Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic FDK Steel Shadows - Epilogue or Oh, how I love this story!

Many people know that CC Aiken's In a Better Place is my favorite story of all time. It's much more than the fact that's it's got it all - humor, angst, drama, action - it's that the story is the epitome of the L&C universe. To me, it is canon; that's what happened. And that's what makes me love it so much - it's... well, real. It fleshes out everything that's to come and makes itself a seamless part of the show and the show's continuity. (And then CC's brilliance just continues with When the World Finds Out .)

And I have to explain that to explain why this story, Steel Shadows, is another favorite story of all time (which is a spot usually designated for only one story). It fleshes out, too. And it is canon and a seamless part of continuity. It makes all the little (and sometimes big ) imperfections in my favorite show have a reason. They're logical now and not a silly plot hole or continuity glitch.

When I first got to look at this story, I was thrilled and amused and excited to see such an idea - fixing all those glitches and holes. What fun! Then, when I found that Steel Shadows was tied to In a Better Place... well, the story just set up camp in a little corner of my heart. IABP and WTWFO are bookends for the series, and Steel Shadows is the glue that holds everything together.

I know I've said I have a lot of favorite parts in this story, but the epilogue is my ABSOLUTE favorite. I've read it at least two dozen times. And it makes me cry every time. I love it!

The imagery is just so brilliant. I can see Madge and feel the calm excitement of discovering something so special. The table is what gets me the most - the initials spiraling out from the middle. And this line:

I don't even have words.

I think another part of why I love this so much is the discovery of the now ancient monitor room and everything else. When I'm in an old mansion or reading an old book, I, too, feel that connection to the past. There's something almost magical about it.

You have to love the Baker connection - brilliant.

Just everything about this, Paul, I love it. Thanks for letting me be among the first to read it and watch it be created.

Sara

Great ending. Trying to remember who K.T. is. The fourth smart kid, I'm assuming. But yeah, such a wonderful idea and such a beautiful way to write it.

Given how many stories have "borrowed" IABP characters, it seems that little story has indeed become a part of LnC canon as far as this site is concerned.

If that's so, this fic may be next. The way it seemlessly flows throughout the show's continuity without breaking anything, and in fact *mending* the plot holes already present, it is easy to accept this fic as an unspoken part of the show itself.

Kerths and FDK nonwithstanding, that is without doubt the highest honor a fanfic can achieve.

Bravo, Paul!

Sara, couldn't agree with you more about IABP. One of my all-time favorite stories, too. Which is why I was honored and thrilled when CC gave me permission to write this epilogue. It started off as a vague idea, but she encouraged me to go all out with it. And, somewhere in there, she became my second BR, which made it all the better.

Speaking of BRs... Thanks again to you, Sara! BRing, brainstorming, encouraging, and just generally being the Shadows' number one fan. Couldn't have done it with you!

As for the Baker connection... That just sort of developed naturally, like a lot of the story. Pretty much the way you saw it happen. I needed a name for the group, I came up with one that seemed to fit (more or less), the nickname developed, and then... wait a second... weren't there Bakers being used as a front in IABP? Cool!

And yeah... that sense of history that some places and books just seem to pick up... It's something, isn't it? Glad I could make that work for you here.

Woody... yeah, Karen was one of the Smart Kids. She was never given a last name. But Karen Thompkins helped me when I was trying to make the HTML version of the story work, so I gave this Karen the last initial T.

Mary... Yes, the Peace Keepers' bakery, which they use as a front for their operation.

Not sure what you mean here. Granted, I haven't been reading very much lately, but I wasn't aware of anyone using CC's original characters. Andrus, bumbling agent of Utopia's Peace Keepers, is from the series. "Meet John Doe," to be exact.

Thank you. :0 That really means a lot to me.

Thanks again to everyone who made this story possible - Sara, CC, BanAnna, Tricia Walpole, Karen - and to everyone who commented here and privately.

I had a lot of fun with this story. Put a lot into it. Thanks for helping make it happen, and for letting me know when you had fun with it, too.

Paul