of role Clark's going to play, since he's been mostly in the background.


I agree with everyone else that this source sounds like Tempus, but I'm going to hold off a little longer.

Can't wait to see what's next!

Yikes! Well, Tempus (or Source) was right about one thing. Lois is the impetus that destroys Clark... Only in this timeline, not in the previous one. I'm glad that she's starting to put together the puzzle pieces and discover that Source hasn't been honest with her. I got worried when Lois discovered that everything went wrong when she didn't become engaged to Luthor. I worried that she would go to Luthor and try to remedy that mistake (although, I don't see how it would do anyone any good NOW. It would just make things worse for Clark.)

Yes, I could see Lois convincing Clark that some time-traveling Source convinced her of a lie and he would forgive her of her mistake, but then what? I couldn't see him trusting her any time soon. I don't see them becoming the best of friends or even partners again. Tempus is right. Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall and no matter what Lois does, he'll still be cracked no matter how many pieces she can put together again.

The continued migraines worry me too. I could see only Lois's illness bringing Clark to his senses, but too late for their love to ever be what it should be. Definitely stress related, but even more so. Perhaps her brain has become a paradox and it will soon no longer exist, leaving Lois a blank slate!

Oh, dear. Oh, deary dear. Not good. Not good at all. What will Lois do? How can she save Superman... save CLARK from the pain that she's inflicted upon him? How will she find him? Will he ever return? Will Superman?

Well, we finally got to the turning point, where the story moves from a twisted nightmare to one of hope. Yet how can Lois save Clark? How can she get him to trust her again. I think this will be interesting, and heart wrenching.

Thanks, LMA! Lois figuring out the problem with her source's information based on her knowledge of and friendship with Clark is one of the first things I came up with for this story and one of my favorite parts -- it was nice to finally get there! Some things always change, of course, as I write it down, but I was really glad this still came through the way I originally envisioned it. And yes, a Lois-in-the-know is a lot more effective, and maybe even frightening if you're not on her side, or if you get in her way!

It would have been nice if Lois realized the trouble sooner, DC! But that's the thing about Lois: she always has to live through the wreck before she knows to fix the problem. At least, I hope I'm not the only one who's yelled at the screen while watching some episodes...

Glad you're still hooked, groobie, even though it's taking me so long to post these chapter! And you're right, Clark...is not well.

Okay, just do me a favor, AnnieL, and warn me before you start coming for me, all right? Love your thoughts on Lois's perception of what Superman means to Clark, now and in-show. Very insightful, really, and I'd discuss it more with you just because I find it fascinating, except it might give a bit away... The migraines are a problem, even if Lois is using the flashes for good right now! Clark's moments are certainly coming!

I love the idea of the contradictory memories turning Lois's mind into a paradox, Virginia -- that could provide a lot of fun different ways to take the story! A broken trust is hard to try to repair, especially when it was as painful as this one, so I think you're very right in comparing it to Humpty Dumpty.

The first chapters are kind of designed to be confusing, John Lambert, and I only hope I can answer everything in a satisfactory way. I'm glad you see the hope emerging from here on out, though, even if it might take a while to get there. Hope you continue to enjoy!

Thank you, everyone, for your patience and willingness to see where the story goes!