Clark and Lois – Two Universes - Matchmaker Chronicle Volume 7 30/32
By Ken Janney
Rating PG-13
Disclaimers: The characters in this story are property of DC, December 3rd productions and Warner Bros. No Copyright infringement is intended. I have just borrowed the characters for a short time.
This particular story takes place after Lois and Clarks.
* * denotes emphasis
< > denotes thoughts
(#) footnotes
/ “denotes telepathic communication”/
[ playback of a recording or TV Commentary]For reference purposes the following will hold true throughout.
Universal Locator Designation
Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -120 – Canon Lois and Clark universe also called – Prime
Alpha 023 x Gamma 025 x Tau 036 – Canon Alt Clark universe also called – Alt 1
Alpha -120 x Gamma 255 x Tau -190 – Common name – Alt 2
As always comments are welcome. (ken.janney@kjanney.com)
Previously:
Instantly an enunciator started blaring, “Code Blue, Code Blue …”
The doctor immediately dropped his clipboard and started doing chest compressions. Seconds later a nurse ran in with an Ambu bag and started pushing air into her lungs. Another doctor arrived and pushed Superman out of the way. He grabbed the defibrillator paddles. Another nurse applied the gel and he rubbed the paddles together to distribute the gel. He shouted, “Charge to 200!”
A few seconds later the nurse said, “Ready!”
He placed the paddles and shouted, “Clear!”
Everyone jumped back and he triggered the device. There was an audible thump as the device discharged. Phoebe’s body jumped up from the bed and fell back.
The monitor continued recording a flat line.
“Amp of bicarb, bolus!”
A large needle was stuck right into her chest and the plunger shot home.
The doctor with the paddles shouted, “300!”
A few seconds later the nurse shouted, “Ready!”
“Clear!”
There was an audible thump as the device discharged. Louder this time. Phoebe’s body jumped again.
After delivering the shock the rest of the crew returned to what they were doing.
He shouted, “350!”
“Ready!”
“Clear!” Again, there was an audible thump as the device discharged. This time, loudest of all.
“Again!”
“Ready!”
“Clear!”
Thump again.
After the fourth attempt the doctor with the paddles said, “Nice try folks. We’ve done all that we can.” He turned to Superman and asked, “What are you doing here, anyway?”
Superman replied, “She is … was a friend of mine.”
“I’m sorry. Did she have any family?”
“Her husband was in the car with her. They had a daughter. She was with friends so that her mother and father could have a date night.”
“Poor kid. Does she know?”
“Not yet.”
“Who will tell her?”
Superman turned to the doctor for the first time and said, “That will be my responsibility.”
“Sorry, Superman. I wish there had been more that we could have done.”
“You did everything you could.”
“Poor kid’s going to be an orphan now.”
“My friends will take care of her until an arrangement is made.”
The doctor he had been speaking to nodded and left.
He contacted Lois. As soon as he did she knew it was bad news because she could sense it through their link. /”Lois, I found them. They were in an accident, probably on the way home from their date. Warren was already dead. Phoebe spoke to me before she died. They had figured out who we are. Before she died, she asked us to take care of Carrie.”/
/”Clark, could we adopt her?”/
/”I don’t know. We can try. It’s for the courts to decide.”/
Doctor Stephens made a notation of the time of death on her chart and asked, “What did she say to you?”
“It was … personal.”
“Apparently your answer made her happy. She passed with a smile on her face.”
“She asked me to do something for her. I told her I would.” He picked up her hand and gently placed it by her side.
The doctor said, “Do you know if they had a will?”
“No doctor, I don’t have any information on that.”
“I heard you say that they had a daughter. I hope they had a will, you know, to make provisions for the child."
“Please notify the appropriate authorities.”
“That is standard procedure in cases like this. They may want to contact you, since she talked to you before she passed. A dying declaration as it were.”
And Now:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 28 – The Aftermath
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Universal Locator Designation
Alpha -120 x Gamma 255 x Tau -190 – Common name – Alt2
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Superman watched, as they wheeled Phoebe’s body away, presumably to join Warren in the morgue. Once this was done, Superman exited the hospital and headed for Smallville. A few seconds later, Superman landed and spun into his casual clothes. When he entered he found Lois on the couch holding a crying child while Martha and Jonathan on either side attempted to comfort her. Clark knelt in front of Lois and Carrie. He said, “Carrie, I’m so sorry. I wish there was something we could do. Carrie, before your mommy died I was able to speak with her. She told me that she knew just who Lois and I are and … and she asked us to take care of you. I told your mommy that we would. She thanked me and was smiling when she went to heaven. She smiled because she knew that Lois and I love you the same way she and your daddy did and we would take extra special care of you.”
