And again...thanks LaraMoon! Please enjoy!
From Part 3:
“When Mary saw the trees, she heard a faint whisper within their leaves. ‘Please shake us, shake us, our apples are all ripe.’“ Clark noticed that Becca had closed her eyes. She was breathing evenly and when he stopped speaking, she did not protest. He got up cautiously and blew a soft kiss on her face. “Good night, honey.” He mumbled under his breath and tiptoed down the staircase.
Part 4:
Clark was just as tired as Becca had been and so he prepared himself for bed. Just when his head touched the pillows, Clark heard the first siren of the night. He listened carefully and was relieved when the sounds told him that the police had everything under control. But it wasn’t the last emergency for that night. Clark knew that he couldn’t leave his bed. What if Becca woke up and found herself alone in the apartment? And he couldn’t go because he would raise suspicion if he was seen close to several crimes in just one night. Clark didn’t drift off to sleep. Seemingly thousands of sirens kept him awake. And every howl appeared to be louder and more accusatory than the previous one. Why had he come to Metropolis? Other cities were more peaceful and had allowed him to sleep.
If it hadn’t been for Becca he would have been able to help. Clark didn’t really care where he lived, since he had never called a place home. But with Becca it was different. The responsibility was weighing heavily on his shoulders. Though it caused a guilty feeling in his gut, Clark struggled with Lily’s decision. Why had she chosen him? Clark had asked her this long ago.
~ ~ ~
Seven years ago…
Clark was sitting in a room rather than a flat. He was working on an article and hoped that he would find an editor who would print it. Actually he hoped that he would stay at this place long enough to type the whole article. He had been busy with saving people as unobtrusively as possible. So far he hadn’t been observed by anyone. But it was hard to say if that was really true. Most of his things were packed so he could leave on a moments notice if necessary.
A knock at the door caused Clark to jump. Who would want to visit him? He barely knew people around him. Clark checked with his x-ray vision and gasped in surprise. He hurried to the door and wore a broad smile on his face as he opened it. Lily had come. She carried a small child on her arm.
“May I introduce you, Clark? This is Rebecca, your daughter.” Lily greeted him.
Clark gasped again, this time in shock. “My what?”
“Your daughter, Clark.” Lily repeated and went past him. “May I come in?” she asked.
“You already did,” Clark said hoarsely. “But Lily, we never…” He sounded foolish and he knew it. She knew what they had or hadn’t done.
“No, Clark, you never slept with me, which I really don’t understand, to be honest. Why is that, anyway?” Lily inquired.
“Because you are my cousin, for example?” Clark replied helplessly. They had had that discussion once or twice. A million times, to be precise.
“I’m the niece of your adoptive mother, Clark. We’re not even related,” she disagreed.
Clark decided to end this before Lily started enjoying the argument. “What happened, Lily? What is this with my daughter? I knew you were pregnant, but where is the father?”
“He ran away as fast as he could as soon as I told him that I was going to have his baby,” Lily answered sadly and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
“Oh, Lily,” Clark whispered sympathetically. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought that I could do this on my own. I felt strong enough, but that was an error. I didn’t know where to go. Then I remembered that you had offered me help in one of your letters.” She sobbed.
Clark pulled her in a light embrace and carefully avoided hurting the little girl in her arms. “Oh Lily, I was more speaking of babysitting, if you needed me.” What was she up to?
“Clark, please help…me. Please be her fa…father, I can’t imagine any…one who would be be…better than you,” Lily begged between sobs.
“Lily, you don’t know what you are asking for? Why don’t you return home or ask my parents for help? I’m sure they will understand.” Clark didn’t know what he could do for her. How was he supposed to support a family? He was on a constant run; there was nothing stable to his life.
“No, Clark. My parents won’t understand. They kept telling me that the man was a waste of time. And your parents, they are about the nicest people I can think of, but Clark, I want you. You are Becca’s father, maybe not biologically, but that doesn’t count. And her birth certificate says that you’re her dad. I told them your name when they asked me for it.” Lily clutched at Clark and tears streamed down her cheeks.
“You did what?” he asked hoarsely. Maybe he should have felt anger for being betrayed by Lily. But her face looked so sad and so very innocent. The world had hurt her and Clark had protected her their whole childhood through. No matter what Lily did, Clark had never been able to be angry with her. Right now the world seemed to tighten around him, it was reduced to this room and Clark felt utterly lost. How was he going to cope with this? What had Lily done to him? “Why me?” he whispered.
“Because you are you, Clark,” she replied, casting the spell that was able to make him do just about anything.
~ ~ ~
Clark still hadn’t drifted off to sleep. The night drained him, both emotionally and physically. Being helpless always made him feel weak. He regretted having chosen Metropolis as their new home and he regretted the promise he had made. How could Clark go on living with that constant feeling of guilt? He had to find a solution for his problems and he had to find it fast. He wanted to be the father Becca deserved. He had tried to resist both Becca and Lily. Clark had been the voice of reason. But he had failed and the young woman and the little girl had won over him. He loved Becca so much, regardless how difficult life had become because of her.
Soft taps on the floor interrupted his thoughts. “Daddy?” Becca’s voice broke the silence.
“Yes, pumpkin?” he replied.
“Daddy, I had a nightmare,” she whispered and Clark could hear that she had been crying. Why hadn’t he heard her sobs? “Can I sleep in your bed, tonight?” She sounded shyer than usual and Clark could tell that the nightmare had to have been really bad.
“Of course, honey.” He reached out to take Becca’s hand and guided her towards his bed. Then he lifted the blanket and she slipped under it. “Do you want to tell me about it?” Clark asked as he stroked her gently. He could feel that she shook her head. Becca cuddled in the pillows and her body relaxed. Clark laid his arm around her and closed his eyes. As Becca’s breathing became more and more even, he finally drifted off to sleep himself.
tbc...
