Second Choice: 9/?
by Nan Smith
Previously:
Clark obediently changed direction. A few moments later, they dropped onto the roof of the office building where her father worked. Clark's x-ray vision had told him that Lois's instinct had been correct as usual. Sam Lane was in his laboratory. As Clark watched, he turned off the lab's lights and entered his office.
The building was naturally locked but the roof entrance was less resistant to the methods they could bring to bear, largely because it was unobserved. Clark's laser vision drilled a neat hole directly through the lock casing and they slipped inside. They descended the stairwell, courtesy of Clark's speed and, a moment later, emerged into the hallway where Sam Lane's office was located.
The night watchman, Clark determined quickly, was not on the floor. As a matter of fact, he was two floors down, strolling along a deserted hall and whistling softly to himself.
"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked Lois in a whisper.
"No," she told him. "But can you stick around nearby -- just in case I need you?"
"Sure," Clark said. He floated upward to merge with the shadow next to one of the unlighted ceiling fixtures. "I'll be waiting."
**********
And now, Part 9:
Sam Lane didn't look up from the chart he was reading the first time Lois knocked. Watching him, Clark thought that he hadn't even noticed the sound. Lois, however, wasn't to be stymied by something that simple. She knocked again and then hammered on the door. The doctor looked up at last, just as Lois knocked again, and laid the chart down on his desk.
Lois's father was a tall man of perhaps fifty years of age. His dark hair was speckled with white and showed signs of thinning on top, and a receding hairline. He didn't resemble Lois physically on first impression but Clark thought that perhaps this was where Lois had acquired her ability to concentrate so much of her attention and effort on a project. Dr. Lane paused for a moment by the door and Lois hammered on the panel again.
"Who is it?" he called.
"Daddy, it's me!" Lois called. "I need to talk to you!"
"Lois?" Dr. Lane's voice sounded vaguely incredulous but he unlocked the door and opened it.
And stared at his daughter in open astonishment. "Lois? What are you doing here?"
"Can I come in?" Lois asked.
"Uh -- certainly." Lois's father stood back and allowed his daughter to enter. The door closed.
Clark debated. Eavesdropping on Lois wasn't something he wanted to do, but this was Lois's meeting with her father. She'd asked him to stay nearby and probably had expected him to listen in. After a brief struggle with his instinctive reluctance to do so, Clark trained his hearing on the conversation within the room.
"What are you doing in Metropolis?" Dr. Lane asked. "I thought you were in Kansas."
"I was," Lois said. "Mother was being difficult and I needed to talk to you. She's going to call you, tomorrow."
Sam Lane gave a faint exasperated sigh. "What now? Did the local bar raise its prices?"
"No," Lois said. "Can we sit down?"
"Sure." He indicated the sofa. "Have a seat. I hope you didn't come all the way out here because of your mother. I have other things to worry about right now."
"Well, I did -- sort of. But it's about me, too." Lois took a seat on the overstuffed sofa and clasped her hands in her lap.
"How much?" her father asked.
"It isn't money," Lois said. "I'm afraid you're going to be mad but I didn't know how else to do this. Mother is being her usual self, not listening to anything I say and --"
"I wouldn't expect anything else," her father said. "What is it?"
"Daddy, I did something stupid," Lois said. "Last April. A boy and I -- well, it was only once but --" She broke off, swallowed and lifted her head. "I'm pregnant."
Sam Lane sat down hard in his desk chair. "Pregnant?"
Lois nodded. "I'm sorry," she said.
Clark saw Dr. Lane swallow and take a deep breath. "And you want me to arrange an abortion?"
"No!" Lois said. "That's the problem. Mother is trying to browbeat me into one, and I can't do it! I'm nearly three months along now and I *can't* do it!"
Her father was silent for nearly a minute. "I understand your reluctance," he said finally. "But you have to think of your future, too. How do you intend to deal with the baby after it's born? Have you thought about your options?"
"That's what I was going to explain," she said quietly. "My best friend, Clark, figured out that something was wrong and got me to tell him."
