I, too, had some problems choosing which FDK thread to post in, but I guess I agree with cp33. It's always nice to lure a lurker back.
This was another fantastic chapter! So much happened in it.
Eduardo had a source in the police department that had told him that Tony Rader wanted a deal of some kind. As far as she knew, his crimes were minor comparatively – conspiracy after the fact or something.
I think he should be punished for firing Lois and Clark just because his buddy Snodgrass asked him to do it.
I'm not quoting the explanation about how the secretary knew and when she knew, but I want to say that I liked it.
"Nice tie."
Clark's grin reflected back at her. "It's one of the ones my mom made."
"I figured."
Neon yellow was the color for the background and in front of it was crocheted stripes in neon yellow, green and orange. She tried not to shudder.
I sympathize with Lois for shuddering!!
"I can't believe your ex-girlfriend is going to be here."
"Lois, she's not my ex-girlfriend. We went out three times."
"Okay, fine. The woman who tried to get my husband to sleep with her a week after we got married."
"You got me there. She did do that, but she really didn't try very hard."
Lana really sounds like bad news to me! She tried to make Clark sleep with her a week after he got married, but she didn't try very hard? How nice of her.
Lois tugged the lid of the box off. "Oh, Clark, thank you!"
Inside was an almost new pair of jeans and a shirt.
So moving. Clark has bought Lois an almost new pair of jeans and a shirt, and Lois is so happy to have these used clothes because her old stuff is almost falling to pieces. He bought her new underwear, too, and they were brand new.
And I'm sure Lois is glad that it was Clark who bought the clothes for her.
One of the things that had surprised her was that he'd held her hand almost the entire time.
I just love this. Clark held Lois's hand during most of their graduation.
Hugs were given to Clark from everyone and Lois noticed that Lana held onto him a second or two longer than was strictly necessary. She also noticed that Clark held her eyes the whole time. His look was apologetic.
That Lana!!! But I understand that it is going to be harder for Clark to brush Lana off than it would be to do the same thing to Mayson. Clark lived with the Langs for some time, and he really owes her parents.
"Lois," Lana said. "Would you be so kind as to ride with my parents and Wayne to make sure they don't get lost?"
"Lana, honey, then there's no room for you," her mother said gently.
"Oh, I'm sure Clark wouldn't mind giving me a ride." She smiled sweetly at Clark. "Would you, Clark?"
Clark looked at Lois helplessly. "Ah... Lana..."
Stop it already, Lana!
But Laura Lang brought Clark his dad's wedding ring. I just loved this:
"I wonder if it fits." He gently took the ring out of the velvet lining and set the box down. He looked at the inside and read the inscription. "I'll love you till the end," he whispered. He stared at it for another minute and as he started it towards his left hand, he was stopped.
"Let me." Lois took his left hand in her own and, with her right, began to slide the ring on his finger. She hesitated only slightly before saying softly, "With this ring, I thee wed." It slipped on easily. "Look at that. Perfect."
Clark pulled her back into his arms. "Thank you."
That was perfect. It almost brought tears to my eyes.
"Five dollar buy in... Six people playing... That's thirty dollars. Perry, Jimmy, Clark and Lewis all bought in twice... another twenty. I'm rich!"
Clark leaned back in his chair. "Why don't you go play poker for a living and I'll just be a kept man?"
So funny! But I hope she made some money on that poker game! They need any money they can get.
"Deals have been struck all around. Tony Rader is going to plead guilty to four charges of accessory after the fact to rape. He didn't know about any of them ahead of time, but Paul had him fire you two, Olivia and a couple of others. He's probably guilty of about eight cases but his testimony helped with the rest."
"So firing us isn't in there then? If it's only rape and not an attempted rape?" Clark asked.
"Correct. He agreed to plead guilty to half the potential charges in exchange for information. Accessory to rape carries a stiffer sentence than accessory to attempted rape."
Lois and Clark both nodded. That made sense.
I'm sorry that Tony Rader isn't going to be punished for firing Lois and Clark, but I can see the logic behind the decision.
Dr. Snodgrass has, of course, lost his job. It turns out that his youngest sister had dated Smith a number of years ago and had broken his heart.
