Mother's Day: Final
by Nan Smith

Previously:

"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."

**********

And now, the last part:

Clark Kent walked into his wife's hospital room, a vase containing an enormous bouquet of red roses in his hands. One of the nurses that he had seen this morning just coming on shift smiled at Lois, who was sitting up and eating the contents of a tray of hospital food as if she had never tasted anything so delicious in her life. "Here he is now. My goodness; what lovely roses!"

Clark set the roses on Lois's nightstand. "Only the best for the mother of my children."

"Wait until you've gone through a few sleepless nights with them," she said, dryly, but anything else was cut off as he bent to kiss her.

"I stopped by the nursery to see how everything was going," he said, as the nurse left the room. "Dr. Klein says that so far there aren't any problems, and he doesn't expect anything they can't handle. I thought I'd bring the kids by this afternoon, after Little League practice. CJ sends his love. The other kids were still asleep when I got home," he added.

"How's Martha doing?" Lois asked.

"Honey, this is my mom we're talking about," Clark said with a grin. "She's got everything under control."

"Of course," Lois said. "What was I thinking?"

"I also called your parents before I came back, and they'll be by pretty soon."

"Did you call Perry?" she asked.

"Naturally. The word is all over town by now." He chuckled. "Bill sends his congratulations, too."

"Bill Henderson?"

"Of course. He was at the house when I got home -- along with a young man named Alex."

"What was he doing at the house?"

"Well --" Clark found himself grinning. "It seems that CJ and Wyatt are following in our footsteps. They gave me a summary on the way over to Little League practice."

"Uh-oh," Lois said. "What happened?"

"Well, a little while after we left, CJ and Wyatt picked up on a distress call, on their special channel ..."

Lois remained silent while Clark gave her a quick rundown of what had happened. "Anyhow, we're going to have to talk to Bill to get the rest of the details," he concluded. "I'll get hold of him after he's got Alex settled down at his place, but if you're thinking what I'm thinking --"

"That Alex could be Arianna's special project," Lois said. "I've wondered about that project ever since we found the cloning facilities on Crescent Island."

"That's what I'm thinking. We'll have to get Bernie to run some tests. Alex looks literally like a combination of Luthor and me. It's uncanny."

"It sounds like we were lucky that she got impatient," Lois said. "She couldn't know that the powers don't show up until around the beginning of Kryptonian puberty. What are we going to do with Alex? We can't allow a child with Superman's powers to wind up in the hands of Social Services. I can just see some unsuspecting foster family trying to cope with that!"

"That's for sure. We're going to have to talk to Bill about it," Clark said. "He may have some suggestions. At least Alex is safely at his place right now. I felt sorry for Alex, though. He thought Arianna was his mother, and then once she decided he was useless to her, she was going to kill him."

"I've always said that she was as bad as Lex," Lois said. "Maybe worse. Lex at least kept Jaxon around so he didn't feel guilty about his circumstances. Arianna didn't care about Alex at all. That's horrible!"

"Yeah, it is."

"And now we have someone that is essentially Lex's son who is going to grow up with Superman's powers --"

"Maybe, maybe not. Bernie will have to figure that out for us. But there's also something else."

"What?"

"You could say he's Superman's son as much as Luthor's," Clark said quietly. "And if we're lucky, he'll be more like Superman than Luthor. Just because he has part of Luthor's heredity doesn't mean he'll be like him."

"True," Lois said. "And this time around we'll have some say in how he's raised."

"Exactly. I think that between Bill Henderson and us, Alex will have better than a fighting chance."

"I sure hope so," Lois said. "Do you ever get the feeling that the Fates have it in for us?"

"Often," Clark said, "but why specifically this time?"

"It's just that life seems to be getting more challenging all the time," Lois said. "I guess we'll handle this one, too. It's not as if we really have a choice."

"No," Clark agreed. "At least this time we aren't alone. We'll have help." He turned his head as his super-hearing picked up voices. "We're about to have a visitor."

A moment later, Rene St. Cloud knocked lightly on the doorframe. Clark glanced around with a smile. "Hi, Rene. Come in."

