-1"Secrets"
It was nearing November and life around the farm was buzzing. The merger between the companies was complete and business was booming to say the least. Projects were on their way and both Clark and Oliver couldn't wait for the results. They were anxious to see the benefits that the company would bring. The board just focused on the profits.
But aside from business, life on the farm was fantastic. Things seemed to be peaceful. Alex spent a lot of time out with his friends and his girlfriend. Clark was proud that Alex was letting go and being a kid. Nothing disastrous had happened on the farm and he could busy himself with small chores. He loved it.
And Lana, she seemed to be glowing lately. Everything had worked out. She would go work at the Talon and be home by late afternoon. Alex would hang with his friends and that gave Clark and Lana time to curl on the couch and watch movies just like they did in the old days. They were happy overall, at least from what Clark could tell.
Lana waited till Clark had left to head to Metropolis for the day before calling Chloe in a panic. Her blonde friend answered the phone and she immediately blurted, "I need your help. Can you stop by the store and pick up a test for me and bring it by the farm?"
"Hello to you too, Lana. And good morning," Chloe said with sarcasm.
"Hi Chloe. Can you please?" She asked again.
"What kind of test?" Chloe asked realizing that this was important.
"I think I'm pregnant," She blurted.
"Oh, I'm on my way," Chloe said before hanging up.
Lana waited anxiously for Chloe to arrive at the farm. She had even sent Alex out to hang with his friends and when Alex asked for some money she didn't even bother to look at how much she gave him. She was honestly freaking out. What if she was pregnant? Clark had voiced his worries to her that maybe he wasn't ready to be a father. It was his issue when Alex had first moved in. He had bottled it up inside till she was worried that she was losing him. Now here she was, afraid that she was pregnant and freaking out that if she was, that maybe Clark wouldn't be so happy about it as she once thought he might be. She was freaking out so much that her thoughts were becoming run on's. Finally she heard the car door close and she pulled open the back door. Chloe came rushing in with a plastic bag in hand.
"I got three, you know, just in case," Chloe said while she closed the door behind her.
Lana took the bag and made a beeline towards the bathroom. She had drunk so much water, she was ready to burst.
"Thanks Chloe," She said as she made it to the bathroom.
"No problem. That's what best friends are for. Is Clark home?" Chloe asked, raising her voice so she could be heard through the bathroom door where Lana locked herself in.
"He's off to Metropolis for work," She called back.
"Does he know that you're taking this test?" Chloe asked.
"No," Lana called back.
After a second she opened the door and waited for the test to give her a result.
"Do you want him to know?" Chloe asked.
Lana looked up and Chloe could see the mixed emotions.
"I'm afraid to tell him," She confessed.
"Why?" Chloe asked concerned.
Chloe figured that Clark would be excited. Clark had always wanted a family with Lana. If she was pregnant it would make all of his dreams come true. At least she thought so.
"Clark told me awhile back that he didn't think he was ready to be a father," She explained.
"But that's all Clark's ever wanted. I don't see how he would say that," Chloe voiced her thoughts.
Then it occurred to her. Alex.
"When he became Alex's guardian everything changed. Suddenly he didn't think he could be a father," said Lana.
"But Clark has done a great job with Alex. That kid is out hanging with friends and practicing for the football team. Even recruited Pete to teach him a few moves. Alex wants to surprise Clark when he makes the team. I think Clark will be ecstatic," Chloe assured her.
"That's if I'm even pregnant," said Lana.
But Chloe had reassured her. Clark's fears had been from the beginning. So much had changed since then. Maybe they were ready. Lana checked her watch and enough time had passed that the test would be ready. She took a deep breath and picked it up. She waited a second then looked to where the result was posted. A tiny pink plus sign. She was pregnant.
"Oh my god," She breathed.
Chloe read the test over her shoulder and then squealed, "You're pregnant!"
She turned to her best friend, her hands dropping to her side. "I'm pregnant."
"Is this good news?" Chloe asked just to make sure she wasn't celebrating too early.
"I don't know. I have to tell Clark," Lana said in shock.
She was pregnant. A life was growing inside her and it was Clark's. Everything she ever wanted.
"Are you happy about it?" Chloe asked.
Sure Lana was worried about Clark's reaction but what mattered at that second was if she wanted to be pregnant with Clark's child.
"I'm ecstatic. I'm pregnant," She said looking up at Chloe and smiling.
The girls shared a huge hug and marveled in the moment about the good news. Chloe offered to stick around to be supportive when she told Clark and she appreciated it. But as time passed, Lana grew nervous. And when she got nervous she cleaned. It wasn't long before downstairs was spotless. Like no one lived there and it was a museum. So she moved on to the upstairs. Chloe offered to help but Lana refused. She needed all the mess she could get to help clear her thoughts. So Chloe stayed downstairs and worked on her laptop.
