When Timothy Gabriel Tanner got born, he was called a medical miracle…
Born 4 weeks prematurely and too light, he was forced to spend the first two and a half months of his life in an incubator. For years, his parents had tried to become pregnant. And when his mother Helen finally got pregnant after a lot of help in form of medication and dubious home remedies, she and her husband Randy couldn't be happier…
Maybe it was a coincidence, but the day his parents brought him home, next door a friendly couple moved in. Pregnant with twins! Both journalists, like his father… that gave them stuff for small talk! And as mothers, or soon-to-be-mothers respectively, the two women got a lot to talk about, too. And the pregnant woman was not only a journalist, but also the very famous Lois Lane. Known for her connections to a very famous alien Superhero. Her husband was a dorky Midwestern small town guy named Clark Kent.
Three months later their new neighbor gave birth to twin-sons named Jonathan and Jordan… unlike Timmy born when predicted and as healthy as newborns can be…
When they got brought home Timmy's parents came over with a present-basket and the offer to babysit when necessary…
Timothy, or Timmy how he gets mainly called, could remember very well that the boys spend a lot of time at his place from young age… for him, as an only-child, it was uncommon to see someone with a sibling or that there are households with more than just one child. But there were moments, he kind of felt like the third twin, considering how much time they spend at his place.
Whenever his own mother was not working, the mother of Jonathan and Jordan seemed to work. Their father was almost never present… Sometimes, Timmy wondered if the tall man, with the glasses, the dorky behavior and the mid-western-accent is really Jonathan's and Jordan's dad and not just a random visitor. Sure, they always call him Daddy, and they are overjoyed when he arrives, but something was odd…
"Your daddy is a journalist, too?" Jordan asked him one day. They were five and once again Timmy's mother was babysitting them. Playing in the Tanner's living-room.
"Yes!" Timmy answered. "He writes about pol… politicians! Yes, politicians!"
"My daddy is a journalist, too. But he works a lot more than yours!" Jordan said offended. "He missed my piano play, and everyone laughed at me!"
Timmy felt bad for Jordan…
The first time he experienced one of Jordan's panic-attacks at age six, he was so scared, that he couldn't sleep for days. The Kent's apologized to him. Especially Jordan, whose mental health got worse over the years, with a few phases when it got better, but worse when the bullying got harder…
"Do journalists hate football, Mr. Tanner?" Jonathan asked one day when he and Jordan joined them for dinner because their parents were once again "at work". They were eight now.
"No! I actually like it! Why do you ask?" Timmy's father asked back confused.
"My dad never comes to my games! He always says he had to work!" Jonathan complained. "I guess he hates it!"
One more thing Timmy knew about Mr. Kent: he cares more about his job! Later, when they were in Timmy's room together the mood got better again, since they could play with Timmy's Superman-toys… and he had a lot of them. Much more than the Kents…
"We don't have so much Superman stuff!" Jon told while gawking at the huge Superman-poster over Timmy's bed.
Timmy was really proud on it. He won it at a fair when he was four. And since then, it was thronging over his bed. Giving everyone who looks at it the feeling that Superman protects this room.
"Really? But your mom knows him? You should have tons of that stuff!"
It was one thing, every child in Metropolis had in common: They were Superman fans! They looked up to him. They didn't have this adult-view of a 'big-bad-alien-invader'. For them, Superman was the coolest guy on Earth. And Timmy and the Kent-twins had an advantage to all other Superman-fans their age: They knew Lois Lane in person and had therefore direct access to information. If she would just share them, which she doesn't!
The three boys couldn't count the many times, they asked Lois out about Superman, and she came up with vague answers or excuses.
"Does your mom really don't know his phone-number?" Timmy asked.
"She says, Superman does not have a phone!" Jordan answered while looking on the big poster, too. "But today everyone has a phone! Superman is so cool… nobody is making fun of him, nobody bullies him, and he is not afraid of anything!"
"Yeah… It would be so cool to meet him!" Jon continued looking on the poster, too. "Do you think he can teach others to fly? That would be so cool! Flying is his coolest power!"
