#side note: imagine what would happen if Batman laid a finger on Mari

[cxramel-cat]

(SUPERBAT WEEK 2019) day 05

Chapter Title: Baby Aid Day Five: On a mission Rating: Teen and up Audiences Warning(s): Terror attack on pride, description of violence Word Count: 5330 Summary: Clark found a baby at the front of his apartment. She clung on him like he was her dad. And she seemed to enjoy Bruce's company too! Well then, it's a job for Superman and Batman! Side-note: Written for @superbatweek Other link(s): AO3 | Wattpad 

Love, it is complicated. It manipulates you to do the unexpected. It makes your heart ache and beat. It blinds your thoughts and makes you act like a selfish child. Sometimes, when love began to drown and suffocate you, you're only left with the choice of killing it off.

The more forcefully you try to fulfil your greedy heart, the more easily you're hurt by the emotion called love. More often than not, love will lead you to regret and separation.

×

There was someone he had fallen in love with.

It was someone extremely precious to him, like family.

He was someone Clark couldn't imagine losing.

×

On a seemingly ordinary morning, Clark was interrupted by a knock and loud cries outside his door.

Morning was always busy for the man. He enjoyed it being busy, it was a part of the day which made him feel closer to human— like Clark Kent, instead of Superman. So, the sudden interruption of a beautiful, peaceful morning was not enough to break his good mood – until he saw his neighbour holding the crying baby in her arms.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your morning, Clark. I'm sure you must be very busy." Mrs Smith smiled, seemingly a little troubled. "But there was a basket in front of your doorstep, I thought you might want to take a look at it. Someone left a baby in the basket."

Clark looked at the fragile creature, dumbfounded. The baby was not older than a few months, and when his neighbour handed the bundle over to Clark, he was more bewildered than before. The baby had auburn hair and bright blue eyes. He was mesmerized by the baby's stare, like he was seeing a miracle – because he felt a sense of familiarity with her, as if she resembled someone he knew. He gently held the young life close to his chest, and he bid goodbye to his neighbour, promising to explain the entire situation to her soon.

"Hey, hey, there. Shh..." Clark whispered gently, rocking the child in his arms. He didn't know the way of taking care of a crying infant. He had never handled one before! For now, his intuition was telling him that this child was his responsibility, whether he liked it or not.

"Don't cry, little one, you're safe and sound now..."

The child stopped crying, blinking her big blue eyes as she got a clear look at the man who was holding her. Her cries stopped, as though she was seeing someone familiar, as she started to smile and laugh at him.

Clark couldn't resist the adorableness of the baby. He smiled tenderly, cradling the child in his arms and cooed at her as though she were his own daughter. The baby seemed to enjoy his touch too. It made Clark felt strangely happy, as he placed the basket on the dining table.

"Say, do you know who left you at my doorstep..." He looked through the basket she had slept in, and found a card, with the child's name written in smooth cursive words. "Marie?"

×

Clark sighed. He had made a report at the police station. As adorable as little Marie was, he couldn't have taken her up as his own. Not to mention, he didn't even have the time to take care of an infant. He was going to leave the child to the cops. However, the moment he decided to hand her over, she cried, little hand clinging to him for dear life.

Since she wouldn't stop crying unless she was in his arms, there was nothing that Clark could do but take care of her. He called Perry and told the man that he would take a break from work for a day. Then, he had started his search. He looked everywhere, searching for anyone who might have lost a baby, but he had no clues whatsoever.

The day went by very quickly, but the search came to no resolution. Clark lay down beside Marie who was facing him, at the corner of the bed.

Who would have abandoned such a cute baby?

But she didn't even seem to be abandoned. She was dressed in the finest silk that Clark had ever touched, and there were enough baby supplies to last for three days in the basket she was put in. Whoever the parents were, they must have their own reasons for placing her in front of his doorstep.

But why him?

The more he looked at Marie, the harder Clark started to think.

