Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Comments: Homecoming 1

Well, what do you think? It won't be necessary to read Vagrant to read this, but it'll add to the experience.

Nice first chapter. I look forward to seeing where this goes. I enjoyed Lois & Clark's first meeting. That was fun to read. I'm also curious to find out more about Clark following the events of Vagrant.

Oh my gosh, what an introduction!!!!

At first I thought this would be in college, but high school is certainly interesting - I'm wondering how Clark managed to enroll himself with being reported to child services, and under his real name no less.

But seeing things through Lois should be a gas. I shouldn't be surprised that she'd be willing to not only sneak into the boys' locker room (with a camera no less!) but also ruin the school's chances of a good season. She better make friends with Clark quick, because she's going to need a bodyguard until she flees to Ireland!

Really interesting. As I said before, I could see "Vagrant" as a kind of lead-in to "In the Spotlight" where Clark's identity is known because I couldn't see how he could be homeless for an extended time and still keep his secret. Now I see something more like the canon history where Clark completes school and travels the world being possible.

Backstory please! Frontstory! Middlestory!

I see what you mean by different tone, as this one is from Lois's POV.

I love it, though. She's so in her element, thinking about her "career" (i.e. internship at the DP) rather than her popularity (or her safety) after ruining the Lion's chance at completing the season. I couldn't see Lois embarrassed about sneaking into the boys' locker-room (and catching a guy in the altogether) and more worried about her record should she get caught.

Why is Clark showering in the locker room so early in the morning? Well, duh. He's homeless. He doesn't have another place he can shower. I doubt he's going to tell on Lois any more than he wants her to tell on him. Actually, since he lost his towel in front of her, I'm guessing HE'S the more embarrassed of the two of them.

Interesting that Clark already has muscle tone despite not actively being involved with sports. Then, again, how could he develop muscle tone when he can drop kick trucks?

It's just like Lois to be suspicious of someone who keeps her secrets and doesn't rat her out to the authorities.

I, too, don't know how Clark would be able to register for school, unless he had some help from that nice minister that Charlie introduced him to. I thought all kids needed a birth certificate to register for school, but maybe not. Maybe if you register as a hardship case, some of the normal formalities are waved in lieu of being happy to have the kid in school rather than uneducated on the streets. (But this is probably more my optimism here than reality.)

When you said that you'd be introducing Lois and Clark, I never thought it'd be in a school setting with them as apparent equals. I'm curious what meeting Clark will do to her Irish travel plans.

Also, what does Clark think about finding Lois in the boys locker room, with a camera at that? Does he know why she's there? Did he heat vision her film, so none of her pictures come out, in case she was there proving that he was homeless? I was surprised to actually have him show for class after that, as I figured his run-in with Lois would send him high-tailing it out of town.

Can't wait for Part 2.

In some states, kids can go to school even if they're homeless. All they have to do is write an affidavit on any piece of paper saying that they're homeless, and they'll be registered. That's all that's needed.

I'm glad to hear that red tape doesn't interfere with a kid interested in learning.

This is going to be very interesting. I'm looking forward to it!

I'm glad to see Clark is slowly gaining a foothold in life. The Vagrant was very sobering.

Just a thought on world building: with over ten million residents, would there really be a "Metropolis High"? "Smallville High" makes perfect sense, but there isn't a similarly named school in New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago — no one school would take a large city's name for itself. It would be more likely to be named after some politician from the city's past, a president, or for a neighborhood it's in. Or you could take a cue from "Coates Orphanage" and name it for someone associated with Superman.

Met U. makes perfect sense too — there's a New York University, a Boston University, a University of Chicago. But a huge city like Metropolis would have dozens of high schools.

Sorry, you'll have to blame Teri Hatcher for that one. Metropolis High (with the Lions as their mascot) is the name of Lois's alma mater in IaSWAA. Otherwise, I totally agree with you. (John and I had a similar conversation during his work setting up 'Jo and Jerry' which is also set when Lois and Clark are still in high school; although a very different type story.) Sorry for highjacking your FDK thread, Shayne.

I assume this is Clark. Did he sneak into the locker room to shower even though he's not a student there?

I guess that beats the cannon towel scene.

Lois recognizes him. So... he got enrolled in school...? How did he overcome his fear of going back to social services?

So Lois tries to figure Clark out, and in the process she forces her company on him, much to his chagrin, but against both their wills they become friends. With absolutely no misunderstandings or angst thrown in, right?

I figure that the muscle tone is inherent with his super powers. Otherwise, he'd always look a bit pudgy since he can't actually exercise to the point of actually straining his muscles.

I've always needed a birth certificate to register my kids for school, but at their current school all the paperwork had sections to fill out if the kid is homeless or transient. Apparently it's not uncommon in my area for a family to take in their kid's friend when he gets kicked out of his own house (or runs away, or whatever). There are provisions here at least to handle those cases, and Clark would certainly fall under that. I'm not sure whether they still require a birth certificate, but those kids likely don't have ready access to theirs, so maybe not. I'm wondering, though, who Clark could have listed as his guardian. Charlie, maybe? But I'm not sure whether they could pull that off. I guess it depends on how deep the school district wants to pry.

Yay! I really hoped that this Clark's story wouldn't end with "Vagrant".

It's great to see Lois, and like other posters have said, it's very in-character for her to be suspicious of someone who doesn't turn her in.

I wonder what Clark thinks of her? Is he smitten with her at first sight like canon Clark was?

We finally meat Lois.

Lois and Clark meet. I guess technically, they vaguely knew each other before, but this will be a meeting to tell their children about. Maybe, when said children are at least 15. Maybe better at least 20. Don't want to give them any crazy ideas.

I just hope Clark does not feel a need to run when Lois starts investigating him.

I hadn't thought that Clark is showering in the locker rooms because he has no where else.

My big wonder is, how long is this after Vagrant ended?

At the school I teach at, several of the pre-kindergarten students, and probably even more in higher grades, are homeless. One of our students was homeless when first enrolled, but I think her family has since moved to an established residence.

Being a homeless high school student is neither a crime, nor really newsworthy.

On the other hand, our students need birth certificates. Cark presumably has one, although it did not appear he brought it when he fled.

My grandfather was enrolled in school with a certificate of live birth, that gives a person as her father who wasn't, and says she was born in a different state than she was. Of course, she was enrolled in the 1930s, and the rules were a little different back then.

I addressed this issue in my story "Jo and Jerry". The main thing is, "Metropolis High" and the "Metropolis Lions" are from Lois and Clark canon. Specifically the story "It's a Small World". I have to agree that one school with the city name is a bit odd, even if I went to Sterling Heights High School, a high school named after a city that has 3 high schools, with at least another high school's worth of students attending in schools just outside the city.

More fun though is Detroit, where Central High School is North-west of Northwestern High School.

In some school districts bordering Detroit there is a constant struggle between the districts "no schools of choice" policy, and people living in Detroit trying to find a way around it, by listing their child as resident with the child's aunt, uncle, grandparents, cousin, godmom, or some other relative.

Even in these cases, the enrolment rule enforcers wait until after count day to try to expose the cases.

If a school gets any of its funding as a direct result of the student count, then it has strong incentive to look the other way, and make it easy for people to enroll. This applies even more if the person is a conscientious student who does not cause a ruckus.

I dug up this story for the FDK Scavenger Hunt: September 2024.

Full story: Homecoming by Shayne Terry

Lois and Clark are in high school. While she is investigating a football scandal she gets more than she bargained for and it brings her and Clark closer. It's a great story, full of action, danger and discoveries. Clark helps Lois with her investigation and Lois helps him with his life. It's a beautiful story.

Andreia