I’d like to thank Olympe for the story about what her daughter said about the stuffed animal. I’d also like to thank her for Tebby’s name. Thanks, Lara, for telling me about ‘The Golden Throne’. And I’d like to think Ann for inspiring the bit about Lara. Thanks to everyone who gave me input on the biological fathers. I’ve mentioned the JLA here, but I’ve changed one of the tenants. In my story, most of the members don’t know that Superman is Clark Kent. That’s not the only thing that’s a little different. The idea about the nanocrystals came from Andromeda.
Expect a wee bit of wham. This part is rated PG.
<Around words indicates telepathic thought.>
~Around words indicated Kryptonian speech.~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Part 36
Clark gave up on the idea of taking a nap. He did have a mild dull ache in his head, but it was nothing like it had been on Friday. Maybe that was because his overall health had improved. He walked down the sweeping stairway and then started to head towards his office. The doorbell rang. He wondered how someone had gotten to the front door without using the intercom at the front gate. He looked through the door and nodded to himself in understanding. He went to the door and opened it. “Come in.”
The man standing there, a rather non-descript, average appearing man nodded and came in. “I’ve always thought you were telepathic, but you never answered my calls when I tried to find out. I guess you didn’t want anyone to know.”
Clark shrugged. “I always came if there was trouble. I just chose not to answer anything else. You know the idea of telepathy scares folks. I don’t particularly want the public to know. Besides for the most part, I’m only telepathic with other telepaths.”
“Hmmm… Maybe. But I believe you probably don’t use the telepathy to your full advantage.”
Clark smiled. “I don’t know. I didn’t even know I was telepathic until the New Kryptonians showed up, so I guess it’s possible. I’ve really only used it with family.” He walked towards the kitchen. “Come on, I’m sure we have something I can offer you.” He winked.
The man chuckled. “Well, you know what I like, Clark.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A New Hero Part 37
Los found Marisol in the living room. She was curled up in a comfortable chair reading ‘The Golden Throne’ which was one of Clark’s books. She was biting her fingernails and was so enthralled by the book that she didn’t hear Los enter. When he cleared his throat, she threw the book in the air.
“Oh! Los! You scared me.”
He picked up the book and handed it back to her. “I’m sorry. I guess the book is exciting.”
She nodded and smiled. “Yes, it is. Your dad is such a good writer.”
Los sat down in another chair. “Dad. I like that.”
She batted her lashes. “I like the change in clothes. Red is my favorite color. What’s with the glasses?”
“Disguise. It seems I made an ‘official’ appearance today as Ultra Man. So now Los needs to have a disguise. I thought I might go with another hair color, too.”
She giggled. “Oh, I think with the glasses and if you only wear black as Ultra Man then you’ll be fine. I mean… you were wearing the black outfit thingy, weren’t you?”
He nodded. She swallowed and shyly said, “Father… Dad wants me to go buy a few clothes. Will you… go with me?” He looked at her hopefully. “And I thought we’d stop by the lab if you still want to know who your biological father is.”
She smiled broadly. “Yes, I do. And yes, I’ll go. Is this a date?”
“If you like.” He blushed a little. “Jon told me where the mall is. I’m not sure I understand what that is, but I know *where* it is.”
“It’s a big place with a lot of stores. You’ll see. Are we flying? Or driving?”
“Driving?” He shook his head no. “I can’t do that.”
She laughed. “I can.”
“Oh. Yes, I hadn’t thought about that.” Mari bit her lip and walked over to Los and turned her baby blue eyes up at him. He felt a little shiver and suddenly felt like his pants were far too tight. Oh, what this woman did to him. He swallowed hard.
Mari put her hand on his chest. “Ask you dad if you can borrow the car. I’ll drive.” Then she took his hand and said, “Come on. Let’s go find him.” Her touch seemed to almost set him on fire. He’d never felt such an intense feeling. He was beginning to understand what K’al had tried to describe to him about how he felt about Rya.
They found Clark in the kitchen. Meowoof was sitting on his lap and purring loudly. Los stuck his head around the door and as soon as he did, he felt a very strong telepath. “Cl… Clark… I.. uh…” He shook his head and looked at the man sitting at the table with his father. He watched as his father set a package of cookies and a glass of milk in front of the man. The feeling was gone now. It must have come from his father. “Clark, can I… can Mari and I borrow the car?”
Clark smiled. “Yes. Where’s Mari?” Mari walked in beside Los and nodded at Clark. Clark smiled. “I take it you’ll be driving. You can take the blue car.” He pointed at a rack of keys hanging beside one of the refrigerators. “The key’s on the Spiderman key chain.”
The man sitting beside Clark started laughing so hard that he dropped his Oreo into his milk. “The next thing I’m going to hear is that you have Batman and Superman key chains, too.”
Los grinned and looked between the two of them. “Batman? Spiderman? Who are they?”
The man munching the Oreos smiled and said, “Where are you from? Mars?”
Los cocked his head sideways and said seriously, “Mars? The fourth planet in this solar system? Oh, no. All the residents of that planet are long dead. Most of the people on Earth don’t even think Martians ever existed.”
With twinkling eyes, Oreo man said, “Ah, but you do?”
“Why of course.”
Mari giggled. “Los, I think they might be pulling your leg. The next thing they are going to say is that Martians really were little green men.”
Los was bewildered and looked down at his legs. “Why would they pull my leg? And yes, I believe they *were* green. But I don’t recall ever hearing them described as little.”
Clark was sitting very quietly and trying valiantly not to laugh. He finally lost the battle and hooted with mirth. “J’on, I’d like you to meet my son, Los-El, and Marisol Stuart.” J’on’s eyes widened at hearing that this young man was Clark’s son. Clark continued. “Los, Mari, this is my friend J’on J’onzz.” He started laughing again. “And he’s a big green man.”
J’on joined in the laughter. “Oh, Clark. I never knew you had such a sense of humor.” But then he thought staidly, <But then on the other hand, I can’t believe what you have just told them. Or at least her.> “Is he really your son?”
Clark nodded. “Yes. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you in a bit, but yes, he’s my son. He’s Kryptonian. Marisol is a Kryptonian-Human… or Krypterran. And you can trust them.”
J’on nodded. “Yes, considering that, I guess I can. And I guess I know why he knows about Martians. And she’s not your child?”