Carrie had been sniffling as he had been saying all of this and when he finished she threw her arms around his neck, buried her face in his shoulder and started crying again as he wrapped her up in his arms.
After a time she cried herself to sleep and Clark carried her up and put her to bed. Scrappy jumped up on her bed with her and in her sleep she rolled over and put an arm around his neck. Clark patted Scrappy and said, “Good boy.” After ensuring that she would be okay he turned and left her room.
Joining Lois and the rest downstairs he said, “I need to call the firm that Warren worked for. They may know who his lawyer was. We need to find their will and have it probated.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
That started a round of calls. It turned out that even though Warren was a corporate lawyer and wills weren’t his specialty he had prepared his own will. The police found it in a fireproof strong box in a closet of their home. It, along with insurance forms and other important papers were delivered to a local judge.
On Tuesday, Clark received a call at the Planet. “Daily Planet, Clark Kent.”
“Mr. Kent, this is Judge Burke, Sandra Burke in Chicago. Do you have a minute to talk?”
“Yes, judge. I assume that this is in regards to Warren and Phoebe Harris.”
“Yes, it’s my understanding that you have in your care a minor child, Carrie Ann Harris.”
“That is correct; we were babysitting her for Warren and Phoebe so that they could have a night out.”
“I must ask you to return her to this jurisdiction so that child welfare can take care of her until arrangements can be made for her disposition.”
Clark, normally unflappable, was starting to lose his temper and it was in his voice as he replied, “Carrie is not a commodity that can be disposed of! She is a little girl who is in a lot of pain at the loss of her parents.”
“Mr. Kent, it isn’t going to help for you to lose your temper. This child needs to be returned to this jurisdiction so that child welfare can handle the case.”
“I’m sorry judge, it’s just, well, Warren and Phoebe trusted us to take care of Carrie. Why can’t we just continue to do so? My wife recently had a similar loss and they have really bonded over it. It is helping Carrie to cope.”
“That’s all well and good, but the law is the law. You must return the child. How is it that she is in Metropolis, anyhow?”
“Actually, she is in Kansas. A friend of mine provided transportation.”
“Oh, a private pilot?”
“Actually, no, Superman.”
The tone of the judge’s voice changed abruptly. “Did you say, Superman?”
“Yes, judge, he happens to be a friend of mine.”
The judge paused for a minute in thought before coming back on the line. “If I were to have a positive character reference from someone like Superman about you and your wife coupled with the fact that you were in fact babysitting Carrie for Phoebe and Warren Harris at the time of their demise, I may be able to have child welfare grant you temporary custody as foster parents. We will waive the required background checks and classes. You must understand however, it will only be temporary. Once the will is probated a decision will be made on the disposition of the child.”
“Thank you judge. I’ll ask Superman to prepare a statement and fly it out to you. How soon will the will be probated?”
“Since there is an orphaned, minor child involved, I will be scheduling that for no-later-than Friday. The child will have to be here at that time. As a family friend, and for the child, it might be advisable for you and your wife to appear at that time as well.”
“What time on Friday?”
“Now you’re putting me on the spot. Let me check my calendar.” He could hear her riffling pages. “I have an opening on Thursday, ten a.m. Can you be here?”
“We’ll all be there. Thank you judge.”
“I look forward to seeing Superman in my office with that reference sometime soon.”
“Don’t worry Your Honor. He’ll be there sooner than you think.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
On Thursday at ten a.m. Lois and Clark with Clark carrying Carrie and Scrappy at his heels entered the judge’s chambers in the courthouse in Chicago where the will was to be read.
When they walked in besides the judge there was a member of the Chicago PD and two representatives of child welfare.
As they entered the room, one of the women from child welfare stood and approached Clark. She held out her hands to try to take Carrie.
Seeing this Carrie screamed, “No! No, I wanna stay with Mr. Clark!” She grabbed onto him as if her life depended on it and buried her head in his shoulder.
Lois stepped between the worker and Clark and asked, “What is it going to hurt for us to hold her? Isn’t it bad enough that she has lost her parents?’
The worker tried to push her way past Lois, but the judge stopped her by saying, “Madge, let her stay with the Kents.”
Madge gave the judge a questioning look and at the judge’s nod returned to her seat.
