Wishes Granted – Chapter 2 - Strawberries, Videos and Blunders
Xoxo
“Richard?” Clark asked, relieved to have finally reached him after several repeated tries.
“Um yes, who is this?” he heard from the other end of the line.
“This is, or at least was, Superman. I take it you are now me, because I certainly seem to be you.”
“What? You’re not making sense.”
“Richard, somehow we seemed to have exchanged bodies. Where are you?”
He heard a sarcastic laugh. “Yeah right, good one, I’d like to know just how you pulled this one off right under my nose. I’m not entirely convinced that I’m not still sleeping.”
“Richard this is real and I don’t have a clue how it happened. We need to get together and figure it out. Now where are you?”
“The heck if I know. I was sound asleep and the next thing I was floating half way to Mars.”
Clark rolled his eyes, growing impatient, “You were not halfway to Mars, not even halfway to the moon. Besides, I thought you liked horror movies.”
“Just because I enjoy watching them doesn’t mean I want to be in them… wait how did you know I like horror movies?”
Thinking fast Clark answered. “As I was running to get out of your house I saw a couple on the coffee table in the living room.” He had noticed a couple DVD boxes where he said he saw the movies. He just hoped his bluff would hold up with Richard
“Oh yeah,” Richard agreed then seemed suddenly concerned. “Gur-app, if I woke-up in the sky as you then you must have woke-up as me in bed with Lois.”
“Relax, Richard nothing happened, except I nearly broke your back falling out of bed from the shock. Lois, your fiancée, is still in bed as far as I know. She wasn’t too happy with all the noise I made trying to get out of the house as fast as I could, either.”
“Well, I nearly broke the whole darn planet falling from space like that. Luckily the sand broke the fall. I don’t even know where I am except it’s the middle of a blasted desert. I’ve been walking for miles already and the only thing I’ve seen is sand dunes and cactus.”
“Richard, you weren’t in space. If you had been you wouldn’t have fallen at all. The last I remember I was only in the stratosphere and right above Metropolis. You must not have fallen straight down.”
“You think? I can’t be sure since I tumbled and fought completely terrified the whole way down. I’m certified for instrument only flight but it didn’t seem to help since all I had was a freaking red cape. How the heck do I get home from here when I don’t even know where here is? This walking is getting me nowhere fast.”
“Richard, calm down. It won’t help matters. So, I take it flying is out?” Clark was almost afraid to ask.
Richard sighed loudly. “I prefer to fly inside the cockpit, if you don’t mind!” Then resigned he continued, “Hmmm, how does that faster than a speeding bullet train work?”
“Um actually, to quote Lois correctly, it’s ‘faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive’.”
“Yeah, yeah, but is it true?”
“Yes, but it is something I had to learn. Just start running and you should be able to build up considerable speed. Be careful to watch where you’re going, otherwise you’re likely to be taken by surprise and run into something. I don’t think it…” Suddenly hearing an ear splitting scream, Clark had to hold the phone at arms length until the screaming finally subsided. Wincing he asked, “What just happened?”
“A giant rattlesnake just bit me. It’s okay thought, my skin wasn’t broken, as a matter of fact I think the snake broke its fangs.”
“Oh,” Clark grimaced. “Richard there is nothing out there that can hurt you but on the other hand you could cause a lot of damage if you’re not careful. You really should try and get back here ASAP. Try running and maybe even jumping. Once you come to a city or town you can figure out just where you are and adjust your course. I’m going to wait in your office so you can contact me here or on your cell phone.”
“Staying clear of Lois huh? Sounds like a good idea. Lois is no fool, she would see through your attempted impersonation of me in a New York minute.”
“Agreed, um Richard, one more thing, it would be better if you try and remain out of sight, too. Just because you have my body, powers and the suit doesn’t mean you can emulate me in public any more than I can hope to fool Lois.”
“Hey, what’s with this suit anyway? Where did that pocket come from and go back to?”
“It’s a ‘pocket universe’ it opens up when my hand… your hand… moves over it just right.”
“What, a pocket universe? That sounds like something right out of a Sci Fi movie.”
“Richard, just get back here.”