"He isn't the father, is he?"
"Clark? No, we weren't even dating. I didn't even know he *wanted* to date me. But as soon as I told him what the matter was, he proposed to me."
"Just a minute," Dr. Lane said, after a brief, startled silence. "Let me get this straight. He knew you were pregnant with someone else's baby and he still proposed?"
Lois nodded. "Clark is a one in a million kind of guy. He's been my best friend almost since we moved to Smallville. I told him I couldn't have an abortion and he asked me to marry him. He looked up the law and --"
The whole story came tumbling out. After the first few questions, Lois's father simply listened, only interjecting a question when the explanation became too involved to follow easily. "So now Mother is trying to make me divorce Clark and have an abortion. And I *won't*! But she said she was going to call you and get you to make me --"
"I should think," Lois's father said, "that if your friend knew that you could get married with proof of the pregnancy, he also knows that you're now an emancipated minor and that no one can force you to have an abortion."
"Well," Lois said, "he does. But I didn't want to have to fight with you about it, too. Mother's threatening to move out and take Lucy with her if I don't do as she says, and --" Lois took a deep breath, "she's not *safe* to take care of Lucy! She gets drunk every evening, and she's drunk most of the day. I've been taking care of Lucy *and* Mother! Clark is trying to help me, but Mother was calling him all kinds of names and wouldn't believe me when I told her Clark *wasn't* responsible for what happened. Only Clark says that now that we're married, the baby is *his* no matter who its biological father was, and if anybody asks him, he'll tell them that!"
"Hmm." Sam Lane had a faint smile on his lips. "It sounds to me like you have a very good friend there, Princess. I think I'll like this young man when I meet him. You have to admit, though, that the two of you are taking a big chance. You know the statistics for teen marriages, don't you?"
"That's what I told him, but he was willing to take the risk." Lois's voice dropped. "I'm not going to have an abortion and I'm *not* going to divorce Clark -- but Mother --"
"I realize that," Sam Lane said. "All right, given those two facts, what do you think you should do?"
"I don't know," Lois said, "but I *don't* want Mother taking off with Lucy! I don't trust her for a minute!"
"I agree." Dr. Lane scowled thoughtfully and suddenly Clark saw where Lois got the mannerism. "I didn't realize it was that bad."
"I know," Lois said. "Clark wants to try to get her into an alcohol rehabilitation program but I'm not sure we'll be able to."
"Your young man seems to be pretty ambitious." Dr. Lane tapped a forefinger on his desk. "I take it you didn't come all the way to Metropolis by yourself, did you?"
Lois shook her head. "Clark came with me. He's waiting outside because I said I wanted to talk to you alone."
"In that case," Dr. Lane said, "why don't you ask him in here. I'd like to meet him."
Clark dropped quietly to the floor outside the office.
"All right," Lois said. "But you're not going to accuse him of anything, are you? Mother wouldn't believe either of us and she's sure he's the father. I won't have anybody accusing Clark of --"
"It sounds to me," Sam Lane said, "as if your friend Clark can stand up for himself pretty well. I believe you, Princess. Go ahead and call him in here, please."
When Lois opened the door, Clark was waiting. "I guess your dad wants to see me?" he asked.
She nodded.
Clark took her hand. "All right." He entered the office and Sam Lane rose from his desk chair.
"Daddy," Lois said, "this is Clark Kent: my husband. Clark, this is my father -- Dr. Lane."
"It's nice to meet you, sir," Clark said.
Sam Lane was regarding him critically but at least he wasn't frowning. He nodded slightly at Clark. "Likewise," he said at last. "So you're my new son-in-law."
"Yes sir," Clark said.
"Well," Dr. Lane said, "anyone who is willing to take on my ex-wife is either a fool or a very brave man. Come in and sit down. I thought I'd washed my hands of Ellen, but I'm not willing to let her neglect my daughters. Lois has told me about the situation. Why don't you let me have your perspective on it?"
