I found it tragic she must break down so completely for Clark to "understand".
Her "breakdown"
is the point. Lois always shows a strong face to the world and doesn't break down easily. She held it together during the attack (apologies to Ann - I deliberately faded to black on that one so it wouldn't be "gruesome"). It was only hours later, with *Clark*, that she felt safe enough to reveal her true self to him. She realized that she had done that before. It's been Clark that she has trusted all along. It's Clark that she wants to turn to for comfort. Because Clark has already been keeping her secret. That she now knows about Superman is quid pro quo. Please note:
If there was anyone in the world she could fall apart in front of, it would have to be Clark. He had seen her like this before - when Barbara Trevino had tried to kill her - and he had kept her secret safe. She was suddenly glad that she could keep a secret for him now.In the end, Clark realizes the same thing. That's the understanding that dawns on him. And that's why he makes the same promise to her that she made only minutes earlier to him - "I'll never tell."
No, Nancy, he didn't rape her. That was just too icky to even contemplate. <shudder> I figured just the intent was terrible enough.
This story started in a chat when DJ and I were trying to think of a scenario in which Clark would allow himself to sleep with Lois as Superman before she knew who he really was. We drew a blank. I just couldn't believe that Clark would do that. Somehow or other the idea came up that maybe she could sleep with his clone in Vatman. But that wouldn't work either because she figured out that the clone wasn't really Superman. Heaven only knows how it degraded from that idea into this, but it did.
Thanks to everyone who has replied - sometimes you nervously put a story out there and wonder whether it will work or not. I guess I could more specifically state exactly what they're feeling, but I usually like to let the readers come on the ride with the characters and interpret their words/actions for themselves. Pretty much everyone understood that in this story. I just worry about it when the ambivalence doesn't pay off.
Thanks guys!