×

"So, you decided it was a good idea to bring her here?"

Clark winced underneath Bruce's glare. He was invincible against ordinary bullets, but Bruce's bat-glare was more chilling than arctic weather. Especially when it was directed right at himself.

"It has been a day since I made the report and there's been no news from the police, so I think it's time for the world's greatest detective to spring into action...?"

Clark quirked a hesitant smile at his best friend.

Bruce sighed. He furrowed his brow, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could never win against Clark, could he?

"Fine, I could try helping. But are you sure she wasn't abandoned?" Bruce glanced down at the child in Clark's arms, who was chewing at her own fingers. "If she was left in front of your door, it must have meant her parents didn't want her. Right?"

"That's what I thought at the time." Clark gently pulled the infant's hand from her mouth. "But there are baby supplies in the basket, along with a piece of paper, which has her name written on. I can't... believe that someone would have done so much for their baby, if they planned on abandoning her in the first place."

"Clark, don't be naïve," Bruce said. "There are all kinds of people out there. They probably just did so much out of guilt."

Marie stared at Bruce. When he was done speaking with Clark and finally paying his attention at her, she smiled.

Any normal kids would be scared if they were looked straight in the eye by Batman. Surprisingly, it didn't work the same for Marie. She giggled in excitement as she reached out for Bruce with her tiny, short arms.

At first, Bruce didn't move an inch. He was hesitant, but remorse immediately kicked in, when the child started to quiver her lips – the first sign of a terrifying wail.

When he took the child over, Marie immediately grabbed Batman around his neck – going into a hug.

Clark remembered when he took the baby from his neighbour. Marie was uncomfortable when she was held by Mrs Smith. She cried and clung to Clark when he was going to hand her over to the police. Yet, she wasn't crying when Bruce was holding her. Instead, she wanted him to hug her.

"Looks like you have no choice." Clark grinned at the sight before him. Bruce looked troubled as he held Marie. However, the moment she was in his arms, she had immediately hugged him, snuggling close against the crook of Bruce's neck. Both seemed attached to one another and Marie – from Clark's perspective – seemed to love being in Bruce's presence.

There was a weird pleasure, as he watched Bruce starting to warm up to Marie's presence. She could strengthen their bond, Clark realized. But this should be the last thing he should care about, right? They have an important mission on hand – finding Marie's parents.

×

It was strangely pleasant, seeing Bruce holding Marie in one of his arms and letting her sleep against his chest as he worked. The sight, as precious as it was, made Clark smile.

"You're not focusing, Clark."

The sudden remark surprised Clark. Without realizing, he had been staring at Bruce and Marie so long that it had caught the attention of the other man. Feeling flustered, Clark smiled, scratching his cheek.

"I was thinking, maybe it's time we put Marie to bed?"

Bruce glanced down at the child. He had only known Marie for a few hours, but the baby had taken favour to him. She clung to him like he was her father, and he had been holding her in the same position for a while – which made his arm start to cramp.

"I suppose. Alfred should have a room ready for her." He tilted his gaze towards Clark. "You're going to stay over tonight as well, right? There is still plenty of work left for us to do."

At the invitation, Clark's heart skipped a beat. It was silly, overreacting at such a small moment, but nevertheless, he was happy to see how Bruce allowed him to stay over.

"Here, let me." Clark slowly reached over to take Marie from Bruce. The moment she was out of the man's arms, Marie started to wake up.

When she realized that it was Clark who was holding her, she was calm. However, the moment Clark was a few feet away from Bruce, she started to whimper and cry.

"Shh, shh, don't worry, it's me, Marie." Usually, the gentle soothing worked well on the baby. However, this time, it did not. Marie cried loudly as she started to reach one of her arms out towards Bruce, who could no longer focus on the paper in his hand.

