Interesting, Terry. (I always say that in the beginning of my FDK on your fic, don't I?
)
I almost feel as if this part was a sort of refutation of something I said in my previous FDK, namely, that Clark is like a polygamist who thinks of Rebecca as his favorite "wife", and who misses his previous favorite, Lana, and who treats Lois as if she was one of his lesser women. Well, none of that was true here.
Then he tried to imagine how Lana would react if she could speak to him.
Nothing. He could barely envision her beside him. He didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, and it bothered him that at that moment he couldn't see her face clearly in his mind.
He can't quite remember Lana's face.
So what was he supposed to do? Would it be fair to Rebecca to keep seeing her if he knew the relationship wasn't going anywhere?
...
And he had no real thought of a permanent relationship with Rebecca, at least not at this point.
He doesn't seem to picture a future for himself with Rebecca.
He pondered that last for a moment, then decided that he didn't know what the future held for him. He didn't know if his link with Lois meant that they would – someday in the far, far distant future – have a romantic relationship together, or if they'd simply remain close friends.
He is at least acknowledging the possibility that he might have a romantic relationship with Lois in the future.
As he dropped the folder onto the living room table, he admitted to himself that he needed Lois. Without her input, this investigation was just about dead in the water.
And much later, as he wavered in that mystical realm between asleep and awake, the thought crossed his mind that he needed Lois for much more than just the story.
Indeed, he admitted to himself that he really needs Lois in more ways than one, although he may not remember that realization in the morning.
Anyway, Terry. Clark has shaped up. In the previous chapter, I felt that Clark was pretty much beyond redemption in the "I love Lois" department, but now he is indeed shaping up.
Lois, on the other hand, seems very impressed with Lex. But her reaction to him doesn't turn me off. She didn't go too far or lose her head. And I don't blame her for liking him. I really, really think that you made us see how much Lex truly loves her.
Yes, indeed. Lex became a better person thanks to Lois, at least on this particular occasion. I really, really liked how you wrote how Fernando tried to pick a fight with him, and how Lex managed to talk him out of fighting and made both of them come out of the situation with undamaged egos. I loved this:
As they waited for their drinks, Lex realized he might have made his best impression on Lois at that moment by not behaving as a studly stud and a manly man but by being a peacemaker instead. Even if he had won the fight with Vasquez, he probably would have lost Lois.
And that, he suddenly realized, was a trade-off he would never be willing to make. He decided he'd think about this moment for years to come. He'd etch it in his memory as one of his most favorite moments.
He'd remember it as the night he'd fallen deeply, completely, and irretrievably in love with Lois Lane.
But you told us that this is not a 'Lois and Lex' site. In other words, we shouldn't look forward to a very romantic and happy Lois and Lex love story. Well, good. I don't want one, even though I like this Lex better than any Lex I have ever come across in any other LnC fanfic, and even though I think that, basically, right now Lois may have a better reason to be impressed and flattered by Lex than by Clark. No, I don't mean it quite like that. I
hope Lois realizes that Clark is a more admirable person than Lex, no matter how good Lex might look to her. But I do think that, yes, this Lex has treated her nicer and sweeter than this Clark ever has. And why shouldn't she like Lex' plain-as-day love for her?
But it is obvious that Lois's love story with Lex can only end painfully and unhappily. I hope that Clark will be there for her when things turn sour or horrible. I hope Clark will console her and comfort her and treat her kindly and sweetly. I would really, really like to see that.
Ann
