Mother's Day: 5/?
by Nan Smith
Previously:
Henderson's eyebrows rose slightly, but he nodded. "I guess we're all going to have to stick together, this time."
"Yeah." Clark nodded. "Let's not panic over it, though. We don't know what's behind it."
"If it's any kind of danger for our daughter," Sue said quietly, "I don't want to take any chances!"
"I don't blame you," Lois said. "We'll let you know what we find out as soon as we find out, ourselves, Sue. That's a promise."
And now, Part 5:
Clark took a seat next to his wife. "How are you feeling now? You were having false labor earlier."
She shrugged. "It's eased up for a bit. I can't say I'm sorry."
"No, I imagine not." Sue Henderson shook her head in sympathy. "I can't imagine being pregnant with twins, much less triplets."
"Don't even try," Lois said, a trifle grimly. "This is absolutely the last time I'm doing this."
Clark smiled faintly. "I agree. We planned on three kids, counting CJ. Jimmy was kind of a bonus, but I guess Mother Nature had other plans."
"Mother Nature doesn't have to spend the last four months of the pregnancy feeling like a beached whale," Lois said. "If these three have to be delivered by Caesarian, I'm going to have Dr. Klein make sure that this is it."
"I can't argue," Clark said. "In fact, I think it's a good idea." He lifted his head slightly, almost certain that he'd heard a voice, but realized a second later that no one else had heard it. It must be something that only Superman could hear. He listened, but whatever it had been was gone.
Henderson checked his watch. "Well, as interesting as this evening has been," he said, "I have to be at City Hall early tomorrow, so I think Sue and I should say goodnight. Let me know if -- or when -- our friends make their next move."
"We will," Clark said. "If you don't mind, Superman said he'd like to drop by tomorrow to speak to Valerie. And tell her to go to CJ if -- "
"We will," Henderson said.
"Clark --" Sue Henderson hesitated. "I know CJ is -- like Valerie," she said cautiously. "Was he premature, or something? He's at least two months older than Valerie." She stopped quickly. "I'm sorry. If this is none of my business, just say so."
Clark and Lois looked at each other. This question had been bound to come up, and they had thoroughly discussed how to answer it without exactly telling a lie. That didn't mean, however, that they had to tell the whole truth. CJ and Linda had told them some time ago that the story of his origin was no one's business but theirs. Linda already knew, and both children had decided that nobody else needed to know -- at least for now, and maybe never. The seriousness with which they had approached the matter had startled Clark, and at the same time reassured him. Linda was already watching out for CJ's welfare. It looked as if his first hunch had been correct. Linda was almost certainly destined to become part of the Kent clan a few years down the line -- which wasn't a bad thing, he thought. If he had met Lois when they were both younger, they might not have had to go through so much before they had finally gotten together.
"Um -- well," Clark said carefully, "I'm afraid we misled everyone about CJ in order to protect him. CJ is a full Kryptonian, not a hybrid. Apparently he's a close relative of Superman's."
"I don't understand," Sue said, "but he does kind of look like Superman, now that you mention it."
"Kryptonians apparently have some very strange customs," Martha said, calmly. "At least by our standards. From what we understand, CJ is actually Superman's sibling. Younger, of course. There was some talk of stasis chambers and so forth. I didn't understand it all."
"Could CJ have been left for Superman by the New Kryptonians -- maybe an embryo that had been frozen to be revived later?" Sue wondered. "I know infertile couples sometimes do that kind of thing."
Lois shrugged. "We weren't given much in the way of details, and at the time we were too thankful to have a child to ask questions. Anyhow, CJ has asked us not to talk about what we do know."
"I guess I can understand that," Sue remarked. "No child wants to be different."
"Maybe that was how so many of them were saved from Krypton's explosion," Henderson said.
"It could be. I guess we'll never be able to ask them, now." Sue gave a tiny shrug. "It's just as well. Some of them were all right, but Nor's followers --" She broke off, and Clark noticed that Henderson had clasped her hand. She smiled at him. "It's all right, Bill. It was a long time ago, and if it hadn't happened, we wouldn't have Valerie."
Her husband nodded, looking a little grim. "I wouldn't want to give her up," he said. "But I didn't cry when Cash's crowd gassed Jen Mai and the others."
"I don't think any of us did," Lois said. "That was probably the only useful thing he ever did in his life."
"Anyway," Clark said, feeling that a change of subject was a good idea, "the less said about it, the better. Kryptonians are telepathic, so CJ can call Superman for help if Valerie needs it."
