Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic FDK: Not the Years - 9/14

We're getting close to something important. Stay loose, everyone!

Poor Lois. Hugs to Marta and Jon. Poor Clark. I just know that no matter what happens to Lois, her death with crush him. I'm glad her family finally were able to find a way to get across to her how much Lois was hurting them, when she kept breaking her word about going on investigations. Parenting 101. They had been giving her a reward (attention, even if it was negative attention) for breaking her word. When they stopped giving her attention for ending up in the hospital, she finally got the hint and noticed. I was beginning to wonder if Marta's words hit the closest to home. They were preparing themselves for her death (by acting as if she wasn't there). Marta finding her mother beaten up and close to death was a horribly traumatic event for the girl, no matter her age. I agree that isn't something she would ever want to go through twice, let alone once.

Jon's choice in career in hopes to cure his mother isn't a big surprise, but I'm sure that it's an extra burden for Lois. Now, she's feeling that his current work ethic and life choices (and thus lacking activities and friends normal kids his age participate in) are because of her. I could see her imagining that should she die, he would be at a loss because his life's goals would no longer have meaning. (Not that they necessarily will, but she'll think that and it's possible that so will Jon).

I'm hoping that Klein's dragons will turn out to be friendly and kind and a cure will be possible, but I'm sure that's just the optimist in me. How can Clark's aura (and, yes, I know Jon's forgetting his and Marta's as well) would 'cure' Lois's tubal ligation but not her liver? It's just not fair! (stamps down foot! Yeah, yeah, I know life isn't fair.)

I'm glad that Clark has a good and solid extended family to help should something happen to Lois, because in a way he, Jon, and Marta have been living for* Lois and I could see them falling apart for a while in the aftermath of her death. Now, THAT would be a tearjerker of a story. But since you only have 5 parts left, I'm going to be optimistic again and hope that you don't have time to break my heart in that manner. (If you did, I'm sure it would be one of those beautifully written tearjerkers, just the same.)

* When I say 'living for' I mean holding their breath waiting for the other shoe to fall. When it finally does, it will take a long time before they will learn to adjust to breathing normally again, if they ever will. It's brings an underlying stress to one's life, especially for Jon and Marta who lived with the knowledge that their mother could get sick and die at any moment for their entire lives.

Lois's pregnancy was a definite surprise twist I wasn't expecting. I wish her luck with the pregnancy and the health of the child.

Terry,

A wonderful chapter, more downers probably to come but this chapter was very entertaining and interesting. I, like Virginia, loved the way you had Clark and the kids react to Lois' homecoming. A real eye-opener for Lois.

I especially like the way you got the kids involved in the story in a much larger sense. Loved the Jon approaching Burt about the medical prognosis of his mother and the way the boy played the doctor into giving him more information that Burt was wanting to give. Also cutely played with the scheme Jon and Marta came up with to get Lois and Clark's mind off the problems and onto them (the kids).

Can't wait until the next chapter!

Mike

She finally gives up the dangerous work, and now it's going to be a pregnancy that does her in. (Maybe it won't, but it's certainly the mood of this chapter.) So poignant.

I enjoy the increased focus on Jon and Marta. They've certainly got a lot going on in their young lives.

Sometimes the only time we hear the things we don't want to hear is when our children say them.


More than anyone Clark knows what it is like to grow up without his biological parents. He doesn't want his children to suffer the same fate. Glad Lois finally decided to listen.

Ooh, insightful feedback! Y'all are the best, hands down.

Virginia, it may be that Lois was getting attention from her family with her Danger Mouse lifestyle, but I thought of it as misplaced priorities. Until this point, she was putting her mission in life - taking down the bad guys - ahead of taking care of her family. She just never quite realized it until this scene happened. When faced with the loss of her family, it finally dawned on her that they were her number one priority.

But your analysis works too. It's an example of my readers finding things in my stories that I didn't deliberately put in. I'd never considered that Lois was still trying to justify herself to her father, her husband, her editor, or even to herself by calling attention to herself in courting trouble.

Your analysis of Jon, his life goals, and their effect on Lois is fascinating. No wonder your stories are so good. You think of things that don't pop up on my radar.

Aside from Ogden Nash's "Custard the Dragon," I can't think of any kind and family-friendly dragons. They're nearly always selfish, greedy, mean, and vengeful. Oops! Spoilers.

There will be ups and downs coming, but I can assure you that I don't plan a disaster in this tale (aside from the one I've been telegraphing all along). Clark's extended family will indeed come through for him and his children.

Death of a loved one always - always - leaves wounds and scars, some of which don't heal completely. We'll see some of those injuries show up before the end.

Mike and Amy, I'm glad you liked the kids' actions and reactions. Jon and Marta are as mature as I wish my own children were.

Morgana, you're right about Clark not wanting to lose Lois, not just for himself but for their children. Again, that's an insight I didn't deliberately wave in the readers' faces.

Next chapter up in moments. Bring tissues.