Hi Rac. Late as usual, but I wanted you to know that I was still reading and enjoying it immensely.
I thought it quite brave of Clark to visit the Daily Planet. I don't know what Dr. Friskin would say about how he handled things, but I think it was a step in the right direction. I know he was partly motivated by the thought that people saw him as hiding behind his wife, but it still took a lot of courage.
He didn’t really want to be an editor. He wanted to be a writer. But what if that wasn’t an option for him anymore? He had to do *something.* That still didn’t mean this was the right choice.
I think it would be sad if Clark couldn't write anymore. He was so good at it, and if he can work through his issues, could possibly become even more compassionate and compelling. Maybe he could start out editing and slowly move back into writing?
Even if it was mostly in name only, could he actually be Lois’s boss? What would that do to their relationship?
Ha! Turn about is fair play, is it not? Things didn't go too well for them in the series when Lois was Clark's boss -- who knows how it would work for them after the events on New Krypton and their separation. I suspect that it would be a complication that they don't need right now.
Dinner with the Lane's was both painful and wonderful. There was strain between them, but on the whole, I think they were a united front. Sam was very well behaved and I wanted to gouge Ellen's eyes out with a soup spoon. I thought that Clark's defense of his decisions and actions were wonderful. Now, if he could deal with his self-imposed guilt as handily, we'd be getting somewhere!
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of what you’ve done, but what am I supposed to do? What purpose do I serve?” He could hear the frustration in his voice.
She reached out to take his hand but he kept his hands stubbornly buried in his pockets. “The world’s always going to need Superman…”
“It didn’t for more than four years,” he retorted. “Dammit, not again!” he yelled. She got that distant look on her face as they both heard another cry for help. His own timing had once been this bad, he knew that, but poetic justice was still hell.
Wah! This conversation had real potential and I was as frustrated as they were that it was cut off. I hope Clark can find the answer to his question and soon.
The conversation between Friskin and Lois was insightful, especially about her realization that she isn't allowed to make mistakes and the pressure is tearing her apart.
“Why was it that you could talk to me and not your own friends or family?” As usual, the good doctor answered a question with a question.
“Because I wouldn’t have been disappointing you if you saw me fall apart,” she said flatly as the epiphany broke over her suddenly. “I wouldn’t have been letting you down.”
“Can you imagine from Clark’s perspective how the last four years look to him? How he’s come home to find that his wife is, professionally, as successful as possible? That she’s admirably taken over a role he was once uniquely qualified to fill? That she’s established a parenting routine that didn’t depend on him?”
“But he saved a whole planet without the benefit of powers!” Lois exclaimed. “And since when was a marriage a competition?”
“I agree, it shouldn’t be one,” Dr. Friskin replied. “But you yourself were quick to dismiss your own accomplishments, Lois. I think that, while you and Clark approach problems differently and bring different life experiences to every issue, you’re really not that different from one another. Neither one of you wants to let the other down, but we can’t hide the things that bother us from the ones we love for very long. The old saying, ‘communication is the key to a successful marriage,’ there’s a reason why it’s a cliché.”
Sorry to quote the whole ending, but this was amazing. I think we all need a safe place with someone who loves unconditionally, no matter what they know about us. Unfortunately, I think people with the capacity to love like this are rare, rather than the norm. I hope that Clark and Lois can learn (or re-learn) to be that for each other.
I like the way you ended it -- you can't hide the things that bother us from our loved ones for very long. They have a way of creeping out in the most annoying (and usually unhealthy) of ways. And kids are the worst. Darn their empathetic little selves!
I'm fascinated by your story and wish I could have the rest of it right now. Can I?
Please?