Clark answered, “No. She’s not.” He looked at Los and Mari. “J’on is the Martian Manhunter. And he really is from Mars.”
Mari’s mouth was hanging open. “I just thought that was a name. I thought you were a meta-human.”
J’on shook his head no. “No, I’m the real thing.”
Clark closed his eyes in thought. “I hadn’t gotten around to talking to him about it yet, but I called him in hopes that he can help Jon. He’s a powerful telepath.”
Los’ eyes were wide. “Yes. I felt it.”
Clark smiled. “You two kids go have fun. J’on and I will talk.”
Mari and Los nodded and walked out of the kitchen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mari started the car and said, “Wow. He really is from Mars. Do you know that his powers are nearly equal to Clark’s?”
Los shook his head no. “I thought all the Martians died. I don’t know much about them. I learned about them in my history of the universes classes.”
Mari smiled. “I don’t either. I know he’s a shape shifter, that he can fly, and I know now that he’s telepathic. Hmmm… How is supposed to help Jon? And… Did you say *universes*?”
“Yes, there are twenty-eight known universes, and it is thought that there are many more.” Amidst giving Mari directions to the lab, where they quickly took care of setting up her test, and then to the mall, Los explained Jon’s situation and Caitlyn’s plan of possibly using telepathy. As Mari pulled into a parking place, Los hung his head and said softly. “I understand all too well how Jon feels. I have the same defect and will most likely also have to have surgery.”
Mari touched his leg softly. “I’m so sorry, Los. That’s a scary thought, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “Yes. I think more so for me since I’m a healer.” He closed his eyes in thought. Then he smiled. “Well, come on. We’re supposed to have fun!”
She nodded. “Yes, fun. Let’s go shopping.”
As they were walking towards the mall, Los said, “Mari, who is Spiderman and Batman?”
Mari giggled and she began to explain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
J’on looked at Clark and said, “Help Jon? That’s your son isn’t it?”
Clark nodded and explained the situation. “Unfortunately, my telepathic skills are not well enough honed to be able to do this by myself. And Los needs to help with the surgery.”
“Los is a very strong telepath.” He laid his hand on Clark’s. “Yes, Clark. I’ll do anything I can to help.” He smiled. “Now how about some more Oreos?”
Clark sighed. “Yes, I’m sure we have another package in the pantry.” He just rolled his eyes. He grinned. His friend had eaten an entire package of Oreos and was now going to start on another.
J’on said, “Clark. How are you feeling? You seem to be mostly healed. But you definitely aren’t yourself yet. You’re still pale. And way too skinny.”
Clark shrugged and handed him the Oreos. “I’m still a little sore. Especially after being poked and prodded by a bunch of doctors at S.T.A.R. Labs today.”
J’on nodded. “Good place to be if you’re hurt. I got burned...” He shivered at the idea of fire. It was really the only thing that could hurt him. “… a couple of months ago. They’ve got a new doctor there - Dr. Kira. She was really great. I take it you know her?”
Clark smiled. “Yes. I…”
At that moment, Caitlyn walked in the kitchen. She kissed Clark on the cheek. “Hi, honey.” She nodded at J’on and smiled. She scratched Meowoof’s head who was now sitting on the floor trying to look demure.
J’on smiled and reverted to his normal ‘green’ persona. “Dr. Kira. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Oh, my! I wouldn’t have recognized you.”
He nodded. “The advantages of being a shape shifter.”
Clark raised an eyebrow. “And here I thought I was the only alien you took care of. Hmmph.”
“Oh, Clark. You’re silly.” She grabbed a couple of Oreos - much to J’on’s chagrin - then said, “I’ll see you in a bit. I’m going to go check on Jon.”
Clark nodded. “As I was saying, J’on. I married her.”
“So I gathered. Congratulations.” He took a deep breath. “So, do you feel up to a meeting tomorrow?”
“Meeting?” Clark shook his head, not quite understanding what his friend meant.
“Clark, I know you aren’t as active in the JLA these days, but surely you haven’t completely forgotten that we have meetings.”
“Oh, yeah. Hmmm… I don’t know. Important?”
“Well, they are discussing the new heroes, FireWind, Steel Lightning, the Purple Fairy and the Blue Pixie. I thought you might be interested. *Some* of the members haven’t figured out the connection.”
Clark raised an eyebrow. “That’s the Purple Pixie and the Blue Fairy. And there’s Ultra Man, too. And the White Tiger, and umm… I don’t know about Marisol, or K’al, or Rya.” J’on just raised an eyebrow. “Four of them are Kryptonians. The rest are Krypterrans. Ultra Man is Los. K’al is also my son. Rya is his wife. You’ve met Marisol. The other four are my kids Zared, Jon, Chloe and Claire. And then… the White Tiger is… Well, I might as well tell you. You can’t hide anything from you anyway. She’s Hannah Wayne.”
J’on’s mouth was open in shock. “As in Bruce Wayne’s daughter?”
Clark nodded. “Yes. Most people don’t know that she isn’t Bruce’s biological daughter. She is one of the Krypterrans. Her mother was raped by a New Kryptonian. And as for the *meeting*, I can understand everyone wanting to know about the new heroes. After all, you and Bruce are really the only ones who know who I am. The rest of them don’t even know I have kids. I can imagine that some of them would be shocked.”
“Yes, you are right. And I believe you and I are probably the only ones who know who all of them are.”
“Oh, J’on, don’t be so sure of that. I’m sure that Bruce knows. Remember that he really is the world’s greatest detective.”
J’on nodded. “Yes, I suppose you are right. So are you going to come? You know you might have to tell everybody the truth, don’t you?”
“I hope not.” Clark stretched. “I can’t fly yet, so I don’t know if I’ll come or not. Maybe. I’ll try.”
J’on nodded. “I’ll pick you up. Ten o’clock. And just let me know when you need my help.” He stood up. “I’ve gotta go.”
Clark smiled. “Thanks, J’on.”
J’on turned to leave and ran into K’al. J’on was now in human form again, but K’al stood back and looked at him with great interest. He cocked his head from one side and then to the other. Finally he said, “You are from the fourth planet in this solar system. I thought all of you were dead. You are a great warrior.”
J’on was perplexed. “Yes, Clark told you who I was a few minutes ago.”
K’al moved his head sideways in confusion then smiled in understanding. “Ah. That must have been Los.”
Clark came up beside them and said, “J’on, this is my son, K’al.”
