Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic FDK: What If...? 1/4

So, somehow or other, this turned out to be almost as much of an AU of 'Newsworthy' as it did of the show. That wasn't on purpose, honestly, but of the moments I wanted to explore on the show, I didn't really have one for Season 1 right off. Most of the AUs I've written have been taken from season 1, so I felt like I'd touched on most of what interested me.

And then that moment in Smallville, in the pond, with Kryptonite and a madman. I don't know, it's one of my favorites, and by the time I decided to focus on what COULD have happened that moment, by the time I realized Jimmy had to be involved and I wanted Lois to swear herself to Clark's Secret...well, by the time I realized I was writing a tiny little redeeming AU for 'Newsworthy,' it was too late.

Hopefully you all enjoy this slightly more hopeful take on what could have happened that day in Smallville!

(And ah, James, how I miss you. It was good to get a little glimpse at a newborn vision of him again here!)

As always, beautifully written Anti-K. It is great to see your name back up on the boards.

I have to say I have never understood Lois' anger about Clark keeping his 'other job' under wraps. True, he did show Lois a lot more attention than he should have as Superman ... or even as Clark. That was his biggest mistake. But if he had not done so, if he had kept their relationship not as close, would Lois have the right to be told the truth? We all have secrets. Some people should know about and some that they definitely should not.

Oh yes, this is much better than Lois hoping a plane back to Metropolis and writing the expose of the century.

I do miss James!

Looking forward to reading the next installment.

I enjoyed this very much. I like your little AU version and I am looking forward to reading the next installment.

What a beautiful and clever story! I loved all of it, from the idea itself to your prose. The first part, with its throbbing, ceaseless repetition (“He stares”) and its end (“he falls”), is a jewel which marvelously reverberates in the last part (“s/he stares”, and the last sentences beginning with “she falls”, with it crucial addition). Bravo!

What more can I say? That I adored the pace of this revelation? That your Lois is an adult and not a girl having a tantrum (as in the show)? That your Clark is a beautiful mixture of strength and uncertainty, of his outer image and of his inner core? That I could almost see and hear your Martha and Jonathan? That I really appreciated to see a Jimmy who is already a James? That the scene in the plane was truly hilarious and wonderfully human? That I’d love to read more about our favourite couple in that setting?

I’m eagerly expecting the next chapter.

PS: Thank you for writing with enough brevity so I could manage to read it! RL is awfully busy and right now, I hardly find the time to read shortish stories.

Delightful.

WHat?! A new AntiK fic? Be still, my heart!

This was an absolutely beautiful piece! Very well done. It read like poetry, especially the symmetry someone mentioned above with the falling comparison.

Other things that stuck with me really well:

- Clark continually touching the spot where he was shot, Lois noticing it and being bothered by it.

- Martha's throwaway comment that they're his friends and he can trust them was heartwarming and probably the best thing she could have said in that moment.

- Clark's instant apology that Lois didn't understand until he started healing

- GAH the whole rest of the piece because it was fabulous.

I seriously can't wait to see what more you have in store for us! This hit every right note and I want another as soon as I can get my hands on it! But I'll wait here... patiently... ish... until that happens.

Fantastic. This story reminds me why I love reading your writings: You have such a way with words. Brava.

I look forward to reading the other seasons.

Joy,
Lynn

Clark has been and will always be, Clark. But Lois' struggle with the sudden reality that Clark's truth is now hers as well, was wonderfully written. Thank you.

Beautifully written, as always. I also applaud that Lois's reaction to Clark's secret was mature, and she was able to work through her anger without causing others unnecessary pain. Something I always felt was often missing in the show, when they tended to show her having a temper tantrum. Lois is a professional, and while she had her "Mad Dog" moments, in order to make it to the top of her male-dominated profession, she would have to have been able to be the consummate professional under stress, which the episodes showed too rarely. Additionally, as the older sister in a dysfunctional family, she grew up faster than someone in a healthier family.

Glad to see a hint of James in Jimmy, although I'm glad he wasn't necessary in this fic. Looking forward to the next part.

