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Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
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Good stuff, Caroline  Mad Dog Lane was being replaced by Fuzzy Kitten Lane or maybe Fluffy Bunny Lane, since everyone knew that bunnies spent all their time thinking about making more bunnies, and Clark Kent pretty much sent her mind racing down that same path. Except without the bunnies, of course. Of course.  Had she just said that? She didn’t believe in happily-ever-after; she never had. Was she really starting to believe that things might work out? She wasn’t sure, but just saying ‘Clark’ and ‘happily-ever-after’ in the same breath was doing strange things to her insides. That could be something to consider. “Of course,” he promised. “I’ll tell him that in my opinion, you would be a wonderful acquisition for any man. You exercise regularly, practice good dental hygiene, and come from healthy breeding stock. I won’t mention your cooking. Hopefully it won’t come up.” Mitchell doesn’t seem quite like the boring hypochondriac in this incarnation. “Using Clark as a scratching post, Cat?” Lois enquired sweetly.
“We were just getting to know one another better,” Cat drawled. “Right Clark?”
“Uh, right,” he said. “Getting to know one another. As co-workers. Because we, uh, work at the same place...and it’s good to, um, know the people you work with...at work.” Isn’t it though.  She had repaired the damage to her face and touched up her coiffure, and once again, that distracting strand of dark hair trailed down one ivory cheek, occasionally brushing against the corner of her mouth. He knew she had arranged it that way deliberately; it was one of those mystifying things women did, and if its purpose was draw men’s attention, it was succeeding admirably. His hand itched to rearrange it, to tuck it back behind her ear just for the pleasure of letting his fingers brush against her smooth skin. He didn’t dare, however. Not in the middle of a ballroom, with half of Metropolis watching. Beautiful,  more please.
I do know you, and I know you wouldn't lie... at least to me...most of the time...
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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Great part!! She had trouble imagining anything lasting forever, that being a scenario she’d stopped believing in many years before, but even a few months of happiness with Clark might be nice. No kidding! I'd take even just a couple seconds if I could get my hands on them... hehehe! [...]Fluffy Bunny Lane, since everyone knew that bunnies spent all their time thinking about making more bunnies, and Clark Kent pretty much sent her mind racing down that same path. Except without the bunnies, of course.
She had a mental image of herself pushing a baby carriage full of little bunny rabbits and couldn’t suppress a giggle.  (and never mind the fact that I go ga-ga whenever bunnies are mentioned, which I really do... this is just too funny!!) The whole conversation with Mitchell is just priceless! I started picking parts of it to quote and ended up with almost the whole thing... LOL! I thought it was a lil too much, so just to say I thought it was just *that* good! He looked like he’d come out of the womb wearing a tuxedo and had worn one every day of his life since[...] and now there's coffee on my screen... The image of this is absolutely hilarious! Can't wait to see what happens next. I truly enjoy this story, you write so well!
Superman: Why is it that good villains never die?
Batman: Clark, what the hell are good villains?
=> Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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Hi, Great part!  “I got it!” she said, once she was again close enough to speak to him. “He wants to have dinner. He’s going to call tomorrow to set it up.”
“Congratulations,” Clark said weakly. “Do you, uh, normally have dinner with people you’re interviewing?”
She gave him an incredulous look. “Clark, this is Lex Luthor we’re talking about! He hasn’t granted a personal interview in five years. If he wants us to do this hanging upside down from the ceiling like bats, you can bet I’ll do it.”
“Anything for the story, huh?” He had meant the question to sound lighthearted, but it fell short of that, even to his own ears.
She seemed to catch the drift of his questions, then, and stiffened slightly. “Don’t go there, Clark.”
“I’m sorry,” he said immediately. “I didn’t mean to...I’m sorry. It’s an incredible opportunity, Lois. I’m excited for you.” Good boy, fast to fix.  More ASAP, please. MAF 
Maria D. Ferdez.
