Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic FDK: Further On Down The Road - 41/41

Well, this installment is finally done. I hope everyone has had a nice ride so far, and I also hope that the (fake) ending didn’t upset anyone.

I’m currently working on the third part of the trilogy – which I didn’t originally intend to be a trilogy – and hopefully I will start posting it by the beginning of autumn in the USA. I know where it’s going to start, I know what needs to happen in the middle, and I’ve even written most of the ending, but it will take me some time to put it all together. I have a couple of other WIPs, one of which is pretty close to beta status (and is much shorter), so I’m not going to disappear any time soon.

There are no spoilers in this document, so it won’t help to read this before you read the last chapter. I can promise that there will be some fallout from the shooting, some angst, some deep soul-searching, and some dramatic turns in the final story, which will NOT be anywhere near the length of this one. Unlike some others, I have no desire to hold the record for longest story on the archive. Who knows, someday we might be billed for all the storage we take up, and if that happens I’ll become the quickest vignette writer this side of the Mississippi River.

Some of you have finally accepted that Lex isn’t the bad guy. And some of the comments I’ve received about him have given me some important insight into the final disposition of this character. The concerns expressed about who Lois might have near her are quite valid and will be addressed in the closing story also.

We’ll learn what happens with the various romantic relationships which have developed, and we’ll learn who lives and who dies. (You can count this as an early WHAM warning.) And while I’m here, I want to thank my outstanding beta readers Elisabeth, Tricia, and Princess Anne. They provided me with outstanding comments, and the stuff you liked about this story is largely their responsibility. The stuff you didn’t like is, of course, fully my own responsibility.

Again, thanks for reading! And thanks for caring enough to leave comments. I treasure them, truly.

Three months for the next installment? Well, I'll be looking forward to it.

I knew you were going to do this to us... I knew it!

Forty one instalments to get to... where?

Okay, I'll give you that this was well written and the complex emotions of and between the characters were well drawn and well presented. And I suppose that given the complexity of the emotions and the situations that our duo found themselves in that it would be unfair to expect you to tie it all up in a nice bow so quickly.

Still, you could have taken a couple more instalments and then tied up the bow?

Nevermind my ranting. This will just give you some time to reveal Lex for the 'person' he really is and Lois can get over her unnatural infatuation with Luthor.

I'll wait... I won't be happy about it, but I'll wait.

Tank (who knows that Rebecca is toast because Clark is too much of a 'nice guy' to dump her)

So it's over. Or rather, it's not. I feel a bit cheated, even though I realized a few chapters ago that you wouldn't be able to finish this in what was left of the forty-one chapters you had promised us.

I also feel a bit cheated when it comes to the WHAM warning. I was nervous about who was going to die, but so far it was only Nigel, so I was worrying over nothing. The death of the principal villain - at least the principal villain so far - really doesn't merit a WHAM warning. But you told us yourself that you had really planned to finish this story when you reached the forty-first chapter, and then someone besides Nigel was meant to be dead.

Who was the intended victim? I speculated that it might be Lois after all, and you commented that it was interesting that I would think it might be Lois. Really, Terry? Which LnC character has been killed most often in recent years? Clark? Jimmy? Perry? Martha, Jonathan? There is no contest. It's Lois. You have killed her yourself in one of your stories, but you have never killed Clark, not permanently. (I don't think you have given Jimmy, Perry, Martha or Jonathan a violent or premature death, either, even though Perry and/or Martha and Jonathan may have succumbed to old age.)

In your upcoming sequel, I therefore consider Lois a potential victim. Another obvious possibility is Rebecca, of course. And Cat. Is Clark in danger? Only if you want to prove to me that you can do it - kill Clark, I mean. But I guess that the most likely male victim might be Lex. His death would be enough of a loss to merit a WHAM warning.

I really liked Lex in this chapter. You wrote his musings very well. I absolutely don't blame Lex for killing Nigel, but I appreciate the fact that Lex regrets the fact that he had to kill, nevertheless.

I like this very much.

I also like how Clark trusted Lex with his secret about his and Lois's telepathic link, and again I very much liked how you described Lex's reactions to this astounding news.

I really liked and sympathized with Lex here.

And I liked him here, too:

The incredible news about Lois and Clark might easily have made Lex feel betrayed, belittled, insanely jealous or angry and scared. But he is just thoughtful, and he is wondering about what all these things mean, and how he can do the best about the situation. He certainly still loves Lois.

