I have to admit, I'm kinda sad this story is over, BJ! I enjoyed following it on the boards and being excited for new parts. I was telling Kathy the other day that I might even throw my hat back into the L&C fic world again - it's been eons, so it might not be pretty <g> but I might try anyway! It's just been so fun reading and interacting with you as the author. Thanks for responding to comments!

But anyway, back to the story...

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“Uh huh. And when we grow up, I’m going to marry her.”

“Marry? Aren’t you a little young to be thinking about marriage, Clark?”

Clark shrugged. “She’s my best friend.”

“Well, I can’t argue with you wanting to marry your best friend.” Martha decided to play along. She knelt down next to Clark and showed him her left hand. Her diamond engagement ring sparkled in the afternoon sunlight as she pulled it from her finger and handed it to Clark. He took it reverently and held it up to inspect it.

Aww, so sweet! Lolo and Clark are soulmates, and he knew it when he was six years old. And marry his best friend he did (err, or will. Right?). I love it.

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Clark stumbled to his knees and gasped his name. “Perry. Kryptonite.”

Perry ran to Clark, Alice and Henderson close behind him. James and Cat shared a look before sprinting out the other door to look for Lois and Star.

Perry reached Clark and took him by the shoulders. “Where is it Clark?”

Clark tipped his head back and tried to reach behind him. “My back. Lois… She taped it to my back.”

“Lois did this?” Perry shook his head and decided to get the story after the poison was away from Clark. He tried to pull Clark’s jacket away, but it was stiff and heavy. “Clark, I can’t get your jacket off.”

What? Kryptonite? And Lois taped it to him?? Not buying that one for a second... so what the heck happened when he went to talk to Lois? Something's wrong! Well, I guess we do have to wrap this A-plot up, but I don't like seeing my favorite characters in pain! Fix it fast, B!

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Perry shook his head and turned back to Clark, who was struggling to stand up. “Hold on there, son. Let’s get the story and a plan together before we go off, half cocked. You said Lois did this?”

“She wasn’t herself, Perry. It was Lois, but it was like she was in some kind of trance. Her heartbeat was slow and steady, like she was sleeping and her pupils were dilated. I think she might have been drugged.”

Okay, that I can kinda see happening... but I wish Lois could have fought it!

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“But who else would know that? The only ones that know about Lois are right here in this room.”

… a psycho-freak from Club Weirdo…“Star,” Clark gasped. “Star knows.”

“Knows what?” Cat asked. “You think Star might be involved with the murderer?”

“Maybe they were both drugged?” James suggested.

Perry didn’t know. It didn’t make sense. Star was Lois’s friend. Could Star have taken her? Or did the murderer take them both? And did Clark’s inability to connect with Lois mean the worst? Perry swallowed his fear and said a prayer that they would find them both soon.

Star is involved with the bad guy? No way! But I liked her! And she is Lois's friend!

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Fear settled in when Lois realized that she couldn’t sense anyone else in the room. She reached out to Clark and realized with a start that she couldn’t hear him, either. She shook her head and felt some sort of cap around her hair, a strap under her chin. No matter how she moved, it didn’t come off. Foil? Well, that would explain the block on her abilities. It also limited the list of suspects drastically.

Just then Star entered the room through the only door. “Oh, good. You’re awake.”

UMM. Her father's old office. And Star comes in. By herself. Because she is the bad guy?! WHAT.THE.

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Star turned to look at the three women “My visions led me to save these women from their abusive relationships. They each foolishly married a man like the ones that abused my mom; one a mean drunk, another a womanizer who had no intention of keeping his vows, and the last had already been convicted of beating his ex-wife and daughter bloody. My visions showed me what to do. None of these women deserved to be shackled to men that were going to mistreat them. They won’t be missed.”

The weeping woman sobbed a little louder at Star’s words and Lois stared. Her friend, Star, was a serial killer? How had she not known? Lois shook her head in disbelief, but couldn’t help but listen, fascinated by Star’s twisted logic.

“If you had seen what I have, Lois, you would agree. One vision showed me your death from a terrible, gruesome illness if you married Clark. In another, you were heartbroken when Clark left you for a woman on a distant planet.”

So it's because she wants to help them... um, yeah, I'd say that's some twisted logic. I'm still not believing that Star is the bad guy. I don't want to! You dropped breadcrumbs along the way, right? Did I just miss them?? Here the whole time I was loving their friendship. Man, it sucks that Lois has to lose her best friend now because she's gone crazy!

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Star leaned forward to administer the drug and Lois was finally able to pull a hand free. She knocked the needle aside and then slammed her open palm into Star’s chin. Star cried out and fell backwards, a wig flying off of her head to reveal a tight, foil cap on her head. In the short moment that Star was off balance, Lois reached up with her free hand and removed her own foil cap.

<Clark!>

<Lois! Where are you?>

Lois almost cried with relief that Clark was alive. She sent him a flurry of images, of Star, her location, and her situation. <Hurry…> she barely managed before Star drove a knee into Lois’s stomach, pinning her free hand and knocking the wind out of her.

Yay! Clark can come save the day now! I was starting to get worried!

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“And Star Adams?” Cat asked.

“She’s in the twelfth precinct lockup until her arraignment. Soon after her trial, I expect she’ll be remanded to the women’s penitentiary for a very long time.”

“Well, Lois,” Perry said. “You were right about a connection between Mensa, the Kryptonite, the drug, and the serial murders. Star was the link between them.”

“I still can’t believe it was her. Star’s been my friend since we were teenagers. She’s had it rough, abused by several men in her life, but she was my roommate for years. I don’t understand how I could have missed something like this.”

I'm glad you added the epilogue, because I was just about to ask what happened to Star. I'm with Lois on this one - I can't believe Star was the bad guy! I'm telling you, I was completely fooled. Maybe when I go back to reread I'll see some more hints that I missed? Because I did not see it coming!

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“Thank goodness!” Cat exclaimed. “I’m not sure the paper would survive another day without you two being together.”

Lois and Clark laughed and then looked at each other. “I can’t think of a better place to get married than the Daily Planet. Let’s do it.”

Aww, and now they are getting married for real at the Daily Planet! Perfect. I love that Perry is performing the ceremony, like in the show (well, for their first wedding, anyway). Oh, and the vows were gorgeous. So well-written, with echoes of the vows our Lois and Clark gave, as well as the fun reversal that we've come to expect in this universe. This whole story was so creative on that front. You clearly put so much time and thought into it!

Well, I have to say, I've loved this story from the beginning, and I loved it til the end, too. Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to what comes next from your keyboard!

Tracey smile