FDK goes here.

Bit nervous about Van-El's other identity. It made sense to me and I liked it and I've seen other Bernie's that weren't totally Bernie-ish.

Next scheduled post:
Wednesday, 10-noon ET

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Chapter 132
Chapter 133
Thanks .
Carol

Great parts, Carol

Do we get three parts on Christmas Eve? Please? Pretty please. I've been a very nice boy and I'm sure the others have all been very nice little boys and girls, too

Did I already say more, please? Michael

Actually - I had thought about a bonus post [in 2 chapter increments because that's how they're written with cliffhangers etc] when I finish, but I also don't know that I'll be able to post on Christmas so a double Christmas Eve post is possible [probably one morning and one late evening ET].

Am writing - will have to see how it goes...

Carol

Michael

Whoa. That's an interesting twist on Bernie. It shouldn't be too much of a stretch, I guess. I do hope those are tears of relief!

(And of course, I'm still reading. I just can't always think of something to say afterward. )

He's almost there.

He's right on the verge.

He's chewing those words, trying to shape them just right.

Clark is going to have the opportunity to divorce Lois and he's going to decline it because he loves her. Right? I mean, really, it has to happen that way. Doesn't it?

Well, no, it doesn't, but I think it will, and then UP will take them from the point just after that to other unexplored regions.

I don't know about anyone else, but I think that having Van-El as the point super is brilliant. Now Luthor can focus on him and Clark can either work in the background or as Van-El's secret helper until he's comfortable going out on his own. And him being Bernie Klein in his secret identity? Priceless! Brilliant! Totally unexpected (at least by me)! I love it!

I hope that Billy and Serena can work out their troubles. They're too nice a couple to toss under the bus, especially at this point in their lives.

Love Henderson! "Seriously. New careers. See you tomorrow." Too droll for words!

Glad there are more than three chapters left, or three posting days left, or whatever. Please take whatever time you need to take to make sure the story is up to your usual standard of excellence.

As long as this story is, it doesn't feel all that long. It flows so smoothly, moves so swiftly, that there's no sense of ponderous weight behind it. It's an outstanding long story, yet it reads almost like a vignette because it's so silky. You are an excellent writer and I respect your talents so very much. Thanks for sharing these characters with us.

/falls over/

Wow. Thanks, Terry. That is high praise indeed.

I will say that with 127 we passed "Longest Road: The Roads They Walked Alone" [I think that's the right title of the current longest fic on the archive].

/head spins/

What was written yesterday put it over the 2000kb mark in the txt file.

/head spins some more/

Probably a good thing I didn't know because I wouldn't have started [and neither would any of you I think - if the first post said 1/140+ - I doubt I would have...]

Okay almost half of the next chapter written. Back to the grindstone.

/picks self up off ground and dusts self off/

Thanks again.

Carol

That was sweet. I loved how Bobby Bigmouth found Clark.

Clark is not going to be able to divorce Lois. I mean, he could tenchically, but if he does, she won't take him back.

She has said that she doesn't want to be "second choice." In her mind, him divorcing her and then decideding he loves her after all, would be "second choice", even if he DIDN'T leave her in favor of Lana. It would simply be too much for her heart to take.

I still think we need some kind of "shock therapy" to get them together. One of them needs to be in danger of dying. Clark will realize that he can't "live with out Lois." The theme of the story.

Trask, like I said before, could be a useful tool to achieve this. Trask is going to show up, whether the superhero is Superman or Van-El. Their still both aliens.

Of course, I could be wrong, but that's the way I see it happening. It's not very realistic, but it's a popular tatic in the LnC universe.

Carol, you managed to introduce quite a few canon characters in this chapter, and in most cases, I simply thought, "Yes, that's exactly what they'd do." - be it Henderson telling Lois to get a new career or Bobby Bigmouth demanding Chinese from Clark. It's just so them that you really caught me by surprise with Bernie Klein actually being Van-El.

Of course, it makes sense, for it seems that he had helped his parents with designing and building Clark's space craft when still in his late teens. Still, you caught me unaware.

