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#27185 12/31/05 11:15 AM
Joined: Apr 2003
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Nan Offline OP
Kerth
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Kerth
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,380
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Mother's Day: 12/?
by Nan Smith

Previously:

"We did it," Lois whispered.

"We certainly did," Clark said. "You were amazing, honey."

"You always say that," she said, her voice a thread of sound.

"That's because it's always true," he replied promptly. "Go to sleep. You missed out on a whole night."

"Are you going to call Martha?" she asked.

"In a little while." His watch said it was quarter after six. The reality of the problems facing them would return soon enough, he thought. He preferred to stay here with Lois for a little while longer, watching her sleep and enjoying the relative peace after the last few frenetic hours. "Let's let everyone sleep for a little longer. It's Saturday morning."

And now, Part 12:

**********

"It's okay," CJ said. "Mr. Henderson's a friend of mine. He won't hurt you."

Bill Henderson stood quietly in the doorway of CJ Kent's room, observing the child called "Alex". The fact that he had been in Arianna Luthor's custody and also possessed the name of her husband -- and was supposed to have Superman's powers -- had already predisposed Henderson to certain suspicions, and looking at Alex did nothing to dispel the theories that were circulating in his brain.

The child was almost the image of Lex Luthor, with certain differences that were, in their own way, eerily familiar as well -- but oddly enough, in relation to someone else that Henderson knew well, and had many times trusted with his life. The curly, light-brown hair and angular face, softened by youth, was certainly Luthor's, but the olive complexion, the dark, faintly almond-shaped eyes and heavy eyebrows belonged to Clark Kent. The blending of the two men in the form of a nine-year old boy was almost surreal. Clark had mentioned Arianna Luthor's rumored "special project" in which she had been engaged on Crescent Island, and the fact that when the authorities had invaded the island they had found a functioning clone cylinder, empty. They had suspected for some time that the cylinder might have contained her "special project." If Alex was that project, he thought, a clone that was a combination of Lex Luthor and Clark Kent, the situation would have to be handled with great care.

"Hello, Alex," he said, quietly. "I'm glad you're all right."

The boy seemed to relax slightly. He glanced at Wyatt, who nodded firmly. "Mr. Henderson is okay," he said.

"You're not going to take me back, are you?" Alex asked.

"No," Henderson said. "Mrs. de Los Rios is under arrest and in jail." He ventured to cross the room to where the boy sat on the foot of the bed. "May I sit down?"

After a moment of regarding him cautiously, Alex nodded.

Bill sank down onto the foot of the bed. "Hi," he said. "I'm Bill Henderson." He extended a hand. Again a pause while Alex frowned at him, obviously trying to decide whether he was friend or foe. At last, he put out his hand.

Bill took it. "I hear Wyatt and my buddy CJ here pulled you out of a bad spot," he said.

Alex nodded cautiously. "Yeah."

"Why was she going to kill you?" Henderson asked.

"Because I'm useless!" Alex burst out. "I was supposed to have Superman's powers, but I don't!"

"Who told you something like that?" Henderson said.

"Mrs. de Los Rios," Alex said.

Henderson frowned. "Alex, whatever abilities you were supposed to have or weren't supposed to have, it wasn't an excuse to hurt you. Suppose you tell me what you know about this whole 'Superman's powers' thing. I should tell you that Mrs. de Los Rios is an international criminal, and wanted by the law in at least five different countries. She's not in any position to tell you or anyone else that you're useless."

Alex bit his lip, and nodded. "Okay."

"All right." Henderson frowned. "How long has it been since you had anything to eat, Alex?"

The boy swallowed. "Sometime yesterday," he said. "Maybe about breakfast."

CJ glanced out the door. "I think I hear my Grandma Martha getting up," he said. "I'll go get you some apple pie for now, okay? And maybe some milk."

Alex nodded again and CJ vanished out the door.

Henderson regarded the child with a certain amount of sympathy. He couldn't blame Alex for being scared, but he needed to find out what the boy knew. "Alex, whatever happens, we won't send you back to her. We just need to know why she said the things she said about you. I know you called CJ for help. You can use the mind speech. That means you're not an ordinary boy, no matter what Mrs. de Los Rios may have thought. How long have you been with her?"