J’on furrowed his brow. “I find it interesting that one twin instantly recognized me, while the other did not. Especially since Los is the more powerful telepath.”
Clark said solemnly. “I imagine that K’al is more schooled in the arts of war and who might be considered a great warrior. You see, K’al will be - really already is - the ruler of New Krypton.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
J’on had left and Clark sat in the kitchen eating an Oreo. Normally he could have eaten more than one, but this time, he didn’t feel like it. This idea of not being able to eat or drink anything he wanted was getting old. Meowoof starting begging. “Now, Meowoof, you can’t have food from the table, and you especially can’t have chocolate.”
“Meow,” she wailed plaintively. She wholeheartedly agreed with Clark’s sentiments about not being able to eat whatever she wanted. “Meooow.” Clark scratched her head and just shook his head no.
Zared walked in, and he was dusty and looked dog tired. “’Lo dad.” He sat down at the table, leaned on his elbow, and grabbed an Oreo. “Dad, did you eat that whole package of Oreos? Has your appetite improved that much since this morning?”
Clark laughed. “No. J’on J’onzz, a friend of mine, was here. Let’s just say he has a thing for Oreos.”
“J’on J’onzz? Have I met him?”
“Maybe. It’s hard to tell. He’s a shape shifter. The first time we see him together, I’ll show you how to know it’s him.”
“Shape shifter? Are you telling me the Martian Manhunter was here, and I didn’t get to meet him?”
Clark shrugged. “You can see him when Jon has surgery.”
“Surgery!! Jon has to have surgery!” Zared stood up briefly and then sat back down.
Clark said, “Yeah. He does.” He proceeded to explain the problem to Zared.
Zared sighed. “Gadfries, dad. There is so much happening with our family right now. It’s unreal.”
Caitlyn walked in and smiled. She sat down. “It does seem like when it rains it pours, doesn’t it? Once when I was younger, in the space of six weeks, I had to have surgery, my step-mother had a baby, my dad fell and broke his leg in four places, my brother and my younger sister were in a really bad car wreck and they both almost died. In the midst of that, we found out that my sister was pregnant. Oh, and my older sister got married.”
Zared and Clark both nodded in wonder. Clark said, “Yes, sometimes it does seem to ‘pour’ doesn’t it? How’s Jon?”
She laid her hand on his. “Uncomfortable. The catheter is really bothering him. But he’s okay.”
Zared rubbed his forehead. “Ugg… A catheter. I’m glad I’ve never had the pleasure.” He stood up. “I’m going to go take a shower.”
Clark was concerned. “I didn’t know you had surgery when you were a kid. I knew about the one you had ten years or so ago. What kind of surgery was the other one? How old were you?”
“I was seventeen. It was for the same thing - endometriosis. Both were just laparoscopic surgeries, thank goodness.”
“Ah, yes. I believe your doctors told you to get pregnant.” Clark smiled then bit his lip.
“Yeah. You know… About that. We didn’t use anything. And after my conversation with Hannah and Jon today, I realize we weren’t very responsible.”
Clark swallowed hard. “I know. I’d like to say I didn’t think… but I did. I mean, I knew you couldn’t take birth control pills because you have slightly high blood pressure. And I didn’t have any condoms, and I…” He pursed his lips and shook his head. “…I didn’t want to wait.”
She leaned forward and softly kissed his lips. “Would it be so bad if I got pregnant?” She bit her lip and looked down. She wasn’t sure how Clark would take that question. Then she looked back up. “I mean… I know you probably don’t want more kids.”
Clark swallowed hard and his eyes were wide. He was hoarse and said softly, “No, it wouldn’t be so bad, but… I…” He fidgeted and almost started hyperventilating. He had tears in his eyes, and he turned his head away. “I don’t know how well I’d handle it.” A tear ran down his cheek. “I… Oh, god…” He lay his head on the table and took ragged breaths.
Caitlyn said nothing, but she let him know she cared about his feelings by running her fingers softly through his hair.
“Oh, Caitlyn… I miss her so much.”
She said softly, “It’s not fair.”
“No, it’s not. And to think she knew.” He shook his head in frustration. “Some of the things she did make sense now.”
“Like what?” Caitlyn pulled his glasses off and handed him a tissue.
He shook his head no. “I don’t want to talk about it. Maybe later. But not now. Of course, you know about the videos.” He stood up. “Oh, god. Lois wasn’t supposed to die because she had a baby. It’s just not supposed to be that way. Mothers are supposed to hold their babies and love them and breastfeed them. Fathers aren’t supposed to take care of a baby by themselves.” Clark turned to the sink and splashed his face with cold water. He and Caitlyn both failed to notice that Lara had come into the kitchen. Clark stood up, and he had a mixture of tears and drops of water on his face.
Caitlyn put her arms around him and whispered soft nothings of encouragement. Clark said very softly, “If we have a baby together, don’t you die. Don’t you dare die on me.”
Lara stood in the middle of the floor watching these two grown-ups cry and hold each other. She understood the meaning of what they were saying. Her mommy - her real mommy - had died to give her life. She had her teddy-bear in her hands, and she dropped it on the kitchen floor. She turned and quietly ran out of the room. She found a place to hide and sobbed. It may have been the twins’ birthday, but Lara Kent felt like she had aged a decade in one moment of time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Los stood in the dressing room of Helene’s and was trying on a pair of jeans that Stuart had assured him would fit. He giggled because Stuart and Marisol shared a name. This concept of a name being able to be used as both a first and last name was new to him. Good grief! Was he really supposed to get these things zipped? Feeling like they were way too tight, he finally walked out to model them for Mari.
She clapped her hands in glee. “Oh, yes, Los. They are perfect!”
“I feel like I can’t walk!” he cried.
She giggled. “They will soften up in the wash. I like the shirt, too. I like all the shirts you’ve tried on. And the other pairs of pants. You should have enough to share with K’al. Go change. We should leave.” Los walked stiffly back to the dressing room. He just shook his head.
When he walked out, Marisol Stuart was telling Stuart that Los also needed underwear and socks. They had already picked out shoes.
Los blushed at the idea that Mari was asking for undergarments for him. He walked up beside her and laid down the clothes in his hand on the counter. He said shyly, “Hi.” Mari took care of paying for everything with Clark’s credit card. Los watched the whole interaction with great interest. Fortunately, Jon had called Stuart, so Stuart didn’t ask questions about them using the card.