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Don't like Luthor, unfinished, untitled and crossover story, and people that promises and don't deliver. I'm getting choosy with age.
MAF
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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Oh, Caroline, you've done it again! Without overdoing it, you put just enough waff there to make me have tears just below the surface. Even with Mitchell's banter, the whole scene was just so sweet. Please don't make us wait forever for the next part. 
I'm a firm believer in the fact that God doesn't put any more on us than we can bear. He does however make us come to Jesus every so often.
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
Joined: Jul 2006
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Another lovely chapter. (sigh) I am so in love with this story. He had seen her behave as badly as she’d ever behaved in her life, and he still wanted to know her – to be her friend, he’d said. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been extended such grace. wonderful turn of phrase “But when it all falls to pieces, I’m going to be first in line to say ‘I told you so.’”
“And when Clark and I live happily-ever-after, I’ll expect you to be first in line to admit you were wrong.” Already thinking happily-ever-after! “I’ll tell him that in my opinion, you would be a wonderful acquisition for any man. You exercise regularly, practice good dental hygiene, and come from healthy breeding stock. I won’t mention your cooking. Hopefully it won’t come up.” LOL! I actually like Mitchell. I wouldn't want him around forever, but I can see how he would be an amusing date. But there was no ‘if’ - not anymore. He had already handed her his heart, despite the fact that a more risky proposition could hardly be imagined. He barely knew her, he had no reason to trust her, and if he read her correctly, her feelings about him were ambivalent at best. But he couldn’t walk away. At some point that evening, Clark had passed the point of no return. this is just... wow. You are such a lovely writer, Caroline. Looking forward to more!
lisa in the sky with diamonds
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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I always love your writing, Caroline. I must admit, however, that the reason why I've been so late in responding to this one is that the previous part made me absolutely ridiculously happy, while this one just makes me happy... and worried too, I have to say. So I've had a bit of trouble coming up with the proper response. Well, let me quote a few of those paragraphs that really do make me happy: She took a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves, reminding herself that she was Lois Lane, that she was working, and that this was no place for her to be acting like a schoolgirl in the throes of her first crush. In spite of her little lecture, however, the thought that she was about to walk back into that ballroom and see Clark again made her go weak in the knees. I love seeing this arrogantly aggressive young woman being reduced to what she really is... a lonely young woman longing for warmth and love. A young woman who has lowered her defenses in preparation of accepting such love, and who feels emotionally naked, vulnerable and needy as a result. He had seen her behave as badly as she’d ever behaved in her life, and he still wanted to know her – to be her friend, he’d said. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been extended such grace. She felt humbled and excited and a little bit suspicious, all at the same time. The suspicion was inevitable, a part of who she was, but for the first time in years she thought she might be able to conquer it. For the first time since Claude, she was willing to give a man a chance. Maybe Clark Kent was the one man who wouldn’t let her down. She didn’t know exactly why she thought this might be so. She couldn’t tell if some instinct was telling her that she could trust Clark, or whether it was just that her hormones had run amok, making her reckless and willing to take a chance. Only time would tell, she supposed. He would either let her down or he wouldn’t. She would either run from him or she wouldn’t. She had trouble imagining anything lasting forever, that being a scenario she’d stopped believing in many years before, but even a few months of happiness with Clark might be nice. It would be more than she’d had with any man since college. And I completely love this paragraph. Poor Lois. Life hasn't offered her many chances to feel loved. No wonder she has a hard time believing in love now, or at least she finds it very hard to believe in "happily ever after". But Lois is ready to settle for "happily for a few months". Talk about low expectations! How poignant this is. She made her way into the crowd, smiling and nodding each time she saw an acquaintance, but always, her eyes were darting around in search of Clark. She could do that now, could look for him and even smile a little if she happened to catch his eye, and it was all right – even expected. They had an understanding, of sorts, even if she wasn’t quite sure what it was they understood. But she was pretty sure that the understanding conveyed the freedom to glance at one another across a crowded room. That would be OK. And I love how she is redefining her relationship with Clark. The sewers. She was supposed to care about the sewers, wasn’t she? Only just then, she couldn’t muster up a shred of interest. It was happening already: one kiss on the balcony (well, one big one and a couple of little ones, if you were counting, which she certainly wasn’t, since that would be adolescent and undignified) and already she was going soft. Mad Dog Lane was being replaced by Fuzzy Kitten Lane or maybe Fluffy Bunny Lane, since everyone knew that bunnies spent all their time thinking about making more bunnies, and Clark Kent pretty much sent her mind racing down that same path. Except without the bunnies, of course. She had a sudden mental image of herself pushing a baby carriage full of little bunny rabbits and couldn’t suppress a giggle. This is absolutely wonderful! Delightful! The way these paragraphs go from sewers to fluffy bunny bliss... I can picture a beaming bunny-eared Lois pushing a pram full of fluffy bunny baby Kentlets! “Luthor’s supposed to be making some sort of big announcement. You know anything about that?”
