Lori and Clark – The New, New Adventures of Superman – MMC V 6 32/32
By Ken Janney
Warning: This story is rated PG-13.
Disclaimers: The characters in this story are property of DC, December 3rd productions and Warner Bros. No Copyright infringement is intended. I have just borrowed the characters for a short time.
Previously:
Mid-afternoon the next day, Herb showed up with CJ.
As he handed CJ to Lori she marveled at how much he had grown and she started fussing over him. CJ had a somewhat quizzical look on his face. He asked, “Momma?”
Lori said “Yes, CJ, it’s Momma.”
CJ looked around and in an agitated tone said, “Momma?”
Lori frantically looked at Clark and said, “He doesn’t remember me.”
Clark said, “Here, let me.” Clark reached for CJ. CJ readily went to Clark and CJ said, “Dadda!”
Clark said, “That’s right Sport. Clark pulled Lori in and said, “Momma.”
CJ said, “Momma?”
Clark said, “Yes, CJ, Momma.”
Lori reached for CJ and he shied away.
Lori started to cry. “Oh, Clark, my baby’s forgotten me.”
Clark replied, “You’re younger than Lois was and you wear your hair differently. Just give it a little time. Think back. Remember some of the things you did as Lois.”
After a minute’s thought she said, “Let me have him. I have an idea.”
Clark handed him over and Lori lifted his shirt and gave him a raspberry on his tummy. He squealed in delight and put his hands on the sides of her face and said, “Momma!”
Lori pulled him into an embrace and showered him with kisses, and said, “Momma loves CJ.”
CJ repeated, “Momma lubs CJ.”
That’s right, “Momma loves CJ.”
While this was going on Herb pulled Clark aside. Herb reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of pendants. Herb said, “Each of these pendants is a double strength. On the reverse you will see a numeral two. That way you can tell them apart. Your family will need them when on New Krypton.”
Clark chuckled and said, “Right, history. Thanks Herb. New Krypton appreciates it.”
With an enigmatic look Herb said, “They may come in handy.”
“Oh, are we correct about the threat?”
Herb retreated behind his motto, “Too much information too soon …”
Clark interrupted and finished with, “Is not good. I know, but you can’t blame me for trying.”
Shortly after that Herb left.
After Herb’s departure, Lori picked up the diaper bag so that she could put away the supplies. When she opened the zipper she was confronted by a brown and white stuffed bunny. She lifted it out and CJ saw it and smiled as he reached for it. Lori handed it to him and he hugged it with both arms. When she put him down for his nap he wouldn’t settle until he had his rabbit but once in his possession he was content. That rabbit was his constant companion for several years.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
When it was time for the families to depart, the ship sent down some pods to carry what was to be moved to New Krypton.
Clark had a small capsule made of Plexiglas which was airtight and had an attached air supply and a small heater unit. They put CJ into this and carried him with them when they went up to the ship before it departed. When they arrived, Lori took CJ out of the capsule so that his siblings could all say their goodbyes.
Clark handed the extra pendants to Lara to take to New Krypton and then hugs, handshakes and kisses were exchanged before Clark and Lori left to return home with CJ.
After exiting the lock, Clark and Lori hung suspended in space as the ship broke orbit and they were able to watch it disappear into the void before heading back home.
And now:
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Epilogue
TTEMPO Headquarters 2342
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Herb stepped through the portal into the receiving area of the lobby of TTEMPO HQ. He looked around and saw the motto that he had insisted be posted over the reception desk. It was emblazoned in gold letters “Only Time Will Tell”. As he was stepping away from the receiving pad he observed agents arriving and departing and nodded to himself.
Herb took a tube to his floor and as he approached it his office door automatically opened for him since it was keyed to his bioelectromagnetic signature. When he entered he hung his bowler hat on the coat rack standing just inside the door. He said “Lights!” and several lamps designed to look like the gas lamps of the late nineteenth or early twentieth century lit up. He walked over to an old fashioned roll top desk and sat down. As he did so the chair actually creaked as it took his weight. He pushed a button on his desk and speaking into the air said “New document.”
A very human sounding voice replied “Working. Will this be a letter, or a journal entry?”
“Journal entry, Title … Universal Locator Designation - Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -120 CJ’s visit”
“Observations:”
“I have just returned from delivering CJ to Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -124 Alt-Prime. The time spent with Lois and Clark of Prime, as anticipated was basically uneventful. I was able to deliver a happy and healthy one year old to Lori and Clark. Taking the eighteen year old CJ with me when I went to pick younger CJ up softened the blow of losing the child as I had anticipated. Prior to our departure I was able to use the memory blocker on Lois and Clark. It should have sufficiently confused their memories of the time that they will not remember the emotional overtones of the time other than being happy having him. They should have little recollection of the time spent with the teen-age CJ. I was able to unblock those memories for Lori.
