Hattie Kaplin, Reporter - Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1C – N 3/3
Description:
This story takes place in the Matchmaker Chronicles universe.
This story is a sequel to After Summer Camp – Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1C - A
Hattie Kaplin, Reporter - Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1C - N
By KenJ <ken.janney@kjanney.com>
This version is rated PG-13
Submitted October 15, 2012
Disclaimers: The characters in this story are property of DC, December 3rd productions and Warner Bros., except those I created. No copyright infringement is intended. I have just borrowed the characters for a short time.
* * denotes emphasis
< > denotes thoughts
/ denotes telepathic communications./
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Universal Locator designation
Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -120 Canon universe also called – Prime
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Previously:
“Do you want to talk to the police or not?”
Looking at her clothes and reaching up and feeling her hair plastered to her head she said, “I think … not. Can you get me outta here?”
“Sure, where do you want to go?”
“My apartment. I need to change out of these wet clothes, then, if you don’t mind, Jon Kent’s apartment.”
Jon sent, /Pop?/
Immediately he got a response, /What is it Jon?/
/Hattie’s car was bombed in the parking garage. She’s okay. She wasn’t in it when it went up. I’m taking her to her apartment. Can you come to the Planet and deal with the police for me?/
/Sure thing. You take care of Hattie./
/Thanks./
Jon picked her up and flew off just as the first responders were arriving. Without thinking about it he flew her to her apartment. At her door he stopped her and asked, “Do you want me to dry you off?”
She was distracted and asked, “What? How?”
He stepped back and said, “Just stand there a sec. A little heat vision will take care of it.”
Hattie could feel the heat. It wasn’t like being baked in an oven, more like standing outside in the sun on a summer day. She could feel her clothes and hair drying. She reached up and even though her hair was now dry it was still matted down.
When he was done she pulled out her keys and opened the locks. When the door opened she gasped. The sight that greeted her was appalling. Her apartment looked like a cyclone had passed through. Everything was thrown around, cushions were cut open, drawers pulled out and dumped, even her freezer was emptied. She moved into the kitchen and picked up a bag of frozen vegetables. They were still partially frozen. She said, “They were here only a short time ago.” She moved into her bedroom. It was the same story. One small comfort was that her clothing was intact even if it was spread all over the floor. She looked at Kam-El and asked, “Can you help me pack all of this stuff up? I want to take it with me.”
At super speed Kam-El picked up, folded and packed her clothes. He did experience some little embarrassment as he was picking up her underwear. He had never been intimate with her that way and this was the first time he was seeing what she liked to wear under her clothes. Very feminine, lacy underwear and some plain, utilitarian things as well. Her night wear was the same mix, whew. He actually started to blush. To him it was like going through his sister’s lingerie drawer. When he had completed this task he asked, “What next?”
When she turned to face him at his question she noted the color in his cheeks, at least what wasn’t covered by his mask. She said, “Just take me to Jon Kent’s apartment.” She thought, <Why is he blushing? Does he wonder what I look like in some of my underwear? Perhaps a nightie?>
“I’ll take you and then come back for your luggage.” Once outside he picked her up and flew off.
The door of Jon Kent’s apartment was answered by Jen and seeing Hattie in her disheveled condition and Kam-El she asked, “Hattie, what happened?”
“You’re not going to believe it. Can I bunk with you guys for a few days?”
Jen stood back and allowed Hattie to enter and after she had passed her giving Jon a quizzical look that Hattie couldn’t see. He nodded imperceptibly so Jen put her arm around her shoulder and led her to the couch.
Kam-El said, “I’ll be right back with her luggage.”
Jen said, “Alright, go ahead.” As soon as Kam-El turned away Jen sat next to Hattie and put an arm across her shoulders.
And now:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 3 – Uh - oh
July 2028
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The reaction finally settled in and Hattie started to cry. Jen tried to comfort her as best she could without knowing the story. Slowly, the story came out, in between sobs.
Shortly, Kam-El returned with Hattie’s luggage which he put in the guest bedroom. When he came back out he said, “I don’t think I’m needed here any longer. I’ll check back on you later.”
Hattie said, “Thanks, Kam-El. I don’t know what I’d have done without you.”
He nodded his head and exited.
A few minutes later Jon Kent entered and said, “I just saw Kam-El fly away. What was he doing around here?” As if he just spotted her he asked, “Hattie! What are you doing here?”