Stuart smiled. “What did you say your last name was Los?”
Los started to answer, but Mari interrupted. “Kent. His name is Kent.”
Stuart nodded. “Oh. Are you related to Jon and Zared?”
Los nodded with wide eyes. “Uh… yes.” Stuart just smiled. Los and Mari walked out together. Los asked, “Could you pick out something for Rya? I mean dad said one of the girls could get her something but as long as we’re out...”
Mari pursed her lips. “Well, we could, but your dad said not to take too long. We need to be home for dinner. You said she had underwear, didn’t you?” He nodded. “Well, let’s wait. Maybe she will feel like shopping for herself in a couple of days.” The approached the car, she unlocked the car, and they threw the packages in the back seat. She looked at him and smiled. “Los. I really like you a lot.” Then she kissed him lightly on his lips. “I mean.. a *lot*.”
He took a deep breath. “Mari.” He wanted more. He wanted a ‘real’ kiss. He just didn’t know if that was quite appropriate yet.
On the way home, they stopped at the lab to check on the tests. He looked at the two results and quickly began the work to run them again. He couldn’t believe one of the results. He had to be sure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jon sat up in bed and pulled at the covers. He fidgeted and readjusted the catheter for the umpteenth time. Because of the swelling, it really bothered him. Hannah was downstairs helping with dinner preparations. He reached over, grabbed his CD player, and played the music for the song he had written for the twins. He went over it in his mind. He’d have to warm up, but he didn’t want to do so with that song. Not since the twins were home. He began to sing another song.
Chloe walked in his open door and said, “Hi. I hear you feel yucky. When’s your surgery?”
“Hey, sis. Don’t know.” He pulled the headphones off. “How did the trip to Rome go?”
“It was great.” She giggled. “Daddy is so funny.”
Jon chuckled. “Did you get to see Trace this afternoon?”
She put her hands on her hip. “Yes, *we* did. I was more interested in seeing Ben, though, seeing as how I’m Chloe.”
Jon hit himself in the forehead with his hand. “Darn. I haven’t done that in ever. I’ll never live it down.”
She hugged him and giggled. “I might forgive you. Considering you are sick and all. And hey, we do look an awful lot alike.” She crossed her arms and pouted. “Do you remember which sprite I am?”
He held up his hand and grinned. “Blue Fairy. Got it!” Then he became more serious. “Chloe, what’s up with Claire? I heard her crying last night. And that’s not the first time.”
Chloe shook her head no and looked down as she stubbed her toe against the carpet. “I promised not to tell anybody but daddy.” She turned and ran out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clark and Caitlyn were still holding each other when Jenni walked in. She picked up the teddy bear from the floor thinking it unusual for Lara to be so careless with her Tebby. She gently set him on the table. “You two lovebirds just going to stand there?”
They broke apart and Clark smiled at her. Jenni didn’t say anything about the obvious tears Clark had cried. Clark said, “I saw your dad today. He asked about you and the little one. How are you feeling?”
She shrugged. “Sore. But mostly really tired. I guess that’s normal after surgery. I saw my doctor today, and that’s what he said.”
Caitlyn nodded. “Yes, it is.” She rubbed Clark’s arm.
Jenni said, “Hey, I asked him about seeing an Amanda Sommers for my ob-gyn. I’ve heard that she is very good. He said that she was really hard to get into and that he didn’t think I’d be able to get an appointment. Do you think maybe you can get me in?”
Caitlyn smiled. “Ah, you liked her?” Then she shook her head. “No, you didn’t meet her, did you?”
Jenni said, “No.”
“Yes, she’s very good. She’s coming over this evening to check on Rya. I’ll ask. She usually accepts my patients, so I’m pretty sure she’ll see you. She’s really gentle, too. She doesn’t hurt like some doctors can.”
“So you see her, too?”
“Yep. I’ve seen her since I was in medical school.”
Clark said, “I wondered what her last name was. So she’s older than you?”
“Only a couple of years. I went to medical school later than she did.”
Clark nodded in understanding. He already knew that. He just hadn’t been thinking. He looked at Jenni. “Jenni, didn’t you have to quit your job altogether?”
“Well, I guess I didn’t have to. But it would have put them in quite a bind with me off so long, so I did go ahead and quit. They told me they’d rehire me when I was ready to come back - if they have any positions. And I won’t be ready for at least another month - maybe longer.”
Clark raised an eyebrow. “Well, you know that temporary job we talked about?” She nodded. “Anamarie quit today. Would you like to make it permanent? I know it would be hard what with going to college and having your own baby, but at least you’d be here. And it would be more laid back this summer. It *would* get busier when the kids go back to school. So how about it?”
Jenni smiled. “You don’t have to sell me, Clark. I’ll do it. What more could I ask for than to have a job that I do at home?”
Clark shook his head once. “Good. But I’ll still expect you to do a good job. No slacking just because you are my daughter-in-law.”
Jenni crossed her chest with one hand. “Cross my heart. I’ll do a great job.” Then she kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, Clark!” She grabbed a coke out of the refrigerator and started to walk out.
Clark took it away from her. “Nope. No more cola!” She pouted and grabbed a bottle of water instead. “Jenni, I hope you haven’t been drinking cola.” She shook her head no.
Caitlyn asked, “Anamarie quit? I’m not really surprised, to tell you the truth. She’s got a crush on you, you know?”
Clark shook his head. “So did everyone know that but me?”
“Probably, Clark. Probably. Your kids have told me that sometimes you are pretty blind as to how good looking you are.” She sighed. “So Clark, we didn’t get the issue of… umm…” She looked around to see if anyone was around. “…what kind of birth control we should use.”
He took a deep breath. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… if you want a baby then let’s not use anything.”
She bit her lip. “Well, maybe we should wait a bit.”
He cocked his head. “Well, we can use condoms, but Caitlyn…” He grinned and giggled. “With your age, maybe we *shouldn’t* wait.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “Just you remember what I said.” He looked up at the ceiling. “When Amanda comes over, we’ll ask her if she thinks it’s okay. Okay?”
“I… I’m not sure, Clark. But… we’ll ask.”
“Yes, we will. I think you need to ask about the cystitis, anyway.”
She frowned. “I’m already better. You worry too much.” Clark shrugged and walked towards the stairs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Los knocked then walked into the room where K’al and Rya were. Rya was curled up against baby Jonna, and both were asleep. K’al said, “Be quiet. She’s really tired.”