I returned the teen-age CJ to 2108 before returning the young child to 2091.
The mission was successful and everyone back where they belong.
End entry.”
“Recorded.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thursday, October 27, 2108
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%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Universal Locator designation
Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -124 Alt-Prime
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
CJ was surprised. Herb had just dropped him off at home before moving back into the past to return his younger self to his mother and father. It was still his birthday. In fact it was just a few minutes since he had left with Herb for his visit to the past, to the woman he could only think of as Momma. The trip had taken most of a day. It had been a day spent with one of the most important people in his entire life. Now, he was back in the office, but, he had not returned to his studies.
His siblings hadn’t returned from school as yet. Usually he liked this time because he knew he wouldn’t be disturbed by his brothers and sisters for some uninterrupted study time, but not today. Today was different.
He was sitting in his chair holding the book he had been given by his dad, running his hands over the cover. He hadn’t opened it as yet, but, deep down he knew that it was going to be one of his most prized possessions.
The visit with her and his dad had struck a deeply emotional chord and his whole being was still vibrating like a tuning fork. To a certain extent he was torn. He deeply loved his Mom and he knew that she was also Momma and he deeply love her as well. It was so confusing, they were the same person and yet they were different people. As it had been explained to him, Momma was part of Mom, but not all of her. There was more to Mom than just Momma. It was quite confusing.
Composing himself he finally opened the diary of his time with her, with them he corrected himself.
Thanks to Herb and the memory enhancement treatment he had given him prior to the trip the pictures actually brought back crystal clear memories of the incidents portrayed. Some brought a chuckle; in fact most brought at least a smile to his lips. There were so many pleasant memories to savor. He knew that, thanks to their thoughtfulness in preparing this diary he would never forget the time he had spent with them.
He went through the entire book, slowly, savoring every recalled memory. He laughed at some of his antics and cried along with Momma as he could see the pain mirrored in her visage. He could see that she was trying to hide it behind a façade of cheerfulness, but he could see right through that to the pain she was feeling. He knew just what that pain was. She loved him and she knew that she would be losing him, forever. He could feel that love poured out through the pictures. If there had been any doubts as to its existence they would have been instantly dispelled. He could never doubt her love for him.
Eventually he came to the last page. Attached to the page was an envelope. On all of the other pages, notations had been made with the pictures or narratives typed up and attached. This was separate. On the outside was a simple inscription in a feminine hand, “CJ”. He opened the envelope and extracted a letter. This was not written in the same hand as the captions. This was the same as the inscription, a woman’s handwriting. He started reading.
“My dearest CJ,
I am writing this while sitting in my rocking chair in your room. I’ve just finished feeding you and you are asleep in your crib.
I hope that when you are older you will read this and think kindly of me.
Herb never told us just who your real parents were. We suspect that it could be us, but, we have no way to know for sure. What we do know is that for now you are our baby and we love you with all of our heart. I couldn’t love you more if I had borne you. I hope you have felt that love while you were with us.
We really had no preparation for you. We didn’t have the normal nine months to get ready that most couples have.
To us, you were a gift from heaven. The day you arrived we had been told that we could not have children and also we were turned down for adoption. That news was the death and double death of a dream. Then you appeared and you were the fulfillment of that dream, a dream come true in flesh and blood.
As soon as I picked you up I just knew I was in love. This little miracle child had been delivered as an answer to prayer. It was love at first sight.
We had some hurdles to overcome, but, we worked on them and suddenly the hurdles were behind us.
Your presence in our family made it complete.
I had dreaded being a mother because of the example my own mother had set, but, then when I became a member of the Kent family and got to know Martha, the example she set encouraged me. It was her example that really convinced me that having children wasn’t the catastrophe I had always feared. That was when I decided that I wanted a child.
Martha was a wonderful role model and I really tried to follow her example. I think I was at least moderately successful because you seemed to be a happy baby and so easy to love.
I still don’t know if I will ever have children, but, if that miracle does happen and I do, please remember that I will always love you as my first baby. No one will ever take your place in my heart. You may at some point have to share it but you will never lose it.
I love you more than words can express and I always will.
Momma”CJ carefully folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. He closed the flap and simply sat there with his fingers on the closed envelope as he thought about what he had just read.
Softly he closed the diary and standing, placed it prominently on his bookshelf between a treasured copy of “The Time Machine” and a brown and white stuffed rabbit that showed a lot of love which he patted before turning away.
He said, “I’ll never forget you, Momma.”
The End
comments go here Footnotes:
1.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrangian_point 2.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Leche_League
