Would you believe that after years of writing Lois and Clark stories, I think this is the first time I’ve ever had to write a newspaper article? So... be gentle.

Oh, and for those of you thinking it was about time for that first kiss... Hope you enjoyed it. Now as to the aftermath...

Clark just cannot control himself around this woman, can he? I mean, the kiss was to be expected by this point, but sending her to the Daily Planet as a college freshman... that's a big change.

Or maybe he is thinking ahead, and he figures Perry will watch out for her and keep her alive until 1993.

The revised article was pretty great, by the way.

Well done, very well done. Loved the changes Perry had her make to the article.

I've been holding off any public FDK to wait until I had fulfilled a promise so I must apologize for not commenting until now.

I LOVE this story!! I love the dynamic between LNC, I love the plot line, I love so much to read a story that is just like watching an episode!! In RL we can't keep dean and teri young and in love, but in this story I can see it all play out as if they were right in front of me.

TEEEEJ

Another terrific part.

What a perfect approach to Clark to take to calm Lois' qualms!

So the question is -- Is he upsetting the timeline still further, or is this more-or-less how she got her job in the original timeline? (Presumably not with this particular story, but perhaps with a different story she was working on about this time.) If, as I suspect, it's the former, then Clark will probably start feeling a lot more pains quite soon.

Ralph? Yipes! What an awful first person to meet at the DP.

Then again, the encounter did serve to rid her of her jitters, which has to be a good thing.

And the American Way?

A fun way to make fresh a fantastic but over-used line.

Um, Clark, isn't is a little late to start worrying about changing the timeline now?!? Haven't you already done a world of damage to it?

So he has super speed and super hearing, but not super speed hearing and language processing?

<groan> Clark -- right woman, wrong time!!!


I assume you meant "reveling"? Although as Freudian slips go, this is a good one!

Better late than never, I guess.

Well, Clark, if Lois hadn't already known much of your secret, she would surely know now!

Looking forward to part 4a (and 4b and 4c and... )

Joy,
Lynn

Yes, what a great part! And what a great story!

I loved seeing young Lois meeting Perry White for the first time! I loved her idealism. She was prepared to lose control over her story just as long as Perry printed it, to warn other young women. And she wasn't even thinking of asking for money for it. She was great! And Perry was wonderful! (And I, too, giggled at that little interlude with Ralph!)

But Linda, what an incredible pain in the neck she is! A barracuda, indeed. However, correct me if I am wrong, but it seems to me that she is more of a major irritant than a major danger.

Clark, on the other hand, keeps changing the timeline, and I really, really, really wonder what that will eventually do to him and to his future(?) with Lois.

But what a kiss that was! Oh my!!!!

Ann

YEAH!!!

Love, love, LOVE this fic. More please!

So I got behind by about 3 parts and finally just caught up. But getting behind wasn't so bad actually cause then I had more to read, yay!

Okay, so I'm kind of at a loss on what to speculate now. Obviously the future is changed big time (seeing as Clark can't even travel anymore). And Wells was hanging out for some reason but why if he didn't talk to either Lois or Clark?? And since Lois has already put everything (well almost everything) together about Clark, there're really not a lot he can change regarding Lois’ future by hanging out with her, right? Unless of course, she got pregnant somehow... now THAT would change things.

So if Clark hadn't gotten involved in this time, Lois would have been carried out of the party by those guys and most likely raped. I’m assuming they left her because they saw Clark…

Okay, I’m gonna keep wondering how Clark has changed the past exactly by his involvement so I guess, when you’re through with this story, you should just write another story going through the regular timeline without Clark’s involvement and even reveal what really happened to Lois in the Congo.

Oh yeah....

YAY for the KISS!!! Finally!!!

I should point out that Gerry gave me a lot of help with the article. Did you know that in newspaper articles every sentence is a separate paragraph? I didn't know that.

What I did know was that I wanted to have a Lois who was still learning write the original article and then have Perry work with her to make it better. So I guess I accomplished that.

Well, I'm glad that you kept whatever promise you made, but I'm also glad you're enjoying the story.

I'm a Canadian so...

But... I may be wrong, but did the show ever use that phrase? I'm not sure it did.

Oops. I'll correct that. Thanks for pointing it out.

Just further proof that even Superman finds it a challenge to keep up with Lois Lane.

It was fun writing that first meeting.

Most of your questions should actually be answered by the end of this story - including what really happened to Lois in the Congo.

Anyway, thanks for the comments. Glad you're enjoying the story.

ML

It did use "Truth and Justice" more often, but I do recall that it used the full phrase at least once. (Sorry, I'm not at home, so I can't quickly do a search of the scripts to find it. If you're curious, I'd be happy to do the search when I do get home.) Actually, my comment was intended to be a humourous acknowledgment of your applying the phrase to the DP instead of to Superman and not a criticism. I can certainly understand why the show dropped the longer version and why people outside the U.S. might find the longer version parochial at best and offensive at worst.

