Here tis 16. Since it's technically tomorrow. Or today now, or whatever.
I'm tired
. But not sleepy. Stinks, huh?
Look for 17-18/19 this week. Hopefully, followed by Martha's Letters and coming soon to a message board near you... On The Other Hand - Inspired by a thought inspired by one of Lois' thoughts in Learning to Love, Met U freshmen Lois Lane and Clark Kent are destined to meet, but are they destined to fall in love? And what will Lana and Joe have to say about that?
Or something like that
.
Anyway, here tis more LtL: Lucy's Story for your reading pleasure.
*****
Chapter 16
*****
July 1990
*****
Lucy stretched her back as the elevator continued its downward descent. The baby was getting heavier and heavier and her back muscles were bothering her more and more with each passing day. She'd have to get Jimmy to give her a back rub later.
She dug Lois' keys out of her purse. Her sister and brother-in-law had gone to Smallville for the weekend on the spur of the moment and had asked Lucy to take the silver Jeep Cherokee home. She ran her hands through her hair and realized she still wasn't used to the new cut. Of course, she hadn't realized how much like Lois' it would look when she'd gotten it.
She moved closer to the cars parked to her right as she walked through the parking garage, giving the van driving down the aisle plenty of room to get by. She looked up in shock as it stopped next to her.
The sliding door opened and before she knew what happened, she was thrown on the floor of the van with a bag over her head.
*****
She winced as her body ached all over.
She had a vague recollection of being thrown in a van and a hood going over her head.
The baby!
A kick to her ribs told her that the little one was alive and kicking. "It's okay, Baby," she whispered. "We're going to be okay." She hoped she was convincing herself of that.
She could see a sliver of light coming from under the door. There was nothing in the room except her.
She moved closer to the door, one hand rubbing her stomach nearly constantly, reassured by the movement she felt.
When she got to the door, she heard voiced. Commanding her pounding heart to be silent, she did her best to listen.
"That's not Ms. Lane," came one voice she immediately labeled Goon 1.
"Well, sir, it is Ms. Lane, but apparently, the *wrong* Ms. Lane," said the now appropriately named Goon 2. He had an English accent, she noticed.
Then what he'd said sunk in. The wrong Ms. Lane? They were after Lois? Why?
"Well, she needs to be taken care of. We can't allow her to be identified. Not until we have her sister in custody." Goon 1 seemed to be in charge and seriously upset that she wasn't Lois.
"Are you certain that is a wise move, sir?"
Goon 1's voice grew slightly louder. "If she is carrying my child, she must not be allowed to raise it. I *will* *not* allow that to happen again. Not after..." Lucy couldn't make out what he said. Jason? Jeron? Jerrod? Something like that. Then something else sunk in.
Carrying his child?
Lois was carrying Clark's child. They'd finally been together after all those years and she'd gotten pregnant. Why on earth would someone else think she was having his baby? There was no way Lois would have cheated on Clark.
"Of course, sir. But you are nothing if not cautious. Given the protection you most certainly used in Tokyo, is it possible for her to be carrying your child?"
They'd been in Tokyo for their anniversary and they seemed certain that was when conception had occurred. But Goon 1 had been in Tokyo? And would have needed protection? When pushed, all Lois and Clark would say was that their anniversary had been very special in more than one way.
"Even the most effective birth control has a small failure ratio." Lucy knew that drug interactions were the major cause of her own pregnancy, but she also knew that the statement was accurate.
"Quite right."
"Is it possible that she knows her husband may not be the father of her child?" Goon 1 asked.
"Unlikely. She was given the GHBP."
GHBP? She wracked her brain to remember what she'd learned at the safety seminar they required of incoming freshman at UNT Met. It was a date rape drug. But what did P stand for? Did it cause some sort of amnesia? But didn't GHB do that? Girls who were given GHB didn't remember what happened to them, did they? So what was the P for?
If this guy – whoever he was – had drugged Lois and raped her, what would they do to her know that they knew she wasn't Lois? Fear started to grip her again. It had abated some when she realized she was alone and – for the moment at least – safe and the baby seemed to be okay, but now was back with a vengeance. Would they kill her? Would Jimmy find her in time? Would Clark be willing to risk his identity to find her if that's what it came down to?
