Good to see a new part, Nancy!
Hannah rolled her eyes. “*That’s* my little brother Al. He’s ten and he’s a squirt.”
Call him Al...
Marilyn looked up at him. “Tom. What’s wrong?” As she took in his look of fear, she realized what he was wringing in his hands… a Robin mask. She jumped up. “Oh, *crap*! Where is he? How bad?”
Oh, damn! Little Tom wants to be Robin, but right now he needs help to save his Daddy!
Hmmm. Bruce is really injured. Well, when Nurse Nancy writes the story, we shouldn't complain if we get to see a lot of injuries.
She had her head on Ben’s shoulder. She loved the smell of him. She loved his almost emerald green eyes that she thought a girl could drown in. She loved everything about Ben Winters.
Oh, how sweet!
He turned to her and said, “Umm… Chloe. Can I talk to you about something?”
“Sure, sweetie. Anything. You know that.” She ran her hand down the side of his cheek.
Love her running her hand down his cheek.
“Well… I’ve been thinking… I mean.. Umm…” He blushed.
Chloe giggled. “You are so cute when you blush. Pink cheeks and auburn hair. What a combination.”
Irresistible!!
“Hey. You have red hair, too.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. “I.. uh… well… Oh, heck.” He ran his hand inside her t-shirt and caressed her breast.
Hah! She caressed his cheek, and he caresses her breast! Nice!
“I.. uh… wondered if you might want to… you know… again. I mean it’s been awhile, but… Hmm… I have protection this time.”
Awww, he's adorable when he's asking.
Chloe interrupted. “I rather thought you were the one that put the skids on things. I thought you were the one that wanted to back off, Mr. Ben.”
“Well, yeah. But… you know, it kind of hurt you a little, and I’ve been worried about that… but… well, now you are sixteen, and I thought…”
Hmmm. If he hurt her a little (and if he managed to have intercourse with her at all) then she can't have been invulnerable at that time.
And... now she's sixteen, eh? She started out when she was fifteen. Oh, well, I guess she takes after her oldest brother!
“Because sixteen is the age of consent in New Troy. She was pretty worried about you being only fifteen. I… well, you know mom had me when she was just fifteen herself, and she was worried..”
Chloe was a little confused. “That I’d get pregnant?”
“No. Her dad tried to get my dad charged with statutory rape. He was seventeen. The only reason he wasn’t charged was because mom begged… and because they got married.”
“You miss your dad a lot, don’t you?”
Ben nodded sadly. “But I know you understand. That’s a lot of what brought us together. It just… so much happened. You never met Micky or my dad. You would have liked them. Micky was so sick. He was in liver failure and we all finally made the decision that I’d give him part of my liver. And then… Dad and Micky were killed in a car accident on the way home from the hospital. And dad was stupid enough to not have life insurance. He should have known better. He was a lawyer, for Pete’s sake. Mom had worked so hard to put him through school - at the expense of her own education, no less! I’m glad she’s going back now.”
Poor Ben. But I wish Chloe had said that she misses her Mom, too.
She shyly said, “Let’s go to your bedroom, Ben. Your mom won’t be home until midnight.”
Ben smiled and stood up. “Are you sure? I mean… I don’t want to hurt you, Chloe. You know how much I love you.”
She kissed his cheek. “Oh, Ben, you know why it hurt the last time.”
They walked into his room and tumbled on the bed. He started to turn off the light. She smiled and said, “Leave it on, Ben. The last time we did this, it was in the back of your car and it was dark. I want to see things this time.”
He grinned and said, “I agree, Chloe. I agree.” He smiled appreciatively as Chloe pulled her t-shirt off. "Oh, yes, Chloe," he whispered huskily.
<sigh> So sweet.
“And… did anything else happen. Anything ‘weird’?”
Jon bit his lip in thought. “Yeah. Maybe. I remember I got a fit of the giggles. I couldn’t stop. Mary broke up with me over that - no great loss though. I giggled and giggled and giggled. I think that must have lasted for a couple of days. I got in trouble at school, too.”
It really was the red Kryptonite!!! (Poor Jon - but it would have been fun to see him giggling.)
Bruce nodded quietly. “Yes, congratulations. But I hope you aren’t going to rush into things. You are both very young.”
Hannah’s eyes twinkled. “But very mature. I think we will probably be getting married right away.” She looked at her mom. “And no big ideas. I don’t want some big society to do. I just want a simple, quiet, little wedding. So keep it quiet, okay?”
Hey, Bruce, Hanna is saving her innocence for Jon! Don't you criticize her for getting married early.
She nodded but seemed unsure. “It’s just… You scare me, Bruce. You are fifty-two years old. You need to back off some. Let Dick... Nightwing take care of things now. You know he was taught by the best.”
He's fifty-two, eh? I'll be fifty-two this year. And hey, Nancy, you have yet to introduce us to Dick Grayson!
“Chloe. I know it was dark before, but… you… I’d swear you used to be flatter.” He took a deep breath. “Are you pregnant?”
Let me guess.... (Fascinating development, though!)
“Well… I don’t know. I mean, just earlier this evening you were eating chocolate ice cream topped with pickle relish.” His look was one of disgust. “That would seem to be indicative of something like a pregnancy.”
She giggled. “Oh, Ben. You worry too much. I haven’t missed any periods, so how could I be pregnant?”
I think that really
can happen. A colleague of mine taught a twenty-eyar-old who was really overweight and not too bright. One morning she had some terrible cramps, so she went to the hospital. "Are you pregnant?" they asked her. "No," she said. "I've had all my periods." "Well, you're pregnant all the same. You can start pushing now!" And a few hours later she had given birth to a daughter!
“Your mom’s home. Get dressed!”
“She’s not due home for a couple hours. I don’t hear anything.” He lay back on the bed.
Chloe hissed, “I’m telling you she’s home.”
Did Beth Winters suspect what her son was up to?
He looked at Chloe with an odd look. “How’d you get completely dressed that fast?” She shrugged but felt unable to tell him about herself at this very moment.
Ben doesn't know about Beth's superpowers?
K’al has given us his blessing, oh, my Queen of Wheat. He will perform the ceremony of union. Maybe we can get that done before mother wakes up.>
Hah! They are eloping, Kryptonian style!
K’al smiled. “~I take it you want to do this now?~” Mari and Los both nodded eagerly. He raised an eyebrow. “~I’m not sure why you are in such a hurry, but okay… Well, it’s not a gold rope, but that doesn’t always have to be used.~” He bound their wrists together and then began to speak. Los began to translate the ceremony for Marisol. K’al droned on and on. Los and Mari were getting really nervous about Zara waking up when, finally, he ended with, “~I declare this union complete, its consummation sanctioned by the law.~” He smiled.
Elopement completed!
Mari and Los walked out and stopped in the hall. <He doesn’t know, does he?>
Los shook his head no. <No, he doesn’t. He’s probably going to be furious with me.>
I'll bet. Ugh.
Well, fascinating chapter, Nancy!
Ann
