The Last Daughter of Krypton, part 5: Birthday Party
By Les Bonser
This is a work of non-commercial fan fiction. The characters used in this story remain the trademarked property of their respective owners. No trademark infringement is intended and no profits are made by the author for writing or distribution of this work.
No permission is given to anyone other than the author to archive this on any website. No permission is given to anyone other than the author to repost this on any newsgroup.
Note: this series is being written out of order. I skipped over Parts 2 through 4, but will go back and write them soon.
Credit must be given to Syl for her wonderful depictions of Bruce and Dick's early relationship, and introduction of Elinore into the Bat-mythos. And a special thanks to my best friend Larry and his daughter Lauren. A Saturday afternoon lunch and movie with six-year-old Lauren helped me come up with the idea for this story.
Part 5, Birthday Party
Linda Leigh Kent sat fidgeting in the tiny backseat of her mother's sports car. Teddy, her stuffed teddy bear, was on her lap. She never went anywhere without Teddy. Her parents would have preferred to have taken the minivan, but Linda Leigh wanted to take the sports car. It was her favorite and since today was her fifth birthday, her mother had relented.
She was fidgeting not become the seat was so small and she was cramped into the back of the car. Linda Leigh was fidgeting because they were on their way to her birthday party at Big Belly Burger.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Sweetie?" Clark Kent, Linda Leigh's father, was sitting on the passenger side of the front seat. On his lap rested a brightly wrapped square box.
"Is Janie going to my party?" Janie was Linda Leigh's best friend. The two had met in daycare and were soon to start school together.
"She'll be there," Lois said.
"Yes, Sweetie," Clark said. "Her mom said she'd be there."
"Good."
Lois glanced at her husband. "Everything's arranged, right?"
Clark nodded. The present on his lap was only part of what they'd gotten their daughter.
"It's a shame Lucy and Ron couldn't make it," Lois said. Lucy was her younger sister. Ron Tripp was her husband. Their oldest was just a couple months younger than Linda Leigh.
"You know she can't travel," Clark said. Lucy Lane Tripp was pregnant with her third child. Minor complications prevented Lucy from flying down from Boston. Ron was a reporter, just like Clark and Lois. He had started out at the Daily Planet, but had since moved on to the Boston Globe.
"Yeah, I know," Lois said. "But we don't see them that often anymore."
"Diana said she'd be there. And Bruce, of course."
"You and your friends," Lois mumbled.
"Granma and Granpa going to be there?" Linda Leigh asked from the backseat.
"No, Honey," Lois said.
"Why not?"
Clark turned around in his seat and leaned back to explain to his daughter. "Grandpa Kent is busy working on the farm. Remember how I told you how much work it is to run a farm?"
Linda Leigh nodded. Her blonde hair was pulled back into twin pig tails on either side of her head. As she nodded, her pig tails bounced.
"Well, summer is the busiest time for the farm," Clark said. "Grandma and Grandpa couldn't make it. But I think they sent you a present."
"They did?"
"We'll see when we get to Big Belly Burger."
"Oh, boy!" Linda Leigh's smile went from ear to ear. And it showed off her missing front tooth.
"Are you sure this is the place?"
"Yes, Master Bruce, I'm sure. The invitation was quite specific," Alfred said.
Bruce Wayne sat back in the rear seat of the Rolls and tucked the papers he'd been reviewing into his briefcase. He sighed. Of all the ways to spend a Saturday afternoon, spending it at a Big Belly Burger full of five-year olds wasn't at the top of the list.
Alfred pulled the Rolls into a parking space and then got out of the car. He opened the rear door for his employer. "Come along, Master Bruce. You don't want to disappoint Miss Linda Leigh."
Bruce stepped from the car, holding a small wrapped package. "No. We can't disappoint my niece."
Every since the JLA had discovered and retrieved the Kryptonian birthing chamber containing the infant now known as Linda Leigh Kent, Bruce Wayne had played the roll of "uncle." Others in the JLA played similar rolls. In addition to names like Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, and the Flash, the men now had titles of "Uncle" Jon, "Uncle" Kyle, and "Uncle" Wally. Likewise Wonder Woman and Oracle were now "Aunt" Diana and "Aunt" Barbara.
The Kents had adopted the child and made sure that her extended family participated in the child's upbringing.
At first, Bruce had told himself that any child that would mature into a woman with Superman's powers had to be watched carefully. But over time, the child had grown on him. Although he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he was actually looking forward to attending these family functions.
But this once, he would have preferred anyplace but a Big Belly Burger.
Alfred closed the door of the Rolls behind Bruce and secured the vehicle with a remote control. Then, the two men walked, somewhat hesitantly, into the popular burger chain.