Xoxo
Clark hung up the phone and sat back in the chair momentarily going over in his mind what he needed to do. This is a mess. Not only do I have to try and figure this whole thing out but I need to keep Richard out of trouble, Lois appeased and I still need to find time to cover for Clark not being around. Maybe Richard and Lois have the weekend off but Clark, being the new man in the office once again, doesn’t.
Feeling somewhat overwhelmed and tired he decided that perhaps Lois was right, a good cup of coffee would help clear his head so the could start to sort things out. Once he had made a pot he settled down with a cup of the hot brew at his own desk and went to work on the only thing he could make any real headway on at the moment, covering for Clark.
Xoxo
Lois exited the elevator with Jason in tow and headed into the bullpen towards Richard’s office. The place was nearly deserted with a few off shift people working in various corners. When she got to Richards office she found his laptop on the desk but he was no where to be seen. “Stay here, munchkin. I want to find your daddy.”
Hearing the clatter of computer keys she turned and was surprised to see Richard sitting at Clark’s desk typing as if he belonged there. She walked up behind him and stood just watching him for a couple of seconds before saying anything. “Richard, what are you doing?”
Clark turned around when he heard her speak his unease evident. “Um... Clark called and asked me to do him a favor and submit this article.”
“It looked to me like you were doing more than just submitting it and why did he ask you? Why not a copy editor on duty? That is what they’re there for.”
“He asked me to look it over first. I was just making a few notations.”
Jason came up behind her and didn’t hesitate to climb up into Clark’s lap. “Can I help you Daddy? I like Mr. Clark.”
All the tension fled out of Clark’s body when Jason climbed up into his lap, called him Daddy and said that he liked Mr. Clark. Nothing else mattered in that moment.
“You sure are acting strange, Richard. Did you forget you offered to watch Jason while I get my hair trimmed and find another dress for that Pulitzer redo next Friday? You’re the one who insisted we go. Personally I think the whole thing is redundant now.”
Just then the desk phone rang. Clark reached around Jason and picked it up glad for the distraction. “This is Clark…’s desk. May I help you?” Sheesh, I hope Lois didn’t notice that slip, he thought. There was just too much going on.
On the other end of the phone he heard his mother’s unmistakable voice. “Oh, hmmmm, I was just hoping to reach my son. He’s not answering his cell. Could you please ask him to call his mother? I’m sure he has the number.”
Clark noticed Lois had her hands on her hips, clearly watching his every move. That’s not all, Jason seemed to be curious about something too. He took a breath and answered his mother, “Mrs. Kent. I’ll see to it that Clark gets your message. I hope it’s not urgent.”
“I’m sure it will keep for a little while. Thank you, I don’t believe you gave me your name.”
“It’s Richard, Richard White, Perry’s nephew. I’ll see to it personally that Clark gets your message.” Hanging up the phone he looked back at Lois with his best placating smile. “Um, what were we saying?”
“Richard are you spying on Clark? Is that what you’re doing sitting here? I told you we’re just colleagues, nothing more.”
Clark opened his mouth in protest, his eyes wide eyed and innocent as he replied, “No… no, I told you I was just trying to help Clark out of a bind. If you want to leave Jason here with me that would be great, I can certainly do both. I would love to watch him for you.” Seeing her expression at that statement he again found he needed to cover. How was he ever going to get out of this mess when it just kept getting worse? “That’s not what I meant. Of course you can leave him here with me. After all, I am his father.”
Much to his relief Lois softened and swooped down kissing Jason’s cheek and then him quickly on the lips, “Of course you are.” Then turning on her heels, she quickly headed towards the door oblivious to everything as she glanced at her watch. “Oh, I’m late. Perhaps the three of us can meet up for a late lunch or an early dinner. I’ll call you.”
Had she taken the time to look she would have seen a shocked look on Richard’s face at the kiss that was slowly replaced by a grateful smile.
Jason was watching though and he was confused by his dad’s behavior and wasted no time in speaking up. “You promised me we would go flying today. Did you forget about me, too?”
The smile faded hearing his son’s words. He didn’t know what to say. He hated the thought of disappointing his son even thought it hadn’t really been his promise.
Seeing his dad’s eyes turn sad Jason added. “It’s alright Daddy. If you have to help Mr. Clark I understand. Is he going to be here soon?” Clark noticed how Jason seemed to perk up at the mention of his alter ego’s name.