“Nope,” Lois said absently. She’d just spotted Clark, who had managed to pick up a barnacle in gold lame. Cat Grant had one arm around his neck and was plastered to his side, her other hand caressing his cheek. For a moment, Lois was tempted to be jealous, even angry, but the look of utter desperation on Clark’s face put paid to that. Even Lois, who had raised jumping to conclusions to an art form, could see that Clark was miserable and in need of rescuing. I love this - Lois's lack of interest in Luthor's coming announcement, and the fact that she is the woman who has raised the jumping to conclusions to an art form! “Who says I’m soft and sentimental?” she demanded, glaring at him. “And even if I were, what would be so wrong with that?”
“It’s just not you, Lois. That guy has house-in-the-suburbs written all over him. He’ll have you knocked up and knitting little things before you can say Stepford.” When Mitchell, Lois's eternal date, realizes that Lois has fallen in love, he tries to discourage her. That is not very nice at all. (But he is definitely witty, what with that "knocked up and knitting little things before you can say Stepford" - right after Lois has pictured herself as a bunny rabbit mother!) “That’s ridiculous,” she snapped, but she felt the doubt worming its way into her heart. And precisely because Lois has just been feeling so stupidly maternal, she begins to wonder if Mitchell could possibly be right. “I just hate to see you throw your career away on a fling with a co-worker. Think about it: If it works out, you’ll wind up on the mommy-track, trying to juggle the hunky hubby and a litter of brown-haired moppets with a job that doesn’t leave room for either of those things. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll wind up having to work with your ex. I’ve been there and done that, and I don’t recommend it.”
“I’ve been there, too,” Lois murmured. But Clark’s different, her heart insisted. He said he wasn’t like other men. Oh, how she wanted to believe that. But Mitchell wasn’t saying anything she hadn’t thought herself a hundred times. Mitchell is fanning her doubts in his own witty, and therefore somehow extra convincing, way. I really don't like him. “Is it really enough for you?” Lois asked. “Living and breathing your work, calling me up when you need someone on your arm? Is that all you want?”
“Of course not. I’m not made of stone, you know. When I get an itch, there are discreet ways to see to it that it gets scratched.”
“Oh very nice, Mitchell,” she snapped.
“Hey, if you want poetry and flowers, go talk to Mr. Tall, Dark, and Nearsighted over there. I’m just telling it like it is.” Funny. Mitchell is being funny all the time, and slightly mean, too. Her eyes narrowed slightly as a thought occurred to her. She knew she would probably do better to leave it unexpressed, but she couldn’t quite hold it in. “You know, Mitchell, if I didn’t know any better, I might think you were jealous.”