Once Lois and Clark were seated, with Clark holding Carrie on his lap the judge proceeded. She looked at Madge and said, “I have the advantage of having reviewed this document in advance. You’ll understand in a minute why I allowed this.” She opened a folder that was lying on her desk and started to read, “Last Will and Testament of Warren and Phoebe Harris. Be it known to all present that the undersigned being of sound mind, etc., etc. do affirm and attest that this is our etc., etc. Okay, here’s the pertinent part. Lacking any living family other than our daughter, Carrie Ann Harris we do assign Lois Lane-Kent and Clark Kent to be executors of this will.”
She looked over the document, straight at the Kents and asked, “Are you willing to serve in this capacity?”
Clark looked at Lois and at her nod answered for them, “We are, Your Honor.”
The judge nodded and returning to the document said, “I thought you would otherwise they wouldn’t have named you. Okay, yadda, yadda, yadda all goods and chattels. Insurance policies. Ah, here we are. This is the important part. We, Warren and Phoebe Harris out of concern for the continued welfare of our child, Carrie Ann Harris direct that Lois Lane-Kent and Clark Kent be appointed Guardians until such time as Carrie comes of age or until the time when with her agreement they, Lois Lane-Kent and Clark Kent decide that they wish to adopt Carrie. They have our full consent in this matter to act in the best interests of Carrie.”
Lois reached over and grasped Clark’s hand. Clark gave Carrie a hug.
The judge said, “Now that that’s settled, Madge you and your partner and the CPD officer can all leave while I go over the details of the will with the Kents.”
Madge stood, nodded to the judge and stepping over to Clark and Lois held out her hand. Lois shook it as Madge said, “No hard feelings. I was just doing my job.”
Lois replied, “With a little too much zeal if you asked me. You need to think of the child more.”
Madge replied, “I was thinking of the child and what the requirements of the law are.”
Lois said, “Don’t be too surprised if you see an article or two about how the system abuses the children they are supposedly protecting. My husband was also an orphan. Fortunately he was adopted by a very loving family. That is what we hope to provide for Carrie.”
After Madge and the rest had left the judge said, “Don’t judge her too harshly. She has saved a number of children’s lives by getting them out of the abusive situation. Now, the details of the will. As executor it will be up to you to make the funeral arrangements. I will push through the guardianship decree. There will be no necessity of keeping Carrie here in Illinois. Details of insurance policies, deed, mortgage details other debts are all outlined. Mr. Harris was very thorough. I don’t think you’ll have any problems.” The judge shoved the copy of the will she was reading from back into the folder and removed her reading glasses setting them on the desk. She looked at Carrie and saw that she was looking at her. She asked, “Carrie, honey, do you like the Kents?”
Carrie nodded her head and buried her face in Clark’s shoulder again.
The judge nodded and said, “I can see that she does. It’s as plain as the nose on your face. I’m glad it worked out this way. Lots of times the parents make no provision for the children and they wind up in the system. I’m glad that didn’t happen this time. Mr. and Mrs. Kent, if there’s anything I can do for you. Just let me know, oh, and thank Superman for me. It was a thrill meeting him.” She handed Lois the folder as they stood to leave.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The following weekend the funeral was held for Phoebe and Warren Harris. The principle mourners were Carrie and the Kents along with some friends and co-workers of Warren’s.
Lois kept Carrie’s hand in hers the entire time, lifting her up so that she could see her mom’s and dad’s bodies and say goodbye to each of them. At times she was overcome and buried her face in Lois’s shoulder as she cried. Lois comforted her, but at the same time encouraged her in crying in the understanding that the emotional release would be beneficial. It hadn’t been that long ago that she had been through the same process with her Clark and seeing Carrie’s expressions of grief brought it back to her making her the perfect comforter because of her identification.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A few months later
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Lex Luthor trial had been postponed due to the absence of Luthor. It had been four months since he had escaped from prison. All of the efforts of Superman and the team of Lane and Kent had proven futile.
Lois was now into her seventh month and her belly was growing at a moderate rate as the baby grew. They already knew that based upon that rate of growth that a Kryptonian pregnancy was considerably longer than an Earth human pregnancy. The decision had been made to spend some time in the other universe so that the term would appear closer to what would be expected. Thus they had been spending at least a day with Martha and Jonathan for every two days in Alt 1 with Lucy and James.
One evening as they were sitting around the dinner table with Martha and Jonathan, turning to Lois, Carrie asked a question, “Am I going to stay with you forever?”
