I really like how you developed Cat's character, she's such an anchor for the story. You wouldn't expect it from the one dimensional treatment she gets in the series, but that points at the reason I like fanfiction--to explore what the show didn't.
“About babies, about a lot of things. My life certainly isn’t what I envisioned it would be when I was in college.”
Cath smiled. “You know, I’ve learned something over the past three years.”
“What’s that?”
“That whatever you’re doing, whatever thing you’re going through for the first time, it’s not like you thought it would be.”
I really agree with this. It's really lovely to see it come up here as the closing idea of the fic. Especially because it links very well to how this fic and its prequel stands for the readers as being an unexpected (and difficult) path to our heroes getting together.
“Yes.” Lois waited for Cath to respond, but she didn’t. Lois sighed. “He has these dreams sometimes.”
“Bad ones?”
“Yes. Last week he sat straight up in bed and yelled something like ‘No, no, I won’t, I won’t!’ Then he woke up. He was coated with sweat and breathing hard. When I asked him what he was dreaming about, he didn’t want to tell me but I finally wormed it out of him. He said that Bill Church was standing in front of him with his shirt pulled open, daring him to rip his heart out again.”
Consider me appeased. I read your reply to my comment last time and thought that perhaps it was a case of my personal preferences horning in. I think this fic moves forward more through facts and events. I haven't noticed a lot of description, but quite a bit of dialogue (to the point that it seems that you mean to describe using dialogue). If I'm correct, I think that's what throws me off, since I often look to description automatically when I make my inferences (well, in the abscence of introspection). But this says more about how I read than the story itself.
And to add to that, you're right--I should have kept in mind that that the fic is mostly from Lois' perspective (I haven't decided yet what perspective I tend to favor...probably the one who's angsting the most at the moment, ha). Anyway I think this exchange specifically does work wonders in the "showing" department--it's enough to convince me that there's quite a bit that Clark is dealing with.
It's a good ending, hopeful, optimistic without losing the realism that makes it so interesting. Definitely keeping it in mind for the next Kerths.
alcyone