“Jealous?” He raised the one eyebrow again, his expression so supercilious that Lois wanted to slap it off his face. “No, Lois. You may count me among the few men in Metropolis who will never be falling at your feet. But I do consider you a friend, and I’ve always admired you – admired your professionalism and dedication to your work. I hate to see you throw that away.”
“You just hate to lose a convenient date.”
“That, too,” he admitted. Interesting. I think the guy is jealous, though possibly not in that way. Could the man be gay, perhaps? Anyway, the idea that Lois may not be available as a convenient date is clearly bothering him. I guess he thinks he himself will look slightly less perfect without Lois by his side. “I can tell I’m wasting my breath - you’re too far gone already. Anyway, it’s your life. You can screw it up if you want to.”
“Thanks so much,” she said sarcastically.
“But when it all falls to pieces, I’m going to be first in line to say ‘I told you so.’”
“And when Clark and I live happily-ever-after, I’ll expect you to be first in line to admit you were wrong.” Wow! Did she just say that??? Had she just said that? She didn’t believe in happily-ever-after; she never had. Was she really starting to believe that things might work out? She wasn’t sure, but just saying ‘Clark’ and ‘happily-ever-after’ in the same breath was doing strange things to her insides. Wonderful. “Happily-ever-after!” Mitchell threw back his head and laughed. “That’s a good one! So how many years are there in a happily-ever-after? Should we make it a bet?” Well, it hasn't been that many minutes since Lois thought to herself that she wouldn't say no to a few happy months with Clark. “Tell you what – I’ll make it easy on you. If you and this Clark are together a year from now, I’ll buy you both dinner, anywhere you want to go.”
She gave him a wary look. “And if we’re not?”
Mitchell shook his head. “If you’re not, you won’t owe me a thing. I expect in that case, you’ll have paid enough already.”
“Deal,” she said, and they touched their champagne glasses lightly to seal the agreement. I have to wonder if you are going to let this story keep going for a year, well, in "fiction-time", of course. “So are you going to introduce me?” he asked, nodding toward Clark, who had managed to put a few inches distance between himself and Cat but was still looking distinctly uncomfortable.
“Will you behave?”
“Of course,” he promised. “I’ll tell him that in my opinion, you would be a wonderful acquisition for any man. You exercise regularly, practice good dental hygiene, and come from healthy breeding stock. I won’t mention your cooking. Hopefully it won’t come up.” I'll say this about Lois, she has a thing for guys who are good at satirical bantering. She laughed in spite of herself. “I hate you. You know that, don’t you?”
“No you don’t. It’s my job to make guys like Loverboy over there look good,” he said with a grin.
“In that case,” she told him, “you deserve a raise.” Yes, Lois apparently doesn't mind. he suspected that if he gave Cat anything less than his full attention, she might well move from fondling him to all-out sexual assault. He had declined a dance, a date, and a visit to her apartment in that order, and she didn’t show any sign of giving up and moving on to her next conquest. It was not in his nature to be rude to a woman, but he was beginning to think he’d have to make an exception for Cat Grant. Ah, poor Clark! “Using Clark as a scratching post, Cat?” Lois enquired sweetly.