As always, a beautifully written, thoughtful, and gut-wrenching (in a good way!) piece. Loved every word of it, seriously. I love the idea of Lois thinking of Clark as being just Clark and her fear of a life without him forcing her to confront her emotions toward both him in general and her own feelings over his secret. (This is exactly why I love TOGoM - Lois' grief over "losing" Clark forcing her to admit to herself that she has romantic feelings for him.)

I really, really, really can't wait to see what else you have in store for us. My only complaint is that I want more than 4 moments!

Aw, that gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. Wonderful as always Anti-K! Looking forward to the next installment!

Joan

Thanks, Morgana! It's always such a treat to hear from you! I'm so excited that you're enjoying this -- your occasional emails letting me know you haven't forgotten me are always a highlight of my days! And yeah, it's kind of a vicious circle with the Secret: without him making extra effort, there's not a lot of reason to share more; but the more he shares, the more it becomes important that he confide the truth. That's why I really don't think there's a RIGHT way for him to have done things, just a lot of bad ways, some less bad, and a few not very bad. (If that makes any sense...)

Thanks, CarrieRene! Glad you're enjoying the story (even if it really is four separate stories, and I just have to call it one to justify trying to get them all done!).

Millefeuilles -- what can I say in response to your lovely feedback? That it made me smile? That it made my day? That I've reread it through several times? All of those would be true. Thanks so much for the wonderful comment! The tie-in from the beginning and ending paragraphs were some of my favorite and what really brought the whole thing together in my mind. And as glad as I am that the length was perfect for you...well, I'm not good at staying short...and each chapter seems to get slightly longer... Sorry!

Thanks, Framework4!

Aww, thanks, Mouserocks! It's good to be writing L&C again! I really liked the part where Clark kept touching the injury, too. Realistically, I think that there would be a lot more mental trauma for Clark to handle even if the physical wound healed, and that's something, as I'm sure anyone reading even just the summaries of my other stories, knows I enjoy delving into. Thanks for being patient...ish!

Good to hear from you again, Lynn! Glad you enjoyed and that you're all not tired of my writing yet.

Thanks, SJH. I was worried Lois's reaction here would seem just a little out of character, so this was a very reassuring comment!

So true, cuidadora! I always watch it keeping in mind that some things were played for laughs rather than 'realism,' which allows me to overlook some things, but it is nice when Lois can see a situation through someone else's pov and/or not just have a knee-jerk reaction. Yes, James really became a favorite for me -- though I'm very glad that this Jimmy doesn't need to assume all that responsibility!


Aww, glad to hear from you, DC! I'd love to do more than four moments, but I'm having a hard time just squeezing these in among everything else! My goal is to finish up all my L&C WIP before the New Year, so you might be seeing another story beside this. We'll see (I do work in retail, after all, and this is the holidays...). I'm glad Lois's reaction here seemed in-character!


Thanks, scifiJoan! I hope you enjoy the other three chapters too!

Hi, I'm Julie and I'm new (not to LnC, or the fanfic archive, but to this message board, and writing). I just got around to reading this (after I figured out how all this works) and I LOVE your writing style. It flows so well and draws me in and makes so much sense. I love how I feel like I'm on the edge of my seat the whole time (which is exactly how 'Newsworthy' was also). I look forward to reading the next chapter.

Hi, Julie, and welcome to the boards! It's so great to see new people coming in (though I've been gone so long, I almost feel like I should qualify for 'new!' :o). Thanks for reading my story -- and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! The writing style is one that comes very easily to me, but since it's a bit stylistic, I get a bit nervous it will wear out its welcome, so thanks for the encouragement!

Also, 'Newsworthy' is still one of the most daring things I've ever done, in my own mind, so it's always great to hear that someone liked it!

Thanks so much, and again, welcome!

This is a great little vignette. I especially like this part:


I like that Lois really gets that Superman isn't awesome just because he has powers but because he's Clark with powers.

Jonathan and Martha are really interesting in this story because when Clark was shot, they were probably screaming on the inside, but on the outside (at least from Lois' perspective), they are very matter-of-fact and practical about everything.

Clark's shot? No problem. Just get him away from the Kryptonite and tell the paramedics that don't need to check him out. Clark is about to be outed to his co-workers? No problem. They're his friends, and it will all be ok.