Tank, you are a brilliant writer. Your story had everything: crippling angst, an unsolvable dilemma, our favorite couple being stronger together than alone, a villainous villain, irony and ... holovision.

Tank, it's fockin' brill - as usual for you.

just what i needed, awesome

Wow, Tank! I'll have to explore more of your stories. I understand you're a bit of a legend around here, and I'm beginning to see why! As someone already said, you had it all in this plot! Really awesome!!

I don't know why, but this ending sure made me It was not only totally unexpected, but also contained this weird sense of humor you're (in)famous for.

Just... will we see more of this universe? I'd still love to know how Utopia will come about in this setting.

Didn't I tell you there was something insidious about men wearing bowler hats?

What? I didn't?

Ann

Extremely brilliant and I didn't see the end happening like it did

Just a question: no haircut for Lois???

Quite an interesting twist! Good job. Laura

Very cool twist! Does this mean that in your universe, Wells and Tempus were always working together, or did Tempus always love the irony of Wells appearing to work for the future of Utopia while really working against it? Does that also mean that Wells was always on Tempus' side, or that he turned his coat later? (With time travel, of course, "later" has a much different meaning than without it.)

Maybe you could show us a few more events in this universe. I'd love to see Wells and Tempus working together to thwart Utopia while the Time Cops work to frustrate him while Lois and Clark don't know who to believe.

More, Tank, more!

Now that's what you call Tank-fic. And you know, I fully expected the rational explanation being that Lois was never supposed to die during the first time and only the time-travel created Utopia. Self-fulfilling prophecy and all that.

On a different note. Herb and Tempus felt quite like a couple practicing an alternative lifestyle in this last bit. Which I never saw coming, btw.

Michael

Thanks to all the gentle readers who partook in this little vignette.

I've long been one of those who don't think that a Kryptonian and a Terran can have children together. They are after all, of different species. Coupled with that fact that I don't particularly like children, I've stayed away from Lois pregnancy and Lois and Clark and kids stories. I think I've only had Lois pregnant in maybe two stories in the past.

Given the 'FACT' that they can't have children, how could Utopia come about?

I've always contended that the descendants that supposedly founded Utopia were idealogical descendants and not actual family. Perhaps there was a group, cult, or quasi-religious organization that called themselves 'The Children of Superman'. They could be the ones who were responsible.

Also, one has to wonder what a 'perfect' society this Utopia actually was when you consider that we're getting our information from a man from a very prim and uptight Victorian England. I tend to side with Tempus and think that this so-called Utopia was probably a crashing bore of a place to live.

The idea to 'team' Wells and Tempus together at the end came as a means to give the somber tone of the story a bit of a lighter ending.

Thanks to all who read, and commented.

Tank (who occasionally feels the need to throw out stuff just to remind the gentle readers that he's still alive)

Great fic, Tank. I loved how you build the story with the interplay between Lois and Wells and then suddenly Clark steps in ...

He kills the speculation with four words. Great stuff.

And I like how both Wells and Tempus know that their only chance to win is to separate Lois and Clark. Together, they can't be beaten!

Corrina.

That's pretty much my impression of Wells - he's caused all of the problems he's trying to get Lois and Clark to solve, without his interference Tempus wouldn't be a problem, none of them would have ever travelled in time, and Utopia would be a lot safer than it is, if it ever existed outside Wells' imagination.

The only way that Lois and Clark being able to have children can work is common ancestry at some point in the comparatively recent past, no earlier than say Neanderthal man, and probably a good deal more recent than that. I made it a 150,000 years ago in my Superman Returns crossover, but even that is pushing it.

Brilliant! Wells is in league with Tempus, why did I not see it before?

Actually, according to canon, Lois would have died 24 hours after consummating her marriage because of the ancient curse commissioned by Baron Tempos. And this happened without known interference of good ol' Herb. Of course, it is possible that a previous incarnation of herb caused this mess. Or maybe Herb traveled back first, caused the curse to happen, then learned about it's effects, etc. etc. etc. But the easiest explanation is, that Herb is only responsible for the stuff directly linked to Tempus's present, well, future incarnation.

Michael

But Michael, maybe Marcus is right. What if Tempos would never even have become involved in L&C even in time, if Wells hadn't brought him back to their present; maybe after that he went back and made the other trouble and caused the "time rippy thingys" (can't remember whose story that's from but it's so cute with Lois saying it!).

Ha-ha, I think the idea of Wells being behind all the trouble is kind of fun -- I never thought of blaming him for everything before, but for some reason I'm enjoying the thought alot