Los nodded and replied with thought, <I bought some clothes. I thought we could go through them together.>
K’al smiled, <Los, your eyes shine. What is going on? And how did you teach my wife so much English in one day?>
Los shrugged. <She’s motivated. She wants to understand what everyone is saying.> He started laying out clothing and tried to ignore the other question.
K’al was not to be rebuffed. <Answer me, my brother.>
Los shook his head. <It’s nothing.>
K’al picked up a pair of jeans and looked at them curiously. <You choose. I care not. You almost make me think that you are in love.>
Los separated the clothing but said nothing. He pretended all his concentration was on the clothing.
K’al repeated. <Los. Answer me.>
Los bit his lip. <Are you commanding me?>
<Do I have to?>
Los looked at him defiantly. <I like Marisol very much, and I plan on furthering our relationship.>
K’al stood up angrily. <When mother gave you permission to pursue your own relationship, she meant with someone from another ruling house. She didn’t mean someone who...>
Los interrupted. <…is half-human?>
<No! That’s not what I meant. That sounds like something Ching would say. Not me. She’s *not* royalty. You must choose royalty. And if you don’t, then I will choose for you.> He raised an eyebrow. <I believe Lady Edrika has an eye for you.>
Los thought vehemently, <Ching is not an honorable man! And I won’t marry that woman! She’s almost old enough to be my mother! I won’t do it!>
<You will if I say you will. And what do you mean Ching’s not honorable. He has been tough on us, and, and he expects a lot, but he is an honorable man!>
Los narrowed his eyes, turned and walked out of the room. He wouldn’t discuss it further.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The family was starting to gather for dinner. Anamarie walked up to Clark and muttered, “Can I have the evening off. I… thought I’d spend the evening with my sister.”
Clark nodded. “Yes, Anamarie. Anamarie, I’m really sorry that you quit. I wish you hadn’t. But I can see that you no longer want to be here. Your trip starts in a few days. Take the time off. Get ready for your trip. You have vacation coming. I’ll count that as your month’s notice. I’ll give you a letter of reference.”
She nodded curtly and walked out of the house. Clark heard her sniffle as she was leaving. Good grief. Was there yet another woman who was in love with him? Considering all the letters he got, there must be a whole bunch of them. How could a woman fall in love with a man that she didn’t know?
Jama saw her daddy and smiled. “I love you, daddy!” She gave him a big hug. He winced. She pulled back and looked at him with wide eyes.
“Yikes. I believe your powers are coming in with a vengeance, little one.” Her lip trembled, and he grabbed her in a bear hug. “It’s okay,” he assured. “I’m okay. If I hadn’t been poked and prodded today, it wouldn’t have hurt at all.” He pulled back and grinned. “So I take it my girl’s feeling better?”
She nodded. “Yeah. The cramps are mostly gone. Do you really think my powers are coming in?”
“Well, puberty usually does it. And you have definitely entered that world. And Chloe’s and Claire’s powers came at an earlier age than Jon’s and Zared’s - much to the boys’ annoyance.
She giggled. “Yes. I remember. You know what they say. Girls develop faster than boys.”
Clark grinned. “Well, even the boys developed a little faster than me. I didn’t fly until I was eighteen. But then maybe that’s because I didn’t know I could. I guess falling off a cliff isn’t the best way to learn.”
Jama smiled. “No. I guess not.” She looked around. “Daddy, where’s Lara? She was supposed to come see me a little while ago, and she never showed up.” She handed him Lara’s Tebby. “She left this in the kitchen.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. She has to be around or Anamarie would have said something.” He started looking around the dining room. He didn’t see her. He started listening. He heard her heartbeat - and sobs - in a corner of the basement. Lara hated the basement. Why would she be down there? He took off towards the basement to check on her. When he found her scrunched up in a dark corner, he reached toward her. “Baby girl? What’s wrong, honey?”
She pulled away from him. “Go ‘way.”
“No. I won’t go away.” He reached out and picked her up. He carried her over to an old couch, turned on a light and pulled her into his lap.
She started beating his chest with her little fists and cried, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.”
She tried to get down, but Clark would let her. He pulled her to him and held her tight. He rocked with her and murmured, “Now, what’s wrong, Lara?”
She started crying and sniffled. “Do you hate me?”
Clark was shocked. This wasn’t at all what he had expected. Life was always interesting in the Kent household. “No, Lara. Daddy doesn’t hate you. Why would you think that? Daddy *loves* you! Daddy loves you so much!”
In the smallest voice imaginable, she said, “But I killed mommy. And you loved her. More than you loved me.”
‘Oh, god. No!’ he thought. “Lara, where did hear this?”
“From you. I killed mommy.”
“Oh, no, no, Lara. You didn’t kill mommy.”
“Yes, I did! You said she died because she had a baby. And that baby was me. And you loved her more than you love me.”
Clark closed his eyes tightly. It was too early for this. “Oh, Lara, I did… and I do love Lois very, very much. But, baby, I love you very, very much, too. The love between a husband and wife and a parent and a child are very different, but I don’t love her more than I love you.” He wasn’t sure if that was true, but how did you explain this to a child? Your child? “Daddy loves you this much and more.” He flung his arms wide. “So much more!”
“You love me even though I killed mommy?”
“Oh, honey. *You* didn’t kill mommy. Sometimes… when mommies have babies, something can go wrong. Something went wrong *after* mommy had you. But it wasn’t because of something that *you* did. It’s something that went wrong in mommy’s body. She started bleeding more than she should have, and the doctors couldn’t get it to stop.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t my fault?” she said sadly.
“Oh, yes, honey. I’m sure.” And Clark believed that. Yes, Lois died because she had a baby, but it wasn’t the baby’s fault. “She got to hold you, and she kissed you, and she told you she loved you. The thing that happened to mommy didn’t happen until after - *after* - you were born.” He smiled sadly. “Mommy thought you were *so* beautiful.”
“But you said it wadn’t ‘sposed to be that way.”
Clark shook his head sadly. “No, it’s not. But that doesn’t mean I think it’s your fault, honey. I’d never think that. Ever!”
She grabbed her daddy and hugged him fiercely. They stayed that way for several moments. He rocked with her. She finally said, “I wadn’t ‘sposed to find out, yet, was I?”
