This is probably a good time for me to give my thanks to Molly for the invention of Gaagle since I used that to do the vast majority of my research for this story . And trust me when I say that this story required a lot of research. It’s amazing how much has changed in the world just since 1987 - everything from pregnancy kits to digital cameras to what drugs were illegal to the invention of the internet.

ML

Nice part, well done.

So if I understand correctly Charlie was left in April 1994 with Molly.

It is now 1997, Charlie has been without his mother for four of his most important formative years.

Likely Charlie has been dumped into the "system" since the Lanes wanted him aborted.

Or worse they could have demanded he be placed in their custody and have been crushing his spirit for all those years.

Charlie was born in August of 1988, making him 9 years old in 1997. His powers are coming in and Superman exists, has existed for a couple of years at this point, so Charlie should begin to wonder about his father in a much more specific way.

And somehow I think she's not going to get on that plane... Which means she might meet Clark in 1993. So the reality we know in 1997 just disappears?!?! But then Lois gets no warning about going to the Congo?

Reaaaally looking forward to more

WHOOT!! Well said. The world could do with a few less hippies.

I'm not too worried about Charlie. If something happened to Lois, Molly would've taken him.

I am anxious to know how Lois evades death here and if she has, why wouldn't she come home to Charlie, that more than anything makes me think she's really gone.

TEEEEEJ

Things are getting very interesting and temporally woozy

Loving the story!!

Part 7 (with 'x' number of sub-parts) is the last part, right? Wait... is there an epilogue?

ML, I'm so mad at you for separating Lois from Charlie, that I'm having a hard time writing fdk. My mind is feverishly trying to work out a solution where Lois disappears, but that she and Charlie can stay together.

I'm still hopeful that Lois will remember her guardian angel and that, together with Charlie's uncharacteristic fear of her leaving, she will get off the plane in Cassablanca or Rome and try to make her way home.

Can I assume that Gaagle was a big hit and that Molly is filthy rich as predicted? If so, then she can definitely take care of Charlie. Of course, Clark's scene confirms that Lois didn't come back to Metropolis and that she's still been missing for 4 years. So what happened?

Too bad that there is a lag between the past being changed and Clark's memory changing. Otherwise he would know (from his conversations with Perry and others) that Lois Lane had a son named Charlie. Boy, that'd be a big tip-off, eh?

Hmm, the jerk ... er, I mean, Ryan is back. Can I hope that Lois (together with Charlie) will act as the bargaining chip to get Molly to work on Operation Blackout?

<sigh> I hate waiting. Is there any way we can convince you to just post the rest of the story? Today?

Gaaahhh. I did not like this part! Why, oh why did Lois have to go to the Congo? Now that she has already met and fallen in love with Clark, and some part of her remembers it? Now, that she has had Clark's son and even named the boy after Clark? Now, that she has promised Clark not to go to the Congo? No, that little Charlie begged her not to go to the Congo?

Gaaaahhhh! You've got to bring her back, ML! Bring on part seven now and give us Lois back, please!

Ann

Another excellent part!

One technical correction:
The Internet actually uses both the TCP and IP protocols; they are part of the TCP/IP protocol suite. The IP protocol is used to get information from one computer to another in an internetwork. (The most famous part of the protocol is IP addressing. Every computer on the Internet has an IP address.) The TCP protocol ensures reliable delivery of the information. It is also used to break a large amount of data into smaller units (called segments) on the sender's computer and to reassemble the data on the receiver's computer. (If reliable delivery is not required, UDP can be used instead of TCP.) A given information packet will have an IP header and will typically contain either a TCP or a UDP segment.

Geek-speak to English translation: IP and TCP are often used together.




Hmmm... With Charlie in the picture, Wells couldn't even simply retrieve Lois from her trip toward the Congo and bring her forward; not unless he either brought Charlie forward, too, or else permitted Charlie to be an orphan for four years. But perhaps he has gone back in time with some other, more favourable, solution.

Very much looking forward to the next part. :-)

Joy,
Lynn

In the last timeline Lois didn't get to Brazzaville because she remembered her guardian angel and got off the plane somewhere else. Clark was waiting for her in Brazzaville and she didn't show up there. We didn't get to know what happened to her, because then Clark went back to 1987 and blah-blah-blah. In this current timeline (or is it the same timeline? Oh, the headache...) did she remember him (as her guardian angel)? If so, where did she go? Is Clark sure Lois didn't survive? What happened to Charlie? When is Clark going to learn that he is a daddy? What is he going to do? Will he retrieve the time machine from the bottom of the ocean to go back again? When are you going to post the next part?

Lots of questions, but you can answer just the last one for now. And please, answer "today" or "right now".

Andreia

You give Wells WAY too much credit. Mr. "Control Freak" Wells needs to quit trying to control the entire Multiverse.

Wells clearly believes "the end justifies the means" whereas I believe "the end is shaped by the means". So I am not likely to agree or approve of his actions regardless of his intentions. I just wish Lois and Clark could see through his smarmy I know best routine.

The next morning...



What Lynn said.

You really scared me there for a moment.

Aww, don't cha worry, he'll be back

Thanks, Lynn and Michael for the corrections to what the internet is. Also, thanks Lynn for catching those typos.

As for the posting schedule... I will be posting tonight and every day from here on out. Three reasons for this (other than being hypnotised by Michael's image):

First, it will give me time to get ready for the company I have coming next week for Thanksgiving.

Second, I'm a little concerned about being lynched by you good people if I don't solve this right away. (now please don't lynch me )

Oh, and I just remembered, I wanted to mention the following bit a part or two ago:
True, Lois probably had better things on her mind than to remember Bob's exact words, but this doesn't sound like a man who's about the rape her again. It sounds more like he's about to do it for the first time. It's really too bad she isn't remembering this bit

Michael

Edit:

Edit 2:
Drat! I also wanted to mention that none of the Lanes remarked on Lois moving in with Molly and the two of them raising Lois's son which she gained by questionable means. That and their combined lack of a public love life could very well be interpreted as the two young women following an alternative life style Now wouldn't that be fun for Ellen to remark on?

Good answer!


Thanks!

Joy,
Lynn

YES!!!!

I'm getting such a kick out of all these comments! Great story , ML.

c.

Posting every day for the rest of the story? Hurray!

And the conference room scene with Clark was heartbreaking! This whole situation is going downhill fast into doom and gloom. Still, Wells clearly has something up his sleeve ... his reaction was not at all what I expected. I say, make him fix this mess, THEN roast him over that open fire!

Post, post, post, post!

Kathy

I am soo behind ...

Firstly:



Secondly, that was quite an ending!

And now I'm off to read the new part!