A Plots are fine,

B Plots are best.

A relationship story

Beats all the rest!

SPIFFY DISCLAIMER THINGY! All the stories featured in this quiz qualify for the Best Relationship (over 50k), but this quiz is not a stamp of recommendation for nomination. There are other stories which qualify for this category, but this quiz only covers 8.

Recommendations for other eligible stories are *very* welcome and encouraged!

QUIZ RULES: Two points for getting the story and author from the quote; one point for getting it from the excerpt. Specify which is which, or you'll automatically get one point instead of two. Open hard drive and archive, *don't* forget to snip the excerpts in your replies, and don't forget the spoiler space when you post in the replies thread.

The DEADLINE for entries for this quiz is Sunday by 11:59 p.m.

More elaborate quiz instructions can be found here .

Please post your answers here.

Have fun!

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Quote #1:
“Always,” I reply carefully. These half-truths are just as painful as real lies, but they allow me to pretend that I’m not lying. To pretend that I deserve you in either guise.

Quote #2:
“Oh? I’m sorry, Lois, you’re absolutely right. I did abandon you first. You didn’t even leave me a note saying where you were and that you weren’t coming back,” Clark murmured. He sounded hurt.

Quote #3:
After a few minutes, she heard a voice behind her. "Lois, please don't react, don't turn around, and while we're talking, don't use my name. I can't be sure we're safe."

Quote #4:
“The one night Superman lets you sleep, you’re awakened by a deranged woman on the other side of the world.”

Quote #5:
“I emailed you what I got,” he said, trying so hard to keep his tone casual that the words came out sounding hollow.

Quote #6:
“I got a photo of Superman from the files, and I’ve tried some different outfits on him,” she explained.

Quote #7:
A tendril of memory teased its way through the back of Clark’s brain. “Lois, how many chocolate bars did you have there?”

Quote #8:
"Cute. I think you guys are cute together," Jimmy finished.
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Excerpt #1:
When morning casts its strengthening beams over the city, I stand and stretch before moving to sit on your front steps. I haven’t yet decided what my story will be when you come outside, if you even ask. You know me better than you might think considering how large a secret I keep from you, and you’ll probably guess right away that I’ve stayed here all night. Will you be angry that I didn’t listen to you, exasperated with my stubbornness, or touched that I care? Whichever, I can’t wait to see your face. Just like every morning, I’m impatient to be with you again. Life just doesn’t seem as warm or bright or exciting when you’re not there.

Excerpt #2:
By the time Lois got back to the office to close down her work station for the day, it was almost six o’clock. She was starving and she felt like she hadn’t learned anything of importance. Except that Lex Luthor thought Superman was planning on interrupting their wedding and had imprisoned him. Why? Did Lex know about the impending investigation and arrest? Or did he think Superman was going to stop their wedding for personal reasons? Had Superman really cared about her? Lois sighed. Why hadn’t Superman told her about the cage?

Excerpt #3:
Lex simply stared at her in seeming disbelief. It occurred to Lois that this might be the first genuine reaction she'd ever seen from this man. That thought almost brought a brief smile to her face, but she managed to maintain the tired and frustrated expression that she'd come in with.

She turned toward the elevator and was happy to see that the car had remained and the door was still open. Her last look at Lex reminded her of someone who had misplayed a poker hand and lost on the final draw.

Excerpt #4:
On the short ride across town, she glanced down at a picture of Superman on the front page of the Planet. He’d saved a bus full of kids from dying when their driver had a heart attack and nearly drove them all headfirst into Hobb’s Bay. She couldn’t stop the smile that crossed her face. Everybody’s hero - that was Superman.
And no one’s father, it seemed. Even though she’d had her doubts for a moment, she’d known, deep down, that Clark hadn’t fathered a child with a woman like Lou Anne. Yet, she’d still been slightly relieved when the retraction came out. She’d almost called Clark that night. But what would she have said?

Excerpt #5:
Her phone jangled across his incipient invitation. Her attention hadn’t wavered, Clark noticed, but he couldn’t ask her something this important against the background of clamorous noise.
He gestured to the phone. “You should get that; it could be important.”
Lois picked up the phone. “Really? Where? When? Now? I’ll be there.” She slammed down the phone, rose from her chair in a graceful movement, and hooked her bag on her shoulder. “Got to go,” she said.

Excerpt #6:
Clark finished his steak sandwich while Lois was scraping up every tiny morsel of salad. Could that be the reason she was short-tempered much of the time? he wondered idly. He knew Lois worked hard to keep her figure, but it was a little dismaying to think that maybe her combative nature might arise simply from the fact that she was always a little hungry. One of these days, when he worked up the nerve, he was going to take her to one of the best Italian restaurants in town and ply her with all her favorite dishes and chocolate desserts. That might settle the question — or not.

Excerpt #7:
“Up till the end of the evening. That wasn’t so much fun,” Lois said, leaning back and away from him. Clark figured she had bruised her back on the decorative wood frame of the couch. Lois had the most uncomfortable couches Clark had ever sat on. In fact, Clark thought, he should get her over to his apartment. He had comfortable couches. There’d be none of this breaking-off-a-kiss stuff on his couches.

Excerpt #8:
Lois smiled, blushing slightly. "We're taking things slowly," she replied modestly. She opened the card and read it to herself. "I had a great time last night. How about dinner at 8 tomorrow night? CK." She smiled at the note then turned her attention to Jimmy, who looked at her with a Cheshire grin on his face.
"What?" she asked.