“Jon, am I glad to see you! You’ll never believe what happened. First my Jeep was bombed. It’s just dumb luck that I wasn’t in it when it happened. Then Kam-El took me to my apartment. Wait a minute, how did he know where I live? I wonder. Anyhow, it looks like my apartment was searched. Fortunately, I was carrying my laptop in my bag so they didn’t get that. I don’t know what they were looking for and I hope whatever it was they didn’t find it. My guess is that it was Metro-Staff. They know I’m after them. Kam-El was a tremendous help. You know, I think he likes me. I could tell. I just wonder.” She fell silent for a minute then she looked at herself and said, “I guess I need to get out of these clothes.” She stood up and moved into the guest bedroom to change.
When she closed the door, Jen gave Jon another quizzical look. He shrugged his shoulders and said, “We can talk later.”
Hattie was thinking about her encounter with Kam-El as she was getting out some clothes to change into. He had said he would be back later to check on her. Subconsciously, thinking about him must have influenced her decision as to what to put on. She pulled out a lacey turquoise bra and matching thong. She found a light blue scoop neck top and a short dark blue skirt. She pulled out her comb and brush and worked on her hair. She decided that it would require a shower and proper care before it would look right and she hoped she would have a chance to do that before he returned. Giving it up as a lost cause, until a shower she put down her utensils, picked up her clothes and rejoined Jon and Jen in the living room.
Jon said, “You look a lot better.”
Hattie replied, “Thank you. I feel a little better. Mind if I use your shower?”
Jen said, “Not at all. Make yourself at home.”
Jon asked, “Who’s hungry? It’s steak night. I was planning to make sides of mac n cheese, green beans and a salad.”
Hattie said, “Comfort food; just the thing. Thanks. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have friends like you guys.” She headed toward the bathroom for her shower.
Once the door to the bathroom was closed, Jen turned to Jon and asked, “Okay, what happened?”
“Well, she was almost killed. Somebody booby trapped her car. I didn’t get there until it had already happened. I thought she was dead. I’m afraid I might have let my guard down and reacted emotionally. I don’t know if it will be a problem or not. We’ll have to wait and see.”
“You’re going to need to be extra careful.”
“Don’t I know it? I’m going to go start dinner while she’s in the shower.”
“Okay, I need to work on my lesson plans for next week. Shall I bring my book out and work at the table? I can keep you company that way.”
Jon leaned in, gave her a kiss and said, “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have keeping me company. What can I carry for you?”
“It’s in my bag. I’ll get it and join you in a minute, Lover.”
He wiggled his eyebrows and with a wicked little grin said, “The joining will be much later.”
Jen giggled and looked toward the bathroom as she said, “I don’t know if I can be quiet enough not to disturb Hattie. You know, I really feel sorry for her. She doesn’t have a boyfriend. She says she’s too busy chasing a Pulitzer.”
A few minutes later they were in the kitchen.
Jon was starting the meal preparations as they were talking. Jon asked, “Who are you matching her up with in the bridal party?”
“I was thinking about your cousin, Jimmy Junior. What do you think?”
“Yeah, that might just work. He’s a good guy. He’s been working for the Gotham Gazette. I hear he just got an offer from the Planet. His specialty is human interest, mood type pieces. The word is that Mom and Dad asked him to come over especially. The editor of the Gazette was complaining that it was nepotism and poaching, but, what could he do about it? It isn’t like he had a long contract or anything.”
Suddenly Jon received a thought, /Jon, you busy?/
/Kinda, is it important?/
/No, it can wait a while. The police have finished their investigation. They pulled the security tapes and ID’d the bomber. There’s an APB out for him. I can give you the details later./
/Thanks, Pop. I’ll get back to you./
Using finger quotes, Jen said, “Okay, I saw “the” look. What’s up?”
“That was Dad. They ID’d the bomber. I’ll need to get together with him later.”
Just to be on the safe side from that point on Jen talked about her fourth grade class while Jon finished the meal. Hattie came out after her shower and joined them and was fascinated by some of the anecdotes Jen told about her students.
They spent the rest of the evening together and then Jon and Jen said they were going to bed so all three went off to change.
After they were in their bedroom, while Jen prepared for bed, Jon spun into his Suit and flew out through the bedroom window to meet with his dad.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Remembering that Kam-El had promised to look back in on her later, Hattie decided to wear a semi-transparent nightie and put this on over her bra and thong. She was still restless after what had happened so she put on a robe and went out to the living room and turned on the TV with the sound off and the closed captioning on.
She was half asleep when the door quietly opened and in stepped Kam-El.
