Last night, I had a dream that married throuple Tim, Kon and Bernard decide to have a baby using cloning technology. They are about 23 years old and make the the decision fully consensual and informed on all sides. But first!
They decide to ask Clark for his blessing since, technically speaking, the baby would be a sixth his DNA and Clark was so not OK with Kon being created using half his DNA without his knowledge or consent. And Clark was so (understandably) upset when Tim, in his deep grief, tried to clone Kon to get his best friend back and had to put a stop to it. (Tim later realised how messed up that was and apologised to Clark and Kon. They love him so they forgave him.)
Unlike these other times, Clark is fully OK with them having a baby of all three of their DNA. "Well, you see, I think it's quite different," he explains to their surprised and hopeful faces, "when everyone's consenting and when you're having a baby out of love not a clone out of ambition - or grief." He wipes a tear from his eye. "I'm going to be a grandpa!" (Bruce is also excited to be a grandpa.)
So, Tim, Kon and Bernard have a baby!
Obviously, none of them can carry the baby so it's grown in a tube. (Steph would have offered to be a surrogate but they don't want her to go through all that and then the baby not come to term so, other than Clark, Bruce and Alfred, no one knows they are trying until long after their baby is born.) It does, indeed, take them several tries since they are the first to try to create a baby using three people's DNA, a half of one of these being Kryptonian.
Outside of that, they do their best to keep the tube pregnancy and birth as close to a typical pregnancy and birth as possible. They sit with their growing babies for hours talking, singing and playing music to them. They quietly take parenting classes (the people there make some interesting assumptions about them, haha!). And then when the one surviving baby is 9 months along, fully developed and ready to face the world, screaming. Scream he did, after his birth.
Tim oddly enough finds himself filling the caretaker role the most, often being the one to hold, change and feed their baby. Bernard becomes an expert at preparing formula milk for Tim to do this, although they started their baby off with actual donated breast milk, just in case that might affect his health. Kon builds the baby's room, crib, toys - and he sings to him all the time! They love their baby very much.
When it comes to naming their baby, they have a long discussion about it. Ever since they married they had all added Wayne to their original surnames since Dowd-Kent-Drake-Wayne was too long - so they are now Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne, Connor Kon-El Kent-Wayne and Bernard Dowd-Wayne. As such, it just makes sense for their baby to simple be Wayne (again Dowd-Kent-Drake-Wayne is too long). They consider naming their baby Thomas Wayne after Bruce's late father (Clark's son Jon was already named after his late pa Jonathan) but they aren't sure how Bruce would react to that or if Damian might want to use the name for any of his future possible children.
In the end, they name their lovable ball of sunshine William Wayne. Clark bestows upon him the Kryptonian name Wil-El. (Dick, unfortunately, later starts calling him Bill. Neither Tim nor Kon nor Bernard are best pleased and insist on Will. William responds to both but in his teen years insists on Bill until going back to Will. Dick once jokes that they are "Uncle Dick and nephew Willie." Everyone groans.)
Will is a blond and blue-eyed child with freckled, sunkissed skin. He has Tim's eyes and cheekbones, Bernard's hair, freckles and ears and Kon's eyebrows, jawline and skintone. Later on, his older teenaged/adult build is most similar to Tim's, except he's 3 inches taller. He is lithe but builds muscles easily (they compare his build to Dick's a lot!). He's smart enough but not a genius like Tim (or Lex Luthor), he's actually more creative! He picks up Tim's love of photography, Kon's of woodworking and Bernard's of baking. He gets really into contemporary art and mixed mediums, combining photos with paint and sculptures.
My dream ended on Sunday dinner at Wayne manor where Tim, Kon and Bernard introduce 3-month-old Will to his family for the first time.
Clark, Lois and Jon are invited but they dine with Bernard's parents separately (they are out of the vigilante loop). They arrive early, Clark and Lois strike up a conversation with Bruce and Alfred whilst keeping an eye on the 'kids'. Damian imperiously tells Jon that he is going to be "The best uncle to William, obviously."
Dick and Kori then stride in with their 5-year-old daughter Mar'i swinging from their arms and Dick declares that's impossible as long he's around, then ruffles Damian's hair much to his perturbation. Mar'i squeals, "Baby!" And starts making funny faces at Will. Cass and Steph arrive, the former quietly observing their new nephew and the latter telling the boys off for not asking her to help in any way they might've needed. Barbara and Duke join and start to chat with Tim about computers and parts, both promising to help teach Will how to read and write and all about computers when he's older. (They will hold to this but it turns out Jason teaches Will to appreciate reading the most, him being a bibliophile.)
Jason, Roy and 12-year-old Lian arrive last - "Fashionably late," Roy insists - and they are all very excited about a new baby in the family. Jason begins talking food with Bernard. Roy gives Tim parenting tips (Tim's not sure whether to be insulted or grateful but leans towards grateful because he knows his brother-in-law means well), and Kon ideas on things babies and toddlers need that he can build. Lian says hello to Will and excitedly talks with Mar'i, Damian and Jon about the things they're going to teach him. Lian insists stories are most important. Jon half-agrees with songs. Damian insists fighting skills to be of utmost importance, "This is Gotham, after all." Mar'i disagrees with all of them and says gymnastics is best!
Whilst neither Duke nor Jason say anything at this Sunday dinner about it, Jason turns out to be Will's favourite uncle, and everyone else of equal standing. They both (and Babs) help to teach Will how to read, Jason the most, of course. Jason always has a open door and understands all about making mistakes, how they don't define you, and making up for them so Will can always go to him about his troubles, even when he feels unable to tell his parents (all kids feel that way, sometimes); he goes to Jason first when he gets into a fist fight at school. And Jason always has tea and food on the table, which a growing boy needs.
But all of the family play their part in raising the grandchildren, whether they be Lian, Mar'i or Will. Will loves all his family. He later even meets his great-uncle/aunt the Queens, when he needs somewhere safe to stay one summer.
It's a good Sunday dinner. A good beginning to William Wil-El Wayne's story.
