Well, this is it, unless I decide to write an nfic interlude scene about the time I glossed over at Spenser Spenser's island.

I'd like to thank those of you who stuck around. Karen, Anks, Maria, Laura, Sheila, Jerry, James, Poussin, JD, Tank, Shells, Andreia, Cindy, Nan, Anne, Yvonne, Onaliea, Terry, Wendy, Liz, Fearless Monkey and anyone I missed...thank you for your support.

Let me know what you think!

Oh wow Shayne, I commented on the other boards how much I liked the way you tied this up, but an nfic interlude would be really really good medican for me right now<g> I could use a really hot pick me up. I hope you go for it! Laura

I love how you tied up all the loose ends. Jess's empire is gone, Carl is soon to be safe, and best of all, Clark is exonerated. And I like how Rachel and Lois are keeping in touch. And the last line was great!

Wonderful story.

I have to say that this was a lot different than I expected when you first started the story, way back when but it was a good one. I hope we'll see more stories from you in the future, Shayne. Your writing talent is too good to waste, and I'm sure you've got other ideas that you haven't even hinted at yet -- but that we'd like to see. Please don't stop now. We've missed your talent on the MBs.

Nan

I loved your story. Very well done from the beginning to the end.

In that part, what I loved most was the last scene, when Lois and Clark explains to each other why they are in love. So sweet! so romantic! A very WAFFY end for a Angst story; I love that.

As Laura said, I think too that an Nfic interlude will be a good bonus. If you write one, I'll read it.

I hope you'll write another story soon.

Very nicely done, Shayne - I can't tell you how happy I was to see it posted this morning!

Any hopes for an answer to her "how do you feel about spandex?" line

Shells

p.s. you've an excellent style - please keep writing! the withdrawals now could be scary if you stop posting!

Ah Shayne,

This was a very nice wrap up for this very intense story. You always pack a wallop in your fics. This story was like "Dear Lois" in that it started with an innocent beginning and went way farther than any of us expected. Your writing is so descriptive. I hope you continue to post whatever is going through your head. I know that you are one of my favorite authors!

Now write on!
Anne

Shayne, this was great writing. I've loved reading your story and I hope to hear from you again in the near future. It all wrapped up nicely and this was certainly an interesting prospective.

BRAVO!!

This is the perfect conclusion, Shayne. I'm really sorry that I didn't get time to read it when you emailed it to me, but it wouldn't have made any difference. This can't possibly be improved on, and anything I would have had to say would only go to your head.

You wrapped up all the loose ends so well. I know you were concerned about how to end the story, how to deal with Clark's demons and where he and Lois were going from here. The A-plot is nicely finished. The people of Smallville know he's not a murderer. He's made his peace with Rachel. All that is great. He's working out at the Planet - and I like Lois's assertion that 'he's that good'. Nice one, Lois!

The therapy group felt so real, so well done - but then, given your background, that's not surprising. You haven't given us a healed Clark - that would be unrealistic - but you've set him on the path to healing. This, in particular, shows that:

Yes. Just right.

Then that final conversation with Lois took us all the way back to the beginning of the story - which, as Nan said, was very different from the way it ended up. And Anne's right too: this is exactly what you did in Dear Lois: gave us what looked like the start of a romantic/angsty/WAFFy story, but then turned it into a complex, involved, dramatic rollercoaster full of villains and unexpected twists and blind alleys. The reminder of their original blind date was lovely, and I had to laugh when Clark ended up confessing that it hadn't been so 'blind' after all. Loved her version of the ad, by the way!

I'm so glad you're back, and writing again, Shayne. Congratulations on finally finishing this, and please hurry up with your next story!

I've been a terrible BR, I know, but when you can come up with plots and twists like these you don't need anyone holding your hand.


Wendy

Hi,

Great piece.

What's the answer Clark?

MAF

Shayne, it's great to see this posted today. I was afraid I'd have to wait until Monday to find out how you'd integrated the Rachel scene with the graveyard visit and what you'd done with the therapy session. You did an excellent job of not slipping into pathos. I like how you used the Rachel scene to connect Clark's guilt over the past and his old estrangement from Rachel with his future with Lois. In the therapy session, that one little line from Clark (“I trusted her, and she took advantage of that”) said so much about his change in attitude toward Lilah. We can see that he's tackled the biggest obstacle by admitting that he was a victim. That's a lot of info to pack into a single sentence.

In addition to nicely reflecting the opening with the personal ad, the romantic scene at the end also reflected more of the original mood, that sense of a light-hearted charm. The difference is that Clark's original light-hearted charm was designed to keep people at a distance while his charm at the end was a response to happiness and the security that comes from finding someone he can trust intimately. BTW, I also loved your decision to have Lois mention how "we" can help; Superman is, after all, a partnership.

Ha, and you were worried about disappointing your readers!

No need to thank me for staying with this story and commenting. It was my pleasure to read such an intriguing and complex story about an alt-Clark with such a different and difficult past.

And as always, the story was well-crafted and the characters, especially Lois and Clark, but Rachel, Carl and Pete, as well were well -rounded and interesting.

Thank you for writing such a wonderful story. I'm looking forward to the next.

gerry

aww that was a great ending Shayne! Thanks for writing such a good plot with plenty of twists and turns. When ever I visited the boards yours was the story I looked for first. Hope to see more from you in the near future.

Loved the story!

Just to let u know, comments are also here .

Shayne, congratulations on finishing the story. I haven't yet had time to read the last few sections properly - participating in NaNoWriMo is sucking away all my free time - but what I skimmed I certainly enjoyed.

Yvonne

Well done Shayne!

Ditto Nan. Please write some more, talent like your's is not to be wasted!!!

James

Loved the story. I kept missing it when you were gone for so long, and kept hoping you'd finish it someday! Glad you did. Sorry I didn't comment all along, but my vision is going, and it's getting difficult to see my own typing.

Thanks for the story!!

Shayne, I just read this on the archive. What a fabulous story! I loved "dark" Smallville - I don't think I've ever read another fic with that particular element, not to mention Clark's own, less-than-perfect past. This one had me intrigued from beginning to end. Thank you!

Lisa

Ditto--I never saw "dark" Smallville coming nor the various different elements. Fascinating A-plot, even more fascinating development of the characters--especially Clark. This was absolutely wonderful! I'm so glad I got to it.



alcyone