She was instantly awake. She stood and walked toward him. In a hushed tone, so as not to disturb Jon and Jen in their bedroom she said, “I knew you’d come.” Her face began to flush with her thoughts. She said, “I know that you have feelings for me. I heard what you said.” She started opening her robe. “I heard the emotion in your voice when you thought I had been killed in the explosion.” She finished undoing her robe. “You said that you had been afraid you had lost me.” She pulled the robe open and allowed it to fall to the floor revealing almost her entire body to his view. She was excited and it was evident because her lacey bra did nothing to hide their condition.
Jon was embarrassed and looked up as if praying to a higher power for strength. When he looked down he looked at the TV.
She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She said, “You don’t have to hide your feelings anymore.” She stretched up on tiptoe and kissed him. He really didn’t reciprocate and she pulled back and with a funny almost disgusted look on her face said, “That felt like I was kissing my *brother*.” She stepped back and seeing that he wasn’t looking at her, feelings of inadequacy started to assert and her voice started to lost its quiet register. Her volume started to increase as she asked, “Am I that ugly that you can’t even look at me? Do I disgust you that much?” The hurt was very evident in her voice as it finished on a high and rather loud note.
Jen was in bed waiting for Jon’s return when she heard raised voices in the living room. She slid out of bed and grabbed her robe and started putting it on. She didn’t immediately go into the living room because it could just be the TV.
Kam-El said, “I’m sorry Hattie. I … I can’t really … “
With this statement some of the hurt she had been experiencing was removed. If this was the case, then there was no hope of a relationship. “You can’t be with Earth women, is that it?”
“Well, no, that’s not it.”
This statement brought all of her anger back and she almost shouted, “If that’s not it, what’s the problem? I know you have feelings for me. I have feelings for you.” She reached up and cupped her breasts as if offering them to him.
Jen heard this clearly, <That surely wasn’t the TV.> she moved toward the door of the bedroom.
Again he said, “Hattie, I … I can’t .. I …”
He still wasn’t looking at her so she gasped the sides of her nightie and pulled it off over her head so that she was standing there in just a couple of bits of lace. All the bra did was outline her breasts without concealing them. She said, “Look at me! Am I that hard to look at? Am I that repulsive?” She started weeping in frustration at his apparent rejection.
Just then the bedroom door opened and Hattie heard Jen gasp very loudly. Then Hattie heard Jen say, loudly and angrily, “Hattie! What are you doing?” Jen looked at Kam-El and saw that he was looking at the silent TV and *NOT* at Hattie.
Hattie half turned toward Jen and holding out her hand in Kam-El’s direction said, “Kam-El … he came to check on me.”
In a tone of her voice, that of someone who was exasperated Jen said, “You’re not exactly dressed for visitors.”
Defensively, Hattie replied, “I am for him. He has feelings for me, I know it.” She reached down and picked up her robe and started to put it back on.
Jen transferred her attention to Kam-El and said, “I think it’s time she was told.”
Hattie looked back and forth between Kam-El and Jen and asked, “Told? Told what?”
Kam-El pointedly looked and Jen and said, “You’re right.”
Jen asked, “Why did you come in through the door anyhow?”
“There were people outside. They would have seen me. I thought she would be in bed.”
Hattie was getting the impression that these two knew each other better than she ever could have imagined. As they were talking she had finished fastening her robe.
Jen said, “She is one of your best and oldest friends. Don’t you think you can trust her by this time? *I* think you can.”
As Hattie was listening to this exchange Kam-El’s voice had started to change. It became a little less deep, took on a new tone and timbre, became less and less formal, softer, more friendly, more … familiar.
Kam-El nodded his head and said, “You’re right, of course.” He reached up and removed his mask.
Hattie stood there in shock. It was like a bomb had gone off in her brain. Her thoughts were in a whirl. <Jon??? Jon Kent! The guy I have known from middle school, my best friend … he … is … Kam-El!?!?! Kam-El! I just tried to seduce Kam-El, Jon, I just tried to seduce Jon! But, if he’s Kam-El, then that means that Clark Kent, Clark Kent is Superman and OH … MY … GOD …that means that Lois is .. Lois Lane is Ultra Woman!> Hattie felt faint.
In a dazed state Hattie clutched her robe closer. As she was cinching the belt tighter, in a distracted manner, she said, “All of these years, all these years I’ve been spending all my spare time with the super family. I basically taught you French. You taught me Algebra. No wonder I could never be as good as Lois Lane, she had a super edge.” She was slowly becoming slightly hysterical.
Jon said, “Actually, Mom didn’t have her powers back until I was ten.”
Hattie didn’t understand this and said, “What? How?”
Jon started to move over to comfort her, but, Jen shook her head and moved over in his place to comfort Hattie. She said, “Now you can see why it never would have worked out for you with Kam-El. He’s … already spoken for.”