Clark kissed the top of her head. “No, you weren’t.” He handed her her teddy bear. “You left Tebby all by his lonesome. He told me to come find you.”
She looked at her daddy solemnly. “Oh, daddy. He’s just a stuffed animal.”
Clark chuckled lightly. “Are we going to be able to go eat pizza and birthday cake with the family?” Lara pouted. Clark could hear someone coming for them. “Well, someone’s coming to find us. How about if I tell you a secret?” She nodded in excitement. “Jon wrote a really pretty birthday song for the girls. You want to hear that, don’t you?” She nodded, got down, grabbed Tebby, and ran up the stairs. Clark followed more slowly.
As he climbed the stairs, he rubbed his forehead and thought that he didn’t know how many more crises he could take. His family really did seem to be experiencing a high magnitude storm of late.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before Clark went to the dining room, he stopped by the bathroom that was off of the family room. He splashed his face with water. He rubbed his eyes and again donned his glasses. He turned and ran into Jon. He rubbed his hand down the side of his arm. “I didn’t expect you downstairs so soon.” He smiled.
Jon cocked his head. “Yeah, I wanted to be here for the little birthday celebration.” Seeing that there was no place else to sit in the small bathroom, he sat on the toilet. “I thought I was going to throw up, but I’m okay now. Hand me a wash cloth, please.” Clark did so. “What’s wrong, dad?”
Clark tried to smile but couldn’t. “Lara heard Caitlyn and I talking about what happened to your mom.”
Jon swallowed hard. “Oh.” He wiped his face with the wet cloth. “Was it bad?”
Clark nodded. “Yeah. But I assured her that it wasn’t her fault, and that I loved her very much. I hope she understood.”
“We all love her a lot.” Jon bit his lip. “I miss mom a lot. Especially right now.”
Clark hugged him. “I know. That’s why you tried to run away today. You wanted your mom.”
Jon nodded. “Yeah.” He laughed. “Do you remember her famous macaroni casserole? Oh, my gosh. We *always* had to eat it.”
Clark smiled and nodded. “Oh, yes. I definitely remember. How she ever came up with the idea of using left over macaroni and cheese in a casserole, I’ll never understand.” He felt Jon’s forehead. “Are you okay, Jon?”
Jon nodded. “I’m really scared, but I’m okay. I know you’re stressed right now, but when you get a chance, I’d like to talk about Hannah.” Clark nodded. Jon stood up with a bit of assistance from Clark. “But I think you need to spend some time with Claire first. Something’s wrong. I’ve been hearing her cry at night.” He rolled his eyes. “Man, I mistook Chloe for Claire today. I’ll never live it down.”
Clark and Jon walked into the dining room together. Chloe looked up. “There you are!” She smiled at her daddy and her brother. Clark looked over to where Rya was sitting and was amazed that she was actually speaking a few words of English. Everyone was oohing and ahing over baby Jonna. He saw Danny talking to Jenni and Zared. They must have invited him for dinner. Brook was gesticulating wildly and Jama was laughing. Ben had his arm around Chloe and pulled her close. Trace and Claire were sitting by each other but were still in the ‘awkward’ stage. He helped Jon sit down beside Hannah. Los and K’al were looking at each other leerily. He imagined they must have had a brotherly argument. Marisol walked up beside Los, and he turned toward her and smiled broadly. Clark realized that Los and Marisol were smitten with each other. Lara was extremely quiet and was talking to Tebby, but she wasn’t crying. Her eyes were red, though, and it was obvious that she had been in tears. Caitlyn was sitting at the table taking everything in. He wished his mom and dad hadn’t gone home today. And he was glad Ellen couldn’t come. She’d be clucking over Jon, and Jon would be a nervous wreck.
He smiled and clapped his hands. “Pizza’s getting cold. Let’s eat!”
After a few moments, Jon chose to sing his song for the twins. They were both very surprised and touched. It was a beautiful song.
They both got various gifts, but they were especially pleased with the gifs from K’al and Los - the hair color changing nanocrystals. Of course they were only pleased after being assured that the nanocrystals weren’t going to invade their brains and turn them into evil Cylons. After being wished Happy Birthday, everyone had cake.
Clark walked over to Lara and squatted down beside her. “How’s my girl?”
She smiled, “’Kay. As long as I know you love me, I’m okay.”
He pulled her to him, and they both tumbled to the floor. They both laughed. “Oh, yes, baby girl. Daddy loves you this much and more.” He flung his arms out wide again.
She hugged him back. “Daddy, can I sleep in Jama’s room tonight. Don’t wanna sleep in my room.”
He nodded. “Yes, I suppose it’s okay. *I’ll* talk to her, though. Okay?”
She nodded. “M’kay.” She got up off the floor and went over to Brook. “Wanna play?”
Brook looked up. “Not now. I’m gonna watch T.V.” Lara hung her head and walked away. She started to head back towards her daddy, but he was talking to Claire. She sat back down on the floor and started talking to Tebby.
Jon called to her. He patted the seat beside him. “Come sit with me, Lara.” She sat down beside him. “You want to listen to another song I wrote?” He put his headphones on her and turned the music on. She smiled. And so did Jon.
Trace wasn’t around, and Clark was sitting beside Claire. “Claire, honey. I think we need to talk.”
“Chloe told you, didn’t she?”
Clark’s mouth formed an ‘oh’, and he shook his head no. “No. She didn’t. But I know something’s wrong. And now Jon tells me that he’s heard you crying.”
She stood up quickly. She was turned from her father. “Trace is still here. Later.” She walked off.
Clark sighed. This was going to be a tough one. He looked up as Jimmy and Cat walked in with their other kids. He hadn’t expected to see them. Jimmy waved and walked over to him.
“Hey, Clark. We just came by to pick up Trace and thought we’d come in to say hi.” He sat down beside him. “Thought I should tell you that I… uh… told Cat about you, too.”
Clark rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes, Trace heard you, too. He’s quite enamored with the Purple Pixie.” Jimmy’s eyes got wide. “Oh, it’s okay, Jim. I don’t think he’ll tell anyone. To tell you the truth, I’d be more worried about Cat. Superman has had a run-in or two with Cat.”
Jimmy rolled his eyes. “Yes, I can imagine. But that’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Clark nodded. “Well… last year she accosted me and cornered me and demanded that I tell the world ‘my real name’.”
