by Starsky Hutch 76 and LadyObie33
Las Vegas, Nevada:
“You’re lookin’ beautiful, Mrs. Grant,” Ted Grant said as Irina stepped out of the bathroom in the new négligée she had bought for their wedding night. “Just like the day I met you.”
“The day you met me, you never saw me in anything like this,” she laughed.
“Good thing, too,” he said, raising up out of bed. “Otherwise, I might not’ve been able to keep my hands off of you. I wouldn’t a’ wanted to scare you off.”
“How do you know I would’ve been scared off?” she said, climbing onto the bed.
Ted gave a hearty laugh as he pulled her to him. “What’s wrong?” he said as he saw her expression change.
“I was just thinking of all the years we’ve wasted,” she said sadly.
“We’ve got all those years back now,” he said, “and a whole lot more. From where I’m standing, the future’s looking pretty bright.” He reached over and switched off the lamp, then pulled her closer.
***
“Do I look like I’m showing?” said Molly Scott, looking at herself sideways in the full-length mirror.
“I think you’ve never looked more beautiful,” said Alan Scott, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
“I bet you say that to all the girls you knock up,” she teased.
“Ouch!” he laughed. “Though you have a point. The family sure does seem to be growing. We go to reveal to the kids that they may have a new brother or sister, and then they spring a surprise of their own on me. Yet another possible full-grown daughter.” (*)
[(*) Editor’s note: See Showcase: Jade and Obsidian: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.]
“You are one fertile man, Mr. Scott,” Molly said. She looked down at her middle, which as yet showed little signs of her pregnancy. “It must have happened shortly after we regained our youth.”
“It must have,” he agreed.
“Speaking of newly fertile territory,” she said, reaching up to neaten his hair with her fingers, “it looks like you’re finally due for a haircut. You’re starting to look pretty shaggy.”
“I’m just glad to have a full head of hair again,” he said. “Not that I minded a smooth head for a little while before I became a youngster again. (*) You’re getting in some nice locks, too, there.”
[(*) Editor’s note: See Green Lantern: Emerald Renaissance.]
“I’ll let it keep growing a while,” she said. “I can’t get into some of these short styles these younger women are wearing.”
“You’re one of those younger women now,” Alan laughed.
“Believe me,” Molly said, looking down at her middle again. “I don’t need reminding.”
***
“Hi, honey. How’d it go?” Joan Garrick asked her husband as he walked in the door. She noticed his hangdog expression and said, “Uh-oh. He didn’t blow up anything we can’t afford this time, did he?”
“It’s nothing like that,” Jay said. “They want to double promote him again.”
“Oh…” Joan said. “I… I suppose we should be happy for him. Every parent should be happy for their child’s success.”
“But you have the same doubts I do, don’t you?” said Jay. “I can see it in your eyes.”
“Well, of course I do, Jay,” Joan said. “The poor boy’s just turned thirteen years old. He should be in middle school with children his own age. And now they’re going to promote him again? How will he ever learn to fit in?”
“I know,” Jay said. “But the teacher I talked to made some good points. If we don’t let him do this, the chances of him getting a real education from this point are nonexistent.”
“Oh, dear,” Joan said ruefully.
“I guess we’d better break the news to him,” Jay said. “John?” he called.
“Yes, Dad?” John said, suddenly appearing in the blink of an eye.
“I talked to your A.P. Chemistry teacher, Mr. Stevens, today.”
“I haven’t blown anything up in weeks, I swear!” John said.
“It wasn’t anything like that,” Jay said. “He told me he’s talked with your other teachers, and they want to have you double promoted to a senior next year, as well as taking some college courses instead of regular curriculum.”
“Oh… thank God!” John said emphatically.
“Wh-what?” Jay said, surprised. “You want this?”
“Sure,” John said. “You wouldn’t believe how bored I’ve been. Why do you think I’ve blown so much stuff up? The only way I’ve been able to learn anything is by trying things on my own.”
