Hi, all!
Thank you for the response to this story! One more part left!!
After that, lots of revising... reading through the comments lets me know a lot of what has worked and not worked (or not to the intended effect) and I love it because I can go back and make sure to have it read/translate the way I want to... or try better anyway!
I get so nervous when I read the threads, before posting a new part, because I know how I've written something that has yet to be posted, but I'll read the expectations from readers and realize that what they're expecting is NOT what I've gone for (like having Lois be relieved and not skin Clark alive and whatnot)... and again, before posting the last part (which will be up a little later today), I am hoping you like it. I've gone with my instincts, so that has to be a good thing anyway... here's hoping it is!
I find it hard to believe that an editor-in-chief as honest and honorable as Perry would knowingly print a lie even if it meant covering up for Superman. Perry's the one who's after "facts, hard facts" when he prints a story, and everything must be corroborated. In this case, he's printing fiction that even Clark doesn't corroborate.
I think there must be a way to print the story without making Superman's job more difficult than it already is, and without Perry acting in an unethical and uncharacteristic way.
This is a great point, Gerry, and something I have thought about, too. I won't give anything away, except that this is addressed in the next part... I would love to hear from you to see if you still have the concerns after. It is something that, when I revise, I might work with a little, to accomplish something that can be easily embraced by readers, not going against the very fabric of certain main characters.
I wonder if Perry "knows" (unofficially) that the story Clark told isn't the truth either; so that if he's going to be printing fiction either way it might as well be a more believable fiction?
That is great! I hadn't written it with that in mind, Perry knowing Clark's secret... but Perry IS a smart man... and since he's already onto Lois & Clark's OTHER secret, he could very well sit there w/ his facts and put a nice picture together. And yeah, maybe he'd prefer to print something that is an easier explanation and a more plausible way for Clark to return..
Somebody needs to point out to Clark that under this story his "clark kent" identity should now have scars on his chest; he needs to not get caught shirtless by anyone other than Lois.
It's funny... I thought that when I watched the original episode... in the episode, Superman freezes his tissue too, but he doesn't address anything that would suggest he had fixed him up (w/ crazy glue or whatever
) and left him scarless. Also, Clark doesn't ever walk around w/out a shirt on at work (obviously), and aside from the season 1 finale, I don't recall that he ever showed much of his chest to Perry or Jimmy or anyone. I think the only people that ever see him that way in general are Lois and his folks. He's very private about how buff he is... which is a real bummer actually
I'm still curious as to how they will explain Lois' pregnancy. If Clark was somewhere in limbo for a month, it will be hard to explain that it's his.
... Kristen and everyone that shared this concern... well, stick w/ me
I'm glad everyone's enjoying that the story is now upbeat and no longer absolutely ridiculously depressing, lol. Get that out of the way in the beginning, I say!!
Thank you EVERYONE for reading! And thank you for commenting!
~NICOLE
Hope to read what's the Kent's reaction to both news. Please, please!! 
Oh well, I'm dying for the last part of this wonderful story! 