Jimmy chuckled. “That’s my Cat. She’s trying to win another Kerth. She wants me to partner the two of you so bad she can taste it.”
Clark raised his eyebrows. “We’ve worked together before. But you know I wouldn’t want to be partnered with her all the time.”
“I know, Clark. I love her, and she’s not the same Cat that she used to be, but she’s still very tenacious.” He stood up. “I’m going to grab some pizza and cake. Glad you’re feeling better. You look better anyway.”
As soon as Jimmy stood up, seemingly out of nowhere, Cat sat down beside him. “Mountain climbing accident, my…” It was a facade though. She was nervous and fidgety.
Clark interrupted. “Jimmy already told me, Cat. Trace did, too, for that matter.”
“Trace… He knows?" She bit her lip. “I didn’t know. Clark, you know… I’d never tell, don’t you?”
“Yes, Cat. Besides, I’ve got too much dirt on you from the old days.” He leaned over and whispered. “Does Jimmy know about the time you came to my apartment in nothing but a raincoat? Then of course you paraded around naked until you finally realized I wasn’t going to fall for your charming ways.” Cat reddened and Clark continued. “And does he know about the time that you called Superman for help, and ‘he’ found you in nothing but… nothing. And you didn’t need help.”
Cat said nervously. “I get it, Clark. You’ve got your secrets. I’ve got mine. Anyway, I just wanted you to know… Hope I see you back at work soon.” She stood up, smiled nervously and walked over to Jimmy. Her old ways really did embarrass her sometimes.
Clark sat back and watched his family interact. Los and K’al appeared to be arguing. He wondered what that was about. They were using telepathy, though, and he didn’t want to intrude. He watched as Caitlyn and Amanda and walked over to Rya. They both got up and started towards the stairs.
He walked towards them. “It looks like you might need a translator.”
Rya nodded. “Yes. My English… mmm… “
Clark grinned. “~Yes, I understand, Rya.~”
Clark took the baby, and then he, Rya, Caitlyn, and Amanda walked upstairs. Clark cooed and talked to his granddaughter the whole way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jon leaned over to Lara conspiratorially. “Hey, sweet girl. I need to go lie down. Wanna come visit for a while? Maybe you can help me with a new song. How about it?”
She eagerly agreed and grabbed Tebby. “Yes!” She ran up the stairs.
Jon was slow to follow. Dragging an IV and a catheter around didn’t make things easy. <Hannah.>
<Yes, love.>
<I’m going upstairs.>
<Okay. I’ll be right there.>
<That’s okay. You are helping clean up. I’m going to spend a little time with Lara. She found out about mom today, and she’s really hurting.>
<Okay, honey.>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amanda quickly checked Rya and told her everything was fine. Clark was there to help with translation but had kept his back turned until Amanda finished her exam. He didn’t want to be embarrassed again.
Amanda asked. “Have you decided whether to make the birth official or not?”
When Clark had translated, Rya said, “~We were going to ask you about it, Lord Kal-El. We haven’t done so yet.~”
“~Ah, yes. You can call me Clark. That’s fine with me. We’ll have to discuss some specifics.~” Then he turned to Amanda. He touched Rya so he could think to her in Kryptonian at the same time he spoke in English. “They hadn’t asked me about that yet. It’s fine with me, but we will have to discuss some specifics. I’m not sure using the House of El name is such a good idea.” They all nodded in agreement.
Rya said, “I... nap at present. Tire I.”
They nodded and walked out. Clark said, “So, Amanda, I think you need to see Caitlyn.”
“Clark! I told you I was fine.”
Clark steered Amanda and Caitlyn into the master suite. “Well, if nothing else, we need to talk to her about that other thing.”
Amanda shrugged. “I know you are a bit prone to cystitis, but as long as I’m here, why don’t you let me examine you. What other thing?”
Clark grinned. “Considering Caitlyn’s history, we wanted to know if it’s okay if she got pregnant.”
Amanda smiled. “Probably. Is that possible?” She shook her head. “Oh, good grief. What am I saying? Of course it’s possible. You have… how many kids? And most of them are half human.”
Clark chuckled. “I have nine… Well, no actually, Clark has seven, Kal-El has nine. Three are full Kryptonian. The rest are Krypterran.”
Caitlyn looked at Clark with love, but spoke to Amanda. “Amanda, Clark’s daughter-in-law, wants to see you. But I guess she couldn’t get an appointment through her surgeon. It’s Dr. Hows.” Caitlyn rolled her eyes and cocked her head.
Clark raised an eyebrow. “Something wrong with him? I mean, after all, he saved her life.”
Caitlyn furrowed her brow. “Great surgeon. Awful attitude. Not easy to work with.”
Clark nodded in understanding. “Ah. God complex, eh?”
Amanda laughed. “Something like that. What happened to your daughter-in-law?”
Clark sat down. “Do you remember hearing about the girl that the Mutilator attacked out in the country? The one that was saved by FireWind?” She nodded. “That was Jenni. She’s married to my son, Zared. That’s when he became FireWind. And she’s about four months pregnant. It’s a girl.” He smiled broadly. “And since you already know about the family, it would be great if you took care of her. I mean, I’ve heard you are hard to get in to see.”
Amanda nodded. “Of course, I’ll see her. I generally see patients Caitlyn really wants me to see anyway.” She looked at Caitlyn. “Get undressed.”
Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “I’m going to lose this argument, aren’t I?”
Both Amanda and Clark answered. “Yes.”
Clark said, “Aren’t you an anesthesiologist, also?” She nodded. He turned to Caitlyn. “Don’t we need one?”
Caitlyn nodded. “Yes. Amanda, are you still working as an anesthesiologist once every couple of weeks or so? I mean, you can still do general anesthesia?” Amanda nodded. Caitlyn lay down on the bed. “My step-son is going to require major surgery very soon. I’d like to do it at the lab.”
“Don’t you have an anesthesiologist there? I mean, I’ll do it, of course, but I was just wondering.”
Caitlyn nodded. “Yes, but he’s skittish about new things. That’s one of the things that S.T.A.R. Labs are all about. And this will definitely be different. We will be using telepathy to bypass the invulnerability and to keep from using kryptonite. At least we hope that will work. If it doesn’t then Los won’t be able to help with the surgery.” Amanda nodded.
Clark said, “It’ll work. The Martian Manhunter is going to help.”
Amanda looked up. “He’s telepathic?”