"No, his laser-eyes!" Jordan complained.
"I think it is his ice-breath!" Timmy added. "But flying is really cool! Where would you go if you could fly?"
"Legoland!" the twins said in unison. At least one thing they both agreed to.
But the good mood was about to change soon, when Timmy left to get a glass of water downstairs a few minutes later and heard his parents talking in the kitchen…
"We need to tell him, Randy! We wanted to do it tonight!" his mother said quietly.
"I know, Helen! But dropping the bomb when his friends are here seemed inappropriate." his father responded. "Gosh… the Kents get really predictable… we should have seen it coming that they leave their sons with us tonight again. Why tonight?"
Timmy hid behind the corner to listen to his parents… knowing they hide something…
"Randy, we need to start to plan and prepare everything! I already submitted my transfer-request! Sooner or later, he is going to find out everything on his own, and then we have a problem. Better he hears it from us!"
"I know… but telling him that we are moving to another country is not that easy…"
"WE MOVE AWAY?!" Timmy yelled and came out of his hideout.
His embarrassed parents almost fell of their chairs…
There was a lot of yelling for the rest of the evening. Was it a coincidence that Mr. Kent returned home earlier than expected to get Jonathan and Jordan home? But Timmy was too mad on his parents to ask Mr. Kent how he was able to know that he should come home earlier. Or if he really yelled so loud that people could hear it miles away.
As it turned out, his father got a promotion. But the new job meant that they have to move to Berlin, the capital of Germany! Thousands of miles away. A job opportunity, his father didn't want to reject and that his mother didn't want his father to reject. For her it was no problem to move to another continent, since the airline she was working for needed staff over there, too. But Timmy was not willing to leave all his friends, Metropolis and Superman behind…
"I don't want to move away!" Timmy wailed the next evening after a whole day of fighting with his parents and avoiding them.
"Timmy, my dear… I know this comes surprisingly. And we understand that you don't…" his mother tried.
"NO!" Timmy yelled and stormed out to leave through the rear door.
"Timmy!"
"Give him a minute! He is too upset now!" Mr. Tanner reassured his wife while watching Timmy smashing the rear door close.
Timmy walked down the small stairs that led into their tiny yard and sat down on the edge to bury his head in his knees and cry… it was so unfair.
"Hey, Timmy…" suddenly a male voice said from next to him.
Timmy shrieked up and looked to the right to see Jonathan's and Jordan's father standing there, looking over the fence and watch him from their own yard.
"The boys told me that you have to move away. They are a really sad about it, too!"
"I don't want to move!"
"Guess so… I know you are mad! But there is no reason to let it out on your parents, Timmy! They mean well, and it is not supposed to hurt you!"
"I don't want to leave Metropolis! Everyone I know is here, Mr. Kent! And Superman does live here, too!"
"Well… Superman lives everywhere!" Clark shrugged and blushed. Suddenly he avoided eye-contact. "Timmy… are you scared?"
"What?"
"Is it possible that you are just scared of the unknown?"
"What do you mean with that, Mr. Kent?"
"You fear you could experience the same as Cody Thompson before Jonathan stepped in, right?"
Timmy lowered his head in shame again and avoided looking at Mr. Kent…
"I don't know anyone there! It's another country. On another continent! What if I lose everything?"
"Hey… it's totally normal that you are scared! Believe me, I was scared, too when I moved here!"
"What?" Timmy looked up to Clark again and was curious now. "What do you mean with that?"
"You know… I am not from Metropolis. I come from a small town in Kansas. And I was worried when I came here! I asked myself if the people will welcome me? Will they accept me? Will I be able to make it? And I feared… the same what you might feel now!" Clark told, speaking out of experience.
"And… what did you do?" Timmy asked.
"I faced my fears and lived on! I was only myself… and today, I can openly say that moving was the best decision that I could have made!"
"Are you giving me a pep-talk, Mr. Kent?"
