Hi Bek,
I finally managed to catch up with this story. It's absolutely amazing, the writing, the storyline, everything. I completely agree with the others: thank you so much for delurking and sharing your talent with us.
I'm soooo glad I've finally really joined this community too. It's been much more rewarding than I'd thought possible! Thank you for your kind words and encouragement!
With this tale you've broken quite a few of what I consider the unspoken rules of this fandom, but still managed not to scare anyone off, at least not me.
Rule 1: Never kill any of the main characters. I know that deathfic exists, but it has always played a minor role. I guess killing off Alt-Lois is acceptable, because she was sort of dead anyway.
Rule 2: Don't let Lois be happy with anyone but Clark. Though she's not in a romantic relationship with the story telling Clark, she is with another Clark. Can't say I did see that twist coming. And I was in tears several times as Alt-Clark realized that no matter how patient he would be, there is no wooing this Lois.
Rule 3: Clark can't move on. I know there have been fics where he does move on. But again, they will never be part of the main stream. With one exception, there had never been a fic I read where I truly hope that he is going to move on.
Interesting to hear you say all of this!
I myself am not a fan of deathfics (or at least, nothing in which Lois or Clark die), but I was told by a trusted source (*cough* KSaraSara *cough*) that this is technically not a deathfic... AltLois was already assumed dead -- I just gave her a reason to not be able to be saved (that is, AltClark couldn't just go back in time to rescue her since she already had a terminal illness
....he needed to know that
his Lois was gone for him to not ever want to go back to his world...). And then, since the other Clark ends up being brought back from the Sun, he doesn't stay dead....
The other two are tricky given the world I created! I know everyone hoped that AltClark would eventually gain Lois's (romantic) love, and honestly, if her Clark had not returned, it probably would have happened, given enough time. And I tried really hard to create a world for AltClark in which he could be truly happy, even without a Lois of his own. I think you summarized it well...
It was so great to see this Clark grow into this universe. His life was so sad before he switched universes. And though he can't have this world's Lois, he can have happiness.
Indeed, the world he came from was not a place where he could grow -- perhaps unless he DID have his Lois. But in this world, where he has true friendship with Lois, the other Clark is like a brother, and the Kents...Well, Martha at least, and Jonathan will eventually get there... This is a place he CAN be happy. And he wants to be happy, so he will choose to stay hopeful and build himself a rewarding life here.
I hope that the next part will have a new secret identity for him. Perhaps as Clark's long lost twin (I want to send you a copy of Erich Kästner's "Lisa and Lottie", the novel on which "the Parent Trap" is based on. Perhaps that will give you some ideas, huh?
My daughter has that book, actually! I'll have to read it again. I
have been considering writing a true sequel, since I think there are many things left to explore in this universe -- particularly this point, how will AltClark build a life without the DP, and will he have to develop a new identity?
I want to clarify that Anchor Parts II and III are not really sequels... Part II is told from the POV of this world's Clark Kent, and Part III is Lois's POV. Obviously, there is quite a bit of overlap with Part I, but much of Part II is new events and a much different perspective on the overlapping events...
Thank you SO much!!
I hope that the next parts are as well received
-Bek