The Interpol agent was bearing a bouquet of flowers, which he set on Lois's nightstand. He smiled at her.

"I heard from my friend William that the long-awaited event had arrived," he said. "My congratulations to both of you." He turned and extended a hand to Clark.

Clark took it. "Thanks," he said.

Rene shook his hand vigorously. "I am happy for both of you, my friends," he said, "and I hope, now that Arianna Luthor is in custody, that there will be no more threats to your son -- or your family."

"She's going to keep on saying that CJ is her Superman clone, you know," Lois said.

Rene gave a somehow very Gaelic shrug. "Let her," he said. "Arianna Carlin -- Arianna Luthor -- will have troubles enough of her own in the coming years. The report by Bernard Klein of STAR Labs about your son will somehow become known in connection with her wild claims, and they will be quietly discredited." He smiled blandly. "When the sons and daughters of Superman appear someday, a simple statement by Superman of their paternity should be sufficient. Everyone knows the enmity of the Luthors for the Man of Steel. Their story will not be taken seriously."

Clark glanced uncertainly at Lois who raised an eyebrow at him.

"Luthor had a great deal to say about Superman after the affair on Crescent Island," Rene continued mildly. "Specifically in relation to you, Ms. Lane. I had come to know Raoul Desrosiers over the few days he spent on Crescent Island, and later, when I learned of Lex Luthor's Kryptonite ring, I recalled Raoul's strange weakness when my men discovered him in Luthor's study. It took some research and work with a computer to satisfy my curiosity, and, of course, I still officially know nothing. But you will, I hope, tell Superman when you next speak to him, that he has nothing to fear from me. He is, after all," Rene said blandly, "one of France's most honored citizens."

"Yes," Lois said, after a short pause. "We'll do that."

"I appreciate that," Rene said seriously. "Raoul was a master chef and my good friend. I wouldn't wish that to change over a detail that can be so quickly and easily forgotten."

**********

Epilogue

"You know," Bernard Klein said, "I haven't been to a Little League game in years. Not since I passed the age limit to play."

"You were in Little League?" Lois asked. Clark was careful not to grin at the tone of her voice. He could hardly blame her. Somehow the image of Bernie Klein on a baseball field was hard to come to grips with.

"I played a mean first baseman in my day," Bernie said. "I've tried to interest Frederick in baseball, but his interest is in Judo. I suppose I should be thankful that he's interested in any physical sport at all, considering all the time he spends at his computer."

Frederick Klein was Bernie's seven-year-old son. "Judo can be a good thing," Lois said. "All the karate I've taken has probably saved my life more than once."

"Probably," Bernie admitted. "I can't complain. Carolyn enrolled him, and he's surprisingly good. It amazes me sometimes. I never expected to marry, much less have two children. You and Clark set a good example for me."

"Glad we could help," Lois said.

"Strike three!" the umpire announced. There was a patter of applause from the crowd and a scattering of cheers, and Wyatt Dillon threw the ball back to CJ, who caught it deftly. The batter threw his bat to the ground and stalked back to the dugout. Clark watched his son rub his shoulder slightly as he waited for the next batter to take his place at home plate. CJ was being extremely careful to keep his pitches normal and hittable -- assuming that the batter was competent. He'd pitched the same way before his acquisition of super powers, Clark knew, and it gave him a surge of pride to know that CJ was being scrupulously fair, and that he had gained such fine control of his new abilities in such a short time.

"I know it's going to be hectic, but I can't wait until we can bring the babies home," Lois said wistfully. "I know they're doing well, and I'm pumping every day to keep my milk supply up, but I really want to have them at home."

"Well," Bernie said, "Lucille only has a few more ounces to go and she'll be clear to come home, and the other two are gaining weight steadily. It won't be long."

"I know -- but it seems long," Lois said. "It's been over two weeks!"

"I'm just happy that they're healthy," Clark said. "We've been incredibly lucky, when you think about it."

