The title of this one is subject to change (I'm taking suggestions!). And I only wrote it this morning so please forgive any stupid mistakes. But I had fun writing it.

PJ

Random thoughts:

Fun stuff...I don't know I kind of like the title...

Clever way of bringing in the 'unspool'...

I'm a little bit surprised that Lois didn't show any anger at Clark after remembering the big secret, but then again I suppose even though there's this little mention of it:

...she also remembers his sincerity and her understanding, so yeah, that balanaces out, I guess.

Loved the parting shot:

I always love it when writers make Lois so matter-of-fact-let's-get-on-with-it about CK=S...I can just see Clark being floored with a line like that.

Jen

Oooooooh! I was hoping somebody would respond to this challenge... definitely an interesting one.

Yay!!!! I loved your parting line. I wonder what Clark has to say to that?!?! Sequel?? Please?

Caroline

I also like this title, and couldn't come up with anything better.

I have to admit that the 'UnSpool' challenge still had me a little confused, but I enjoyed this fic.

Good work!
See ya,
AnnaBtG.

Nicely done, Pam! And that modern art gallery is exactly in character (Character? What character?) for Dan.

Good title, too.

Irene

Cute story, Pam.

The date with Dan was amusing, and a clever way to bring the phrase into play.

Lois wouldn't have needed to get mad at Clark once all the memories were back because she was mad at him back then and got over it. So she was able to remember her getting over it.

Good last line. I always like to see Lois with the upper hand.

Tank (who figures that Pam was feeling the pressure from Sherry's reader's comments to get her back writing)

LOL, Pam and awwwwwwwwwww. Cute and waffy ending there.

Don't see anything wrong with the title either.

LabRat

Hi Pam,

You were right on with this. Generally, I have no use for "call me Dan" Scardino, considering him a cheap plot device in a loud shirt. However, you used him beautifully here. And he has an artist's soul, who knew?

Also, really loved your painting, and am currently wondering where I can get a print of Chaos Unspool.

Thank you so much for your time and creativity!

CC-

Oooh, Pam, very nice indeed! Although I wouldn't have been averse to Lois popping Dan one in the nose, as was mentioned in the challenge thread itself, it's too bad that it wouldn't have worked in this story. :rolleyes: Maybe another one...

I really liked your "trickle down" theory with just the word "unspool", that the memories came gradually as opposed to what might have been a flood if she'd heard the whole phrase. Very ingenious. The fact that the memories didn't come rushing at her in the space of a minute or two probably eased the "trauma" of it all for Lois. And since she was needing to pull on the loose threads of the jumble of memories in her mind, that forced her to use her investigative skills to figure it out, rather than just remember...

And since she also remembers Clark's regret over having lied to her as well, at least she can let go of her anger pretty easily, so we can have this lovely moment...
And then it just kept getting better and better. Declarations of love... and then the zinger...
I can just picture the smile on Lois' face...and the stunned expression on Clark's!

KathyM

Oh, Pam, this is *wonderful*! I absolutely love it!

This is so fitting, Dan taking Lois to a modern art museum. That is very clever ... all those weird gifts had to mean *something* other than the fact that he was simply an odd person. <g> Very nice, Pam.

ROTFL!!!

ROTFL again!! Oh, too funny! You have so many great lines in here, Pam!

And a great, waffy ending! Awesome story! (And the title is just spiffy. <g>)

Kathy

Great story Pam! Very interesting & great response to the challenge. Unfortunately no punching-Dan-in-the-nose scene though! Oh well... maybe someone else can come up with that one!

Pam -- How fun!!! )

Guess I'm very late to the party, so I won't say too much. Most everyone has already mentioned the best parts, including to me the way the memories only slowly came back instead of in a flood. The reasoning worked pretty well, too. I'm also disappointed Dan didn't get a punch in the nose, but then again it was my idea to begin with.

Great challenge story!

Lovely, Pam Waffy, even...

Although I was sort of waiting for Lois to use the word 'unspool' with Clark, to help jog his memory. But from watching the first Tempus ep (was that Tempus Anyone? I forget), I also sort of got the idea that Clark remembered but Lois didn't - remember the card shuffle at the end? But I could be wrong about that, too - I've been known to be, before...

Hope to see another fic - or ficlet - from you again, soon!

Melisma (ducking shyly back under her Rock)

I was wondering how you were going to do this. The art title was a stroke of genius. It figures that's where someone would use the word unspool. I also liked how the word alone would start a trickle, and the whole phrase would bring it all back.

Of course, this part had me : Great!

Excellent and hilarious, Pam! The visit of the contemporary art museum, Dan's explanations and Lois's inner comments made me laugh out loud, and then the famous word launched her memory back, yay! Way to shoot yourself in the leg, Dan. I was really glad that Lois wanted to see Clark immediately, and that she decided to kiss him despite what she found out. Very sweet. The tag line, of course, is even more fun.

Thanks for sharing it with us!