When Bruce approached to check on her, Marie immediately stopped crying. She giggled, when Bruce ran a hand across her cheek, wiping the damp tears away. Both Clark and Bruce sighed in relief upon seeing that.

"Glad that she had stopped crying. You should get going, I'll be here checking over the information I've collected."

But it happened. Again. When Bruce moved to leave, Marie began to whimper again. The cries stopped when Bruce walked back towards her. At this moment, the problem could be easily understood by both of the men.

"I think... she doesn't want either of us to leave her side."

Clark watched as Bruce stiffened. The crusader took a quick glance at Marie, who had held a hold on his cape, and sighed.

"Fine," Bruce pressed a kiss on the baby's forehead, soothing down her anxiety. "You drive a hard bargain, Marie."

×

That night was edgy and tense. Marie was laid in the middle of the bed, with Clark and Bruce at her sides. When the duo realized that Marie demanded both of their presences in the same room with her, Bruce had suggested for Clark to move into his bedroom; since his bed was a king-sized bed – which fit the three of them comfortably.

Clark had a hand on Marie's belly, keeping her close. He tried not to look at Bruce, realizing that it was too embarrassing for him to do so. The gap between the both of them was close to none, aside from the fact that there was a baby between them.

While Bruce could sleep peacefully without a bother, Clark found it hard to get sleepy that night. He wanted the night to last forever. He could hear Bruce's heartbeats louder than before. It warmed his own heart, and he couldn't explain the pleasure he was feeling.

They felt like a family now – Bruce and him, along with Marie. It was a selfish thought, but he almost wished that Marie's parents never came and fetched her back. They didn't deserve her, if they were abandoning her in the first place.

He might have rejected the idea in the beginning, but now he didn't mind becoming Marie's father, along with Bruce. If she could be the key which brought both of them closer than before, he didn't care about the extra burden he would carry in becoming a parent.

He didn't mind, if he could spend all his nights like this with Bruce.

×

That morning, Bruce was awakened by Marie's squeals. Out of instinct, he jolted awake, searching for the small child who was supposed to be by his side until he saw that Clark was sitting on his side of the bed, feeding Marie a bottle of milk.

"Hey," Clark greeted, upon noticing Bruce's gaze. "I'm sorry, did I wake you up? It was her feeding time, and I tried to be as quiet as possible..."

"No, it's okay." Bruce loomed over them, smiling lazily at the child who grabbed his finger. Every time he looked at Marie, he felt like he was seeing the spitting image of someone. However, Bruce couldn't say exactly who the person she reminded him of was. "She is lovely, isn't she?"

The way Bruce asked the question with such tenderness in his eyes warmed Clark. How the man took his heart away, even if the compliment wasn't directed to him.

"You're right..." Clark's voice drifted away, as he was deeply absorbed in his gaze towards the scene in front of him; Bruce with Marie – like a real father and daughter, like a family. "Hey, Bruce. Maybe it was a good idea to wake up early once in a while? What do you think?"

×

To say that Dick was amazed was an understatement.

He was so shocked he dropped his bowl of cereal upon seeing Bruce awake at eight-thirty o'clock in the morning – looking fresh and awake – not to mention, with Clark and a baby by his side. Nevertheless, to say, the breakfast of that morning was very chatty.

"Hey, do you know a fact about babies?" Dick spoke. "Babies have a memory of their mother's touch when they were born. Marie cries when I or Alfred try to hold her, but she doesn't cry when you or Clark hold her. You know what I'm trying to say, right?"

The two blinked at the same time. "That's impossible!" Clark was the first to break the awkward silence. His face flushed red. "And I found her, I didn't just... we didn't even-!"

"Men don't just give birth, Dick. Stop messing with Clark." Bruce was calm as he sipped on his coffee. He was used to Dick's wild imagination. "Maybe both Clark and I just resemble her father, or maybe we are just lucky because she enjoys our company. Either way, we will try to find her parents soon. There's an important event in Metropolis that I need to attend today."