The Kents were already here. As was Diana. Bruce had to admit, Clark and Lois fit into this scene of urban family bliss. Or chaos, depending upon your point of view. Clark was in the play area, surrounded by at least a dozen five-year olds. He balanced a tray of Big Belly Kid Meals with one hand and tried to hand out the meals to each of the guests as the kids jostled for position around the party table. Lois was at the counter, ordering a myriad of soft drinks.
Neither Clark nor Lois seemed to notice Bruce and Alfred's arrival, but Diana did. She strode across the restaurant to greet them. "Bruce," she smiled. "Alfred, so good to see you again." She took both men by their hands and lead them into the play area.
"Linda Leigh," she announced in her commanding Amazon voice. "Your Uncle Bruce is here."
"Unkie Bruce," the girl of honor yelled. She pulled away from her friends and ran across the playroom and into Bruce's arms. As she ran across the room, Bruce handed the present to Alfred. He picked her up and hoisted her high above his head.
"How's the birthday girl?" he asked, trying to make his voice as cheerful as possible.
"I'm fine," Linda Leigh said. "Did you bring me a present?"
Bruce laughed. Children were so outgoing and honest, he thought. They went right to the heart of the matter. He put the child down and knelt beside her. Alfred handed him the present. "I think this might be for you," he whispered, handing her the small box.
"It is?" she asked, suddenly shy.
"Well, let me see," he said. He took her little hands into his large ones and turned the present over. On the top was a small label. "What's this say?" he asked.
Linda Leigh looked at the writing. "That's my name," she said. "Linda Leigh."
"That's right, Honey. I guess that means this is for you."
"Thank you, Unkie Bruce," she said. She leaned over and gave him a brief kiss on the cheek.
"You're welcome," he said. He stood as the child hurried back to the party table and her friends. She laid the present beside the rest and turned her attention back to a handful of french fries.
Clark had handed out all the food and backed away from the table. He saw Bruce. "Bruce, thanks for coming," he said.
Bruce walked forward and shook Clark's hand. "It's nothing."
"I know how you hate to leave Gotham," Clark said, a twinkle in his eye.
"Hi, Bruce," Lois said, balancing a tray of paper cups of soda. She handed the tray to her husband and gave Bruce a kiss on the cheek, just as her daughter had.
"Lois," Bruce said. He started to say how good she was looking, how motherhood seemed to agree with her, when she bolted away.
"Linda Leigh Kent," Lois said, her voice sharp. "You learn to share, young lady."
Bruce hadn't seen what transgression the child had committed, but Lois had. He turned to Diana. The Amazon princess smiled. He stepped back to where Diana stood. "They seem to be taking to this parenting thing," he said.
"Yes," Diana agreed.
Alfred returned. Bruce hadn't even seen him leave. He was carrying a tray with three burgers, three fries, and three drinks. "Master Bruce, Miss Diana," he said. He motioned to an empty table a little away from the kids. Bruce motioned for Diana to join them. She sat and the two men joined her.
The three watched in amazement as Clark continued to fight the bedlam that was a young child's birthday party.
Alfred took a bite from his Big Belly Burger and chewed thoughtfully. Bruce hadn't touched his food yet; he just sat there, watching the children.
Swallowing, Alfred said, "Master Bruce, I think the answer is 'Yes'."
"Huh?" Bruce said. "What was that?"
"I said, I think the answer to the question you're pondering is 'Yes'."
"And what question would that be?" Bruce asked.
"You were wondering if it was ever possible that you were that young and carefree," Alfred said. "And I can say, yes, you were."
"Actually," Bruce admitted, "I was thinking about Dick. About when he first came to live with us. Remember that stuffed elephant he had?" He had been watching Linda Leigh with her teddy bear. She had been pretending to feed the stuffed bear some of her french fries.
"Yes," Alfred said. He did indeed remember the stuffed elephant. The stuffed toy, Elinore, had been Master Dick's constant companion for the first year he'd lived at Wayne Manor. The year after his parents had been killed.
"But you're right," Bruce said, finally unwrapping his own burger. "Sometimes I do wonder if I was ever a child."
Diana smiled a wicked little smile. "I'll bet you were a cute little boy," she said. "Wasn't he?" she asked Alfred.
"Oh, yes, ma'am, he was," Alfred agreed in that dry British fashion.
After the kids had eaten and played, Big Belly Burger himself came out and brought a large birthday cake. The cake was chocolate with white icing and it read "Happy Birthday, Linda Leigh" on top and had five candles.