"I just want to tell you that a move can be a great opportunity! Sure, everything will be different, and it will take some time to get used to it… but it also means new experiences and new people. If I hadn't moved to Metropolis, I would have never met my wife."
"So… I need to move to Germany to… marry?" Timmy asked confused. Clark had to smile and blushed.
"No… not that fast… But what I mean is… just be yourself! Be open for the new and the change! And who knows… maybe you like it there more than here?" Clark told.
Timmy became pensive. But Mr. Kent's words made sense. And considering his story, maybe there will be some advantages.
"I should talk to Mommy and Daddy!" Timmy realized.
"Do that!" Clark nodded.
Timmy lift and walked up the stairs to the backdoor again when Clark suddenly remembered something the boy mentioned before.
"Oh, and Timmy…"
"Yes, Mr. Kent!" Timmy said when he turned around again.
"You mentioned Superman before! Don't worry about him! My sons haven't seen him in person, too by now! And who knows… Superman can be everywhere on this planet within seconds. I am sure sooner or later he finds his way to Germany, too and you get your chance to see him! But you shouldn't prey for it. Disasters and accidents are terrible. Even when Superman arrives on time."
"That would be so cool to see him in person!" Timmy began to daydream and looked up into the dark nightly sky. Imagining Superman flying up there, keeping sure that everyone was fine. "Thank you, Mr. Kent!"
"You're welcome…" Clark said with a deeper voice, that sounded more self-confident.
A cold shiver ran down Timmy's back… this voice… he looked back on Clark and could see him from the side. He could briefly see beyond his glasses… suddenly he saw that Clark Kent had a surprising similarity with Superman… Timmy shacked his head. Knowing that it was impossible! That was just his imagination tricking him…
This evening should stay in Timmy's mind forever…
Was it a coincidence that on his last day at school in Metropolis, Superman flew deep and slow over the schoolyard during recess, almost as if he wanted to be spotted by the kids? Timmy was just happy to get at least a glimpse of him before he leaves. Jonathan and Jordan were happy, too.
A week later, it was Jonathan and Jordan who came with their grandfather (after forcing the always busy general to drive them) to the airport to say goodbye to him. No one else came! It was Jonathan and Jordan who kept in touch with him while he was at the other end of the Atlantic Ocean…
From the distance he noticed what was going on in Metropolis, while he also followed Mr. Kent's advice and found new friends in Berlin… On his first day of school in Germany, he followed Mr. Kent's advice, just remained himself, faced his fears and made new friends quickly.
And despite the time-difference of 8 hours, he and the Kent-twins managed to stay in touch.
The only thing that bothered him was that they were not able to see each other whenever Timmy and his parents visited his grandparents and other relatives in the United States for Summer, Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or whatever reason they found. Since his mother was working for a big American airline (and only had to change the station) they got cheap tickets and were able to fly regularly. Sometimes even for free. They would have been able to get cheap tickets for Jon and Jordan, too. But they never found a perfect opportunity, or had to cancel, due to personal reasons.
He knew about Jonathan finding his passion in football which kept him very busy. He knew about Jordan quitting playing piano and his increasing mental-health issues caused by the bullying and his therapy that kept him busy, too. And he knew about Clark Kent and Lois Lane obviously remaining the same kind of parents that rather go to work than look after their own kids…
It was a hot and unpleasant summer-night when Timmy (now 13) was not able to sleep (air-conditioners are not that usual in Germany) and decided to video-chat with Jonathan instead. In Metropolis it was evening and therefor okay…
"I have the feeling that something is wrong with my dad!" Jonathan confessed.
"Why you think so?" Timmy asked.
"My dad missed the therapy appointment again. After Jordan's diagnosis they said how important it is that a parent is present, too! But Dad always ditches them, for his work! Jordan is so pissed again. He called me the golden child, again!" Jon told.
"And you don't like that?"
"I don't want him to be mad on me! I don't want to be his Dudley Dursley, while he is Harry without Hogwarts! I wish I could help him! But social anxiety seems to be something that can't be solved with just a few pills!"