Hattie turned to Jen and put her arms around her, buried her face in her shoulder and started crying. She said, “Oh, Jen, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
Jen patted her back and then made a hand motion, twirling her finger around indicating that Jon should change which he did.
Jon stepped over to them and placed a hand on Hattie’s shoulder. He said, “Hattie, we need to talk.”
She stopped crying and nodded in understanding. They moved over to the sofa. Jon turned the TV off and when he sat down, Jen sat in his lap, facing Hattie.
Hattie said, “I never even suspected. I call myself an investigative reporter and I never for a moment considered the possibility that the entire super family was right there under my nose the whole time.”
Jon said, “That’s not too surprising Hattie, we’ve had a lot of practice hiding and after all you and I almost grew up together. You just saw me as your friend, the guy you studied and played games with. *You* are like a *sister* to me and I *do* have feelings for you. Hattie I *do* love you. I love you like a sister. The only one I have stronger feelings for is Jen.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“It wasn’t until recently that you were in need of assistance. It just sorta worked out that I was in the area when you needed me and yes, I was heartbroken when I thought you had died in that explosion. I didn’t really, deliberately keep it from you, it’s just family policy. We have only ever told our spouses. There have been some close, very close friends that have figured it out on their own, but, mostly it’s just relatives. It’s actually for their safety as much as ours. If it became known that someone knew who we were, think what a criminal would do to get the information. We don’t want to risk that.”
“But, I would *never* tell. I don’t care what they would do to me. They could stick burning bamboo stakes under my fingernails and I wouldn’t tell.”
“We know you wouldn’t Hattie, but, we wouldn’t want you to have to go through that.”
Hattie asked, “But, what about Jen? Won’t she be susceptible to that kind of torture, or worse, as the wife of one of the supermen, they could threaten to kill her if you didn’t do what they wanted.”
“That would only be for a short time. What you don’t know, what nobody outside of the family has known till now is that all of our spouses are super as well. In just a couple of years, Jen will be a superwoman and all of our children will be super.”
“You mean that if I had married you, I would have become super?”
“Yes.”
“How does it happen?”
“By being together, by being intimate our spouses bodies are changed over time and when they have reached the point that they are half Kryptonian we can have children and they have powers.”
With a thoughtful look Hattie said, “If you and I were intimate, could you make me super?”
Jen replied, “I’m sorry Hattie. Jon is spoken for. Remember, he and I are getting married in just a few weeks. I guess he should explain.”
“Hattie, there’s something about Kryptonians. We are driven to find that one person, the *only* person that completes us. It’s called a soul mate and once we find our soul mate, they are the only one we can be with. I’m sorry, Hattie. It’s a case of love at first sight. If it doesn’t happen immediately, it won’t happen. It happened immediately with Jen. You and I were already friends but the first time I laid eyes Jen, I knew she was the one. Plus, it isn’t that simple. It takes up to three years.”
“I guess I’ve lost out all around then.”
“No Hattie! Don’t think that way! Just because I’m not the one we’re still friends, now, more than ever. You’re part of this family, whether you want to be or not. You’re almost as much a part of this family as Jen is, in fact you’ve been with us longer.”
Suddenly a thought hit her, she said, “Wait a minute, I just thought, if you’re Kam-El then Lara is …”
Jon finished for her, “Ultra Woman two.”
Hattie asked, “How did that happen?”
“That’s a story for another time.”
Jen looked at the clock and said, “I have a fourth grade class to teach tomorrow. I need to get some sleep and I need Jon in bed with me. Are you going to be okay?”
Hattie thought for a second and then said, “Yeah, I guess so. I still have a lot of questions though.”
“We have a lot of time to answer them. Now that we don’t have to hide everything, we can talk.”
“In that case, I guess I’ll go to bed, but, first I’m going to change into, something a little less … revealing.”
Jen and Jon both chuckled and said, “Goodnight Hattie.” They both gave her a kiss on the cheek and headed for their bedrooms. Hattie went to the guest room and Jon and Jen to theirs.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The next morning at breakfast Jon told Hattie that the bomber had been identified and that the police were after him.
They decided that she should work from the apartment for a couple of days.
Hattie told Jon about the recorder and he retrieved the chip for her while putting a new one in place.
After listening to it she called the police and asked to speak with Inspector Cardona.
“Cardona here.”
“Inspector, this is Hattie Kaplin.”
“Ah, Ms. Kaplin. Superman just brought in our person of interest in the bombing of your car.”
“Superman, which one?”
“Oh, it was Superman himself. I heard about your incident and that Kam-El was the one that saved you. Do you have some kind of pull with the supermen that they go out of their way to help you?”