She made herself take a deep breath and returned her attention to the men outside. Once they found her, she was going to have to be able to tell the police what she'd heard.
"She was?" Goon 1 was shocked to find out that she'd been given that particular drug or so it seemed to Lucy.
"Yes, sir. You were with eight women the week you were in Tokyo. Two were given nothing. Two were given the pheromone only. Two were given GHB only. Two were given the combination. She was one of the ones given the combination. The GHB should have lowered her inhibitions as well as giving her no memory of the time after it was administered. The pheromone component should have intensified her attraction to you."
He *had* drugged her!
Ever curse word Lucy could think of flew across her mind and none of them came close to what she wanted to call Goons 1 and 2.
"She did not act attracted at all," Goon 1 told Goon 2. "I would have surmised she was one of the GHB only test subjects."
She practically wretched as the realization her again that her sister had been raped. She managed to calm herself slightly as she realized that it explained so much if they suspected this had happened. Why it took them a while to get excited about the baby. Why they didn't seem more upset that she was on... limited activity during her pregnancy – something that would have driven Jimmy crazy. And herself, too.
She willed her churning stomach to calm.
"No, sir. She received both." They were talking again and Lucy forced herself to listen, trying desperately to record it all, in her head.
"You are quite certain?"
"Yes, sir."
"I gave you my list of which women I thought were given which drug. Why was I not informed which on that list were incorrect?"
"I was under the understanding that Miranda had informed you, sir." Miranda. Lucy repeated the name to herself several times. It was the only real name she'd heard so far. She thought she'd heard a muffled St. John and maybe Jason before she reached the door and started listening better, but she wasn't sure.
Goon 1 sighed. "Well, continue to develop the formula and we'll try it again soon."
"Yes, sir. There are still reports that the GHBP leaves the user with severe headaches the next day. Miranda is working on refining the formula."
"Her memory also stops before the dose was administered. What the two of you told me was that the memory would stop somewhat after the drug was ingested." So Lois didn't remember any of what happened? Then how could she and Clark know?
"We've been testing the new product for over a year now, sir." If Goon 2 was calling Goon 1 sir, that meant English accent was the subordinate here. Something else she needed to remember. "That particular batch of GHBP had that problem with it."
"I am not going to fund this much longer. Miranda promised me a drug that would not only allow the woman to be responsive but also to remember nothing of the events. The only reason I did the tests myself in Tokyo is because you and she both assured me that the formulation was nearing perfection and that's been seven months ago now." Lucy sucked in a breath. The fear was starting to come back with the icy tone in Goon 1's voice.
"Ms. Lane's reaction – or lack of reaction – is one of the reasons why the formulation underwent such an overhaul. It will be ready for you to test again soon."
"It better be. I will not tolerate this kind of incompetence for much longer. Either get me something I can market or I will be looking for replacements for both of you," Goon 1 threatened. As much as she didn't want to meet either one of the two in a dark alley – or even a lighted street – it occurred to her that Goon 1 was much more dangerous.
"Yes, sir."
"Now, see that Mrs. Olsen is taken care of properly." She was right. That didn't sound good. Tears streaked down her face despite her best efforts to stop them. Jimmy! she cried silently. He would find her. Or Clark would. With all the things Clark could do, surely he was out looking for her.
"Of course, sir."
She breathed a slight sigh of relief as they left. Her eyes had adjusted to the little bit of light that came in from under the door. She looked around the room more carefully. There was nothing. Nothing she could use as a weapon. Nothing she could use to protect herself. No food. No drink. No way to relieve herself should the need arise – and the need had been arising frequently in recent weeks.
She replayed the conversation over and over in her mind, wanting to make sure she remembered every detail. Not only would she help nail the bastards for having her kidnapped but also for what they'd done to Lois. After everything her sister had been through, drugs and rape were the last thing she needed. Not that it would ever be good for anyone, but especially not for her.
