Hi all,

Thank you for staying with this.

I was thinking, since I'm going out of town, that we'd take the weekend off and meet back here on Monday for part 5. How does that sound?

Any comments- good, bad, and inbetween- welcome here.

CC

Well I knew that with 10 parts we'd have to get into some serious problems!

Talk about the proverbial monkey wrench and I have to say that if I stand back and examine this Tempus really is a brilliant villian.

I can't imagine how our Clark is going to react to this whole situation but I think I'm going to love the interactions between him and Lane.

Great part CC. Very descriptive and emotion filled. I'm really rooting for Lane and AltClark and BAM..it's all turned around again.

See you Monday, have a nice weekend!

~Liz

You write a terrific Tempus, CC! You've got his speech patterns and his love of irony down pat.

Poor Lois! Just what she was most afraid of - and it happens again. And Tempus knew just how to get to her, as well. At least this time she has a familiar face on the other side - but you're worrying me a little about just how easily she and AltClark are slipping into a familiar routine. Because, in a way, she knows him an awful lot better than she knows her own Clark, doesn't she?

As for Lane, I shudder to think how she's going to feel. And Clark's going to be so worried about Lois and the baby - will he have time to take care of Lane? Or will she have to pretend to be Lois once again, for a second time filling a place which really belongs to someone else?

Monday it is then... I'll be biting my nails waiting!


Wendy

Well, CC, we're going to have to give you a special award - Master of Suspense <g>.

I was afraid that Tempus was going to spirit Lois off to someplace new, so it is kind of twisted that I'm glad he only sent her back to the Altworld. Hopefully altClark can help her get back - that is, if she even wants to. I have my doubts.

I'll be sitting right here, waiting, until Monday! Keep the good stuff coming.

Lynn

I'm really hoping this situation turns out to be insightful-- to help both couples finally realize that they need to stop being guarded with one another and start living. Please tell me that's your intention??? You can't leave them in the alt-universes. Lois said herself that she loved Alt-Clark, but her Clark was who she was IN love with.

CC, this is very well done and has me on the edge of my seat. But Monday?! Some of us are going to die of curiosity till then.

Well, I've tried hard to like this story and the one before it, but it's getting too hard for me now. Your writing is top notch, and I love original ideas. However, for me, one of *the* most essential things a story must have is our Lois and Clark - together. In the first story, Lois eventually came back. I wasn't thrilled with what happened while she was away at all (getting married and being AltClarks wife in every sense of the word), but at least they were together I kept telling myself.

Now, they are apart again, and Lois likes it?! I've been pushed past my tolerance level, I'm sorry. And as I have heard someone say before, if I don't like it, I don't have to read it so I'm afraid I'm going to have to take their advice - at least for a while. What I hate most of all is that I read this on a Friday and now it's going to bug me all weekend. It just seems like such a betrayal on Lois' part.

Sorry for the strong words. Your writing is terrific, and you convay(sp?) emotions *very* well. I think that is evident by my strong anti-reaction. Unfortunately, this isn't my cup of tea anymore.

Sadly sinking back to lurking...

Wow....Wow....Wow! How will they ever get out of this tangled mess! Wow! Laura

wow!!

Tempus has swapped them!!!

Hi,

Get back here, that is not fair.

Great part.

My, what an interesting twist on things.

I'm not sure if this qualifies as a wham as it MIGHT just be what the two couples need?

I have to disagree with JWB. I cannot judge approriate Lois with the appropriate Clark situation until this is finished. This could be just another 'problem' that needs to be solved before the 'correct' Lois and Clarks are together as they should be... Or, this could be a situation where we find out that our Lois actually belongs with the altClark, and the altLois (Lane) actually belongs with our Clark. I'll have to wait until the story ends, to see which way the resolution ends and then I can judge whether or not I like the way it turns out.

Truthfully, right now, I'm not sure which way I want it to go. Like most gentle readers, I like my Lois and Clarks together at the end of the story, but I'm not automatically against the idea that maybe the Lois' sould stay switched. Or, more accurately, I don't automatically see it as a problem to be fixed. More like, a situation to be resolved in some way.

CC, your writing has been powerful, and compelling. Really excellant work, but you've really put yourself into an interesting spot. I look forward to seeing how you take this.

Tank (who supposes he can wait till Monday, but that will mean it's back to the work week and he doesn't really want to have anything that might cause him to look forward to that)

This story has your unique essence in it, and in my opinion is one of the most compelling stories on the boards right now. There are stylistic choices you've made that I could never define with words, but it is without a doubt these exact stylistic maneuvers that produce such a rich response in your readership.

I am in complete awe that I was mentioned as one of the encouraging factors in the existense of this story. Lil ol' me?

I'm glad you decided to continue with this. I have no doubt that this will be written with as much grace, empathy, and incredible talent as your previous stories.