Speaking honestly Clark answered, “I hope so Jason. Let’s get you set up in my office, I can finish this up in just a couple minutes but I also need to make a call.” He didn’t know what he was going to do if Richard showed up as Superman but then again he was pretty sure that would take a while.
He searched Richard’s desk for Jason’s things, finally finding an electronic game in the bottom middle desk drawer.
Xoxo
After hanging up with Richard, Martha sat down at the table and unconsciously ran her fingers under the tabletop finding very little solace in the name carved there years before. Clark was supposed to have joined her for an early breakfast but he still hadn’t shown. It wasn’t unusual for him to be late or even have to cancel but he should have called by now. Remembering the ordeal from just a few weeks earlier she decided to try his cell phone again. This time it was answered.
“Hello, who is this?”
It sounded like it could be his voice but why did he not know it was her calling? He always knew. “Uh sorry, wrong number,” she stated then promptly hung up, not wanting to take a chance. Now she was really worried. Unfortunately there was absolutely nothing she could do. Pushing her cold plate away uneaten she turned her radio on to the news station and sat and listened.
Xoxo
Richard sat down on a rock and looked at the caller ID. He had heard the buzzing and retrieved the phone thinking it had been Superman calling again. But the caller hung up even though it seemed to be a recognized number. The ID showed M Kent. He pulled up the history and saw the same number had tried calling a short time earlier but he must not have heard the buzz when he was running.
Curiosity got the better of him and soon he was checking the phone book for what it might hold. He found several numbers he recognized, including the Daily Planet number that was used by reporters to submit stories on the fly. Funny he had thought of that word. He also saw Lois listed along with Jimmy, Perry, Gill and Ron. Even his own name was listed along with his various contact numbers. Why would Superman have so many of the Daily Planet personnel’s contact numbers saved in his cell phone? As far as he knew the only one he ever contacted was Lois and she never indicated that he actually ‘called’ her. It was just one more question to be asked when they were finally face to face.
He sighed and got up once again running his hand over the spot above the belt, he was finally getting the hang of making the pocket appear at will. “That is just too cool. Pocket universe Hmmm.” He put the phone away then took time to look down admiring the toned body he now inhabited and not for the first time. “Man he has one heck of a body.”
Xoxo
Clark looked up and into Richard’s office as he picked up the phone, glad that Jason seemed to be fully occupied with his game. Swiveling in the chair away from the little boy, he dialed a number from memory. “Mom… it’s me.” He said softly trying to sound as much like Clark as he could.
“It doesn’t sound like you. I just tried to call your cell but …”
“Mom, I can’t talk right now, Jason is nearby. Don’t try the cell again. I’ll call you later when I can explain, just don’t worry. I’ll call soon. Bye”
“Daddy, was that Grandma?”
Clark turned around to find the little boy right next to his chair, his heart almost melted and it was evident in his face. “I love it when you call me that.”
Jason looked perplexed. “I always call you Daddy.”
“Oh, yes of course you do.” Clark recovered, as he tried to control his run away emotions. Forgetting all about Richard he turned the computer off. “I’m done here. What would you like to do now?” He stood up and was about to take his son’s hand but instead made a face and began rubbing his stomach.
“What’s the matter Daddy? Does your stomach hurt?”
Grimacing he answered. “Yes, I think I must be hungry.”
Jason beamed. “Me too, all I had for breakfast was cold cereal. Can we go get strawberry pancakes?”
Clark matched his son’s beaming face. “Sounds good to me. I forgot to eat breakfast and to be honest, I think this must be what hunger pains feel like.” He stopped realizing what he had just said. He looked down at Jason still smiling up at him and shrugged it off.
Xox
When their food arrived Jason tore into the rare treat as if he was afraid it would be taken away before he could eat it. When they were both half done Clark suddenly realized something, “Jason, are you allergic to strawberries?” He swallowed hard afraid of the answer.
Jason looked up, his face clearly showed that he had been caught, he answered with his mouth full, “Uh ah, I luve strarrburries.” Seeing the concern on his dad’s face he swallowed then added. “I snuck some last week, off Mr. Jimmy’s desk when he wasn’t paying attention. I’m not lergic any more, Daddy.”