"I remember something about that," Henderson said. "That's convenient." Again, he glanced at his watch. "We'd better go. I guess I'll probably see you tomorrow, Clark. I have to appear at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the afternoon. Hizzoner has the flu."
Another voice was speaking softly, not far away, but it didn't sound alarmed. He must, Clark thought, be picking up a conversation in the townhouse next door, and wondered for a second why his super-hearing had kicked in. Another voice spoke, louder than the first, and suddenly he had to restrain himself from jumping to his feet. That had been Linda Lennox's voice, and he wasn't hearing it with his ears.
**********
"This is really weird," Wyatt said.
CJ had to agree. After Wyatt had touched them while trying to talk to them with telepathy, CJ had been able to hear him, and so had Linda. It was like they were all suddenly on the same channel or something. Marta could still hear him much more clearly than CJ and Linda could, but Wyatt's "voice" was getting louder all the time.
He pushed forward one of the boxes that his parents had placed here for storage and took a seat on it, facing the other three. Linda looked up at the roof over their heads. "Do you think we're far enough away?" she asked.
CJ shrugged eloquently. "How do I know? Dad heard me this afternoon while I was here and he was at work, but maybe that was because I was thinking *at* him."
"The only thing we can do," Marta said, "is to try to think just at each other. Besides, they're playing a videogame. They probably won't even notice."
That, of course, was true, CJ thought. Jonny and Jimmy had been known to miss calls for dinner when they were absorbed in a videogame. It really irritated his mom, although he had seen her do the same thing when she was working on a story.
"Maybe they won't," he agreed, cautiously. "Come on. We don't have much time. Wyatt, think at me. See if I can still hear you."
*Okay,* Wyatt's voice said immediately in his head. His voice was soft, more like a loud whisper than an actual voice, but it was definitely louder than it had been upstairs.
*Hey!* Linda said, *I *heard* that! Way to go, Wyatt!*
Marta had a wide grin on her face. *I *knew* Wyatt could do it!" she said smugly. "He just had to figure out how to tune in to the rest of us!* She and Wyatt exchanged a grin. *This is great! I wonder how far apart we can be and still hear each other."
"We'll have to figure that out later," CJ said, checking his watch. It was a Batman watch, with the Caped Crusader peering menacingly out of the watch's face at him, and the eyes glowed in the dark. The effect was satisfyingly scary. "It's almost time for Dad to drive Wyatt home, and I think I hear your mom's car," he added to Linda.
Linda nodded. "That's it, all right. Mom says she has to get the muffler fixed. I guess we'd better go upstairs."
They emerged from the basement door in time to hear Mr. Henderson and his wife saying good night. CJ heard the door open, and then the voices of the adults as Linda's mother was introduced to Mrs. Henderson.
"Good night, Clark," Henderson said. "I'll let you know if I find anything useful."
"Thanks," Clark said. "I'll tell CJ what we've arranged about Valerie."
CJ pushed open the kitchen door and let Linda through ahead of him. Such courtesy, of course, wasn't necessary for his sister, but he held it for Marta and Wyatt anyway, since he figured his dad would give him one of his disapproving looks if he let it close in Marta's face.
"There they are," Martha Kent said. "Right on time."
Caroline Lennox smiled at them. "I'm sorry I'm so late," she said, turning to CJ's parents. "I was held up by a couple of last-minute clients."
"That's all right," Clark said. "Better get your stuff, Wyatt. I'm going to drive you home in a minute."
"Okay, Mr. Kent," Wyatt said. "It's up in CJ's room. I'll be right back."
"Hello, CJ," Carolyn said, turning to him.
CJ gave her his best smile. "Hello, Ms. Lennox," he said, politely. It always struck him as funny that Linda's mother was barely taller than Linda, and that at nearly eleven, he was the same height as she was.
Carolyn smiled at the four of them. "I hope you all had a good time. Better go get your school things and we'll go, Linda."
"Okay, Mom." Linda ran up the stairs, passing Wyatt who was headed back down.
"I'm ready. Mr. Kent," Wyatt said.
"Okay, then, come on." CJ's father motioned him toward the door. Wyatt glanced over his shoulder at CJ and Marta.
"See you tomorrow," he said.
*I'll meet you in front of your apartment house,* CJ said.
*Okay,* Wyatt said. Clark gave him an odd look and then looked back at CJ and Marta.
"You two go get ready for bed, but don't go to sleep before I get back," he said. "I need to talk to you about a couple of things."
"Sure," CJ said.
Clark turned to Linda's mother. "Before you go, Lois needs to have a word with you. There's been a small complication that's come up about the kids, and you need to know what's happening."