Alex hesitated. "I've always been with her," he said. "I thought she was my mother."

"Did she treat you well? In the beginning, that is?"

Alex nodded.

"When did she stop treating you well?"

Alex shrugged. "A while ago. A few weeks, maybe. When she said that I was a failure, and wasn't going to have Superman's powers."

"Did she ever say why you were supposed to have Superman's powers?"

Alex shrugged. "She said I was special. I was made special, from part of Superman."

"Did she say how?"

Alex shook his head. "No."

Henderson nodded, certain things told to him by Rene St. Cloud and by Clark Kent running through his mind. "Well, it doesn't really matter." He glanced around as CJ came back into the room. "Here's something for you to eat. Not exactly standard breakfast fare," he added, eyeing the thick piece of Martha Kent's pie, "but at least it'll help fill you up. CJ, why don't you go tell your grandmother that we have a visitor?"

"Okay," CJ said. He put the glass of milk and the pie on the nightstand and patted Alex's arm. "Don't worry, Alex. Mr. Henderson'll fix things. He's smart." He turned and left the room again.

From somewhere, a phone began to ring.

"Are you going to tell Superman about me?" Alex asked.

Henderson regarded him thoughtfully. He could just imagine the things Arianna Luthor had told the boy about Superman. "Is there any reason I shouldn't?"

"Cause Moth -- Mrs. de Los Rios said he'd kill me." Alex seemed to huddle into himself.

Henderson ventured to rest an arm around the boy's shoulders. "Let me tell you something, Alex," he said. "I know Superman. He never even hurts bad guys. He sure wouldn't hurt a kid, no matter where he came from."

"Really?"

"Really," Henderson said. "Ask Wyatt here. He knows Superman, too."

Wyatt nodded vigorously. "Superman's cool!" he said. "Mrs. de Los Rios was the one that was gonna hurt you -- not Superman." He added, "She was lying to you."

Alex nodded, still looking doubtful. "Yeah, I guess."

"Absolutely," Henderson said. "She doesn't like Superman because he put her in jail a long time ago."

"Oh," Alex said. "Will he put me in jail?"

"Definitely not."

"Superman'll help you," Wyatt assured him. "He saved CJ and me from some big kids that were gonna beat us up."

It was obvious to Henderson that Alex was having some difficulty reconciling this new image of Superman with the one given to him by Arianna Luthor. "I'll tell you what," he said, "I'll arrange for you to meet him in a day or two, and you can see for yourself. All right?"

"Will you stay with me?" Alex asked.

"Sure," Henderson said, wondering what he was letting himself in for. Still, a boy with the potential of developing Superman's powers couldn't be left with the picture of the Man of Steel that Arianna Luthor had painted. "You'll see what we're talking about. Right now, however, I think we should take you out and introduce you to CJ's grandmother. She'll get you something more to eat and then we'll go from there; all right?"

"Okay," Alex said. He took a huge bite of pie. "This is good. Moth -- Mrs. de Los Rios never had pie this good."

"That's 'cause CJ's grandma made it," Wyatt said. "She's the best cook in the world -- except maybe for CJ's dad."

CJ stepped back into the room. "Grandma's talking to Dad on the phone," he announced. "Mom had two girls and a boy, and she's okay. He said he'll be coming home to change clothes after while." He turned to Alex. "Come on. Let's get something to eat."

Alex got to his feet, cramming the last of the pie into his mouth. "Okay." He looked back anxiously at Henderson. "Are you coming?"

"Sure." Henderson got to his feet as well.

Martha Kent regarded the group that emerged from CJ's room with a faint smile. "Hi," she said to Henderson. "I hear some things went on last night."

"I'd call that an understatement," Henderson said. "Do you mind if I call my wife? I need to let her know what's going on and where I am."

"Not at all," Martha said. "You know where the phone is."

