Well, we've come to the end of this. I didn't have a beta reader, so any careless mistakes are mine.

I'd like to thank everyone who was so supportive of this story.

Let me know what you think!

Cool story, Shayne... I really enjoyed reading it. What's next? (and when )

I think this has been one of your best ever stories, Shayne. Between the mood set at the very beginning, the ekeing out of details bit by bit as time went by, the sparse but very effective use of language and the contrasts drawn between various shades of opinion among the subsidiary characters, it's very well done indeed.

This will definitely be on my Kerth list for next year.


Wendy

This is extremely beautiful, Shayne. I've got to tell you I've been a little afraid that it would turn out to be a deathfic after all. But when I thought it would end in death, I also thought you would have turned it into the sort of deathfic that I could have appreciated, the deathfic that is ultimately a celebration of life. If anybody had died in this story, it would have been Clark, and he would have sacrificed himself for humanity in such a way that nobody could have misunderstood his compassion and nobility. That's what I call a deathfic that celebrates life.

Ah, but it wasn't a deathfic at all. It was, instead, a very, very beautiful story with a happy ending, extremely beautifully told. Your command of the language amazes me, as does your sensitivity, your wonderful ability to create a haunting, melancholy mood. But you can also convey the feeling of happiness. And believe me, I'm so glad that you gave us a happy ending which reunited Lois and Clark, instead of separating them forever by making Clark pay the ultimate price in order to save humanity.

This is a wonderful, extremely memorable story, Shayne. Thank you.

Ann

Hi,

Interesting story.

Where there is life, there is hope. Well done. Thank you.

I was thrilled to see a new (and alas, final) chapter of this story, and I was not disappointed by it. The first section left me teary in a good way, and the rest... I'd been taken aback when you first announced that we'd come to an end in the 8th installment, but I think it ended perfectly, with some closure and some hope for the future. I'm glad that after their 13-year dance, these two have finally found their way to one another.

What a well-done, touching story, Shayne! I can't wait for your next piece.

This was great Shayne, though I wish that there was more stuffing. before it ended. This was well written and I truly enjoyed it.

Hi Shayne,

I also enjoyed this story very much. It was told with great sensitivity and poignancy, but thank you for the happy ending.

Lois and Clark have given up a lot for the world and definitely should have time to be together.

I too would have liked a little more 'stuffing', but feel that I might be in the minority regards that wish.

Yours Jenni

Loved it, Shayne. An expansive tale told with brevity yet to great effect, this story presented us with a raft of unexpected situations and consequences. Great writing, and great story-telling!

Yvonne

Expecting your next story Shayne!!

Jose

A fine story. And yes, I think it screams followup, but I can see where it could stop there.

Will definitely be on my list next year.

James

Wow! That was absolutely great! So beautiful! I really enjoyed reading it. Can't wait to read more from you, Shayne!

Jackie

Loved all 8 parts of the story. Every profession has their ups& downs and controversial objectives, be it a superhero, a political figure, etc...

Yahoo!

Shayne, this was such a perfect final chapter. Thank you so much for sharing this with us on the boards — it was a fantastic read. Can't wait to see what you're working on next!

An interesting and intelligent reimagining of Lois and Clark's future. Thanks so much for sharing it!

Shayne, I'm glad I waited to read this until all eight parts were finished. It was terribly sad at the beginning, so much so that I wasn't sure I'd be able to read the whole thing, but by the end, I was happy for this L&C, happy that Lois found a way to make things right after all the problems they'd had.

At first I was disappointed that Clark never regained his memory, but by the end, I realized that that was the only way they could be happy, and what it effectively did was erase the painful years from his memory. No matter what anyone told him about it, it was only a story in a book, not his own memory of years of loss and pain. So the memory loss freed him and gave them both another chance at happiness.

So Martha and Jonathan are in charge of raising another generation of superheros? I hope it isn't too late for those kids--aren't they about 7?

I also thought the results of the invasion were probably more like what would happen in our world. Sad, but true. I'm glad Lois was able to ameliorate the worst of the effects.

LOL at the 3 helicopters filled with men in black when L&C were kissing at the end! I understand why some of the others wanted more "stuffing," but I'm glad you kept this story short. Otherwise, it would have been too utterly painful to read. I would have had to live all those losses with L&C, and I don't know if I could have done that for hundreds of pages. This worked out well, advancing the story noticibly after each chapter.