The scene with Lois and Henderson was so funny somehow:

I giggled at Lois's decision to be a porcupine - oh, wait, it was Henderson she was going to treat as if he was Adam's pet porcupine! (And that mental image in itself was so funny.)

Wow! That porcupine is prickly!

She nodded imperiously to the taller man - that's so funny! (And she called him Detective William Henderson!)

If Henderson hasn't already guessed that Ultra Woman is Lois, he is bound to figure it out soon.

Lois couldn't resist squeezing Henderson's hand until it hurt! So funny!

All in all, this was another very well-written, satisfying chapter. The entire "Further On Down the Road" has been a pleasure to read. But to me it was a bit of a disappointment that we may be another forty-one chapters away from the conclusion of this story.

Ann

It's over? But... But... There's so much left!

Terry, I think I might go into withdrawl if I have to wait months to get more of this! When you say fall, do you mean September, or November? As a Canadian, fall could even be considered late August if you define it loosely. Personally, I vote for that one.

You know, I sort of suspected that Lois would loose her powers permanently as a result of the Kryptonite. But I'm glad to see that she still has them so far.

I feel a little bad for Lex. He's so used to being in control and being the leader, but his interaction with Clark had him at a disadvantage. He's learned a lot today, and he's still trying to catch up.

I really enjoyed this story, Terry! I can't wait to read the sequel.

Perhaps but some of us think you are going to great lengths to setup both Lois and Clark. This from a man who were are supposed to believe is bothered by shooting Nigel. Hmm... Clark you've been fooled. I'm sure it will turn out that it was only Nigel some of the time!

Thanks for the Whamm warning, nice but after killing Lana in the last part most of knew that the more serious Clark about Rebecca the closer to death she got. Might as well have given her a classic Trek red shirt .
Perhaps in the next part Clark and his new girlfriend can go to a costume party and you can have her wear this outfit.

Of course it is not just you. Being blonde and expressing interest in Clark Kent in L&C was just as good a sign of impending death as a red shirt.

Terry, what are you doing to us? Okay, Rebecca is still going to die, unless Lex himself manages to get himself killed.

Henderson so knows about Lois little secret. And the criminals closing up shop in Metropolis. I may have to borrow that idea for a future fic of mine

Looking forward to September.

Michael

Wow. Such a response over one little chapter.

Hey, y'all, I never said a MAJOR character would die. I said there would be a "character death."

I don't agree. If a major character dies in a story - and Nigel was a major character, despite being a bad guy - people who don't like to read about death don't want to be surprised and shocked by it.

Tank, you have to like this story! Lois has short hair!

And Ann, I specifically stated in my opening paragraph of this thread that the next installment would NOT be forty-plus chapters in length. This one just kind of expanded exponentially on its own, as if someone (not me) had poured a virtual bottle of Miracle Gro on my Lois and Clark subdirectory. The concluding tale will be much shorter, I promise.

I see that you're still worried about Lois dying. That's very interesting.

Loved the red shirt, Patrick. "Expendable" indeed! But if I portrayed that model wearing the shirt, who would look at anyone else? And I see that you aren't convinced that Lex is a "not-bad" guy. That's very interesting. And so is your comment about Lex - upset about shooting Nigel - thinking about going after Arianna on his own. It's a good point, but I meant for it to show that Lex isn't perfect. Besides, it's one thing to order a revenge killing, it's another thing to pull the trigger yourself. I'm not saying that either of those things is the right thing to do, only that the psychological impact will be different.

Why would Bill Henderson know that Lois Lane is Ultra Woman? This was his first time meeting her in hero costume, and her manner as UW is light years from her manner as Lois. Aside from a similarity in height, what would cause him to make that connection? Unless, of course, he's ever so much smarter than everyone else in Metropolis.

Michael, you're welcome to the idea. It's not patented.

Thanks for reading and commenting, Beth. When I say "fall," I'm referring to an August to October time frame to begin posting. Remember, I'm the guy who won't even let my betas read my stuff until I'm finished with the entire first draft. I have it mostly outlined and some of the segments have been written, but I still have to connect all the dots.

Again, thanks for reading! And thanks for commenting. I'll see y'all on the boards again soon.

Thanks for writing. I look forward to the final segment at summer' end. My only complaint is that this part didn't feel done. While the A-plot was almost resolved, it wasn't quite there yet. Also, the B-plot was left with more questions than answers. It reminds me of the old classic, Dawning, where there were many "stories" but not a one of them felt like it ended. (But I continued to read each and every one. Truly addicted.)


