Thanks for your comments, everyone. I'm glad this section lived up to what I wanted it to accomplish. I know it was a painful fight, but given where the characters are, it was pretty much inevitable.

Kathy, thanks for your extremely kind comments. I agree this isn't over, but they did start resolving the issue pretty quickly, in part because it would have been unbearably painful for Clark to let this fester.

Thank you for your comments, Flowerpot. I'm very glad to hear you enjoyed this chapter. So far in this story, it has taken the worst of circumstances to push Clark to open up. It's not a great long term strategy for him, but I've been trying to lay out, at each point, what exactly makes him take the difficult steps back toward really living in his life.

Thanks for your comments, Sarah.

Ann, I know this section mixed plenty of bitter with the meager amount of sweet. There's still so much for them to deal with, and I think they both realize that. Each one of Clark's confessions was necessary. I'm glad that the first one came across exactly as it should have - as the most powerful testament Clark could give to their love. The second confession was meant as painful counterpoint to that - if the very core of who Clark is is his love for Lois, the idea of him contemplating betraying that love has to demonstrate to her just how bad things were.

Hi Michael. Thanks for your comments. Lois isn't in a great place emotionally in that scene, but I think she's finding herself smashed to bits not because Clark did something to her, but because getting an understanding of his pain is what's tearing her apart.

Hi Artemis. I agree that the truth was liberating here. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Or that it won't hurt again in the future, I'm afraid.

Thanks for your kind words, Amber. Glad you enjoyed this part.

Hi Terry. I don't think Clark has done anything that needs forgiving. Contemplating infidelity may be a celestial offense, but it's not a terrestrial one. But I think Clark thinks he needs forgiveness for the weakness he sees in himself. And while Lois doesn't know the extend of his perceived transgressions, I think he's subconsciously seeking redemption for all of them. Talan once told him there was darkness in everyone. What matters is what we do about it. But the darkness that infected Clark on New Krypton was new, it wasn't part of who he was on Earth. He's asking Lois's forgiveness for not being the man both of them thought he was. Even though everyone around Clark saw a better man than anyone else could hope to be, he didn't live up to his own (unfairly high) expectations of himself. How can he begin to forgive himself that if Lois can't forgive him first?

As to why Lois offers forgiveness instead of correcting his erroneous notion that he needs forgiving? Since she merely 'nods miserably' at his plea, I intend that to suggest that she's overwhelmed with emotions and not thinking terribly clearly there, either.

With respect to your wondering how Clark perceived Talan's feelings for him, I hope he didn't believe her to be willing to enjoy a roll in the hay with him because he was attractive and powerful. On so many occasions, she'd pushed back against him, trying to defend his humanity against his own attempts to debase it. When he was looking to cut himself off emotionally through meditation, she refused to help him. He may not know now or ever that she did love him more than life (though he was well aware that she wouldn't have hesitated to die to protect him, but that could have been out of duty, not love), but I think he knows that she was constantly trying to protect him, both physically and emotionally, on New Krypton.

Thanks again for all of your comments, everyone. I really appreciate them and they're a huge help in this long, complex, evolving story!

Regards,

Rac