Ilolanthe - I, too, am always amazed (and grateful for) the wide range of knowledge on these boards.
Thank you for all the quotes and comments. It makes the time spent writing and re-writing and re-writing and re-writing and… (you get the idea), well, it makes it seem worthwhile when someone catches a detail and remarks on it.
DW - Okay! You're in for Kansas, too! I'm glad you're enjoying the flashbacks and that Clark's bouncing knee made you nervous.
Kathy - I squealed when I saw that you were reading this story!
And then I grinned like an idiot as I read your comments. I'm so glad that you didn't find the stakeout scene to be an artificial roadblock; that it felt natural to you. There's a progression that both characters need to make and that scene is an essential building block. I'm also glad that I managed to pull an unexpected twist on you.
Emily - You've never had a desire to go to Kansas? For shame! It's… lovely this time of year.
Actually, it really is. A crisp, cold autumn day when the tall grass has all turned golden and the sky is a brilliant blue? It's amazing. You can stand in one spot and it's like you can feel the earth moving and you realize what a tiny little speck you are in the grand scheme of things.
If you think you're upset that Lois could yell for Superman for so long and not have him hear her, think how she must feel. Thank you for chuckling at her line about wishing she'd insisted on dinner first. Sometimes Lois can be so practical. Not often, mind you, and it's usually in hindsight.
You're right - Clark is in huge emotional turmoil. He's finally worked up the oomph to tell her the truth and she freaks out before he can get to the good part. I think you're right, there's a *facepalm* in her future.
You picked up on the angle I was hoping readers would catch - which is that most common criminals know that Lois Lane is special to Superman. Heck, it's even possible she knows something of value about him, isn't it?
