As promised, a much lighter ending to this tale.

Yes, a much different tone. Clark seems happier, and I wondered at the change. Surely, it can't be because Lois is lying in the hospital because he wasn't around to save her? Was it her calling out to "Clark" when he came upon her bloody and shot in the street that made him finally have hope?

But at the beginning of this story he's once again stating that he's going to leave town, only now that she's injured he can't leave her.

Um.... then wouldn't it be worth it?

Wow! Is that the drugs giving back her self-confidence?

Um... How would Scardino know that Lois was in the hospital? Clark didn't tell him. Nobody but Lois knows how to contact him and I can't see her calling him.

A-Ha! It wasn't Clark's fault she was on the street at 2:30am, it was Scardino's for delaying her until that time.

I don't see how Dan "abandoned" her. a) he didn't know she was shot and in hospital. b) she DUMPED him. How is that abandonment?

Lois Lane card carrying member of the lock-pickers club of America.

CLARK! Didn't getting robbed the year before teach you ANYTHING?

CLARK: Oh, sorry, that's my aura. It's really good for healing stuff.

That must have been some kiss!

CLARK: Again, that's my aura, but I'm more than willing to share it with you. Thing is, it works best if we're naked.

Awwwwwwwwwwww.

Thank you for reminding Clark and us where she is.

Okay, I've got to run out. I'll do the other half of the story later... probably tonight. Sorry, about the half-FDK.

What a beautiful revelation story! I love how Lois put the pieces together and that she realized why Clark kept it from her.

Joan

It's really a wonderful story, DC!

Main reason I split it into 2 stories. Plus, I liked the titles.

More relief that she's pulled through. He's still pretty down on himself until he starts to talk to Lois though. Preparing to see her gives him a sense of purpose, so he has less time to dwell.

Actually, I meant for Lois telling him she told Dan to take a hike to be the sobering slap in the face.

Yup.

Excellent! That's what I was hoping for!



Nah. Some of my local florists where I grew up just outside of Manhattan carried everything. Stuffed animals, cards, balloons, vases, chocolates too I think. Even my Stop and Shop floral areas carry balloons.

That's Lois. Almost dying was a minor hiccup on her radar.

Clark's just relieved. And Lois doesn't have his bleak mood because she chose him.

Clark Kent - world's biggest self-blamer.



No, she made that decision to tell him the night before. She *did* at the end of WWW.

Nope. Clark's just talking without really thinking. He's still processing "I love you."

Yup.

Well, wouldn't it feel a little like that if the person who was all over you two seconds ago heard something they didn't like and then fled across the country to get away from you?

It always amazes me during the ARGH that she can't remember she loves Clark, but remembers perfectly well how to pick a lock with a paper clip. Maybe MacGyver was her real father, not Sam Lane?

Apparently not. In HoL, when he's on the phone, he tells Perry "the key's under the mat, Chief!"

Thank ya.

Glad you mentioned that. *This* was the seed from which both stories evolved from. All I had going into this was Lois getting badly hurt and recognizing Superman as Clark based on the emotions she saw on his face.

Um, I actually have thought of writing one where the kiss is what gives him away.



Yay! Thanks!



And...joined?



Anytime!

No problem! It was lovely to wake up to some feedback, even if I had to wait until afternoon to respond.

Why, thank you, Joan! I've wanted to do this one for a while, with her figuring out the secret based on his look of love and concern. So glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks so much, Syndey. I waffled on the proposal, but thought Lois and Clark deserved it after everything I did to them in this one.

FDK - Part 2 -

Where's the fun in that? Oh, right. Keeping Lois alive.

LOIS:

Sweet!

More shiny feedback!
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hmmm...I don't think she'd be *too* mad. Except for the missing work stuff...



Thanks! And thanks for all the lovely, detailed feedback!

This was a great kicker.)

Thanks, Mouse! I appreciate it. I love that you love the confession, move-in, proposal, etc.

Oooh finals are over for you? Does that mean we can suck you back into the boards for a good long time?

This is so much happier than the previous story, and yes so much more satisfying.

Poor Clark, I just wanted to give him a hug. The scene driving to the hospital was a nice touch that cabdriver was very empathic.

Lois really wanted HIM, not the guy in the blue and red tights, but HIM. Scardino didn't stand a chance. Personally, Alaska is not far enough, how about the back end of the moon?

Despite Perry's not being there, his presence is felt with his concern for both Lois and Clark. I love that man!

As always a job well done!

Looking forward to Specimen S! After I come back from a little RnR. What is your posting schedule?

Thanks for all the kind words, Morgana! Glad to hear you enjoyed it. The moon for Scardino? Too close. How about the next solar system over from where we are?

Specimen S - expect updates once a week around Friday. Possibly on Thursday this week since I'll be going to NY for a wedding this weekend.

Great ending! This was definitely the happiness and all-around more optimistic part I was looking forward to. And yet, it was so beautiful how amazingly you showed the differences between them. When he thinks Lois is lost to him, he becomes despairing and depressed, and yet, now that she's alive and healing and -- as he discovers -- in love with him, suddenly there's nothing bad in the world that doesn't have a silver lining! Clark needs her to be the optimist we all know and love!

There were a lot of parts I loved through here -- especially that she wasn't mad at him; I'm always partial to stories where Lois allows her knowledge of who Clark really is and her love for him to temper her knee-jerk reaction -- but the part I loved most was this:

"I used to think that Clark had bits of Superman in him, like your unfailing manners and willingness...no, your eagerness to go out on a limb for those who can't do for themselves. But today, I realized it's the other way around. Superman has so much of Clark in him. His politeness. His decency. His generosity. His optimism and quiet strength. His unwillingness to allow me to continue on as I once was, and his determination to make me a better person. It was everything I'd come to know and love about Clark."

Beautiful and so well put!

Great story -- love that there was a proposal at the end!

Happy to hear that you approve! I couldn't just leave this piece at *all* doom and gloom. I like how you put it - nothing bad in the world that doesn't have a silving lining. That just about sums up the Clark we all know and love from the show, doesn't it?

Thanks. I thought it might be fun to write her as not mad and realizing just why he did what he did. Always fun to write differently than what we saw on the show (not that I ever faulted Lois for being knocked for a loop when she discovered CK=S and reverting to her old standby of anger as a defensive mechanism).

Ah, thank you! I loooooved writing that part.

Oddly enough, I never intended for there to be a proposal in this story. But when I was wrapping it up, it just sort of screamed "Will You Marry Me?" to me. So I wrote it in.

Okay, you un-killed me. The *comments* almost killed me tho - Do Not Read Comments From VirginiaR At Work Because People Think You're Dying When You're Actually Trying Not To Laugh Out Loud.

Now we need the smut for Part Three, right? Right??

Hooray for unkilling!!! And yes, don't ever read Virginia or Darth Michael feedback at work/in a somber/professional environment. You will laugh and you will spew liquids if drinking at the same time.