It wasn't actually Big Belly himself, only an employee suited up in the mascot's costume. But the kids didn't know any different. Or care. As far as Linda Leigh and her friends were concerned, it *was* Big Belly himself and they all thought it was about the best thing that had ever happened in their young lives.
Clark stood behind his daughter and helped her blow out the candles after Lois lit them. "Make a wish, Honey," Lois said.
Linda Leigh puffed up her cheeks as big as she get them and blew as hard as she could. Clark only had to help her a little on that one last candle.
None of the adults saw what started the fight. But they waded in to separate the kids. Each kid was pulled aside by their respective parent or parents. At the center of it was Linda Leigh.
"Why were you fighting?" Lois asked, sternly. She sat down to look her daughter in the face.
Linda Leigh started crying at the sound of her mother's voice. She looked up at Clark. "Daddy," she cried, "Billy said his daddy could beat you up. That's not true, is it?"
Billy was one of the little boys that went to day care with Linda Leigh. They'd had problems with Billy bullying the other kids before. Although Clark and Lois had spoken with his parents, apparently it hadn't done any good. Clark had to laugh inwardly at the thought of Billy's dad beating him up. If only Billy knew, he thought to himself.
Clark knelt down and comforted his daughter. "Honey, it's not right to fight, is it?"
Linda Leigh shook her head.
"Well, you just forget what Billy said. Okay?"
"Okay." The tears were clearing up. Linda Leigh sniffled a couple times and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. In another moment, all was forgotten and she rejoined her friends on the play slide.
"What was that all about?" Diana asked as Lois and Clark came over.
"Some little boy was picking on her," Lois said.
"He said his dad could beat me up," Clark added.
"That little runt?" Lois said. "He'd have trouble punching himself out of a paper bag." Billy's father was short, thin, and somewhat older than the other parents.
"Beat *you* up?" Diana asked, about to bust out laughing.
"It's something kids say," Clark said, fighting back his own grin. He looked around. Both Diana and Lois were hiding their laughs and even Bruce and Alfred had smiles on their normally solemn faces.
When it came time to open presents, Linda Leigh opened the square box from her parents first. It turned out to be a bike helmet. The child was puzzled by this for a moment and then caught her father bringing a bike into the play area out of the corner of her eye.
"Daddy! It's the greatest!" she squealed. Linda Leigh ran over and launched herself into his arms.
Clark had brought the bike with training wheels to the restaurant earlier. The staff had hidden it in back until now. Several of the staff stood outside the play area, smiling through the window as they watched the child enjoy the present.
Linda Leigh was so excited about the new bike, she almost forgot the rest of the presents.
One of the last presents to be opened was the small box from Uncle Bruce. It was one of the last only because it was small and had slid down between the larger ones. Linda Leigh's eyes bulged out when she saw what was inside the box. The other children were just as impressed. It was a full set of the latest edition Pokemon cards. Not just any set of cards, they were an original Japanese set.
The entire group of kids dug into the desk of cards and began comparing them all.
"Bruce, you shouldn't have," Lois scolded.
"I was in Japan last week on business," he said. "One of the executives at Wayne Tech-Tokyo has two children. When I mentioned that I had to buy a present for a five-year-old, he helped me find them."
"Those things are worth more than some people make in a year," Lois said.
"Actually, as I understand it, the Pokemon craze is pretty much over. They really weren't that expensive. No more than that bike," Bruce argued.
The final gift to be opened was the one from Diana. It turned out to be a Wonder Girl tee-shirt. It had Diana's own stylized twin "W" symbol superimposed with a scribbled "Girl" underneath.
Lois' disapproval over Bruce's gift was replaced by her consternation over Diana's. Lois gave both her husband and the Amazon princess a dirty look when she saw the tee-shirt. But her anger quickly dissolved when she saw how much her daughter enjoyed the garment. "Look, Mommy, I'm Wonda Girl!" Linda Leigh announced. "She's my favorite!"
As the party wound down, Bruce was sitting by himself at a table. Linda Leigh came over to him, very solemnly for a five-year old. She was wearing the tee-shirt Diana had gotten her. Somehow in the last hour, she'd changed clothes.
"Thank you for the Pokemon cards, Unkie Bruce," she said.
"You're welcome," he said.
The child stood there, holding her teddy bear, watching the man. She held the bear up. "This is Teddy. He's my best friend," she said.
"Yes," Bruce agreed. He'd been at her first birthday party. He had been there when she'd received the toy from her Uncle Ron. Now, four years later, the bear was in bad shape. It was missing one ear entirely, and the other was almost worn away. One eye was loose and the other was lopsided, obviously having been reattached numerous times.
"I want you to have him," Linda Leigh said. She thrust the bear into Bruce's face.