“We were just getting to know one another better,” Cat drawled. “Right Clark?” Well.... Lois knows how to deliver those lines too, that's for sure. “Uh, right,” he said. “Getting to know one another. As co-workers. Because we, uh, work at the same place...and it’s good to, um, know the people you work with...at work.” He was too busy trying to edge away from Cat to pay any attention to what he was saying. Poor adorable flustered Clark! “The pleasure’s all mine.” Cat offered her hand and gave Mitchell a sultry look, which he returned with a dimpled and flirtatious look of his own before turning his attention back to Clark. Interesting. I think Mitchell is gay. Is he jealous of Lois because she is the one who gets to be with Clark? Yes, the man did look remarkably like a Ken doll – blonde and tanned with a smile that was a triumph of orthodontia. He looked like he’d come out of the womb wearing a tuxedo Oh, Caroline, your way with words!  Clark could feel it every time Lois glanced at him and wondered at the fact that the touch of her eyes was more seductive than the touch of Cat Grant’s hands, that standing two feet away from Lois was more electrifying than having Cat draped all over him. The chemistry between them was simply unlike anything he’d ever experienced; it made it difficult to attend to Mitchell’s small talk. And this is just wonderful. When Mitchell began to advise Clark on Metropolis real estate, launching into a lengthy disquisition on the appeal of various parts of town, Cat Grant finally conceded defeat. It was bad enough that she’d made so little headway with Clark, but being utterly ignored by two men was apparently more than she could stand. Clark might not even have noticed when she left their little group and went back on the prowl had it not been for the small smile of satisfaction that touched Lois’s lips at the sight of Cat tossing her hair and walking away. He caught Lois’s eye and smiled, too, and a sweet tension spun out between them. A sweet tension spun out between them.... Did I tell you a suffcient number of times that I absolutely love your way with words? “Ah, but as we’ve already discussed, I’m not like...”
“...most guys,” she finished for him. “Yes, I may be starting to believe that.”
“Good, because I intend to keep proving it to you.” He looked down at her, willing her to believe him, and was once again caught by the expression in her wide brown eyes. He saw hope there, and fear, and the same thrill of excitement that had been thrumming through him ever since she’d thrown herself into his arms. Would he ever get used to how completely bewitching he found her? Would the day ever come when their eyes met and he didn’t feel as though he were drowning in her gaze? Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful. She had repaired the damage to her face and touched up her coiffure, and once again, that distracting strand of dark hair trailed down one ivory cheek, occasionally brushing against the corner of her mouth. He knew she had arranged it that way deliberately; it was one of those mystifying things women did, and if its purpose was draw men’s attention, it was succeeding admirably. His hand itched to rearrange it, to tuck it back behind her ear just for the pleasure of letting his fingers brush against her smooth skin. He didn’t dare, however. Not in the middle of a ballroom, with half of Metropolis watching. This fresh start was too new, too fragile, and he had the feeling that a single misstep might send her running from him. So he simply looked at her, all the while marveling over the fact that she was standing there next to him of her own free will. Your writing is so vivid. You paint exquisite images in my mind, and you make me feel Lois and Clark's emotions so strongly, too. “You’re staring,” she blurted suddenly, startling him out of his reverie. “I look awful, don’t I - all I had was my lipstick - and it’s kind of your fault for making me cry in the first place, though I guess that’s really my fault for being such a basket case. And now I look awful, and there’s nothing I can do about it, so you might as well stop staring at me.”
She sounded annoyed, almost angry, and he hastened to reassure her, feeling simultaneously embarrassed and alarmed. “Lois...I’m not staring because you look awful. You don’t... you don’t look awful. You look beautiful. I don’t know why every man in the room isn’t staring at you.” "I don't know why every man in the room isn't staring at you" - this is such a romantic and honestly heartfelt line that you take my breath away, Caroline. Clark felt Lois tense next to him and heard her slight hiss of indrawn breath. He looked down and saw that she’d undergone a subtle transformation the minute Luthor had mentioned the Messenger explosion. It was difficult to believe that an hour before she’d been weeping in his arms; now, she was every inch the investigative reporter. The Messenger was her story, and anything that related to it, however tangentially, would receive her undivided attention.