"Yes, we have," Lois agreed. She paused as Linda Lennox intercepted the grounder hit by the current batter and threw it to second base in time to take out the runner, finishing the inning, and the game. The crowd of parents went wild and Lois jumped to her feet, applauding. Clark cheered along with the others, all the while watching Lois. In the two weeks since the birth of the triplets, she had regained her energy and a good deal of her figure. No one would have believed that she had given birth to triplets a mere sixteen days ago. Taking her out to a Little League game where their son was the pitcher had seemed like fairly mild excitement for her, after the weeks she had spent lying on the sofa, but he thought she was enjoying it a great deal. As for him, it was good just to be going places with her again. He'd missed having her as his work partner, and now, even with the babies taking up their time, Lane and Kent would be going back into action again before long.

They waited until the crowd of parents had cleared somewhat before attempting to descend from the bleachers to the spot where CJ, Wyatt and Linda waited for them. As they did so, Clark saw a familiar face in the crowd. Boris Pilson -- or John Maxwell -- was approaching.

"Hi, Mr. Kent," he said. "I wanted to say hello, and to apologize for everything that happened a couple of weeks ago."

"Apologize?" Lois asked.

"Yeah." Maxwell looked slightly embarrassed. "I didn't want to worry you, and it never occurred to me that you'd realize anything was going on. I just wanted to say I'm sorry if I scared you -- and to tell you I think that boy of yours is a helluva pitcher. You should be proud of him."

"We are," Clark said.

"Is that why you're here?" Lois asked.

Maxwell shook his head. "Not exactly. I'm trying to get my oldest boy interested in Little League. He's thinking about it."

"Oh," Lois said. "Well, he could certainly do worse." Clark turned as he heard the distinctive sound of CJ's heartbeat. His son and his two friends hurried up to the group of adults.

"Hello, CJ," Maxwell said. "You pitched a great game out there."

"Thanks," CJ said.

"Rene says hello," Maxwell added to the adults. "He said to tell you that he'll be in Metropolis in a few weeks, and that he'd like to drop by and see you, now that the crisis is over."

"That will be nice," Lois said. She glanced at the children. "You guys head for the car. We're having take-out tonight. Pizza."

As the three children hurried off, Clark saw Linda raise her head and look searchingly around the crowd. Then the three broke into a run.

They exchanged small talk for another moment with John Maxwell, and then the man excused himself to talk to one of the coaches. Lois, Clark and Bernie headed in the direction of the Jeep.

"Did you complete that set of tests on Alex?" Lois asked Bernie.

"Yes, I did," Bernie said. "I already spoke to Mr. Henderson about the results. He wanted me to talk to you, when we have the chance. They were -- interesting, to say the least."

"Oh?" Clark said.

"Yes," Bernie said. "Our guesses based on his appearance were essentially correct. The child is almost a perfect blend of Lex Luthor and Superman -- except in the case of one chromosome pair that is entirely Superman's. The child is approximately 48 percent Luthor and 52 percent Superman."

"Why the discrepancy?" Clark asked.

"I'm still trying to figure that out," Bernie said. "It may be that they were unable to separate that chromosomal pair."

"Why?"

The scientist shrugged. "I'm not sure. They were the sex chromosomes."

Lois and Clark looked at each other. "Well," Lois said, "if you ever do figure it out, let us know."

"I'll keep working on it," Bernie said. "Anyhow, from all my models, Alex should start developing super powers about the same time CJ did -- a little later than the girls. Evidently Kryptonian females enter puberty a little sooner than males."

"I guess it's probably a good thing that he's staying with Bill," Lois said. "I'd ask him how he managed to swing that, but I really don't want to know."

"Neither do I," Clark said. "After Arianna, Bill and Sue are probably the best thing for him."

"Probably," Lois agreed. "He could sure do a lot worse."

They were silent as they made their way back to the Cherokee and the waiting children. As Clark climbed into the driver's seat, Linda Lennox spoke suddenly. "Mr. Kent --"

"Yes, Linda?"

"Remember what you told me a couple of weeks ago?"

"What was that?"

"The thing about sensing other Kryptonian-human kids."

"Yes," Clark said.

"There was one at the Little League game," she said. "I don't think he was one of the players, but I'm not sure. But he was the same one that was at the exhibition game with Eastside Elementary. I just thought you should know."

The End

PS: You have one name. The others will come in the next story. Suggestions, anyone?


Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.