Tears flowed down her cheeks. Surely it was dark out by now – unless it was already the next morning. Was Clark out searching for her? Did they even know she'd been kidnapped or just thought that she was missing? Had there been a ransom demand? And if they knew, had Jimmy or Perry or Alice been able to get a hold of Clark and Lois? They were in Smallville, after all.
What if they couldn’t find her? Would the Goons leave her here to starve to death? Or was there even ventilation? Would she suffocate from lack of breathable oxygen? She could feel herself start to hyperventilate and made herself calm down using the breathing exercises she'd learned in her Lamaze classes to help.
Surely, if he knew, Clark was using his abilities to try to find her – to do his buzz-buzz thing to search buildings or look for clues in the parking garage. But would he be able to get to her or tell police where she was without giving himself away? And would he be willing to risk his identity and his abilities to get to her? Lois had made him promise not to give himself away while doing rescues, but would that apply to her?
She closed her eyes. No. It wouldn't. She knew it wouldn't. Lois had always said she'd do anything for her and she was sure that meant risking Clark's identity and their privacy. She was being paranoid. The darkness was starting to get to her. Lois and Clark would do whatever was necessary to find her and get her out.
But then what would happen to them? To their baby? Their lives would be under a microscope. The paparazzi they saw on television staking out the homes of stars would be nothing compared to what would happen when the world discovered that Clark Kent was the only known living alien. Clark might be invulnerable but Lois wasn't and the baby wouldn't be and every time cars would follow them around, the risk of an accident hurting Lois or the baby would increase. And Clark wouldn't take kindly to his family being put in danger.
And then there would be the xenophobic nutcases.
They would want to kill Clark simply because he wasn't a native of Earth. They wouldn't be able to and that would make them mad. They'd come after Lois – probably declaring her some kind of traitor or something to the human race – and the baby for being a 'half-breed' or 'hybrid' or 'alien bastard' or some kind of nonsense like that.
She could see Clark lying and saying that no one was aware of his alien origins in order to protect her and Jimmy and Perry and Alice and her baby from those same xenophobes. He'd probably lie about Lois knowing, too, but she doubted that would deter the die hards.
Was it worth it? Was Clark risking his identity worth saving her if that was the cost? Maybe Clark should sit on the sidelines. Maybe they hadn't been able to get a hold of him and he was blissfully unaware of what was happening so he *couldn’t* risk himself and his family's safety. Maybe they'd find her before Clark had the chance to make what could be the biggest mistake of his life.
She knew the logic was flawed but being in the dark was starting to make her think crazy things. If she ever got out, she'd never tell anyone what she'd thought about. Not even Jimmy.
Jimmy would move heaven and earth to save her.
Jimmy.
Her husband.
The love of her life.
The father of her child.
Her eyes filled with tears again. He had to be freaking out. Panicked. Sick with worry. She couldn't even begin to imagine how she would feel if something happened to him, but it wasn't *just* her, which would scare him enough. She was having his baby. His fear would be doubled.
If not more. She was sure he was scared that the ordeal was going to send her into early labor.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed since the Goons left, but she guessed maybe an hour.
She could hear people talking in the distance, but she didn't dare make any noise in case they were foes and not friends.
And then came a familiar voice.
"Mrs. Olsen?" It was Clark. But his tone was off and what was with the formality? Was he afraid to let anyone know that he knew her? Had he used his powers and was already trying to distance himself for her protection?
"Clark?" It slipped out before she realized it and she mentally kicked herself for it.
The voice was closer this time and quieter. "Don't use my name, Luce." Okay. Whatever was up, she wouldn't use his name. Maybe he was undercover as one of the thugs that was supposed to take care of her. Or maybe he wanted it to appear she didn't know him – at least for now. "Mrs. Olsen," came the authoritative voice again. "Please move back from the door."
She scurried – as best she was able – to the farthest spot from the door she could reach.
In seconds, the door was gone and she was shielding her face from the light. Clark was holding her in his arms.
"Are you okay, Mrs. Olsen?"
She nodded, still unsure why he was calling her Mrs. Olsen.
Clark addressed someone else. "Inspector Henderson, her husband is waiting for her at the Daily Planet. I'm going to take her there and then I'll be back. There's already an ambulance en route to take her to Metropolis General. You'll be able to speak with her after she gets medical attention."