Far from being offended by her distraction, Clark admired her focus and professionalism. This was why she was the best, he realized – because even at a formal ball, while poised on the cusp of a new relationship, she was able to block out everything but her story. It might make her difficult at times, but it also made her brilliant. Watching her, he wished he dared to suggest that they work together, but after what she’d confided to him about Claude, he knew it was out of the question. Perhaps later, once their relationship was on some sort of firm footing, she would trust him enough to let him work with her. He had a feeling they could make a good team, and he was certain he could learn a lot from her. I love this. Clark is in awe of Lois's professionalism, and the idea that she should become a Stepford wife couldn't be farther from his mind. The rest of this chapter, however, leaves me squirming and uneasy. I hate Lex Luthor. I don't love to hate him, I just hate him. And I detest it even more when Lois can't see what a horrible man he is. I just hope that nothing unbearable happens when Lois has her date with Luthor, Caroline! Ann
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Arawn said: Mitchell doesn’t seem quite like the boring hypochondriac in this incarnation. Well, no, mostly because that would have been boring to write! I realize there's absolutely no canon evidence that Mitchell is anything like this character, but I kind of enjoyed writing him this way and Ann said: Interesting. I think the guy is jealous, though possibly not in that way. Could the man be gay, perhaps? Anyway, the idea that Lois may not be available as a convenient date is clearly bothering him. I guess he thinks he himself will look slightly less perfect without Lois by his side. I think Mitchell is jealous, too. And yes, I also suspect he might be gay. (My Mitchell muse refuses to tell me in so many words). What he is, regardless of his sexual orientation, is very self-centered. He eschews commitments because he's just too selfish to take another person into consideration on a regular basis, and he doesn't want to believe he's alone in that. He's seen Lois as his female counterpart - his reminder that there are other people in the world who live the way he does. Having her defect to the other camp is clearly rattling him to the point that he can't bring himself to be happy for her. I think he's funny, too, but in a cynical way that, as you say, isn't all that attractive. I have to wonder if you are going to let this story keep going for a year, well, in "fiction-time", of course. Heaven forbid! At least not as a continuous story. I'm tired just thinking about it! If pressed, I might admit to a little deus ex machina in order to set up a possible epilogue, which would take place some months after the ending of the story. Stardust proper, however, will only last through the events of the pilot. Thanks, as always, to everyone who took the time to comment. Your kind words are most appreciated. Best, Caroline
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Pulitzer
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Caroline, I'm sorry I'm so late with FDK. Shame on me (RL is frenetic in the last weeks). I know part 12 is posted - I've read at the same day you posted it - but I liked this part so much I needed to write a FDK. I couldn't write FDK sooner because my English is a disaster and it takes me a long time to write even a few lines. Oh, well... Stopping my babbling, I want to say once more I absolutely LOVE this story. I can't help myself, I've got to say that in every FDK. You'll probably grow tired of hearing it, but I don't get tired of saying it. It's hard to choose quotes in Stardust, because every line is a work of art.  But there was no ‘if’ - not anymore. He had already handed her his heart, despite the fact that a more risky proposition could hardly be imagined. He barely knew her, he had no reason to trust her, and if he read her correctly, her feelings about him were ambivalent at best. But he couldn’t walk away. At some point that evening, Clark had passed the point of no return. The most powerful man on Earth is helpless in love. I love it! ![[Linked Image]](http://www.smilies-and-more.de/pics/smilies/love/096.gif) Now, I should write a FDK for part 12... Andreia ![[Linked Image]](http://www.cosgan.de/images/kao/tiere/f035.gif)
"My wife's love is what unites Krypton and Earth in my heart. Without it, without her, I truly would be in hell."
~ Superman: Man of Tomorrow #15
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Andreia - thank you so much for leaving such lovely, detailed feedback on both this chapter and the following one. I don't have time to respond to each individual comment at the moment, but I did want to say that your English is NOT a disaster! Far, far from it. I am amazed and humbled by the number of people I've encountered in fandom who have mastered a second (and in some cases third and fourth) language well enough to read/write fic in that language, participate in discussions, etc. Knowing that English is not your first language makes me all the more appreciative that you would go to the time and trouble to leave feedback. I want to say once more I absolutely LOVE this story. I can't help myself, I've got to say that in every FDK. You'll probably grow tired of hearing it, but I don't get tired of saying it. I've never met a writer who grew tired of hearing that someone loved her story! Thank you  Best, Caroline
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