This simple question yanked her back in her mind to the previous night and the conversation they had had. She knew now just what it meant to be in on the family secret and just how important it was to guard that secret. She knew instantly that in order to protect Jon and the rest of his family she would need to lie, or if not lie outright, at least muddy the water somewhat. She phrased her answer carefully, “Not that I am aware of. I think that they help anyone when the need arises.” She decided not to press her luck any farther and change the topic by asking, “Has the bomber talked yet?”
“No, we’re still grilling him.”
“What I have here might just help to get him talking. I have a recording of the conversations conducted in the offices of Metro-Staff.”
“Oh, that’s interesting. I’m not going to ask how you acquired this recording.”
“Good, that way I won’t have to lie to you. It would not be admissible in a court of law as evidence, but, I think you will find it to be very interesting. The director of Metro-Staff hired the bomber that booby trapped my Jeep. He also sent the team out that ran-sacked my apartment. They were trying to find out just how much evidence I had on them. The most interesting thing for the bomber is that he was scheduled to be ‘taken care of’ so that he couldn’t testify later. It could make interesting listening for the bomber.”
“I’ll send a courier over to get it. Where are you?”
She gave him Jon Kent’s address and while she waited she copied the file to her laptop.
Phone conversations and other meetings were recorded and all incriminated Metro-Staff in her attempted murder and also the corporate espionage.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
After a time she had a call from Inspector Cardona. “We played that recording for the suspect and he copped to the gig and cut a deal. He’ll plead to a lower charge and testify against Metro-Staff. We got enough out of him to get a warrant. We are going to go after them on the attempted murder charge, but, who knows just what we might turn up in the search. You’re interest is in the corporate espionage, right?”
“Right, can I get whatever you dig up?”
“Would you like to be there for the bust? It was your recording, after all, that busted this case wide open. You get the exclusive.”
“Inspector, a team of wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”
“I’ll get back to you.”
She typed up what she had and e-mailed it to Lois and Clark.
The police notified her when they were set to do a round up and she was there for the take down.
As anticipated all of the evidence she needed to make the link between Metro-Staff, the industrial espionage and Miralabs was uncovered.
Her articles exposing Miralabs and the corporate spying being done by Metro-Staff won her not only a Kerth nomination but the award itself and this was just a few months farther into her career that Lois was when she won her first Kerth.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The wedding went off without a hitch. The bride was radiant in her white gown. Pete Ross, husband of Jen’s cousin and closest relative, Lana Lang Ross, gave her away as the stand in for her deceased father. The groom looked very dashing in his tuxedo with a white cummerbund and white tie. Lara Kent Lee was Matron of Honor and Mike Lee was Jon’s best man. All of Jon’s sisters and Hattie were in the bridal party as bridesmaids and all of Jon’s brothers and his cousin Jimmy Olsen Junior were groomsmen. Hattie as a bridesmaid was paired up with Jimmy. Hattie and Jimmy hit it off and both had a thoroughly enjoyable evening, dancing the night away. When it came time for the tossing of the bouquet, Hattie caught it. The garter was caught by, you guessed it, Jimmy Junior. There was some rather raucous cheering and encouragement as he was putting the garter on Hattie’s leg to keep going higher and higher. She called a halt when it was at mid-thigh which is when the photographer took the picture. Nobody let on, but, there just might have been some collusion on the part of the girls and guys to have it turn out that way.
Jimmy Junior had been told to keep his new job a secret, so at the wedding he had limited himself to family and his work at the Gotham Gazette. The fact that he was also a reporter and could converse on her level attracted Hattie to him immediately. The fact that he was also part of the family and knew the family secret fostered conversation. Since he had been told that she knew the family secret, it established a lot of common ground for a relationship.
The wedding was on Saturday and Jimmy had convinced Hattie to give him her address and phone number so that he could call her some time.
On Monday, to her complete surprise that same groomsman started working at the Daily Planet.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Oh, and, by the way, when Jimmy Olsen Junior started at the Planet, he was teamed up with Hattie Kaplin. He brought the same balance to the writing team that Clark had to the team of Lane and Kent. Before long the reporting team of Kaplin and Olsen were the inheritors of the title, ‘The Hottest Team in Town’ and before too much more time had passed, Hattie really became a member of the family by marrying Jon’s cousin.
comments go here The End
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskrima Stick used in hand to hand combat either singly or in pairs.
There is a lot of time open between Jon & Jen’s wedding and when Hattie and Jimmy Jr. tie the knot and even after. If there is any interest in additional Hattie stories, please leave feedback on the
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