Lucy heard a muffled response and then Clark was carrying her through a roomful of people who seemed to be gawking at him.
"What's going on?" she whispered, well aware of his hearing ability.
"I'll explain in a minute," he murmured.
She rested her head against his shoulder, burying her face in his neck.
Then they were in a stairwell, floating down through the center until they reached the ground floor. He carried her out the front door and then launched them into the air.
"Can you tell me what all this is about?" Lucy finally asked again.
"Jimmy and Perry are at the Planet waiting for you."
"How is he?"
"Panicked. He'll be a lot better as soon as he sees you, but you're going straight to the hospital," Clark said, his voice grim.
"I'm fine," she protested weakly. "But what about you? What's with the 'Mrs. Olsen' nonsense? And flying in front of people?"
"I'll explain it all later in more detail because we're going to be there in a minute, but Lois and Alice made a costume for me to wear so that no one knows it's me. Don't use my name, okay?"
She nodded and she heard him let out a breath.
In a second, they were floating through the now open newsroom window.
He landed near Jimmy, setting her on the waiting gurney. He whispered a word or two to Perry, but Lucy didn't notice because Jimmy was at her side, holding her tightly, tears streaming down both of their faces.
"Are you okay?" he whispered as he clung to her.
She nodded. "I think so." She held on to him like she was never going to let go. "What's going on?"
"I'll explain everything later, Babe." He pulled back from her, running a hand down the side of her face and threading his fingers through her hair. "Did they hurt you?"
She shook her head. "They knocked me out with something, but they didn't hurt me."
"Thank God." He rested his forehead on hers before kissing her, pressing his lips solidly against hers.
The paramedics politely, but persistently, insisted that it was time to move. Never letting go of her hand, Jimmy walked next to her, handing his camera to Perry as the editor walked with them to the elevator. "There's at least a couple pictures on there, Chief. I won't swear that they're any good but..."
Perry clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm sure there's something we can use. Take care of her."
Jimmy nodded as he walked into the elevator. "Always."
*****
Lucy talked to Inspector Henderson when he came by. They had her hooked up to monitors to keep an eye on the baby's heartbeat as well as to make sure her uterus wasn't contracting. She still had several weeks before her due date, after all, and they wanted to be certain she wasn't going to go into premature labor because of the trauma.
Before long, however, Dr. McCorkle smiled at the young couple. "Everything looks fine, Lucy. Whatever they gave you to knock you out doesn't seem to have affected the baby at all."
Lucy closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Jimmy clutched her hand a bit tighter.
"Now, I did talk to Superman..."
"Who?" Lucy interrupted as Jimmy squeezed her hand even harder.
"The..." She pondered for a moment how to describe him. "...hero, I guess, who rescued you. Blue tights. Red cape. Flies."
Lucy nodded. "He didn’t tell me what his name was when he rescued me." That much was true.
"He was worried about the baby. I don't know how to get a hold of him, but if you see him, you can tell him that everything looks great. I do want you to take it really easy for a couple of days." She smiled at them again. "I'll get the paperwork started so you can get out of here before too long."
Lucy nodded. "Thank you."
She left them and Jimmy rested his head against Lucy's. "Are you sure you're okay?" he whispered.
"I am," she whispered back, one hand resting on his face. "I promise." A yawn betrayed her true feelings. "I am a bit tired, though."
"Get some rest," he told her, kissing her forehead. "I'll be right here."
She closed her eyes, grateful for Jimmy's hand holding hers, his thumb gently rubbing across her knuckles. She didn't know how long she dozed, but her rest was interrupted when she felt Jimmy tense next to her.
"What are you doing here?" he hissed.
She tried to open her eyes, but they were too heavy with sleep.
"I saw you on the news and I wanted to make sure you were okay." Lucy didn't recognize the voice.
"*I'm* fine," Jimmy said, releasing her hand as though he realized he was squeezing it tightly.
"This is your... wife?" She noticed the slight hesitation.
"You'd know if you'd bothered to show up at the wedding."
Lucy tried again to open her eyes and succeeded in opening them slightly, but the room was darkened and the two men were out of her field of vision. She was now sure that this was Jack Olsen.