Lois reached out a hand and asked, “Do you want to?”
Carrie’s reply was exactly what everyone around the table hoped it would be, “Yes, I do. Next to mommy, I like you best of everybody. Do you want me to stay with you?”
Lois was out of her chair and kneeling next to Carrie as she took both of her hands in hers and said, “Carrie, we want you to stay with us, very much. Your mommy also wanted that. She picked us to take her place if something happened to her.”
Clark added, “Carrie, your mommy and daddy were very wise people. They knew that if something ever happened to them that you would need someone. They saw how much we loved you and that you really like us so they asked us if we would be the ones. I talked with your mommy, just before she died and she asked me to promise to take care of you. I promised that we would. When I promised she said, ‘Thank you.’ and smiled because she knew that I would keep my promise. Carrie, there was one more thing. Would you want to become our little girl? Would you like Lois to be your new mommy and me your new daddy?”
She looked at Lois and asked, “Could you?”
Lois replied, “Could I what, Carrie?”
“Could you be my new mommy?”
“If you want me to, yes, but you have to want it.”
Carrie threw her arms around Lois’s neck and said, “Yes, I want you to be my new mommy.”
Lois put her arms around Carrie and lifted her out of her chair and into a hug. She knew that this marked a milestone. Carrie had worked through her grief at the loss of her mom and dad and was ready to move on. She said, “It would make me very happy to be your new mommy,” as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Clark moved in and put his arms around his wife and his new daughter in a group hug.
Martha and Jonathan had been very interested observers and had arisen and were also hugging as they looked on. Martha was weeping softly and said to Jonathan, “We just got ourselves a granddaughter.”
Jonathan, also with tears in his eyes and at a total loss for words, said, “Yeah.”
After a few minutes, basking in the moment, Carrie broke the silence and in her child’s voice asked, “Mommy, can I have some ice cream for dissert?”
With a fresh outburst of tears at Carrie calling her mommy, Lois said, “Yes, honey, you may. I think we all will. *This* is a *celebration*.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The lawyers were contacted and the paperwork completed for the adoption. Since it had been in the will and since Carrie had no other relatives it was ordered in a very short time and Carrie Harris became Carrie Kent.
Clark, as executor of the estate had access to all of the possessions of the Harris family. He took one of the portraits of her parents and had a reduced copy made and that along with a snapshot of Lois and Clark went into a locket.
After the final approval Lois and Clark presented a prettily wrapped box to Carrie. As he did, Lois said, “Carrie, it’s official. As of today, you’re our little girl. You are now Carrie Harris Kent. We changed your middle name. Do you like your new name?”
Distracted by the gift, Carrie replied, “uh huh.”
Lois chuckled and said, “Okay. Why don’t you go ahead and open the gift?”
Obviously eager to do just that Carrie ripped off the paper. When she opened the wrapping and then the box she said, “Ooooo,pretty!”
Lois asked, “Do you like it Carrie?”
Carrie replied, “Very much. It’s pretty.”
Lois said, “Go ahead and open it.”
Carrie tried and then Lois helped and showed her how it was done. When it was open Carrie saw the pictures and started to tear up. Looking at the picture of Phoebe and Warren she said, “Mommy and Daddy.” Then she looked at the other picture and said, “New Mommy and Daddy.”
Lois said, “Carrie, honey, we never want you to forget your mommy and daddy. That is one of the reasons we changed your middle name to Harris, your old last name. That picture is so that you can remember them and how very much they loved you. The other picture is so that you know how much we love you.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Flashback
45 days earlier
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The search for Luthor seemed to be going nowhere so after a short time in hiding Lois had returned to the Planet. Claiming that they were still concerned she went back, in an undercover way. She started wearing a jet black wig with poker straight hair which reached the middle of her back and big horn rimmed glasses. She wore flats to reduce her apparent height and conservative pantsuits. They put out the word that she was wearing padding to make her look like she was pregnant.
The disguise had been effective. The first day she showed up when she stepped out of the elevator Clark hung back. He had flown to the roof and timed his arrival at the bullpen floor to coincide with Lois’s entrance from the elevator.
As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, Jimmy, who happened to be standing there waiting for the elevator greeted her, “Can I help you Miss?”
Lois changed her voice and affected a mid-western accent which was fairly easy to do after years with the Kents. “Yes, you may. I’m looking for Lois Lane. I was told that she works here.”