“Wow,” Jay said. “I’m feeling a little blown away myself. You really don’t mind not being with kids your own age?”
“I am with kids my own age in the Junior JSA — or at least pretty close to my own age. I was kind of ticked at you for getting me into that at first, but now I’m starting to like it.”
“You’ve been having a lot fewer accidents lately, too,” Jay said. “Which we can all be thankful for.”
“You won’t get any argument from me,” Joan said, teasing John.
“Aw, Mom,” John said. Jay reached over and gave his unruly mop of hair a playful muss.
“Why don’t you show me that experiment you’ve been working on in the garage,” Jay said. “Pretty soon, your studies are going to get a lot more challenging, you know.”
“I know,” John said. “I can’t wait!”
***
Diana Trevor lay in the arms of her husband as they sat in front of the fire. The arms were much larger than they’d been during the many years of their marriage, but they were still his, and it felt good to be back in them.
“What’s on your mind, Princess?” Steve Trevor asked her.
“I was just thinking how lucky we are, considering how much we’ve been through.”
“You ain’t kidding,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d ever get back here.”
“But you’re back now,” Diana said, shifting around to look at him. “We’ve been given a second chance.”
“In a lot of ways,” he said, lightly stroking the side of her face. “You look just like you did the day I met you.”
“And you… well, the face is the same,” she laughed.
“But everything else is different,” he said, looking at the magically enhanced muscles he’d had ever since the gods turned him into Odysseus. “Especially the bod.”
“But it just goes to show how we’ve been given a second chance. Like so many of us have.”
“What is it you want to tell me?” Steve said.
“Clark and Lois, Alan and Molly… they’re both having children after all this time.”
“Diana…”
“I want to, too, Steve,” Diana said almost pleadingly. “We’re both young again. I’ve always regretted that we never had another. Now we can. We can give Lyta the little sister she never had.”
“Or a little brother,” Steve said, pulling her to him even tighter. He realized the warmth he felt wasn’t just from the fire. It was good to be home.
***
Clark and Lois Kent were a bundle of nerves as they went into the doctor’s office. Trying this at their age was risky enough without the extra factors such as alien biology and magic being thrown in. They’d both faced many perilous situations over the years and never flinched. But this one was different. This time, they were both scared.
Lois changed into her hospital gown, and she and Clark followed the technician to the room where the procedure would take place. A warm jelly was spread on her abdomen, and then the equipment was applied.
Clark took her hand as the ultrasound image began to form on the screen. The doctor looked at it for a few seconds, pointed at it, and said, “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Kent. It looks like you’ve got yourselves a healthy baby girl.”
***
Molly sat quietly in a recliner in her living room, reading. The sun had just begun to rise. She was ever expanding due to the small army of babies she was carrying. Backaches and swollen feet had become more the rule than the exception.
She then heard a yawn and noticed her husband Alan approaching. “Hon?” Alan inquired, “Are you OK? Did you have another bad night? You really need your sleep.”
“Darling, I’m OK, really,” Molly replied to her obviously concerned spouse. “I did sleep for a while, but when you’ve got the Rockettes going inside of you, it’s a little hard to stay down for too long.” Molly gave Alan a wink.
It had only been a couple days since Molly had her latest ultrasound, which had revealed a shocking surprise. Molly and Alan suspected she was carrying a big baby or possibly twins, but never had they been more stunned than when the doctor revealed they were going to have not one, not two, but three babies: triplets.
Molly decided right then they should find out the babies’ genders to make picking names easier. If they didn’t know, they’d need to pick at least six names: three boys’ names and three girls’ names.
So after Alan consented, the doctor announced Molly was expecting two girls and a boy. Both parents were very pleased to hear that, and also that the little ones appeared very healthy.
Alan sat next to Molly and decided to help her with the pile of books she was reading. It turned out she was starting in with the baby name books.
Well, when you were expecting a three-for-one sale soon, you could never be too well-prepared.