"Oh?" Carolyn asked.
"We're checking it out, and Superman is on it, too, but we want to keep you in the loop," Clark said. "I'll be back in a few minutes and I'll try to answer any questions you might have that Lois can't -- if any," he added. "Come on, Wyatt."
"All right," Carolyn said.
Linda was coming back down the stairs. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said to CJ.
"Why don't you, CJ and Marta sit down in the living room," Clark added. "You three need to know what's happening, too. I'll fill Wyatt in on the way home."
"Okay," CJ said. "Come on, guys."
**********
Wyatt and Clark walked out to the Cherokee and Clark unlocked the passenger door for the child. He was still a little stunned at what had happened back there. He had heard CJ casually communicating with Wyatt, indisputably a human boy, by telepathy. There had been a few cases in his long relationship with Lois that the two of them had communicated in such a fashion, so he knew it was possible, but it had never been a regular thing, and had only occurred under stress. It was obvious that the children had gone much farther with the ability than he and Lois ever had. Could he and Lois have done more with it if they had made an effort, or could it be because the children were so young, and more adaptable than the adults?
He got into the driver's seat while Wyatt was fastening his safety belt, and started the engine. "All fastened in?" he asked.
"Uh huh," Wyatt said.
Clark glanced over his shoulder and pulled out onto the dark street. "I guess you guys figured out something this evening," Clark said. "I heard you talking to CJ in there."
Wyatt nodded. "Yeah. It's pretty cool."
"Yeah, it is," Clark said. "I guess I don't have to tell you not to talk about it to anybody else, do I?"
Wyatt shook his head. "'Course not."
*Can you hear me, now?* he asked.
*Sure.* Wyatt's mental voice was like a soft whisper in his brain. Not as loud or clear as CJ's had been, but the boy was definitely talking to him.
"That's amazing," he said. "I knew Kryptonians could communicate with each other with their thoughts, but I didn't know regular Earth people could, too. How did you learn?"
"I couldn't, right away," Wyatt said, candidly, "except for Marta. I could hear her without any trouble."
If Clark hadn't been paying close attention to his driving, he might have gone off the road at that remark. "Marta?" he asked, keeping his voice level with an effort.
"Sure," Wyatt said.
"I see," he said, and he thought he did. "Want to tell me how it happened?"
"Sure," Wyatt said, and went on to explain what had happened up in the playroom. Clark drove without speaking until the boy finished.
"You know, Wyatt," he said, "you're the first Earth person to be able to do that, as far as I know. I've communicated with my wife a few times, but never like you kids have managed."
"Yeah?" Wyatt said. "That's good, isn't it?"
"I think so," Clark said. "If any of you ever get into trouble, you might be able to call CJ or Marta for help."
"Yeah," Wyatt said. "We were thinking about that. Is Coach Pilson part of those Bureau 39 guys, Mr. Kent?"
"We don't know yet," Clark said. "Mr. Henderson and Mr. Olsen are helping me to try to find out. You be careful around him, Wyatt. We don't know what he's up to, but if he finds out what you can do, it could be dangerous for you."
"Yeah," Wyatt said. "I'm not gonna tell anybody. The kids think I'm kinda weird anyway, 'cause I get good grades and got jumped ahead a grade. The only reason I don't get picked on anymore is 'cause I'm friends with CJ. And 'cause I'm the team's best catcher," he added. "Nobody else can catch for CJ like me."
Clark grinned at the boy's complete lack of modesty, although he didn't blame Wyatt. "Well, if anybody knew, they might guess about CJ and Marta and the rest of us, too," he said. "That mustn't happen."
"Yeah," Wyatt said. "I won't say anything, but I'm gonna practice this until I'm as good at it as the others. It's kinda cool to be able to talk to somebody and nobody else knows it."
"I guess it is," Clark agreed. "I want you to do something for me, if you would."
"Sure," Wyatt said.
"After I've dropped you off at home, I want you to wait for half an hour and try to call me. I want to see if this works at a distance. If I don't answer you, try to call Marta. Okay?"
"Okay," Wyatt said.
"As for what's going on now, after Mr. Henderson's guards chased Coach Pilson away, I followed him," Clark said. "I overheard him reporting to someone by cell phone. The other person said something about thinking CJ was one of the Kryptonian kids, so they're trying to decide if he is. If Coach Pilson tries to get him alone -- or if anyone else at school does -- I'd like you to try to watch where they go, and call me -- but *don't* let anyone know what you're doing. I don't want you getting in trouble, too."
"Okay," Wyatt said. "I can do that."
**********
tbc
