Time for author responses! No contest, y'all, you're the best readers in all of ficdom.
Blueowl, you cite some very interesting points. I don't see how Rachel could be anything but forceful when necessary. The sheriff's office is an elected position in most American states/counties, and shrinking violets need not apply. I've never liked portraying Jimmy as a wuss, either. He's young, he's still learning, but he can stand up for what he thinks is right. Superman is still active in Metropolis, just off-camera. We'll see a larger event in a few chapters. And no, Rachel has never met the Superman persona. Since she knew Clark first, though, and since she knows he's Superman, I don't think she'll be intimidated.
Bakasi, I'm glad you like my Smallville characters. Apparently I can't write flat one-dimensional throwaway characters. At this point, Clark doesn't think he'll ever move back to Metropolis, since Lois hasn't softened her stance one iota. We'll see how that develops later.
Cuidadora, thanks for the kind words. I put Clark noticing the changes in the hardware store to underline that nothing stays the same forever, even in fiction. As for Martha and Jonathan, it's possible that they forgot to mention the new restrictions on such work to Clark. It's also possible that they didn't think those restrictions applied to them since they don't live within the corporation limits of Smallville. Rachel's "Inner Warrior" will appear again. You are once again quite prescient concerning Lois' relationship with the rest of the newsroom cast. Her coworkers are in the dark as to why Clark left, and we'll see the effects of that lack of knowledge again.
Chapter 12 up very soon!
