Interesting discussion. My take, so far, reading along...
I totally agree that moments in GGGoH created, for Lois, a shift from 'work colleague' to 'friend' in how she related to Clark. Having some down time together, having time away from the Planet together, having
fun together--Lois' walls really, almost without her knowing it, started to slip away during those few days in Smallville.
And, IMO, the tipping point: the very end of the episode. Lois, with her own eyes, seeing herself almost loose Clark. After just
literally finally getting to know a bit
about Clark.
I think Clark really surprised her in GGGoH. In the best possible way. Lois, at that point in her life, did not open up to people. Wouldn't let them in. And in this episode, she gave in that little bit--just enough to realize there was
something there with Clark. A connection, a friendship. The reality check of almost loosing him, right as she was finding him, that--to me anyway--is what made everything click.
The teddy bear is in the story, so we know they went to the festival together. In canon, that was a great evening. But in canon, Lois had the bear at her apartment in various episodes afterwards. I've wondered multiple times just how the bear got to where he is now? Did someone take it out of Lois' apartment? Did something not go right during the end of their evening together, Lois didn't want the bear, and Clark kept it (thus 'supplying' it for the room)? But overall, Lois does associate the bear with a memory of Clark smiling--I'll take that as a good sign?
.
So, rambling to my point, I think
something must have happened in Smallville. Something different. Something that departed from canon enough to get us to where we are now--Lois 'outting' Clark and everything thereafter.
For me, the episodes before GGGoH are very much a co-working type of relationship between Lois and Clark (and not even that in the very early episodes
). After GGGoH, the episodes very much have a different feel. Lois and Clark are closer. There's friendship. There's bits of 'more' (than friendship). GGGoH sorta switches things over. Maybe that 'switch' never happened in this story? Maybe that's why Lois was able to justify outting Clark?
If, when this story begins, Lois is viewing Clark very much in the a co-worker sense--hasn't let her guard down yet, hasn't trusted him as a friend--and she were to find out that this guy has been lying to her, has a secret identity and has been fooling her since they met, who's to say she wouldn't write the story? Choose the career, the thing she's always focused on--the thing that can't hurt her like people always have--over a guy she (obviously, due to the secret) doesn't know. A guy who hasn't been honest about himself with her. A guy that already has hurt her.
Really, I can see it happening.
Was it nice of her? No. Was it the right thing to do? Definitely--no.
But now it's been a few months. Lois has a new reality. She has the knowledge of hindsight. She's had time to realize exactly what she has done. And she's had time to live a life without Clark in it. Trask almost killing Clark in GGGoH woke Lois up to what she almost lost. Multiple months of upheaval, all brought about by her
very bad decision, might be exactly the type of reality check Lois needed here.
I can forgive Lois and completely hope for the best--as long as she realizes exactly what she has done. As long as she makes it up to Clark. As long as he can forgive her. And as long as she's utterly sorry.
Clark will see her...somtime. At some point. Because he--already--loves her enough to hear her out.
It's a sign of a great story, Anti-K, when it's so much fun discussing it
.
And now to get comfy. To get ready to wait multiple days to read more
.
Laura