But do you know what bothers me to some extent? Lois and Clark have are on their second - or is it third? - day of work, and already they're holding out on Perry on two major stories (Van-El and about them being the couple that was in the news because of the whole Latislan stuff, not to mention their reluctance to let Christopher's name be printed as an attempted victim of the Toyman. Let's see where that goes...

Oh, by the way - did I mention you're brilliant?

I *think* it's DONE!!!!

WOOHOO!!!!

I was able to use chunks of the original ending but not necessarily in the original context but that's okay.

/whew/

The last chapter is a bit shorter than the rest but I hope you'll all forgive that. It went from hoping to finish it in two chapters today to finishing it in four so...

Anyway...

Michael - thank you. Clo-El? Really?

Karen - glad you're still reading! Even to just say you're still reading works for me .

Terry - thank you again. Honestly. You made my day.

Sara - originally, Bobby was going to be Dave's brother and that's how they met him, but I liked Jimmy there better . Shock therapy? What's that?

Lara - thank you! You're right about them keeping that from Perry but they made it clear after the kidnapping thing that their family is off-limits for the sole purpose of selling papers but that if the story [of Christopher's kidnapping at that point] was ever told, it would be told in the Daily Planet. As for Van-El, yes, they know his secret identity, but to disclose that would be to ruin Clark's chances of ever having a relationship with him and probably their lives as well - just like protecting Clark's identity in any incarnation and their family's when they have superkids. And even then, Lois doesn't really know much more about VAN-EL than she's told Perry et al.

Anyway - thanks to all of you!

Look for two posts tomorrow. Probably 10-noon ET [as soon as I'm up and around and kids situated] and mid/late evening ET. Doubtful there will be a post on Christmas Day though.

Thanks again!
Carol

lol Super-Bernie... and fitting that the older son of Jor-El went into a scientific field. So does this mean that the black suit from the New Krypton arc is going to be the norm for this universe?

Fascinating parts! Well I feel just about hit over the head with this Bernie stuff! It's hard for me to wrap my head around it just because I've only ever seen or heard of one Dr. Klein, and it's the bumbling yet lovable brown-haired middle aged guy on ABC. But I'm certainly open-minded enough to try and fit someone new into the picture in my head.

What else, what else. Ditto to Terry! (I think.) It's quite exciting and original having Lois & Clark investigating the first season 'tests' while someone else is the superhero here. It's just a whole new slant on the Luthor investigation.

Great parts,
JD

Agree with the above posters.

1) Really a new take to have Dr. Klein be Van-El, Clark's sibling! That explains why Dr. Klein can come up with so many scientifically advanced (and somewhat improbable) rabbits from the hat.

2) Bobby Bigmouth - yay! Good to see him for the "first time". This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

3) I'm glad that Dr. Platt wasn't killed either - it seems that in every rewrite of the pilot, or every time the pilot is referred to, poor Dr. Platt gets the chop. What a relief to see that he's alive this time!

Carol, the pace was leisurely through many of the previous chapters, and now we're recklessly careening down the rollercoaster, as things start to happen!

Please post more soon!

Great stuff, Carol!

My head is still spinning after the revelation but I love it! :boogie:

And Clark so wanting to kiss Lois made my day, even if he didn't. I see a wonderful future for these two.

Merry Christmas and congratulations on finishing this "monster"! It really doesn't seem this long at all!

Natascha

Lieta - It made sense to me that he'd be a scientist. His black suit has male figure skater pants which aren't tight [I admit I got the idea from... Someone... Cindy? with Crimson Superman I think it was].

JD - usually you're right of course. Glad it doesn't turn you off completely. Whether Luthor is actually behind the tests etc... /shrug/ I've not got a clue.

Iolan - I love Bobby . I don't know that I've ever seen Dr. Platt survive either [so far he's survived anyway] but I like the idea. Ah yes - careening... that we are...

Natascha - so glad! Monster is the correct term and I pity whoever ends up on the short end of the GE stick...

Will post soon! May be an hour or so though with kids etc.

Carol

I totally love how you are intertwining the show with your story, e.g. how the tests are being done to Van-El.

"Van-El was Bernie Klein."

So cool. This was unexpected of course! When I read it I just thought 'Wickedly cool'! Hmmm, hopefully this means Van-El is a good guy since the Bernie we know was!

I'm glad Bobby is in this too!