That quite a bit of research you did for the cruise and apt for Lois and Clark.


I can see why Lois was nervous with Vincent Winninger dancing with her. Looking forward to more. I want to see Lois relax with Clark. Poor guy, he is a saint.

Between Paul and Vincent, Lois will be retirement age by the time she warms up to Clark. Poor Clark.

I read a blog that reminded me of your story (it mentioned both Dave Ramsey *and* a teenager caring for younger siblings http://gentlewhisper.com/blog/2006/03/28/2653-words-about-meps), so I came looking for my latest fix. Imagine my disappointment when I couldn't find it. (Next time, please, remember the blue arrow. Some of us can't find stories without them.)

As for the story, I think that Lois has made quite a bit of progress. Yes, she is very careful with how close she gets to Clark; however, on the other hand, she feels comfortable with telling him many things about how she feels. Also, she's making a list of things she would like to talk to him about. This has to be solid progress.


Elisabeth
who still understands the amount of healing she has already gone through and still needs to go through

See - E. I need you to remind me about that little blue arrow .

Would you believe that I know GentleWhisper? And her husband Joel Maxwell . Well, it's been a while, but yeah.

Off to fix it .
Carol

Smart move. I flew first class a couple of months ago for the first time - it's SO much better than coach! The seats are way more comfortable (I think it's the first time I've ever been able to -really- sleep on an airplane). It's more spacious (I'm semi-tall - 5'8 with 34 inches of legs, so I really suffer on flights). And the food is better (as in, you actually get food, including freshly baked chocolate chip cookies instead of three dollars for a bag of stale pretzels). It's going to be so hard to go back to coach on my next flight :rolleyes:

It's good to see Lois thinking about these things. Communication is a must at this point! Let's hope she gets up the nerve to discuss all the important stuff. I'm sure Clark would understand, possibly even encourage her to speak up.


Hee! My first computer was a genuine Compaq Portable Computer , circa 1983. I used that thing all the way through high school to write, type papers, etc. I still have it, and it still works, although it is now in the dusty corner of my storage unit. The funny thing is, I hit a typing speed of 100 wmp by junior high, and that computer did not like it. Over about 50 wmp, and it would start freaking out. At first, the words would appear on the screen about ten-fifteen seconds after I typed them, and then eventually the computer would beep at me and refuse any more imput until it caught up to me. It was funny, but frustrating when I really needed to type quickly. I think I maxed out at some point at about 130 wmp, and I've since mellowed out to -only- 80 wmp


Poor Lois! Can't the girl just catch a break?! I, for one, completely understand her reluctance and hesitance toward developing physical intimacy, and I don't just mean sex. She has had a traumatic life, and then she was almost raped! I have to disagree with others here that her attraction to Clark should be strong enough - it's extremely difficult to go through and get over the psychological trauma Lois has been through. Given everything the poor girl has experienced, I think she's progressing by leaps and bounds. Yes, I'd love to see her give Clark a real chance, but I'm being realistic in expecting it to take -time- for her emotional scars to heal, no matter how gorgeous and kind Clark is. You don't just get over the kind of thing Lois has been through.

Vincent Winninger, eh? My nose twitches at the scent of something funny (and no it's not because I cooked tonight). I tend to think that where he goes trouble follows...*insert raised eyebrow*

Okay, who else wants to be on a cruise right now lol? *raises hand*

JD...

) (Oh, even better, it's called "whinging!" LOL) Well, this Reply contains both whinging AND praise, so let's be complete:

Actually you should thank Beth - my first inclination was to go with someone else but she [rightly so] talked me out of it. We'll hear a bit more about Winninger but AFAIK we've seen the last of him.

Carol

Carol, what can I say. I absolutely enjoyed this chapter. Clark on the plane was just And Winninger? :p Looking forward to 32.

Michael

Rats! There goes my theory that Lane and Kent had just stumbled onto their first A-plot kind of investigation in their travels. After all, Lois attracts trouble like a Deathstroke attracts metal.

