Chapter 9
Lana took a deep breath before stepping out of her neon green 4runner. She was supposed to meet Whitney and his wife, Alicia, at SHS right before school let out. She was over ten minutes early.
Whitney was the head football coach. After he returned from the Marines, SHS had practically begged him to be the coach. They wanted him so badly that Whitney was now the highest paid coach in SHS history. Alicia was the head girls' coach. She and Whitney met when Whitney was hired. They immediately hit it off and were married soon after.
Lana walked to the football field. The football players were suited up and running plays while Whitney yelled directions at them. A group of girls were running the track, led by Alicia.
"Lana!" Alicia called. She jogged to Lana, the red curls in her ponytail bobbing.
"Hey, sorry I'm early," Lana apologized, smiling at her friend.
Alicia grinned. "Never be sorry. I'm always happy to see you," she said, giving Lana a hug. "Come on, Whit's with the guys."
Lana followed Alicia to the field.
"Hey Coach, you have a visitor," Alicia called when they had gotten closer.
Whitney turned and immediately broke into a smile. "Lana," he said, giving her a tight hug. As soon as Whitney turned his back the boys stopped playing.
"Hi, Mrs. Luthor," a boy said, running over to them.
"Hi, Andy," Lana said, smiling. Lana insisted on spending a few hours every day working at the Talon, so she knew most of Smallville's youth.
"Hey Coach," Andy said, turning to Whitney. "Can we go shower now? School lets out in ten minutes."
Whitney nodded once. "Take in the balls and equipment."
"Thanks Coach," Andy said, jogging back to the group of boys.
"Girls," Alicia yelled. "Hit the showers!"
Whitney, Alicia, and Lana followed the teens into the building.
"Why don't you sit on the bleachers. We'll be out in about five minutes," Whitney said, smiling at Lana before going into the boys' locker room.
"Be right back," Alicia promised, going into the locker room on the opposite side of the gym.
* * *
"Lana, that's horrible," Alicia exclaimed, reaching across to lay a hand on Lana's arm. The three friends had moved to the couches in Alicia's office. "Is there anything we can do?"
Lana emitted a sad smile. "That's where you guys come in."
"Anything that you need, Lana," Whitney promised.
This seemed to sadden Lana even more. She turned large, searching eyes on Whitney. She took a deep breath.
"What is it, Lan?" Whitney asked gently.
"Both of you know how much I want a family. I didn't have a normal family life when I was growing up. Don't get me wrong, I love Nell dearly, but it's not the same. It was my dream to have my own children. To be the parents that mine didn't have the chance to be," Lana explained, looking from Whitney to Alicia.
"Right," Alicia agreed.
"I have to ask you something and this isn't something I can expect an answer for right away, and I will totally understand if you decline," Lana said, her eyes falling to her lap.
"Lana, you can always ask us anything, you know that," Alicia assured her.
Lana bit her lip. "Lex and I have decided to try artificial insemination, but we don't want to go to a sperm bank. We don't want just anyone," she said, her voice wavering. She looked up at Whitney. "We want it to be someone we know."
A flicker of understanding flitted across Whitney's face. "But you're a lot closer to Clark. Wouldn't he be the more obvious person to ask?"
"Clark can't. I can't tell you why, but he can't," Lana explained, searching for an excuse. "That's why I'm asking you. I don't expect you to have an answer right now. This is an incredibly big favor to ask of anyone. All I'm doing is asking that you consider it."
"Of course we'll consider it," Alicia told Lana. "When do you need to know?"
Lana felt a wave of relief. "Take as long as you need."
"Why didn't Lex come with you?" Whitney asked, looking at Lana.
Lana laughed, her eyes lighting up at her husband's name. "Actually I told him not to. He demanded I let him, and I said no."
"You told Lex Luthor no?" Alicia asked, a bright smile taking over her face.
"It was pretty funny to see. He started to brood, but you know how he gets when he knows I'm right. I knew that he would just make it harder on me, so he backed down," Lana said, laughing again. "He hates it when I'm right."
Whitney and Alicia laughed. "Well, I'm sorry to run off, but I have football practice in ten minutes." Whitney said.
"And I have volleyball practice," Alicia added, standing up.
"Alright. Thanks you guys for listening, and being such great friends. I love you both more than you may ever know," Lana said, smiling at her friends. She hugged Alicia, then Whitney before leaving.
"What do you think, Ali?" Whitney asked, putting an arm around his wife.
"She looked so sad. It must be killing her," Alicia said, looking up at her husband. "What do you think?"
Whitney ran his hand up and down Alicia's tan arm. "I love Lana. You know that. I'd do anything to help her."
"But would you do this?" Alicia asked, turning to stand in front of Whitney.
Whitney slid his arms around her waist. "I understand her reasoning. She's always wanted a family for as long as I've known her. It's not just about raising a child. She's dreamed about being pregnant and actually *having* a baby."
"I know, Whit. If you want to do this, I'll support you in it," Alicia said, giving a small smile to Whitney.
Whitney nodded and kissed the corner of Alicia's mouth. "Let's talk some more later, baby. I have to go drill some discipline into a group of hormone-driven kids."
Alicia laughed. "Alright, I'll meet you at the car after practice."
Whitney hugged Alicia and left to go once again to the football field.