Joy,
Lynn

Really enjoyed this part! Loved how Clark side-stepped Linda and reassured Lois

I feel ya on the writing an article bit... I did that in one of my stories and I was rather intimidated by it

But yay for Lois' first story at the DP!!

And about the kiss... did Clark just realize that this might be affecting the timeline again... and um, isn't it a little late for that?? He might as well of stayed in the moment and enjoyed it, if you ask me

I'll second the YEAH for the kissing!

However, there are so many possibilities for the way you ended that part! I am hoping that Lois will catch Charlie at the Motel before he pushes the button on the time machine.

And I really would like to know what major changes Clark has made to the timeline!

Don't worry. I didn't take it as a criticism. But if you do find a place where that phrase was used in the show, please let me know. 'Cause I always found it interesting that the show seemed to leave that phrase out.

Well, I'd say so. But then, Clark does seem to have a problem avoiding situations that might change the timeline, doesn't he?

Keep reading.

ML

Glad to hear it.

I found it in five scripts on the MB. IIRC, not all of the quotes made their way into the show; for example, I don't believe it had been in the final version of Strange Visitor. The MB script of SV has Lois saying, "If you said you were here to fight for truth or justice or the American way, something like that, that would be a quote."

"Brutal Youth" has the following exchange:

Dr. Klein: Superman will still be in his prime, fighting for truth, justice --

Lois: -- and The American Way

In "The People v. Lois Lane" Clemmons tells Superman (while playing to the audience), "After all, just like you, I stand for truth, justice, and the American way!"

In Stop the Presses, Lois tells Clark, "You know you're not the only one who fights for truth, justice and the American way."

Finally, in Toy Story, Lois tells the children, "So, when you're the most sad, or the most scared, remember that even Superman was sad and scared once, and if you just keep believing in yourself, and in Truth, Justice and the American Way,"

Joy,
Lynn

Wonderful story MLT. I've been reading but not posting so far. I think i remember "the American way" statement. I believe it was in Brutal Youth when Lois was talking to Dr Klein and she finished his sentence this way.
Sorry, I can't check now, off to work.
KateB

Wonderful as always.

I never noticed that newspapers have one sentence per paragraph! Wow!

Lois got a story on the front page of Daily Planet.. Would we get to see Linda / Paul's reactions to this coup? Or will she be in a bigger danger than she was with the footballers?

And we got the kiss. Yay! Now what happens? If Clark disappears and jumps forward to 1993 at the airport right now, would Lois kiss him or hit him?

Or if he jumps back in time and changes some more things, does that mean this first kiss would no longer happen... eep!

That's interesting. I know it didn't make it into Strange Visitor because that was where I noticed it had been left out. I figured the producers wanted the show to have a more international appeal.

The rest... At some point, I'm going to have to watch those episodes to see if the phrase actually made it into the show. But I find it interesting that all of them are from seasons three and four. Wonder if there is a reason behind that? (Things that make you go 'hmmm.')

Kate, I notice that was your first post on the boards so let me be the first to say 'welcome' and I'm flattered that you decided to post first on my story. Hope we see more of you.

The possibilities just boggle the mind, don't they?

ML

Michael

My memory had been accurate: The phrase "American Way" did NOT make it all the way into the show for the episodes "Strange Visitor" and "Toy Story," but it DID do so for "Brutal Youth," "The People v. Lois Lane" and "Stop the Presses". So it was not heard on screen until the final season, but then it was heard three times. Lois said it twice and a slimy politician said it once; each time it was in reference to Superman. But interestingly enough, Superman himself never said it. Go figure.

Joy,
Lynn

Thank you ML for your warm welcome and your wonderful story

Well, if you consider that the same guy who called Lois a slut also called her the Ice Queen, I wouldn't consider him the best judge of Lois' character.

Thanks for checking that out. It does make one wonder what happened there.

Well, I'm currently working on getting the next part ready for posting.

ML

My guess? This is one more of the changes brought about by the fact that Deborah Joy LeVine was no longer part of the team.

Joy,
Lynn

Oh, this makes me happy. Very, very happy. Clark really is her guardian angel, even if it's not how she thought it was when she was nine.

(And not only would it help launch Lois's career, but make a laughingstock out of Paul!)

Mad Dog Lane is in the house!

Lois, the man just offered you a stringer position at the Daily Planet! Quit the damn Ink & Quill!

OK, OK, she's showing a lot of professional integrity, something that neither Paul nor Linda will ever understand. But still!

LOL, I wrote my feedback above before I got to this part. Even better!

ACK! That kiss! That kiss was wonderful! And then ... oh, Clark, you poor, sweet, guilt-stricken, adorable lunkhead. I'm so, so, SO glad I get to go right to the next chapter!

Kathy