Henderson patted Alex on the shoulder. "Go with CJ," he said. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

**********

Alex seemed to have relaxed a little when Henderson walked into the kitchen. He was seated at the kitchen table with CJ and Wyatt, working on a bowl of dry cereal and milk while Martha Kent fried bacon and eggs and simultaneously mixed up pancake batter. On the counter, the waffle iron was heating up, the toaster was toasting four slices of toast and, on the kitchen island, the electric coffeepot perked cheerfully. Clark Kent's mother might not have his super speed, Henderson thought, but she might as well have. She was definitely going to have to be in on any discussions he had with Clark and Lois on the subject of Alex -- and her husband, as well. When all was said and done, she and Jonathan Kent were the definitive pioneers in the field of raising a super-powered child. At least, he thought only half-humorously, if he was going to have to deal with this mess, it was good that he had the ultimate experts for technical advice available.

"Would you like some breakfast, Bill?" Martha Kent asked. "From what CJ said, you had a pretty early morning."

"You could say that," Henderson said. "The coffee smells great."

"The mugs are there," she said, indicating one of the cupboards. "Help yourself."

"Thanks."

He was sipping Martha Kent's excellent coffee a few minutes later and working on a slice of wheat toast, slathered with cream cheese and grape jelly, when he heard the front door open. Alex looked alarmed, but CJ glanced casually in the direction of the living room, lowering his glasses slightly. "Dad's home," he said.

Alex looked anxiously at Henderson, who nodded reassuringly at him. "CJ's dad won't hurt you, kid," he said. "From what I hear, CJ has a new little brother."

CJ nodded at Alex. "I've got three brothers now," he told Alex. "I guess I'm going to have to hide my rock collection again. Jonny used most of it for his slingshot last year, and I've only just managed to replace most of my specimens."

Henderson hid a grin. Superkids apparently had the same problems growing up as ordinary kids, after all. He remembered vividly the day his younger brother had broken the glass container for his ant farm and he'd had ants all over his room for weeks. He'd been afraid to tell his mom for fear she'd bring in the Raid while he hunted for his queen ant. Eventually, however, the inevitable had happened and the roaming ants had perished. He'd been devastated.

The door to the kitchen opened and Clark Kent entered. His hair was disheveled, his T-shirt was rumpled and the rest of his mismatched clothing looked like he'd been sleeping in it, but the wide smile on his face told Henderson the whole story.

"Congratulations, Clark," Henderson said.

"Thanks," Clark said. "I thought I recognized your car." He glanced around the table and his gaze settled on Alex. His eyebrows went up. "I guess something happened while Lois and I were otherwise occupied," he added.

"You could put it that way," Henderson said, dryly. "CJ will have to explain it later, but he, Wyatt and Alex here helped Rene capture Arianna. This," he added, "is Alex. He was Arianna's prisoner. He's an -- unusual boy."

"So I see," Clark said. "I'm glad to meet you, Alex."

Alex met his eyes and nodded. "I'm glad to meet you too," he said politely. Henderson guessed that Arianna would insist that the boy learn manners, no matter what else she tried to teach him. "Are you CJ's dad?"

"Yes, I am," Clark said. He looked at his mother. "Lois is sleeping right now, so I thought I'd get a shower and a change of clothing. The kids can come to see her this afternoon."

"They'll be ready," Martha said. She glanced at the kitchen clock. "Oh, goodness, look at the time. CJ, you and Wyatt need to get ready to go to Little League shortly. Hurry and finish your breakfasts and then go on upstairs and get into your uniforms. Clark, you can drop them off on the way back to the hospital."

"All right," Clark said. He turned back to Alex. "I don't know exactly what Bill has in mind, but if he wants you to stay here for now, you're certainly welcome, Alex."

"Well, we'll have to decide exactly how we're going to deal with Alex," Henderson said, "but Sue wanted me to bring him home after he'd had some breakfast, if it was all right with him."

Alex looked quickly at him and swallowed a mouthful of pancakes. "Yes, please," he said in a small voice. "I'd like that."

"Then that's what we'll do," Henderson said, decisively. "We'll have to see what else needs to be done later, but I think Alex can use a little peace and quiet for now."

"I don't blame him a bit," Martha Kent said. "Go on, Clark. Let's get this show on the road."

**********
tbc


Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
#27186 01/01/06 07:09 AM
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,217
Kerth
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Kerth
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