Just a quick note...
I'm enjoying all the comments so far and promise to come back later and respond properly, but I just wanted to address one thing quickly.
There seems to be a pertty big outcry for an epilogue that gets revenge on the gossipers. I've been thinking about this for about a week or so since it was suggested to me (I hadn't thought about it before because it never occurred to me). But I have to say that there is just no way.
First of all, I can't really figure out what they did to deserve revenge. A big part of this story is the fact that Lois is totally overreacting and blowing this out of proportion. No one was being vicious. No one was hoping that they broke up or launching plans to break them up. In fact, there was only one brief conversation about Lois' potential reaction should they break up in the future. For the most part, people were just curious because they heard how Lois and Clark were acting at the conference.
Similarly, if I did decide to get revenge on them, I have no idea how I could do it. They don't WISH Lois and Clark would break up, so it's not like they are going to be upset to hear that they are a serious couple. In fact, hearing/seeing that they are a serious couple probably wouldn't change anything anyway - it's not like that is a guarantee that they are going to be together forever. People would still have their doubts about how long they would last. I suppose I could set it way in the future when Lois and Clark get married and have someone say, "Wow, and to think we thought it would never last." But that's hardly revenge, and I can't really say that it's worth writing a whole story around that line. The only way to get revenge at this point is for Lois and Clark to start rumors about the gossipers, and I just don't see that happening. That's a very middle school response and it doesn't really solve anything.
Finally, I just don't think that's the point of this story. Lois and Clark have come a LONG way - not just in this story, but from the beginning of Playing the Part. I want the series to go out on a nice note - the idea that they have moved things to the next level and are going to be happy together and they don't *care* what other people say. I don't want it to be about them trying to get petty revenge for imagined crimes. I certainly don't want it to have a silly ending.
Thanks to everyone who suggested an epilogue. I do understand the desire to get revenge for Lois and Clark. And I wanted everyone to know that I thought long and hard about this before deciding not to write anything like this, which is why I posted my explanation rather than just saying no. I hope y'all aren't too disappointed.
Thanks,
Annie