"What do you mean?" Clark took the chair that Lois's father indicated. "My perspective is that I love Lois and I'll back her up no matter what. This is her baby and she has the right to decide how she wants to handle things -- and that no one, not even her mother, has the right to force her to do something she doesn't want to do. And I'm not going to let Ellen browbeat her into anything."
"And Lucy?" Dr. Lane resumed his seat at his desk. "Ellen is outside the state of New Troy. I didn't object; I thought it would be best not to interfere, but from what Lois has told me, Ellen has become so dependent on alcohol that she's incapable of caring for my daughters. If I have to, I can start court proceedings to try to get custody of Lucy myself. The fact that she's in Kansas rather than New Troy may make it more difficult, but it's not impossible if you have the right connections. I'd rather not bring Social Services in on it if I can avoid it."
"I don't think that's necessary," Clark said. "Lois has done a good job taking care of Lucy and I'll be helping her. But your w -- Lois's mother is threatening to move out and take Lucy with her if Lois doesn't cave in. I'll do what I have to, but it would be a lot easier if we have your backing."
Sam Lane nodded slowly, frowning slightly. "I'll do what I can." He turned to Lois. "When your mother calls, if she does, I'll deal with it." He regarded Lois and Clark. "I'm not sure that I shouldn't bring Lucy back to Metropolis in any case. You two are going to have your hands full as it is."
"No, Daddy," Lois begged. "I really think she's better off with us, at least for now." She paused. "How about you let her stay with us but if it gets to be too difficult we can send her back. I can handle her and she's getting old enough now that she can help us, at least some -- as long as Mother can't use her as a bargaining chip."
"I'll see what I can do," Dr. Lane said. "Taking Lucy right now would be inconvenient, to say the least, but I will if I have to." He eyed Clark thoughtfully. "What are your plans, after we smooth out this rough patch, young man? Are you planning on farming your land?"
Clark shook his head. "No. I'm renting the land to my nearest neighbor for farming and for grazing his cattle. I've been accepted by Midwest U and several other universities, but Midwest is closest to my home, so I'll enroll there this fall." He went on to explain their plans for the immediate future. When he finished, Dr. Lane nodded.
"You seem to be thinking ahead." He turned to his daughter. "I can't say that I'm happy with what's happened but I'm glad to see that the two of you at least have a game plan," he said. "If you need help, ask me and I'll see what I can do. In spite of what Ellen says about me, I do care about you and Lucy. I'm sorry that I gave you the impression that I didn't. I'm not trying to excuse my fault in all this, but sometimes things happen and before you realize it events have gone farther and in directions that you didn't expect. I want you to know that you're still my daughter, and I feel at least somewhat responsible for your situation. If I'd been paying more attention --" He broke off. "Well, what-ifs are pretty useless. We'll try to deal with the situation as it is. Where are you staying tonight? I can at least give you a lift to your motel."
Correctly assuming that the conversation was over, Clark stood up. "We have transportation, thank you, Dr. Lane. Lois and I will be flying out first thing in the morning. We don't want to leave Lucy alone with her mother for too long."
Lois's father nodded. "All right then. I'll probably come out to Kansas to see you soon. And you may as well call me Sam, since you're my son-in-law." He got to his feet. "Take care of yourself, Lois. You have another life depending on you now. I want to see a healthy grandchild in a few months, and a good deal of that depends on you."
"I will," Lois said.
Dr. Lane extended a hand to Clark. "Take care of her, young man. You'll have me to deal with if you don't."
"I will," Clark said.
"I'm sure you will." Sam turned to his daughter. "I love you, Princess, even if you don't realize it right now. And I have a lot of faith in you. I think the young man you've married is one of your better choices." He bent and kissed her cheek. "Good bye. I'll see you in a few weeks."
**********
"That didn't go too badly," Clark said hopefully as they closed the roof door behind them. "I expected him to blow up."