"It's been a long time," the other voice conceded. "A couple years."
"Four," Jimmy told him.
"Four, then."
"And five before that."
"Who's counting?"
"I am," Jimmy said coldly. "The last time I saw you was the day of my second date with Lucy. I said I was going to call in to work, I would have called her and canceled and she would have understood, but instead you said not to bother, you'd see me again soon and I didn't hear from you again until after we got married."
"You cashed the checks."
"Why wouldn't I? I'd be an idiot to turn down that kind of money even if we didn't really need it – which we didn't. We didn't *need* it, but why turn it down? Two grand is nothing to sneeze at."
"Then you know I care."
"No, I know you still think writing a check will solve everything. You could have at least sent your response card or a note or even a phone call, but you didn't. I've heard from you twice in four years and now you show up here and want what exactly?"
"To make sure you're both okay. And my grandbaby."
She could feel Jimmy seething. "You have no right to be here."
"What about the alien? Did he hurt her?"
"What?" Lucy sensed his confusion.
"The so-called Superman. Did he hurt her?"
There was no way Jack Olsen could know that the 'so-called Superman' was Jimmy's best friend in the world besides her.
"Get out," Jimmy said in a low, authoritative voice.
"What?"
"Get out. He saved her. He helped me find her and he saved her. That's the only reason you're here. You want to know more about him. You don't care about me or Lucy or the baby, do you?" He didn't stop long enough for an answer. "Get out and don't bother coming back until you do." She heard Jimmy moving and a second later he was sitting by her again, taking her hand gently in his. His other hand smoothed her hair back from her forehead. "Go back to sleep, Babe." He kissed her hand and pointedly refused to look towards the door where she was sure his dad still stood. "I'm not going anywhere."
*****
Lucy got her first good look at the superhero a little while later. Despite everything, her mouth twitched at the corners. "Superman, is it?" she asked, trying desperately to control her reaction for the benefit of the nurse in the corner.
"That's what they're calling me," he said in a deep voice, but the look of chagrin on his face was purely Clark and disappeared as the nurse turned around. "I wanted to check on you and make sure you're okay, Mrs. Olsen."
"I'm fine."
"She is," her doctor said, entering the room with Jimmy right behind her. "She's getting ready to get on out of here."
Superman glanced over at the nurse. "Can I speak with the three of you in private for a moment?"
The nurse took the hint and left the room, shutting the door behind her.
"I've spoke with both Inspector Henderson and Perry White and they agree that the danger to Mrs. Olsen – as well as Mrs. Kent since it seems that she was the intended target – is not over."
Lucy blanched at that and Jimmy held her hand even tighter.
Dr. McCorkle nodded as she thought. "What can we do to protect them?"
"Well, for tonight, I'll be keeping an eye on them locally, but tomorrow I'm going to take them somewhere they should be safe. The biggest problem is that it's not near Metropolis."
The doctor leaned against the counter. "Well, obviously, we need to do what's necessary to keep them safe." She sighed. "Could you help arrange for me to visit them regularly?"
"I would be happy to do that. Mr. Kent also told me that there is a very good midwife near where they'll be if you would be willing to consult with her in case we're not able to get them home before the babies arrive."
"Of course."
Superman hesitated. "There's one other thing."
"What's that?"
"It doesn't concern just Mrs. Olsen and Mrs. Kent, but... I have a feeling that I may run into a woman in labor from time to time and while I have a general understanding of the process, it would help me – and them, I'm sure – greatly if I could work with you a bit, just to make sure I know enough if something happens and I can't get a woman to a hospital or other more appropriate location in time."
She nodded. "I suppose that is a good idea. Any patients of mine would have to agree, of course, and probably sign a waiver of some kind. I'd imagine I could find one or two patients who would consent to allow you to help at delivery so you can have some practical experience before you would ever have to try it by yourself, in the field, so to speak."
"He can help with me and I'm sure Lois will let him, too," Lucy chimed in. "Jimmy and I are both grateful to him already."