Hmmmph. I'm not sure I believe that Paul Smith is the kind of man who gets his heart broken by a woman. It's probably only his pride that gets hurt.
Snodgrass and Smith had been pretty friendly and Smith came to him about ten years ago with a problem. He'd had a sexual relationship with a student who was now going to file a formal complaint since he didn't want to make it a long term thing.
This really reminded me how different the laws are in different countries. In Sweden it would be impossible to sue someone because they didn't want to make a sexual relationship long term. If it was a relationship between two consenting adults, then the law can't do anything about it one way or another. If it was not consensual, then the perpetatrator should be punished for that, not for failing to make the relationship long term.
A Swedish university would not look kindly on a Professor who had sexual relationships with his students, because it would hurt the reputation of the university. The university would have to take action against such a Professor. But admittedly, twenty years ago, in the 1980s, I'm not at all sure that the Professor would have been reprimanded at all.
He swore it had never happened before and would never happen again. Snodgrass reluctantly agreed to help him, for old times' sake. The student was graduating a few weeks later and he thought that would be the end of it. There was no confidentiality agreement or anything like that, just pressure on the student of counter charges and loss of credit and failure to graduate."
Disgusting! They put pressure on her that she might fail to graduate!
"The next December, Snodgrass got another call from Smith, this time regarding a student who was graduating at semester rather than the end of the school year. Smith threatened to reveal his involvement in covering up the previous incident if he didn't help with this one too. Afraid for his job and his reputation, he acquiesced. And it went from there.
Snodgrass is pleading guilty to seven counts of either accessory or accomplice to rape or attempted rape and bribery. Your case is included in that one. He's also lost his job and his pension. He would have been eligible to draw money from his pension in three years."
Losing one's pension is a serious thing. Of course, Snodgrass may soon have free food and accomodation, courtesy of the law of the United States.
And Paul Smith has been harassing women as far back as in college. It's a good thing he was stopped now. Men like him sometimes feel the urge to use more and more violence against their victims, and in any case, they are not going to stop of their own accord.
In every student and employee handbook at UNT Met, there's a few sentences that explains that any verbal exchange on campus may be recorded for future use. The vast majority of conversations are not. The reasoning for it was so that a lecture could be recorded or a class discussion, things of that nature, for later use without having to get consent every time. However, since every contract signed by an employee says they've read the handbook and agree to abide by it, they have implicitly agreed to have any conversation recorded, with no prior knowledge necessary. Same for the application form for students. So the tape is admissible."
They can use the tape!!! Wo-hooo!!! Paul Smith is a dead man. (No, I don't mean that he should have the death penalty, but he certainly won't be able to get out of this one.)
Clark sat in one of the dining chairs and held a hand out to Lois. "Come here."
Lois grateful took his hand then sank onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and held her while her tears fell.
Neither noticed when Lana came around the corner, intending to ask Clark for his help with something. Her mouth hung open for a moment, then snapped shut and she retreated from the room.
That Lana!!! At least she can't possibly believe that Clark would ever prefer her over Lois, or be prepared to cheat on Lois.
You kids have done good." He raised his cup slightly higher. "To Lois and Clark."
"To Lois and Clark," everyone but Lana echoed.
"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but... Lana didn't seem too bad."
Clark grinned at her as he emerged from the bathroom already dressed for bed, but still toweling off his hair and upper body. "Told you she wasn't so bad."
Don't be so sure!!!
He noticed, for the first time, the package sitting in front of her. "What's that?"
"I told you earlier there was something I want to give you. You'll have to give it back; it's not really mine, but I'd like you to at least read it sometime." She fingered the ribbon that held the paper in place. "I'm still not sure I'm ready for this, but if I want this to work, I have to trust you at some point." She handed it to him without looking at him.
He climbed into the bed next to her and held it on his lap. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
He tugged on one end of the ribbon and the bow came undone. He unfolded the paper and pulled a book out. "The Amazing Adventures of Fairy Princesses Lois and Lucy."
She's letting him see them! I'm so glad.
But there are still many hurdles ahead. For now, though, I'm so glad that Lois and Clark have graduated, and that Paul and Snodgrass got what was coming to them.
Ann
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