“Uh, well, she does, but she’s been on assignment for a while now so she’s not here. Can I help you, I’m Jimmy Olsen? I’m one of her partners.”
Lois started to smile as she said, “Partner, huh? Since when?”
Jimmy was flustered and he stammered, “Well, I uh, you see uh, we work together a lot and I uh …”
Lois decided to put him out of his misery so she said, “I already have a partner and he happens to be my husband.” She lowered her glasses.
It took Jimmy a few seconds to tumble to the fact that this was Lois, but when he did he started to smile and almost shouted, “Lois!” But all that made it out was, “L ,,,” because Lois put her hand over his mouth.
She said, “Shhhhh. No one is supposed to know I’m here. Call me Olive, okay?”
Jimmy smiled and said, “Olive, huh? Okay, you’re undercover huh?”
“You got it. I’m going to be undercover or on assignment until Luthor is recaptured.”
Jimmy winked and said, “Got it, Olive.”
Lois asked, “Where’s the Chief?”
“He said something about having to meet with the suits upstairs. He should be back soon.”
“I guess I’ll check my phone and e-mail messages. Thanks, Jimmy.”
“See you later, Olive. I have to get this film to the lab.” He sprinted to catch the elevator car and got to it just as Perry stepped off.
Perry spotted the stranger in his bullpen and moved in her direction. “Can I help you, Miss?”
Using her other voice, Lois asked, “Can you help me, I’m looking for Lois Lane.”
“Well, I’m sorry, she happens to be on assignment at this time. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Could I speak with you in your office?”
“Sure Miss …”
“Olive.”
“Okay, Miss, uh, Olive?”
“Yes, Olive.”
“Okay, uh, this way.” Perry led the way to his office.
Once inside, he moved around his desk and sat. He asked “Now, how can I help you?”
Dropping the affected voice, Lois said, “You can let me use my desk. I’ve got work to do.” She pulled her glasses off and smiled.
Perry was flabbergasted. He said, “Lois?? Is that you darling?”
Laughing she did a pirouette and asked, “What do you think?”
“You sure fooled me!”
Lois said, “Fooled Jimmy too. Look, Clark wants me to stay undercover until Luthor is caught. If this disguise could fool Jimmy and you, I don’t think Luthor will figure it out. It was the only way we could figure out that I could be here to work on the case and still be under the radar.”
“It sure looks like it’ll work. Well, okay. Olive huh?”
Laughing Lois asked, “Are you making fun of my middle name?”
Perry replied, “I never knew it. Okay, Olive it is. I guess you need to get to work. Where’s that husband of yours?”
“He hung back so that it would be less obvious. He’ll be here in a minute.” Just then Clark exited the stairwell, “See, there he is.”
“All right, the team of Lane and Kent, back together. Get busy and get him so that you can get out of that ridiculous outfit.”
“Right, Chief. We’re on it.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
End flashback
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Carrie had a day off from school. Scrappy woke her up by licking her face. She hugged him and then got out of bed.
It was only a few days since the papers had been filed, finalizing the adoption. Now her name was Kent and she couldn’t wait to tell everybody.
She stood up and looked around at *her* new room. It was the room right next to the master bedroom at 348 Hyperion Ave. The walls had been painted a pale pink. Her new bed was a three-quarter so that there was room for Scrappy with white posts and a pink canopy. Her dresser and chest were also white with teddy bear decals on the drawers. The lamp on her bedside had a teddy bear sitting down with three blocks piled in a pyramid with ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ showing and a pink shade matching the canopy. Her closet had been modified so that it had a bar at four feet so that she could reach her clothes.
She was smiling and humming to herself as she picked out what she wanted to wear because today was special. Today Mommy and Daddy were taking her to work with them and she wanted to look especially nice. She went to her closet and picked out a party dress that she was partial to, then she picked out her underwear and socks.
A few seconds later Lois came in and said, “Good morning, Sweetheart. How’s my little girl today?”
She answered, “Scrappy didn’t want me to be late. He woke me up.” She pointed to her clothes and asked, “Can I wear those today?”
Lois looked and said, “Those would be very nice. You’ll be the prettiest one there today.” She smiled at Carrie and continued, “Okay now, wash your face and hands, and then put on your pretty dress, shoes and socks and then come downstairs for breakfast.”
“Okay, Mommy.”
Lois couldn’t help but smile. To hear this dear sweet child call her mommy sent a thrill through her. She said, “I’ll see you downstairs in a minute.” She gave Carrie a kiss on top of her head and headed out.
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