I hope that Clark's steadfast protection and forebearance in pushing Lois helps her to feel safe enough to continue opening up. I'd love to see Clark getting some affection and unconditional love soon. Lois isn't the only one that didn't have enough of that growing up.

BJ

I've done something I never do which is to start reading a story that isn't finished. That being said I've come across a timeline problem. I don't remember which two sections are involved but I'm sure you will know. Near the beginning of the story you say Aunt Louise's fiance died on Iwo Jima (that is WWII). Later you say he died in WWI. Just thought I would point out this so it could be fixed before the story is finished and goes to the archive.

It is a great story, wonderfully written and I look forward to future installments.

Kmar - yes I did and I changed the time line later and noted it in the AN for one of the chapters. It's France in WWI.
C

I can't believe I haven't commented on this part. And to make it worse, this is going to be so short.

This was another great part! Clark on the plane was adorable. Imagine that he would hardly let go of Lois's hand. He's not like me when it comes to his claustrophobia. It doesn't help me to hold someone's hand. I'm okay with flying, more or less, but I detest elevators, because they are sooo cramped and they have no windows. And the door have no handles. You are completely and utterly helpless in them and you can only hope that those steel doors are going to open on their own accord and let you out. Holding somebody's hand when I'm riding an elevator helps not at all. If we get stuck, or if the doors refuse to open, having another person with me will just mean that the oxygen gets used up that much sooner and I'll suffocate in half the time I would if I had been alone! But anyway, the fact that Clark is all right if he holds Lois's hand... I love it, and it says so much about how he trusts her, if her presence and her hand can calm his irrational fears.

Finding Vincent Winninger on that cruise ship was totally yucky and scary. Lois has just been almost-raped, and now she had to have this happen to her:

Oh, the horror!!! And Winninger wouldn't even let go when Clark asked him to release Lois!!! Shouldn't they complain to the Captain, or at least inform the Captain that if he didn't do something about it, they might write something nasty about it in their article for the Daily Planet?

Ann

Carol,

Another lovely part.

I was glad to see Lois convince Clark to fly first class. I often get to fly business class when traveling overseas for work, but just recently went on my first trip where I was able to fly first class. The differences between the classes are astounding. I'm actually quite short, so imagine Clark would feel much more crushed into a small space, but I do have incredible trouble sleeping on a plane. I can sometimes do it if I travel business class (different airlines have quite varying levels of business class and as I'm usually forced to fly US-based airlines and the nicest are ex-US, I often still can't sleep as the chairs recline, but you are still mostly upright). But first class includes a seat that reclines to flat in almost all cases and this makes a big difference. I would think if you were nervous about flying this is the way to go.

I can't wait to see Lois and Clark's feedback on the cruise. I've been on a couple (always in the cheap rooms - so I've never had a room half as nice as Lois and Clark), but they are always fun. And I think having fun for a week or so would be good for Lois and Clark.

We have more possible twists and turns!

Looking forward to more soon.

James

Carol

I just thought of this when you said you fixed the time line problem and that Aunt Louise lost her fiance in WWI. It is unlikely that Children Services would give 2 teenage children to an 87 year old relative to raise. For her to have been engaged in WWI she would have to have been born at about 1900 since WWI ended in 1917. Lois' father would have been a child or adolescent in WWII so Aunt Louise losing her fiance in WWII makes more sense.

I will now shut up about this. It is just timeline problems really bug me.

Again great story. This will definitely go on my list of all time favorites.

I have to agree with kmar. My great-uncle Jack was a young-average WWI vet, and in 1988 he was actually 96; his wife was 94. They were still living, more or less, but there's no chance at all that they would have been granted custody of any minor, even if both they and the minor requested it. OK, now I'm lost; what year did the marriage/custody arrangement happen in the story? Well, regardless, they'd still have been too old.

If Aunt Louise was around 20 when the U.S. entered WWII, she'd be in her mid-sixties in the mid-1980's. If you want her to be a little older than that for story purposes, she could easily have been older than 20 when she got engaged.

And I will now shut up about this, too.

Eagerly awaiting Part 32!