"You could finally report Jimmy Cutter to the police! If your principal or his own parents deny punishing that idiot and his friends for what he is doing, then you should go one step further!"
"I am going to play with him in the football-team, soon! Maybe I can convince him and his friends to be not so mean anymore!" Jon told.
"Gosh… where do you have this everyone-has-a-good-side-attitude from? Your father? Your mother?" Timmy asked. "That is so… Supermanish!"
Jon just shrugged.
A year later things quickly changed…
„Wir ziehen zurück nach Amerika?!" Timmy yelled loudly in German when his parents dropped the bomb that they will return to the United States one evening during dinner.
"I am going to work in the headquarter again!" his father told.
"And I can work for the airline in Metropolis again!" his mother added.
Timmy lowered his head…
"I like Berlin! And I like Germany!"
"We like it, too! But it is time to return…" his father told.
They really return… sure, it was sad to leave all his new friends behind. And living in Europe had a lot of perks. He visited places, he never dared to think he could visit. He learned a lot more about the cultures here than he would have from TV in America. He met a lot of interesting people. And whenever his father was able to take him with him on a working trip, he visited a new place. Paris, Rome, London… Bratislava, Chisinau, Moscow, Riga, Tallinn, Bucharest, Yerevan, Kyiv, Sarajevo… Timmy got to see places, nobody else in his circle of friends got to see.
But returning to Metropolis had also good sides: He is seeing his grandparents again (they move into their house in Siegelberg, a suburb of Metropolis), he sees all his old friends again, including the Kent-twins, and he is living in the same city as Superman again!
The life-sized Superman-poster followed him into his room ever since he got it. And so, it would return with him to his new room in this house in a suburb of Metropolis… but soon after telling the good news to Jonathan and Jordan, who already looked forward to see him again in person, they had their own bad news…
"We move away from Metropolis"! Jon told him with lowered head.
"WHAT? Seriously?" Timmy said shocked against the screen. "Why?"
On the screen, Timmy saw Jonathan taking a deep breath before he told him about their father's plan to spend more time with them and to grow closer as a family again after their grandmother's death. Actually, a good idea, but Jon didn't like the fact that he has to leave Metropolis, his friends, his girlfriend and his chance to get a football-scholarship behind.
"Sounds not really promising! And where you going?"
"Smallville!"
"Smallville? Never heard of that before! Where is that?"
"My father grew up there! We move to the farm where he used to live as a child."
"A farm… Is that part of Jordan's therapy?"
"Guess so… I mean…" Jon told, while Timmy noticed on the screen that Jon looked on the wall behind him. "…there are a lot of things going on. After my grandmother died, we… well we figured out some… things about our father… I guess… moving to Smallville, would be really good for Jordan. Away from Cutter, a quieter environment… just too sad that we won't see each other!"
"Yeah… would have been nice to see you in person again! I mean, we never made it in the past few years!" Timmy told. "What's the issue with your father, that you suddenly agree to such a big move?"
Timmy noticed Jon's eyes wandering to the wall behind him again and that Jon got pale. Timmy turned around and saw that Jon was glaring on his big Superman-poster.
"What? Superman?" Timmy asked.
"Oh… no no no… I was just thinking…" Jon became suddenly so upset and he blushed. Almost as if he was embarrassed. "No… I mean… If I would tell you, you wouldn't believe me anyway!"
"Is it so bad?"
Jon's eyes wandered to the poster unconsciously again and his face became red again…
"Long story… I tell you another time!"
Timmy turned to his poster again and wondered why Jon was glaring on it this way.
"Is something wrong? Or why you keep glaring on that one?"
"Nothing… I was just surprised that you still have it!" Jon told. In his voice, Timmy could hear that Jon was very careful with his words. "I remember it hanging in your room back when we were little."
"This poster stays with me forever and I will be buried with it!" Timmy said with a bright smile.
The call ended with the promise to stay in touch…
The weeks passed…
Timmy returned to Metropolis shortly after the Kents left for Smallville…