Wow.
When you throw in a plot twist, you don't fool around, do you?
I think they're going to try to convince the others that their current reality is the altered one. I think they're going to tell everyone about the "real" reality where Christopher and Nathan are, that they have a device which can restore the original reality, and that Ellen and Lucy and Dave should make the call because they're the ones who'll be gone if they do go back to the "other" future.
Of course, Lois will have to tell them that Clark is Van-El's brother and that he's really Superman and there are a lot of people in the "other" reality who are alive because Clark saved them and hey, where's Ashley? Did Tempus do something to her, too? Or will this alternate reality build its Utopia on Bernie and Ashley's lives instead of on Clark and Lois' lives? Or some combination of all of them?
Either way, Clark has to become Superman, and Lana's not going to be on board with that one. Lois is going to have to show everyone her stretch marks and explain where they came from. That's where Tempus messed up. He left them some physical evidence of the truth of what they will say. And giving them a deadline (isn't that a loaded phrase in this situation) will force them to be direct and persuasive. And we all know how persuasive Lois Lane can be, irrespective of the reality she inhabits.
I'm eager to see how you get yourself out of this corner, Carol. If Lois pushes the button, she'll be wracked by guilt for the rest of her life. If Clark pushes the button, there'll be a wedge between them for the rest of their lives. It has to happen, but they can't be the ones to do it. Even their love for the boys won't banish that demon.
Ooh! Evil thought! The device Tempus gave them is a dummy! He has the real one, and he's trying to force them to make an impossible choice, one that will haunt them for life no matter what choice they make. This may be the worst thing any Tempus has done in fanfic.
Maybe there'll be a Kerth category for that next year. The nastiest, vilest, meanest, most contemptible, most despicable thing done by a villain! You'd win that one hands down.
Okay, where's chapter 19?
