Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic FDK: The Man Under the Suit, Part 15/31

Feedback goes here.

Part 16 goes to the betas today. (Thank you Carol and Bob! Haven't said that here in a while. ) Posting time depends on rewrites and on everyone's Thanksgiving plans.

Quite the enjoyable part, Happy

Oh, and I have no idea why I only noticed this just now when you posted this and it sounded all wrong:
I mean, I kept thinking, this should be 'Bob and Carol', but I had no idea why. Then it came to me: Bob and Carol and Lois and Clark

Michael

Whew that was a steamy way to leave us. Nice! Laura

And that title is a play on a famous film of the late 60's entitled "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice." Dionne Warwick's song "What The World Needs Now (Is Love Sweet Love)" was featured.

Love the way Lois has decided NOT to tell Clark that she knows. I just hope he doesn't wait too long. it might bring out some of that evil I've been rooting - er, waiting for.

Ooh, I just noticed something. See the picture of Dean Cain in Laura's avatar? That's just about exactly how I picture Caleb looking.

Terry, Don't worry. There can't be a real story without a little conflict, right? But if you're rooting for the evil to show up, I would think you would hope that he *does* wait too long. BTW, A-plot is not my strong suit, and it is yours. If you'd like to help me brainstorm ideas for Lex Luthor, shoot me an e-mail.

A couple of people have mentioned that Clark is a little freeer with the sexual inuendo than we are used to seeing in Season One. I chalk that up to two things--a)he's got enough casual dating experience to be well aware of the physical attraction that many woman have for him, and b)he's used to flirting with the various dates he takes to public events. In the past it's been meaningless on both sides, but now he's flirting with intent.

And no, Michael, I don't mean *that* kind of experience. He still has the same reasons canon Clark does for not actually crossing the intimacy threshold. In fact, he has some additional ones which we'll get into later.

Excellent line! I think this is often obscured in fanfic due to the natural tendency to avoid controversy (e.g., religion and politics.) But, growing up in Smallville, of course Clark would have had a churchgoing upbringing. No doubt it has contributed mightily to his morals and ethics.

That was my thought exactly. I moved from an East Coast city to a Midwestern town (okay, I guess it's a small city, but it feels like a town to me), and one of the biggest differences is that church is just part of normal life here. So I figure that a man who grows up in this kind of environment either keeps some kind of faith life as an adult or consciously rebels against it. He can't just ignore it. And, given that Superman could very easily come down with a Messiah complex, I figure it's something he needs to wrestle with. I also imagine that it's something a teenage Clark had to deal with when he started feeling like he didn't fit in.

Superman belongs to the world, but Clark is a good Midwestern boy.

Great part. I particularly enjoyed the confession about the bachelor auction and the discussion about the suit. Also, the smoochies at the end were ... <happy sigh> wonderful.

It's an interesting relationship you're building here between Clark and Lois. In the series, Lois was the one providing a guilt-ridden Superman with encouragement and grounding that he needed to keep going. But in this story, he seems to get that kind of grounding from his parents, close friends and his faith. He's much more confident in what he can and cannot control.

So I found myself thinking, "What does he really need Lois for?" I know you've already explained it, that Clark has lost himself to his public persona(s), but he already has 4 people (that we know of) that he can be relaxed with, with whom he can be his true self. I get that he's attracted to Lois, but does he really *need* her?

Maybe not. But one of the compelling things about the relationship between Lois and Clark (from this series) has always been that they are each strong where the other is weak; they provide each other with a unique place of safety. It'll be interesting to see how this relationship grows and whether they can build their attraction into something deeper.

Looking forward to the luncheon with Martha. I'm more than half expecting Clark to need to run out for an emergency, leaving an awkward Lois and a less than welcoming Martha alone to get to know each other. Whee! Bring on the next part!

BJ, your feedback made me think. Here's what I came up with:

*Superman* may not need Lois as much in this universe. He does, as you point out, have other people to talk to. However, *Clark* was not a happy camper when this story started. His friends are only trying to help, but at this point in his life they are only enabling him in a lifestyle which isn't really healthy for him. He needs Lois to look at Clark Kent's life with a fresh set of eyes and show him that what he's been doing up to now is not the only option. And, in any universe, having friends and supportive parents (Clark always has M & J, so the only new twist in my universe is Lana & Pete) is not the same as having a best friend and romantic partner. I'm sure Clark is not nearly as close to Lana and Pete as he could be to Lois.

Thanks everybody for the feedback. Part 16 is coming up.

I loved this part! Lois and 'Caleb' have already established a delightful rapport. I love their lighthearted banter.

Not much time to comment, but I did want to say that I liked your take on Clark being a church-going guy. I purposely have not yet read any of the earlier FDK for this part, but I am guessing you may have gotten some flak for this. If so, know that there is some evidence that the comic book version of Clark had at least a slightly religious bent -- He has been seen to pray and to seek out advice from a clergyman.

Even within the show, Clark has indicated that he has a belief in some sort of greater power capable of guiding our lives; specifically, in "The Eyes Have It," he said, "I really do believe that we're put on this earth -- or whatever planet we're put on -- to do better than we think we can, to be kind and helpful and generous and forgiving." This is a far cry from indicating a belief in a specific god or gods, but it does seem to indicate that he is not an atheist or even an agnostic.

You've made his beliefs more specific than the show has, but as far as I can tell, you have not gone against anything either stated or implied in the show.

(In fairness to the other side, though, I do have to point out that in his discussion about why he likes Christmas so much, he never mentioned anything about celebrating Jesus' birth. It could easily be argued that that implies that he is at most a nominal Christian.)

On a lighter note, I like how you used the "Do I need to draw you a diagram" spiel in a *completely* different context and with a diametrically opposed subtext than the show did.

BTW, I am curious about Lois' hard sofa. I have seen in a number of fanfics that Lois' sofa is uncomfortable, but I don't recall that ever being mentioned on the show. Did I miss it? Is this canon or just fanon? Either way, I know that it is very firmly established.

I'm not sure whether I'll be able to get back online before Sunday -- I expect relatives will be keeping me very busy until then. To those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, may it be a happy one for you and yours!

Joy,
Lynn

Where is part 15? This is the feedback but I can't find the actual part to read. Love the story so far.

Part 15 was posted about a year ago. If you search the Fanfic folder for The Man Under the Suit, you'll find it.

It is definitely worth the search.

Joy,
Lynn