Their room took her forever but she eventually got it clean. Clark sure did like to leave his boxers everywhere. But of course he probably didn't even know where they were considering she was always ripping them off him and tossing them across the room. It really wasn't a surprise she was pregnant.
There was only one room left in the house to clean and she figured Alex wouldn't mind if she made his bed and cleaned some of his clothes for school. She hardly found any of them in the washer anyway. So she opened his door and got to work.
She made a laundry pile and noticed that most of his dirty clothes were sticking out of the drawers themselves. So she cleaned them out and couldn't tell which were clean and which were dirty so she decided to wash them all. Underneath all of his socks she found something that shocked her. It was a box that contained a few needles and some tiny bottles of liquid. And rolled up in one of the socks was a bag of what she assumed to be weed. She stood there in shock for a moment before pulling all of it out of the drawers and placing it on top of Alex's dresser.
Realizing that he could possibly have more she did a sweep of his room. She didn't find anymore drugs but she did find a box of condoms that was half way empty. She was couldn't believe that Alex was doing drugs and having sex. She carried all the evidence downstairs and dumped it onto the kitchen table. Chloe looked up at Lana in confusion then looked over to the items.
"What's all this?" Chloe asked.
"I found it hidden in Alex's drawers," said Lana with her arms folded over her chest.
"Alex is doing drugs?" Chloe asked shocked.
"I don't know," She admitted collapsing in the chair. "He hasn't shown any symptoms that he's been doing them. His room doesn't smell like weed and I haven't seen any injection points on his arms."
"Maybe he's not doing it here at the house," Chloe brainstormed.
"He would still be acting different. Remember how Clark was. At first he was all depressed but once he started drugs he seemed to be better as a person. Happy and energetic. Alex is still quiet and locks himself in his room when he's not out with his friends," said Lana.
"Then if you don't suspect Alex of doing drugs then whose are they and why are they in Alex's drawer?" Chloe asked.
"I just can't bring myself to think that Alex is doing drugs to make his life better. They won't do him any good," She said.
"Then if you don't believe it's Alex then maybe they're Clark's," Chloe voiced her concern.
"No. Clark doesn't do drugs anymore," She defended her husband and father her child.
"Okay. But you did say Clark was depressed when Alex moved in and he didn't think he could handle being a father and suddenly life is perfect?" Chloe questioned.
"It's not Clark. Things got better after the honeymoon. He and Alex did some male bonding and then things sorted themselves out at work. So yeah he's happy and things are great," She continued.
"Okay then. So they have to be Alex's," Chloe said.
It was one or the other. She could believe it was Alex. The boy just lost his parents and he had a group of best buddies that he was constantly hanging out with and staying out late. It was possible he was getting high and then not coming home till he was sober.
"What am I going to do? I can't drop all of this on Clark's shoulders tonight," said Lana. "I can't tell him."
She sounded completely exhausted.
"Tell me what?" Clark asked walking in and surprising the ladies.
"Clark. You're home," said Lana jumping by the sudden sound of his voice.
He could hear the concern and exhaustion in her voice.
"What's wrong?" He asked dropping his briefcase and pulling his jacket off. Whatever the issue was it was serious. He walked over and immediately noticed the drugs and condoms on the table. "What's going on?"
"I found all of this hidden in Alex's room," Lana said.
Clark picked up the needle and sighed. He should have known. Alex had a history of drug problems. Alex's ex-coach had warned him but he had just jumped to the happily ever after and assumed that Alex was doing great and was moving on. Not because he had a little illegal help.
"I don't believe this," He said.
"Did you see any signs?" asked Lana.
"I just was so happy that he was doing better I didn't even think it could relate to his drug problem," He answered.
"He has a problem?" Chloe asked having shut her computer.
"His coach told me at Max's funeral. But things were so bad then that I didn't want to put everyone on alert or put Alex on the spot," He said.
"Maybe you should have. We could have avoided this," Chloe said.
"It doesn't matter now what we could have done. All that matters is what we're going to do to help Alex," Lana spoke up so Clark wouldn't feel any more guilty than he was already making himself.
"So what do we do?" He asked.
"The only thing I can think of is the same thing we did to you. Confront him and help him," Chloe said.
"She's right. You'd be the best for this after all you've been through this," Lana spoke up.
She wasn't happy that he would have to revisit those dark thoughts and relive the past but Alex needed them and she was willing to help anyway she could.
"Alright. I'll confront him when he gets home," said Clark collapsing in a kitchen chair.
He looked up at Lana and reached out for her hand. She met him half way and they sat in silence for a few moments. He sensed that there was something more she wasn't telling him.
"Anything else?" He asked.
Chloe and Lana shared a look before she looked back at him.
"No honey. Let's just worry about this," Lana said.
She still wasn't certain how Clark would handle the news but dropping the pregnant bomb on him might only make things more complicated at the moment and she really wanted it to be special when she told him. But first they needed to deal with their godson who needed them the most right now.