I apologize in advance if you were expecting "action" at the end. Sometimes the muse is fickle.

It is perfect just the way it is. Usually I want to see the 'what's next' but for some reason it ends perfectly

Kathy
www.chili-everyway.com

I loved this, Sue :-). Lois's struggle, how she finally gives in and chooses to apologize and how she pushes Clark until he comes clean. And I think it ends just at the right point.

Totally awesome, Sue. That's what we all want more of. We're still waiting.
r/
Artemis

Sue,

It is absolutely perfect the way it is.

Woderful story!

I'm so swamped right now with first week of school, but I couldn't resist popping in and feasting on this pleasant surprise!

Love me some Sue Fic. <3

just what i needed. sigh.

I feel just like Mrs. Luthor and Sarahq...this little story was just what I needed. It was written so well, I could hear Teri and Dean in my head.

Thanks for getting my work week off to a good start!

Awwww, thank you! I haven't been in writing kind of place for the past month or so. Thanks for making me feel like I haven't totally lost it.

Wonderful story!

Loved reading it, lovely story.

Yay a Sue story. I loved it. Keep on writing! Laura

Sue, I don't know whether to kiss you or yell at you for writing this while you know you have other things waiting for you. Fortunately this was too wonderful for me to want to yell at you. Just beautiful. Loved every word and I agree it ended just perfectly.

Jackie

Feels a bit like fall today. I need a summer story. Oh look! Here's one!

Oooh! Spending the night together someplace!

Yes. That *was* quite delicious...

Oooh! Cozy accomodations!

<nods>

Now that could be fun! But, I'm gonna go with he had no idea.



Good point.





Naughty, Clark!

Love this!


Delightful little tale. My only quibble is that it had to end.

Wonderful story with a perfect ending.

Really nice story, Sue. You perfectly captured the essence of their relationship at that time and gave us a wonderful ending.

Corrina.

Delightful story, Sue. It was angsty and meaty, yet still with a happy ending. Thanks!

For some reason, I kept hoping that Lois wouldn't have to be the bigger person and apologize, but given where they were, it had to be her. I'm glad that she did - isn't that what real relationships are like?

My favorite line was that it wasn't a zero sum game -- there is no winner.

Loved that Clark answered the door without his glasses. It sent the right message.

I could still smack Clark for manipulating Lois into the overnight, but those may be my own issues. I think Lois let him off pretty easily. I know he vowed never to hurt her again, but this behavior seems to be even worse than his making unilateral decisions, especially given her history with Claude and Lex. I'm not sure it would have made a difference, but maybe he should have come clean when Lois called him on it.


I love how you took on such a difficult topic to explore. I don't think that Just Say Noah gave them a resolution that fitted the situation. Thank you for fixing it.

Your story made me wonder how they would have handled the break-up/reconciliation if Lois had become Ultrawoman after Contact but before When Irish Eyes Are Killing.

Again, well done. Don't worry, you've still got it and we still want what you've got.


In fact, can I have some?

B

Oh, wow! I checked the box to notify me if anyone replied and, at first, I did get notifications. But then a few days passed with nothing so I figured no one was reading. I was thrilled to check this morning and find all sorts of lovely comments!

My thanks to Sydney, Mariel, Laura, and Kate for the support!

Jackie - I'm trying to get back in a writing frame of mind. I'm not sure yelling would help.

DC - It feels like fall where I am, too. And I'm exceedingly grateful for that. It's been a long, hot summer. I'm ready to start wearing hoodies and sweaters again. Good golly, yes! I bravely volunteered to rewatch the campfire scene in 'Ordinary People' about twenty times while doing "research" for this story. Yum. Funnily enough, until the very last draft of this story, he didn't know. And then I realized that he freakin' had to know the schedule. It made a lot more sense to me when he did and that was partially the catalyst to get them talking. I agree. Even if he was furious with her, he'd still retain his chivalry. Thanks so much for the long comments - I was delighted by them!

Corrina - Thanks! The "essence" of their relationship at the time was what I was trying to capture. I'm glad it worked!

Brenda - How wonderful to see you on the boards! Yeah, you and Lois both. It wasn't easy convincing her to apologize. The first version had them running into each other late that night on the beach, fighting, and then a tense ferry ride in the morning. When it came time to get off the ferry, she realizes he'd flown home rather than stick around and have to spend any more time with her. When I looked at it from Clark's POV, he'd already apologized to her, she was just being spiteful. So it was her turn to swallow some pride. Aww, me, too. Well, that one and I also like her little panic attack when she realizes she's alone with him in a hotel room and neither one of them are fully dressed. I love that you picked up on that detail. She was much too upset at the time. Now, if he'd manipulated her into sharing a room, she'd be justified in telling him to take a hike. It wasn't on purpose. I actually had a story written that was post-'House of Luthor'. But then someone posted a similar idea so I started over. Does this mean you'll be sending me something soon?