Counting the hours until Monday,

-Jo

CC, your writing is really powerful and amazing! However, since I am a wimp and I have trouble reading suspenseful stories unless I know the ending first, I am going to have to bow out until it's over so I can read the end before I go back and read the rest (unless you want to tell me how it ends ).

I know, I'm weird!

You are one sick puppy! (That's a good thing - it means you have an incredible imagination.)

I can't decide if it's Alfred Hitchcock or Agatha Christie living through you, CC.

CC, you're exploring a fascinating issue with this story, and I for one hang on every word you write (bet you never guessed that from my lack of fdk ). As to who gets who, I'm less bothered about whether the correct Lois ends up with the correct Clark than I expected. Maybe this is because I recently came to the conclusion that there must be loads of possible partners out there for any one person - generally, people just end up with the one that's living most locally to them <g>.

However, I think we're jumping the gun here - there's great subtlety in the situation which CC has set up and just because Lois is currently thinking life is easier with altClark doesn't necessarily mean she's going to stay there (IMO). Time to just watch this space and watch CC's wonderful story unfold...

Yvonne

CC

Your writing is incredible.
So powerful and compelling!

Maybe this situation could be just the thing they need. All 4 of them have been having problems adjusting. Separation may help them ( especially Lois & Alt-Lois) realize who they really are in love with and who they want to spend their lives with.

I can't wait to see what happens.

Tricia

Wow. CC, I've been reading, but just haven't had the time to comment. But I definitely wanted to say something before you posted Part 5 tomorrow.

This is so well-written, so powerful. I'm really worried about what is going to happen next. I'm armed with my 2x4, ready to hit Lois over the head, but I'm not going to use it yet.

Let's face it - the poor woman has been through the wringer. Granted, she's not the only one who has been through an ordeal here, but she is certainly still suffering from some form of PTSD from the original kidnapping. Then her worst nightmare, Tempus' return, comes true, and Clark does *not* come to rescue her, despite all his assurances that he would be there in a heartbeat. She is just numb inside. I'm willing to give her a few minutes to adjust to all of this - recognizing that in some ways it *is* easier for her here - then I expect her to kick butt and somehow do everything that she can to figure out how to get back to her Clark.

If she doesn't, then I'll use that 2x4.

And despite the despair that I'm also feeling for Lane and alt-Clark, I am (as you've probably guessed) in absolute agony already as I wonder what *our* Clark is going to go through when he returns home and finds Lane. I'm not sure whether I can bear to read that - or whether I hope that you skip that part and bring us in at a point later in the story. I'm not sure if the guilt that he'll feel won't kill him on the spot...probably the only reason it won't will be his overriding need to find Lois. Yet this time, from the start, he'll know that she's not there. Contacting Henderson will be futile. How can he search for her in another world? All his superpowers are useless to him...

I'm weeping already. I hope I can make it through the rest of the story...

Kathy

Hey! This is great. You all did your homework while I was away. And we're half-way there now.

Just a few notes before I get part 5 up.

Liz,Wendy,Lynn,SQD,Jeff,Laura,Jose,Maria,Tank,Jo,Laura,ethnica,Yvonne,Tricia, and KathyM- thank you for taking the time to leave such thoughtful comments. They are so encouraging, and such a great help.

Ok, Jeff, you have to bow out at this point. I get that. Let me say that the first time I ever wrote something that really, really rubbed someone the wrong way, I was floored! It's not common knowledge, but after part 4 of TTW was posted- the one which reveals Lois married AltClark, one of fanfic authors in the fandom tried to have me arrested. Seriously. Taken before a tribunal and whipped soundly. It took me some time to realize that was a kind of compliment. That what I'd written has become more than just words on a screen. That it felt "real"

If, by any chance, you decide to stay with this, let me know if you still hate it. I want to know. I appreciate your passion and your honesty.

ethnica, thank you for the "one sick puppy" compliment. That's really...sweet?

Laura, you're leaving too, since you can't be assured of the ending. I hereby dismiss you from class with an excused absence. I know what you mean exactly. I start all of Yvonne Connell's stories from the last page for the same reason.

And Yvonne, thank you for weighing-in. For the lovely compliments, when you could just as easily accused me of trying to be some sort of pale, weak imitation of YOU!

Sherry and Gerry- thanks for the emails. Gerry, your offer was so generous. I might have been tempted, but didn't find it until today. When you get back, though, I may give you a yell!

Ok, enough from me...

Thanks to everyone. I appreciate your words so very much,

CC

CC wrote:



Wendy (who hastens to assure all CC's fans that it was not her! )

LOL!

No, it was NOT Wendy Richards. Though I find it a bit interesting that she felt the need to clarify that....hmmmm....

The fact is, if it had been Wendy, I would have had no problem ratting her out to everyone.

And maybe I overstated. It wasn't so much that this fine writer wanted me arrested, whipped, etc... It was more along the lines of gentle inquiries as to the status of my mental capacity. I believe the words "have you lost your mind?!" might have been inserted into the frank and interesting discussion.

But not Wendy, no, no...