Yay!!! Shayne is back!
Good chapter as always, Shayne. Being as Clark-and-Lois-centric as I am, I really, really worry about Clark in this part, though. This was so scary:
He wasn't dead; that much was a blessing. But no matter how hard Lois tried, she couldn't get him to wake up. He was burning up; it was painful to touch him for more than a few moments at a time.
Clark didn't look real like this; his face looked waxen and there was a sheen of sweat on his brow. Lois had never seen him sweat on even the hottest of days while wearing a tie and a jacket. It all seemed wrong.
Horror!!!!
I absolutely loved how you wrote about Lois's musings about Clark, and why she was so attracted to him:
Objectively, Lois knew that was part of what made this hurt so much. Clark was an enigma still, and she was able to fill in the gaps of what she knew with the fantasy of her perfect man.
It was the same thing that allowed cheaters to think that their lover was more perfect than their spouse. It wasn't until they woke up and discovered that their lover had the same flaws and the same morning breath that they realized that they'd made a mistake.
This is so poignant, so true. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence... except perhaps it isn't.
I love how Lois try to picture the faults and flaws that Clark must have:
People were imperfect. Just because Clark wasn't human didn't make him any different than any other man. He probably squeezed toothpaste from the middle of the tube, left the toilet seat up and threw his underwear on the floor beside the hamper.
Oh, Shayne. You made me groan and giggle at this.
He couldn't be as perfect for her as Lois was thinking.
Ah, but... that is the beauty and the wonder of an LnC fic. Because you see, Lois, he
is just as perfect for you as you imagine that he is.
It kept nagging at her, this feeling that she might have met the perfect person and let him slip away from her.
And that's why you
mustn't let him slip away from you! You must protect him, Lois!
Wow! Great chapter, Shayne. I liked the interaction between Lois and Buffy and Lois and Faith, too. But of course, my overriding priority is seeing you (and Lois) save Clark here!
Ann
