Chapter Six

September 13, 2041

"I agree it's odd Lois, but just call Chloe and find out." Clark replied

"But if it was Chloe why would she be looking into all these old files? I mean this goes as far back as The Torch." Lois inquired.

"She could be reminiscing Lois. Who knows? And she'll be here in a few hours and you can ask her yourself." Clark says.

"I don't see why we are having a big party for my 46th birthday." Lois replies.

"Well last year wasn't exactly a success with the big crime lord take down and everything. Besides, it's a good excuse to see Matt." Clark said.

"Alright. Alright. But I'm not letting this go." Lois replies, "Someone is looking into us Clark and if they look too hard we might find your name on the front page of the Star City Register."

One Month Earlier…

August 13, 2041

Emma arrived home early, or at least early for her. She had found nothing useful at work today and just needed to get out of her head for awhile. Once she got to the apartment she stopped at the mailbox out of habit. She has been waiting for her birth certificate to arrive in the mail for weeks. To her surprise a large envelope was in the box. It was so thick that it barely fit. She eagerly grabbed it and ran up to her apartment.

Matt wasn't there, so she decided to open it in the living room. She didn't really want to explain to him what it was.

Inside were lots of papers, but none was her birth certificate. She was about to throw the papers across the room in frustration when she saw her mom's name on them. Work shifts were public information and that was what she held in her hands, copies of her mother's working hours at Metropolis Hospital.

Emma sifted through a few months of records before she realized something strange. Her mom was working the day she was born. That was impossible! Labor takes like forever, and even if it didn't she couldn't imagine a woman that pregnant still working. But there it was in black and white.

August 15, 2041

Matt was having one of those busy days that could make even a Superhero tired. It seemed like every hour or so he was off saving someone or stopping a crime. He counted his blessings that his work allowed him the flexibility to take off at a moment's notice.

After taking a pair of bank robbers to jail Matt flew back into his office. He tried to focus on his work, but his mind just drifted. All he really wanted at the moment was to go home. He might even see Emma. He never heard cries for help or robbers when he was with Emma.

"Wait a second," Matt thought, "Is that really true?"

But before Matt got a chance to ruminate on that he heard a loud cry for help. It was a woman nearby. And in the time it took to fly to that woman that thought flitted away.

August 16, 2041

"Hi Matt." Emma said walking into the apartment.

"Wow! Emma," Matt replied, "It's good to see you. It seems like it's been forever."

"I do live here." Emma replied.

"That may be true but I haven't seen you in weeks. Wait. Correction, I haven't seen you awake in weeks. I've seen you asleep on the couch a few times."

"Been busy." Emma said evasively.

"That's odd, because Chloe says you've been doing just as much work as normal." Matt responded.

Emma walked over to the fridge trying to avoid the confrontation.

"She says you've been spending your spare time on the computer."

"Want to play one of your old video games." Emma diverted walking over to Matt's video games, "I think I'm starting to get the hang of Rock Band."

"What have you been working on?" Matt pushed.

"Or we could play Mario Party. I really like that one."

Matt walked over to the TV and unplugged the game console Emma had set up. He stood there waiting for her to turn around and look him in the eyes. She turned and looked right at him then quickly averted her eyes which were starting to tear up.

"I just wanted to know about my family." Emma revealed, "I didn't think it would get all complicated."

"Family is complicated." Matt replied.

"I never had one. I just moved around and around and no one ever gave a crap about me."

Matt reached over to hug her, but she reseeded, so he ended up only giving her a pat on the shoulder.

"I care about you Emma." Matt said.

August 18, 2041

"Something came for you." Chloe said holding out an envelope to Emma.

"Sorry," Emma replied, "I should have told you, but I wanted the info fast and I thought if I told them to send it to the paper-"

Chloe interrupted, "It's fine. I hope you find what you are looking for."

Chloe walked off and Emma ripped open the envelope. It listed her time of birth as 7:32pm on the 13th. And at that exact time her mom was in the ER with a patient. This birth certificate. The one she held in her hands wasn't real. So she furiously started typing away at the computer in front of her looking for who was in the ER, because she was betting that was her Mom.

August 20, 2041

Matt was trying to make dinner and Emma was trying to get past Level 3 on some Banjo game that Matt had when the power went out. They both ended up on the couch telling each other stories. Emma stuck mostly to ones told to her by her foster siblings or funny things she saw. Matt just told whatever came to mind first. And somewhere in the middle of it all he told Emma about the sister he never really had.

July 2, 2029

"Charlie and I were playing in the park. Pretending to shoot each other. Our mothers behind us talking. We were running in the rocks and Charlie feel flat out. He had road rash on his body so we both walked back over to our Moms. Charlie was dragging his feet a bit because going to his mommy for an owie made him feel week. He was almost 13.

As we got closer I saw my mom looking toward the swings. That was the complete opposite direction of where we were playing. It seemed a bit odd, but at a closer glance the girl on the swing looked a lot like Mom. She had long dark brown hair and dark eyes. But in my mother's eyes I saw a longing. A longing that the little girl on the swing was hers. A longing for a daughter.

When we got to them Chloe took Charlie home to clean him up. I sat next to my Mom and I both just watched that girl. After a while I asked my Mom a question.

'Why don't I have any brothers or sisters?'

She sighed a bit, then replied, 'I can't have any more kids Matt. When Eloise, when your sister was born they had to remove…I can't have any more kids.' "

August 20, 2041

"So I never got a sister. But Charlie has been like a brother and I've had a lot of close friends." Matt said finishing up his story, "But I always kinda missed that sister."

"Is that why you let me move in? So I could be her?" Emma asked.

"What do you think?" Matt replied.

"I don't know." Emma responded, "I don't really want to think about it. And it's my turn. I should tell you about the time Dannie rearranged all the furniture in the house. It's hilarious!"

"Well," Matt replied, "Come on. Don't keep a guy waiting."