Kaethel

Loved it Pam! From the bad art that Dan was showing her to her regaining her memories to grabbing Clark at the end! Very cute ending too. Great job. Laura

Pam, this is terrific!!

Lots of wonderful humour, as others have commentd on - that remark about buttermilk is classic. And Clark turned up right on time.

As for the final line...

This has to be one of this year's comedy classics!


Wendy

*Super* response to the challenge, Pam - very clever!!

yay! So funny and sweet--I loved it.

Pam

WOW! This is great.

Tricia

Wow, what a great response! You guys are definitely fun to write for!

First, in case anyone missed it, I'll point out again that the "unspool" thing wasn't my idea -- CC Aiken came up with the basic concept. But she graciously threw it out there, so I ran with it Thanks very much, CC, this was a lot of fun!

Second... I'm thinking of changing the title to "Chaos Unspool" -- or do you think that would be too cryptic? Of course, it's not like "Art Appreciation" is all that descriptive, either... hmmm...

Jen, you got it -- Lois remembers being angry, but she also remembers forgiving him. I can sketch that out a little bit more, though.

The ending line (parting shot ) just floated into my brain, as I was approaching the end of the story. And good ending lines can be hard to come by! I really feel like I shouldn't take much credit at all for this; it was wonderfully easy to write. I love it when that happens!

Caroline... sequel? I hadn't planned one, but you've got me curious, now, and I have a few ideas... I don't promise anything will come of them, but we'll see Thanks!

Glad you liked it even if it was confusing, Anna! <g> I've tried to make it a little bit clearer in revisions -- instead of Lois just beginning to see visions out of nowhere, now she knows that "unspool" is the trigger. She still has no idea why, of course...

Irene, glad you liked the art gallery! I wanted to show Dan shooting himself in the foot, and I *didn't* want to deal with dinner, so I figured a museum would be a good way to occupy his attention while Lois's mind drifted. And considering some of the gifts he gave her...

Tank, I wouldn't call it "pressure" exactly More like a kick in the butt The original was pretty large, though... And thanks for the idea. It's actually pretty rare to see a new idea like this, these days, so you deserve kudos for that!

I'm up against the gremlin limit here, so I'll go to a new post...

continued from previous post

KathyM, I'm not totally averse to the idea of Lois popping Dan in the nose, but he had a different function in this one... maybe the next one, tho! <eg> And the memory trickle seemed to be the best way to manage things -- you'll notice I had her remember his apology before she figured out what he'd done!

KathyB, thanks! Glad it made sense to put Dan together with modern art. Really, I'm not sure where the idea came from; my muse just presented it to me, and hey, it made sense, so I used it... Glad you got the buttermilk line, too! Honestly, a lot of Lois's thought processes were based on mine -- I thought of "good for what ails you" buttermilk at that point, so why shouldn't she?

Thanks, Blayne! Sorry on the punching front -- but I got revenge on Dan years ago That one was called "Seeing is Believing."

Shelley, I love those "deer in the headlights" moments, too! Clark is just so cute when he's completely floored. I should also give credit on that memory trickle thing, too -- you are what you read, and I've read a *lot* of Lois McMaster Bujold. Right now, I'm re-reading Mirror Dance, which has one character going through a similar process -- that's probably where I got the water imagery.

Thanks for the comments, Roger. And there's that "punching Dan" idea again... I detect a theme Well, there's always the sequel...

Mel, that's a good point -- I've changed it a bit, so that she's thinking about using "unspool" on him but just wants to see his deer in the headlights look first. It wasn't really clear in the series if Clark ever remembered the events in TF -- he did shred Lois's note that CK=S, but that's never been followed up on, so I'm assuming he didn't remember, just panicked at the message! It's implied that a lot of it came back to him in "ATAI," in connection with Tempus's diary, but again, that wasn't followed up on.

Ooh, genius! Thanks, Karen

Kaethel, the idea of Dan shooting himself in the leg was a large part of my motivation in this one, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. Even if no one punched him

Thanks, Laura -- and have I ever told you I think your sig file is hysterical?

Wendy, "comedy classic"? Methinks you overstate the case... but I'm glad it amused you.

LOL, Pel -- thanks! Hearing that people splash their drinks out their nose is the highest compliment an author can get

Joy, haven't heard from you in ages! Good to know you're still out there, and that you liked this.

Hey, Tricia, I'm delighted you (and everyone) enjoyed this!

And once more, Thanks, Everybody! Your kind comments are greatly appreciated!

PJ

Oops...sorry, I'm very late here but I had to step over and just go

Wonderful! Very cute, with a wonderful mix of waffs and a couple of great one-liners thrown in, like this one:

at the same time...sequel! Please!



Sara.

Nicely done Pam
and I liked the title too
merry

Thanks, Sara & Merry... actually, yeah, I did give into temptation and write a sequel. It's over in the fanfic section, called Chaos Reintegrate

PJ
p.s., Sara, your HPotter sig is hysterical, and I don't even read those books!