Superman nodded his thanks. "If possible, I'd like to be on hand for a delivery before Mrs. Olsen or Mrs. Kent go into labor, in case I'm unable to get them to the local midwife or back here."
The doctor frowned. "Will they be able to get a hold of you that easily?"
The hero paused. "They will have the ability to contact me quickly in case of emergency."
If the need to try to keep Clark's identity a secret hadn't been so great, Lucy thought she would have laughed. They wouldn't even have to do something silly like yell 'Help, Superman' to get his attention. 'Hey, Clark' would work just as well.
Superman continued. "That's not something that anyone needs to know, of course."
"Of course." She turned to Lucy. "Lucy, here's your discharge papers. Someone should be by in a few minutes with a wheelchair to get you out of here. I believe Perry and Alice are out there waiting for you." She smiled at her patient. "He must care a lot about you for him to leave the paper to be here with a story as big as this guy..." She jerked a thumb towards Superman. "...flying around."
Tears filled Lucy's eyes. "He's family," she whispered. "He's the closest thing to a real dad I've ever had, except possibly Clark. They'd both do anything for me and they'll never know how much that means to me."
Superman cleared his throat, obviously slightly uncomfortable though probably not for the reason the doctor would assume. "I better be going, but I'll take the two of you, along with the Kents somewhere safe tomorrow and I'll be keeping an eye on you this evening. They're already waiting for you."
Lucy and Jimmy nodded and smiled their thanks, unable to tell him what they truly thought until they were out of view of others.
*****
Lois wrapped her arms around her as best she could with their stomachs in the way. "Are you okay?"
"I'm *fine*. I promise."
Just then Clark walked back in wearing the bright blue suit and red cape.
Lucy raised a brow at him, one arm still around her sister's waist. "Seriously, Clark?" She let go of Lois as Clark got closer.
"I blame your sister," he said pulling her into a hug, holding her for a long moment. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"I am. I promise," she reiterated. "But tights? Really?"
"No one's looking at his face," Alice told her. "That's the whole point."
Clark turned scarlet at that. "Well, at least no one can see my rear end," he muttered as he let Lucy go. "I'm going to get out of this thing."
He went upstairs and was back down a minute later in blue jeans and a T-shirt.
"So where are you taking us tomorrow, Clark?" Jimmy asked.
"Smallville. The farm is still listed as belonging to my parents, and I hope that Luthor won't think to look there, but there's the advantage of being a small town. Everyone will know why we're there and protect us if anyone's sneaking around watching us. And Laura Lang is a midwife and can work with Dr. McCorkle in case you guys aren't back here before the babies come."
"How'd it go with Henderson and everyone else?" Perry asked. "Did they have any problems with you?"
He shook his head. "No. They were kind of in awe, honestly, which doesn't surprise me given that I flew down in the middle of them at the Daily Planet."
"Did they find anything in that room?"
Clark sighed. "No. There wasn't anything in the room that Lucy was in or the room outside it and none of the people at the law firm know anything. They didn't even know about the room."
It was at that point that both Lucy and Lois crashed. Having run on adrenaline for far too long, they were both in dire need of sleep. Grateful that they usually kept a change of clothes at Perry and Alice's – for any kind of 'just in case' situation – Lucy pulled a nightshirt and shorts on before settling into bed. She closed her eyes, praying that nightmares wouldn't come and was reassured that everything was going to be okay when Jimmy came in the room. Quickly getting ready for bed himself, he climbed in next to her and pulled her to him.
Tears fell for the first time in hours, wetting his chest and her forehead as they clung to each other.
"I was so scared, Babe," he whispered. "I didn't know..." He choked up. "I didn't know where to start to look for you. It was Perry's idea for Clark to fly around after dark – which wasn't too much longer – and Alice's idea for the costume so he could play superhero and rescue you using his powers, if needed. And then they told us about..." He took a deep breath. "Well, I won't tell you the whole story now, but basically what you figured out from the conversation you overheard."
"I knew one of you would find me," she told him, punctuating the statement with a huge yawn.
"We'll talk about it more tomorrow," he whispered into her hair. "Get some sleep, okay? Clark won't let anything happen to us tonight and there's no way I'm letting any bad guy near you again."
*****
TBC