Lana took a deep breath before stepping out of her neon green 4runner. She was supposed to meet Whitney and his wife, Alicia, at SHS right before school let out. She was over ten minutes early.
Whitney was the head football coach. After he returned from the Marines, SHS had practically begged him to be the coach. They wanted him so badly that Whitney was now the highest paid coach in SHS history. Alicia was the head girls' coach. She and Whitney met when Whitney was hired. They immediately hit it off and were married soon after.
Lana walked to the football field. The football players were suited up and running plays while Whitney yelled directions at them. A group of girls were running the track, led by Alicia.
"Lana!" Alicia called. She jogged to Lana, the red curls in her ponytail bobbing.
"Hey, sorry I'm early," Lana apologized, smiling at her friend.
Alicia grinned. "Never be sorry. I'm always happy to see you," she said, giving Lana a hug. "Come on, Whit's with the guys."
Lana followed Alicia to the field.
"Hey Coach, you have a visitor," Alicia called when they had gotten closer.
Whitney turned and immediately broke into a smile. "Lana," he said, giving her a tight hug. As soon as Whitney turned his back the boys stopped playing.
"Hi, Mrs. Luthor," a boy said, running over to them.
"Hi, Andy," Lana said, smiling. Lana insisted on spending a few hours every day working at the Talon, so she knew most of Smallville's youth.
"Hey Coach," Andy said, turning to Whitney. "Can we go shower now? School lets out in ten minutes."
Whitney nodded once. "Take in the balls and equipment."
"Thanks Coach," Andy said, jogging back to the group of boys.
"Girls," Alicia yelled. "Hit the showers!"
Whitney, Alicia, and Lana followed the teens into the building.
"Why don't you sit on the bleachers. We'll be out in about five minutes," Whitney said, smiling at Lana before going into the boys' locker room.
"Be right back," Alicia promised, going into the locker room on the opposite side of the gym.
* * *
"Lana, that's horrible," Alicia exclaimed, reaching across to lay a hand on Lana's arm. The three friends had moved to the couches in Alicia's office. "Is there anything we can do?"
Lana emitted a sad smile. "That's where you guys come in."
"Anything that you need, Lana," Whitney promised.
This seemed to sadden Lana even more. She turned large, searching eyes on Whitney. She took a deep breath.
"What is it, Lan?" Whitney asked gently.
"Both of you know how much I want a family. I didn't have a normal family life when I was growing up. Don't get me wrong, I love Nell dearly, but it's not the same. It was my dream to have my own children. To be the parents that mine didn't have the chance to be," Lana explained, looking from Whitney to Alicia.
"Right," Alicia agreed.
"I have to ask you something and this isn't something I can expect an answer for right away, and I will totally understand if you decline," Lana said, her eyes falling to her lap.
"Lana, you can always ask us anything, you know that," Alicia assured her.
Lana bit her lip. "Lex and I have decided to try artificial insemination, but we don't want to go to a sperm bank. We don't want just anyone," she said, her voice wavering. She looked up at Whitney. "We want it to be someone we know."
A flicker of understanding flitted across Whitney's face. "But you're a lot closer to Clark. Wouldn't he be the more obvious person to ask?"
"Clark can't. I can't tell you why, but he can't," Lana explained, searching for an excuse. "That's why I'm asking you. I don't expect you to have an answer right now. This is an incredibly big favor to ask of anyone. All I'm doing is asking that you consider it."
"Of course we'll consider it," Alicia told Lana. "When do you need to know?"
Lana felt a wave of relief. "Take as long as you need."
"Why didn't Lex come with you?" Whitney asked, looking at Lana.
Lana laughed, her eyes lighting up at her husband's name. "Actually I told him not to. He demanded I let him, and I said no."
"You told Lex Luthor no?" Alicia asked, a bright smile taking over her face.
"It was pretty funny to see. He started to brood, but you know how he gets when he knows I'm right. I knew that he would just make it harder on me, so he backed down," Lana said, laughing again. "He hates it when I'm right."
Whitney and Alicia laughed. "Well, I'm sorry to run off, but I have football practice in ten minutes." Whitney said.
"And I have volleyball practice," Alicia added, standing up.
"Alright. Thanks you guys for listening, and being such great friends. I love you both more than you may ever know," Lana said, smiling at her friends. She hugged Alicia, then Whitney before leaving.
"What do you think, Ali?" Whitney asked, putting an arm around his wife.
"She looked so sad. It must be killing her," Alicia said, looking up at her husband. "What do you think?"
Whitney ran his hand up and down Alicia's tan arm. "I love Lana. You know that. I'd do anything to help her."
"But would you do this?" Alicia asked, turning to stand in front of Whitney.
Whitney slid his arms around her waist. "I understand her reasoning. She's always wanted a family for as long as I've known her. It's not just about raising a child. She's dreamed about being pregnant and actually *having* a baby."
"I know, Whit. If you want to do this, I'll support you in it," Alicia said, giving a small smile to Whitney.
Whitney nodded and kissed the corner of Alicia's mouth. "Let's talk some more later, baby. I have to go drill some discipline into a group of hormone-driven kids."
Alicia laughed. "Alright, I'll meet you at the car after practice."
Whitney hugged Alicia and left to go once again to the football field.