Clark nodded solemnly. “A very strong telepath.”
“Oh.” Amanda began to examine Caitlyn. “You are in good shape. No ovarian cysts from the endometriosis.” She turned to Clark. “She’s right. You worry too much. She’s fine as to the cystitis. These newer meds are great. You aren’t ovulating, by the way, in case you wanted to know.” Caitlyn sat up and began to dress. “Just keep drinking plenty of water. And for pete’s sake. Slow down.” She looked at Clark. “Didn’t you just have major surgery? Good grief, you two have must have been going at it like bunnies.”
Clark grinned. “Maybe. I didn’t think so.”
Caitlyn chuckled and blushed lightly. “Well, Clark. Five times in an hour and fifteen minutes... That might be considered… well, what she said.” She motioned to Amanda.
“Good god! Slow down. You sound like teenagers.” Amanda looked at Clark. “I guess there’s something to be said about being Kryptonian.” Clark shrugged and blushed.
Caitlyn said, “Well, Clark. You did tell me we should go slower. I guess I should have listened.” Clark didn’t answer.
Caitlyn and Amanda briefly discussed Jon’s surgery. They walked out and saw Chloe and Claire in the hall walking toward the steps. A look of concern crossed Amanda’s face. She looked at Clark and nodded towards the twins. “The girls. They’re twins? Your daughters?” Clark nodded. Amanda rubbed her chin. “Hmm…” She thought a moment, then said, “I can find my way out.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lara was enjoying her time with Jon thoroughly. Jon was always so much fun. He’d let her help write a song about Tebby! “Jon, I love you so much!”
He grabbed her and tickled her. “I love you, too, monkey.” Suddenly Jon doubled over. Blood gushed through his catheter. Lara’s eyes got wide. Jon reached towards her. “Help… Get help.”
Lara ran out the door. She found her daddy at the top of the stairs. He was in an embrace with mommy Caitlyn. “Daddy, daddy,” she cried frantically. “Blood! Jon… “
Caitlyn and Clark both took off towards Jon’s room. <Los. Jon’s room. Now!> Jon was shaking and wet with sweat - definitely in shock.
Caitlyn quickly examined him. She swallowed hard. “Is Los on his way? Has anything like this happened before?” Clark shook his head no.
Clark took Jon’s hand and squeezed it. Jon squeezed it back. He whispered, “Hannah… I can’t seem to… get her attention.”
Clark thought to Hannah, <Hannah!> He waited a second but got no answer. Lara was standing in Jon’s doorway squeezing Tebby hard. “Go find Hannah, honey.” She nodded and ran off. <Hannah!!> He shook his head. “Maybe she’s asleep. Lara will find her.”
Los ran in. “Oh, my.” He quickly examined Jon and used his ‘see-through’ vision on him. “Infection or not, the surgery has to be done now. This is rare complication.”
Caitlyn nodded. “We’ll have to do it at the hospital then. They can get it set up faster than we can do it at the lab.” Clark looked leery. “Clark. It will take a couple of hours to get it set up at the lab. They can have it done at the hospital in around fifteen minutes. Send somebody to stop Amanda. Call the Martian Manhunter.”
Clark nodded. “I did as soon as Los said surgery.”
Los said, “I know Zared is squeamish about his telepathic power, but I think he should help with this. We need someone - preferably a couple of someones - that know Jon very well to be with him. The Martian doesn’t know him that well, but he will provide most of the power.”
Clark briefly looked at him with wide eyes. “Is Zared a strong enough telepath?”
“Definitely.”
<Zared!!> Clark noticed that Caitlyn was on the phone to the hospital. He had sent K’al after Amanda. No one else probably would have recognized her. Zared came running in. He paled. Clark looked at him with fear and determination. “You’re helping with the telepathic surgery.” A brief look of trepidation crossed Zared’s face, but he didn’t disagree.
Hannah came running in dressed as the White Tiger. She had a short sleeve shirt on that looked like the sleeves and neckline were ‘torn’. The background was white and bold tiger stripes ran across the shirt. She had on leggings that matched with little black skirt over the outside. It was accompanied by a black cape. At the places where the cape came over her shoulder were barely noticeable black ‘bats’ like the Batman symbol. “I was in Gotham City showing mom my outfit. Man, Clark, I didn’t even think that telepathy would work that far.” Then she noticed the blood. “Oh, Jon.” She ran her hand over his cheek. He tried to smile but wasn’t very successful.
Los said, “Caitlyn, is the hospital going to let me do this. Isn’t there rules?”
Caitlyn nodded, “Rules tend to go out the door when it comes to superheroes. Los, you take me to the hospital. Zared, you take your dad. Hannah, you take Jon. Did someone find Amanda?”
Clark nodded. “K’al is taking her to the hospital. Okay, everybody needs to remember that Jon is Steel Lightning.” Then he took a deep breath and tried to locate his nearest Superman suit. He found one in the secret compartment in the closest and quickly donned it. He called telepathically to Chloe and Claire telling them to tell Jenni she was in charge. He suggested one of them go get his mom and dad.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the way to the hospital, Caitlyn asked, “Los, are we going to do surgery on both kidneys tonight? I mean normally that wouldn’t be the case, and I really don’t want to do that. I mean what would happen if he started bleeding from the surgery on the first kidney while we were doing surgery on the second? But considering the circumstances, it might be best to go ahead.”
Los nodded. “Yes, you’re right in both aspects. I think we will just have to wait and see how he does with the first one. The bleeding is coming from his right kidney. I.. um… hope he doesn’t need blood. We don’t have any for him.”
Caitlyn nodded as they set down in front of the hospital. She took a quick look at him. “Oh, good, you thought to change back to Ultra Man. The rest of the kids all have the same type of blood. I’ll call Bernie… or I’ll have Hannah call Bernie and have him get some. I’m not sure what type blood Hannah has.”
Los nodded as they walked into the emergency room. “It won’t be the same.” Hannah and Jon were already there, and nurses were preparing Steel Lightning for surgery.
“I take it you got the results from the DNA testing, then?”
Los nodded. “Marisol’s father is Drull.” He took a deep breath. “Hannah’s father is Ching.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
tbc
**I promise... The Martian Manhunter bit *was* not inspired by Smallville. It was already in the works. I started to change it, but where else was I going to find that strong a telepath? Unless, of course, I wanted to write Mr. Spock into the story.