Elisabeth

True, most courts and juries would look on the hiring of a killing as cold blooded murder, far worse that shooting someone in anger.

So your Lex has the connections to hire it done. Interesting.

The last part! (Stupid internet connection.)

Hm, so it's nowhere near done. Not very gratifying, but I would definitely feel more cheated if you had gone and wrapped everything up with a nice bow in the last 2-3 parts.

It was definitely amusing to watch Lex's and Clark's interaction on the boat. Lex Luthor out of his element (be he good or evil or in between) is always a treat. Except I wasn't sure what to make of this:

At the end, I didn't think Lex was necessarily thinking of having Arianna killed. I wasn't sure exactly what punishment he was thinking of, but I'm not a billionaire ex-military semi-savory corporate mogul.

But I hope the legal route pans out with Arianna. Perhaps Cat's infiltration can get the evidence they need, since all they've got now is Nigel's word, and Nigel is dead.

I'll be keeping an eye out of the next installment!

Terry, it was a great ride. I figured a few chapters back that there would need to be another installment, but I'm not *too* upset by it. As long as it gets finished ... eventually.

I also loved the introspection by Lex. I believe that he's essentially a 'good guy', but probably more in the sense of S1 Lois believing that he's a ruthless business man who has stepped on toes or hurt people in his pursuit of success. I also find it interesting that he seems to have the moral flexibility that *could* allow him to be the Lex we all know and hate. Also, he and Lois have already had issues with their takes on the morality of Ultra Woman. I see a potential break-up for them anyway because of that difference (a la Mayson Drake's disdain for S-Man in the series). 'Course, that could just be wishful thinking on my part.

Good show and hurry along with the last book in the trilogy.
Brenda

After reading everybody's responses, I feel I was too harsh when I said I felt cheated when this story wasn't brought to a conclusion here. Let me amend that and say that I was a bit disappointed!

Ann

Not me. I was *very* disappointed at the "fake" ending, even though I knew it was coming. I was disappointed not because it wasn't done yet, but because it means a long break until it will be finished.


Elisabeth
who hopes you will consider this a wound from a faithful friend, instead of being bummed

Elisabeth, the A-plot doesn't feel "done" because it isn't done. There are a number of loose ends to deal with, most of which have already been pointed out by the gentle (and not-so-gentle) readers. I promise to wrap up everything in the next installment, and I also once again promise that it WON'T be forty chapters long.

Ann, please don't think that you should change your opinion based on the opinions of others. Your reaction may not be what I was aiming for or hoping for, but it's perfectly valid and it's perfectly okay for you to tell you what your reaction is. I promise that I won't get upset because the story didn't go in the direction you hoped it would. I don't demand that other authors write to satisfy just little old me, and it would be hypocritical of me to expect you to love everything I write just because I write it.

So now that this is on the archive, is the next one coming anytime soon?

It *is* autumn after all...

Carol [who wasn't feeling well today and basically let the kids fend for themselves while she curled up on the couch and read both of these - and who actually *almost* liked Lana]

Next installment in Fall 2008?

Fall is past,
The year is done,
been waiting a while
and I've finished part one.

Time's gone on,
I've read part two,
enjoyed it a lot
but now I'm waiting on you.

Part three, you see,
Waiting to be read,
By the whole darn nation,
Seems to be lost in your imagination!


Looking forward to Going Further On Down the Road.

I agree with him! When will be story be finished?

Wow. Thanks for the interest, y'all. And for the poem, Shallowford. No one's ever written me a poem before. *sniff* I'm really touched.

Last year was mostly a lost year as far as anything outside of work and recovery from two major surgeries was concerned. I never thought "coming back" from an injury was that big a deal, but I now have a lot more respect for athletes who return to competition after knee and shoulder injuries. It takes a lot more time to regain flexibility and strength in those joints than I thought it would, and since I'm no longer a spry young chicken, it's taken me a bit longer than that.

But I can tell you that I am working on the middle part of "The End Of The Road" and I anticipate getting it to beta stage by late spring or early summer, if not before. I have the beginning and the ending written - now all I have to do is tie them together. I know what I need to do, but getting the words right has been a struggle. But I plan to finish it this year. Honest.

I'm running out of joints to repair, anyway.

Thanks for the continued interest in this other-world Lois and Clark. We'll have to see what the future brings for these two.

Hi Terry!
So sorry to hear about your medical issues Glad things are getting better. And I do anticipate some vacation time coming up this summer, so where is the application form for a sneak-peak in exchange for remarks and suggestions?

Michael