"I sort of did, too," Lois said, "but Daddy's a realist a lot of the time. Not always, but --" She paused. "Well, we'll see if it does any good. At least Mother won't get the backing she expects." She glanced up as a helicopter, its green lights blinking, passed by overhead. Clark also looked up.
"Police copter," he said. "I guess we'd probably better get out of here."
A searchlight came on suddenly, illuminating the roof of the building, and moved toward them. Clark snatched Lois up and was airborne in a split second, skillfully avoiding the beam of light. Lois looked back, past his body at the bulk of the vehicle shrinking to the rear. "You told my father that we'd be flying out first thing in the morning. Fibber."
"I wasn't fibbing," Clark said. "It's one fifteen. That's definitely first thing in the morning." He pulled her close to him and accelerated, leaving the police copter far behind. If someone were tracking him on a radar screen, he would be a UFO, he thought whimsically. Still, it might be a good idea to confuse such theoretical spies, just in case. With a downward swoop, he flew close to the buildings, aware that the structures of the city itself would mask his flight.
Lois gave a little squeal. "What are you doing?"
"Making sure nobody with a radar can track us," he said. "They get flocks of geese and things on their screens, so they just might track us by accident. The police copter made me think of it. I don't want to leave any traces that anyone can identify."
"Oh," Lois said. "That's probably smart. But police copters don't have radar, do they?"
"No, but they have infra red sensors and stuff like that. That was probably why they came back to see who was on the roof at this time of night. I wonder what they thought when we took off. Tuck your head down against my chest. I'm going to make the flight home as fast as I can, so if someone does see us they won't be able to follow us."
**********
It was just after one thirty AM, Kansas time, when Lois and Clark slipped quietly through the window of the farmhouse's master bedroom. Clark had assured himself that the other two occupants of the house were sound asleep as they approached and their entrance through the open bedroom window was utterly silent.
"Wow," Lois said as he set her on the floor. "This has been quite a day." She looked shyly at him. "It's our wedding night."
"Yeah," he said. "You're sure you're all right with me being in here?"
"Clark," she said, sounding slightly exasperated, "will you quit being so humble? I'd much rather be here with you than by myself. You're pretty darned attractive, whether you know it or not." She turned to rest both hands on his broad shoulders. "If you'd asked me for a date, I wouldn't have given Ronnie a second look!"
Since he had heard a number of girls raving over the good looks -- and the car -- of Ronnie Davis, it was hard to believe that anyone might find him even comparable, but Lois apparently saw the doubt on his face, for she put her head against his chest and spoke softly. "I dated Ronnie because he asked me, and he was fun to be with," she said. "I *wanted* to date you but you didn't seem to be interested. I even wondered for a while if you were gay." She giggled softly. "Then I figured it was because you weren't from Earth and you didn't find Earth women attractive that way. You were my first choice, you know. You always were. I just figured I'd never be able to date the guy I really wanted."
"You mean that?" Clark asked. He slipped his arms around her. "Really?"
She nodded. "Really. I wish I'd realized how you felt about me. I'd have much rather gone out to celebrate with you. If I had, we wouldn't be in this mess."
"Well," Clark said, "the situation isn't perfect, but I didn't ask you to marry me because I felt sorry for you. I asked you because I've been in love with you practically since the first time I saw you. Maybe that's the alien part of me showing. I don't know about that, but I knew I couldn't leave you to handle this alone when I loved you so much."
He was looking down into her face as he spoke and for all his lightning reflexes, she surprised him by reaching up to grab him by the ears and pull his face down to hers. When the kiss ended, he was smiling. "You'd better watch that, Mrs. Kent. You could start something you didn't expect."
"Oh, I expect it all right," Lois said. "If this is your baby, Mr. Kent, don't you think it would be better to -- oh, I don't know -- at least symbolically --"
"I may be practically invulnerable," he said, "but I'm not made out of stone, especially where you’re concerned. Symbolically or not, if you really want me, I'm yours. You know that, don't you?"
She nodded. "Why don't you give me a few minutes to change, and then we'll see what sort of symbolism we can work out."
**********
tbc