What, me, yell? I would never do such a thing. :p You know I love ya, Sue. Have reread High Tide so many times now. I'm just in love with it.

Jackie

Boy, this site is like a drug, isn't it? I check back just once, one single time to post something, and now I'm hooked again. Grr. This is my only time within the next week though, so I guess I can splurge a little.

Loved this! I think it was perfect just the way it was. Very realistic interactions between them and great emotional exploration. Good job!!

/carefully reads FDK/
/Is happy to tickle Sue’s inbox with some more FDK notification e-mails .

Oooooh! Second trip to the Honeymoon Suite? Provided that the Lexor wasn’t sold to the Church Group.

I’m sure he knows.

That’s where the shaking and the dangling from a rooftop usually come in.

Ooooooooh!

Ooooooh! Another island!

Well, if she hasn’t realized by know that he’s not the smartest alien on the planet, she really is galactically stupid.

Oooooh! /heads over yonder/
.
.
.
Maybe they need to uuuuummm get it out of their system?

Maybe if she used her lockpick set? Or if she just shares the room with Clark after all, now that she has forced him to splurge?

Jackpot! Ummm…

Awwwww

They have indoor plumbing?


Relationships are like the cold war, once you let loose of the a-bomb, it’s all over.

Yeah, what’s with that? She sure is getting soft on her old days.

Yes. He’s quite satisfied with the way he was able to ensure your saftety.

Now, who else do we know with that trait?

Only by fully dressed Loises.

Oh dear. What if a tsunami comes with the high tide?

Why not? It sure would get his attention

Is the message “I want to make up. So take me. Take me now.”?

Right. He’s such a darn good guy. She never did slap him, did she?

I’m not convinced the door would survive Lois after that.

Much safer. Unless makeup sex in a cramped hallway is to be preferred.

/imagines a doe in rut/

Yes. He’s just too shocked to know what to do. Right now, he’s trying to decide whether to get out the holy water or x-ray your ankle.

Oooooh! Ooooooh!

Well…if things escalate he won’t dare to break up again. Lois would tell Martha, and Martha would pull down his britches and tan his hide like cheap leather.

Michael

My turn to make Sue's inbox sing!

I thought at first that Lois seemed more harsh (unduely harsh) than I remembered her being (feeling) at the end of Irish Eyes (and /or beginning of Noah), but having taking another look at the episode, I realize that you hit the right note. Clark had hurt her badly at the end of Contact and she's still reeling from it. You always seem to catch the emotional stride of Lois and drag us down into the quicksand with her (pardon my horrible analogy).

I always felt that Clark deserved another chance at the end of Irish Eyes, but he HAD hurt Lois and she was right to be wary of him hurting her again. After every thing they went through with Scardino, freezing her, and her almost getting killed (pick one), I can see why they're both scared. You show Lois's motivations and feelings clearly here, more so than canon did, and at first I was worried I wasn't going to have enough tissue in my house to make it to the end of your story. Please thank your characters for me for insisting that you end your story on a more hopeful note.

I understand that your Clark is feeling a bit over-exposed at the moment, so I completely understand him shutting the door between him and Lois and the Readers... no matter how disappointed we might feel about that. Sometimes a bit of mystery does us good.

I feel it's totally in his character to have lied about the ferry schedule to try and force some alone time with Lois. I'm glad he admitted it to her though... eventually.

No, I doubt Clark would have expected them to share a room. He's a good moral man, and though he is attracted to Lois (VERY attracted) he's less likely to *think* making up with Lois would mean she would tempt him to lose his v... very patient status. (Although he'll be the first to admit that it was a very nice bonus indeed.)

Or she could have suggested that he fly them both back in the morning. But, of course, that would defeat the point of this story.

I'm sure Clark could fly himself back to the mainland for the night and come back for her in the morning, if they only had one room.

I wonder if a part of Clark misses his secret identity status with Lois, when she didn't know he was Superman and could wisk her home if they got stuck on an island... and he would have a legitament excuse for not flying her home.

LOIS: So, that's a 'yes' I take it?

Michael, it's Lois, not Clark, who says this line... so totally in character with her and her upbringing.

Wouldn't it irk her more if he took the room with the better view? This is a lose/lose argument. She's going to find fault in everything he does, isn't she?

Umm... Didn't Clark already admit that he was wrong at the end of Irish Eyes?

I'm sure he won't complain, if he can get a conherient word out of his mouth.

Nope, just another reminder of what Clark gave up by breaking her heart at the end of Contact.

Clark?

Duh! I was apparently so much into CLARK-mode that I just kept extrapolating. Michael