Clark’s mouth flew open in concern for the little boy taking such risks. “Does your mom know?” Jason shook his head ‘no’.
“You’re sure you’re not allergic?” Jason nodded but Clark wasn’t convinced so he got up and went to the little boy and stooped over him. “Let me see your mouth.”
Jason opened up his mouth and stuck his tongue out as he said ‘ahhhhhh’.
Finding no blisters, or breathing problems and no other signs of allergy Clark sighed in relief then went back to his own chair and sat back down no longer hungry.
“Can I eat the rest now?” Clark nodded and watched as the little boy dug back into the treat clearly taking full advantage of the situation. When Jason had finished they left the café hand in hand and walked back to the office.
Once there Jason seemed resigned, “Mr. Clark isn’t coming is he?”
Clark stopped and stooped down to his son’s level to answer. “I don’t really know Jason. I hope he comes back soon.” After he spoke he pulled the little boy into his arms.
Feeling the sadness Jason tightened his arms around his dad. “It’s alright Daddy. We can have fun while we wait. Wanta play my game with me?”
Clark pulled back smiling. “Sure, let me just turn the TV on. I want to keep track of any news stories being reported.”
Soon the two were engrossed in Jason’s game. If Jason had been surprised that he had to show his dad how to play he didn’t show it. Clark looked up when a breaking news story came on the air.
“Now with a breaking story we go to our sister station in Amarillo, Texas.”
“This is Rikki Medena reporting for KDFA Amarillo News 10… To update you on the breaking news story we have been following for the last hour. Unconfirmed reports from various sources have been reporting that a man who appears to be Superman, has been sighted first near Flagstaff, Arizona and then Albuquerque, New Mexico running at a high rate of speed. We have just received confirmation that it does indeed seem to be the Man of Steel. This video was just received from a viewer here in Amarillo.”
The video filled the screen showing Superman appearing to be looking at a map on the window of a gas station. The camera zoomed in then back out, then got shaky as the operator walked up to the hero. “Superman, Superman, is that really you?”
The hero continued to look at the map giving no sign of a response so the man got closer. A woman ran up and stood gaping at him clearly star struck as the man continued to film the scene. “Superman, are you lost? Why aren’t you flying?”
Finally acknowledging the people, Richard turned around and gulped seeing the camera. With an uncomfortable look on his face he quipped, “Would you believe sunspots have me grounded? Um, gotta go.” The camera swung around trying to follow but he had disappeared in the dust.
Clark had jumped up alarmed when the video first started and palmed his forehead gasping after it ended, “No! I told you to stay out of sight!” Then remembering too late that Jason was right behind him, he turned around to see the little boy smirk.
“My other Daddy doesn’t like strawberries and he would have made me have a yucky allergic pancake. I like eating with you better.”
Confused, “You knew that I wasn’t Richard? How?”
Jason shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I hear stuff now and Grandma didn’t sound like the grandma I know. She sounded like that woman who said she was Clark’s mommy. Besides you didn’t know where Daddy keeps my toys and you smile at me different, more like Mr. Clark smiles at me.”
Clark just shook his head in disbelief so Jason continued, “Did you make a wish to trade places with my other Daddy? Was yesterday a freaky Friday?”
“Freaky Friday?” he asked, finally finding his voice but then forgetting that, he caught his breath on something else Jason had been saying. “What, do you mean ‘other daddy’?” Clark was suddenly caught way off guard. Jason not only knew that he was really Superman but he was also comparing him to Clark and he was still calling him Daddy.
Sensing his father’s unease, Jason wiggled his finger inviting him to come down to his level. Once there the little boy whispered. “I heard mommy whisper to you at the hospital besides I’m going to be big and strong just like you. My Mommy always says so.”
Taken aback Clark was barely able to answer, his heart swelling with love for his son. “Mommies always know, don’t they?”
Jason smiled and nodded before continuing. “Do you want me to help you practice playing my other daddy? Mommy’s gonna figure it out. You’re lots better when you play Mr. Clark.”
Xoxo
Many Thanks once again go to SHADOLibrarian for serving as Beta.
Believe me it is better with her watchful eye.
Thanks everyone for all the reviews. It really helps keep me motivated.
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Wishes Granted - Strawberries, Videos and Blunders (Read 1352 times)
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