Bruce took the teddy bear from her. "I can't take this," he said. "He's your toy, not mine."
"I'm a big girl now," she stood as tall as she could muster. "I'm five," she announced, holding up her hand. At first, out of a year's habit, she only held up four fingers, but then remembered to untuck her thumb to make five. "Big girls don't need teddy bears." She was as solemn and dead serious as he ever was.
"You'll miss him if you give him away," Bruce told her.
"I know," she said. "But you need him more than I do."
"I do?" Bruce asked, puzzled. "Why?"
"Because you're lonely. With Teddy, you'll never be lonely." Linda Leigh turned and ran off before Bruce could say anything further or give her back the bear.
Bruce and Alfred walked into the mansion. "I say, Master Bruce, what is this?" Alfred asked.
"Linda Leigh gave me her bear," Bruce said.
"She's had that stuffed bear for her entire life," Alfred noted. "Why would she ever part with it?"
"She said I needed it more than she did."
"I say." Alfred arched his eyebrows as he watched Bruce walk off into the den. The elder man thought to himself that he'd make an afternoon trip back into Metropolis tomorrow to return the toy. Surely after the excitement of the birthday party subsided, the child would remember and miss her cherished toy.
Alfred went about his business around the mansion and lost track of what Bruce was doing.
Late that night, the butler went into the den and was surprised to find Bruce there. Bruce was sitting in the reading chair in front of the fireplace. He sat with the teddy bear on his lap and just stared at the portrait of his parents over the fireplace.
"Master Bruce?" Alfred asked. "I didn't realize you were here. I had assumed you were out for the night."
"Gotham can get by without me for one night," Bruce said. "Redbird and Nightwing and Batgirl can handle things." He voice was quiet and full of melancholy.
"Yes, Master Dick and Master Timothy are quite capable. As is Miss Cassandra," Alfred agreed. He moved closer to his employer. His friend. "Is there anything I can get you?"
"No, Alfred, I'm fine."
"Forgive me for intruding, Master Bruce," Alfred said, "But it's not like you to just sit here."
"I'm just thinking," Bruce said. "Thinking about my parents, thinking about Dick and Kory and little Mari. Thinking about what might have been. What *should* have been."
Mari was Dick and Kory's little girl. She was only two years old and the closest thing Bruce had to a granddaughter.
He'd never taken time for himself to marry and father children. Dick was the closest thing he had to any kind of offspring. There were other "children"; young people he'd mentored over the years, Barbara, Tim, Cassandra, but no actual heirs. No actual flesh and blood Wayne children. Not that marriage was necessarily required. And even then, he hadn't been serious about a woman at all since that last time with Talia.
Alfred tidied the magazines on the reading desk in an effort to look like he needed to be here. It was uncharacteristic for Bruce to be so talkative, especially about such personal topics.
"Really, Alfred, I'm fine. Better than I've ever been, in fact." Bruce stood, still holding the stuffed bear. "Good night."
"Good night, sir," Alfred said, still puzzled and concerned for his friend's strange behavior.
"Well, she's finally asleep," Lois said, walking into the bedroom. Clark was already there. She hugged her husband.
Clark returned the hug. "It was a big day," he said.
"Yes," Lois agreed. "Did you happen to see what happened to Teddy?"
"No," Clark said.
"She didn't have the bear when she went to bed. She was so tired and still excited from the party, she probably didn't even know it was missing."
"I'm sure it'll turn up," Clark said. "I'll look for it first thing tomorrow."
"It's probably in the car," Lois said. "Are you going out?"
"Yes," Clark said, as he removed his shirt. He had spent a lot less time as Superman lately. They still hadn't told Linda Leigh about her father's other "job." It would have to remain a secret until she was old enough to keep it a secret.
He quickly donned the blue and red costume and after a quick kiss, was gone. He flew out the bedroom window so fast, no one would have noticed.
Lois, tired from the day herself, prepared for bed. She knew from long experience that Clark would return in a couple of hours and sometime in the night she'd roll over and into his arms.
Having to use the bathroom repeatedly in the middle of the night was the curse of growing older. Alfred awoke and slipped into his bathrobe. He walked quietly to the bathroom. As he passed Bruce's bedroom, he gently pushed the door open and looked in. Bruce was asleep. The stuffed teddy bear was on the pillow beside him.
And for the first time since he'd lost his parents, he was sleeping soundly. Alfred remembered all too many nights since that fateful evening. Bruce would thrash about in his sleep, victim to nightmares. But tonight, he was sleeping soundly.
Alfred slowly pulled the door shut and continued down the hall. He marveled over the change in his friend's manner. And all it took was the unconditional love and concern of a five-year old child.
End