"Oh, you mean the parade?" Dick ate another spoonful of cereal. "How about I help you with the search? I could look through the reports at the police station for you. It should be quicker than mindlessly walking around with a baby in your arms."

"I don't need your help, Dick."

"Just go, Bruce. I'm sure the people will enjoy seeing someone like Bruce Wayne at the parade. Support from high society is always welcomed. And it could be a great influence for Marie as well! Don't you think, Clark?"

Despite his refusal, Dick ignored him and started to leave – not before snatching an extra sausage from Bruce's plate.

"What parade?" Clark blinked in confusion.

×

It was a pride parade. There was not much difference between a pride parade and an ordinary parade, Clark realized. Well, it was a little more vibrant, with the rainbow flags and the flashy clothes – not to mention, there are also those people with unique hair colour.

To tell the truth, Clark had not expected Bruce to attend a pride parade. After all, he was a busy man. But it was nice to see that Bruce was showing his support to these people. Just as Dick had said, it was always great to have higher society people support these people who fought for their own rights in the world.

Marie seemed to enjoy herself as well. Her wide eyes wandered around. The flamboyant surroundings interested her, as she laughed and squealed while raising her hands up in the air.

The music blared. People around them danced and laughed.

Bruce turned to Clark, words he'd been waiting to say bubbling up.

"I'm pan, Clark," Bruce confessed.

Clark's eyes opened wide. His heart skipped a beat at the confession. "You... you are?" He realized how offending it sounded, to question someone's sexuality. "I mean...! I am not saying that it's a bad thing! It's just... a little surprising!" Clark chuckled nervously. "I mean... people in the office, and those at the Justice League, we always thought you're one straight alpha male."

Clark caught the small changes on Bruce's face. How his lips curled down to a tight frown, and his brows furrowed. It was at the moment that Clark realized that deep down, Bruce was probably insecure about his friends' point of view towards his sexuality.

"But... it doesn't matter." Clark leaned a little closer than he should, a gentle smile grazing over his lips as he placed a hand on Bruce's shoulder. "For me, or for anyone. I believe in it."

Especially not me.

He didn't have the courage to say it aloud. He was too scared to expect what could have happened. It was a bet against the friendship between Bruce and him. What if Bruce didn't feel the same?

But if he gave up, would he ever have the chance again?

"Bruce..." Clark steeled himself and leaned towards Bruce. "There is... something I want to tell you." From this distance, he could smell the rich cologne Bruce used, and he could also feel the man's warm breath. Their lips were only an inch apart, and seeing that Bruce wasn't resisting him, Clark braved himself and inched closer ̶̶̶

His sharp hearing caught the sound of a gun clicking. Clark reacted a second quicker than everyone around him. His eyes widened, his arms wrapped around Bruce – shielding the man and the baby in his arms. What happened afterwards destroyed the jovial atmosphere of the parade up until that point.

People were screaming in fear and panic. Clark didn't stay in his current position for too long. He quickly stood up, looking around at the messed-up situation.

There were people with guns and holding up flags which showed their deep hatred towards the pride parade. Although it was just a few minutes, there were already people injured and dying.

"Bruce, stay here." Clark had dragged Bruce to an empty hallway. It was probably the safest place right now, since Bruce would be away from the gaze of the world. Not to mention, his dark blue suit would blend in perfectly with the shadows.

"What do you mean stay here?" Bruce growled. "This is my mission. This is the reason I'm here!"

"No, Bruce! Stay!" Clark tried to keep his voice hushed, since he didn't want to catch anyone's notice. "You take care of Marie, while I handle this mess, okay? This is Metropolis, my city. Let me take care of it."

Without another word, Clark rushed off. Bruce wanted to halt him back, but he was taken aback when Marie started to cry. She began to wriggle in Bruce's arms as the loud gunshots startled her.

"It's okay... it's okay..." Bruce whispered, holding her close against his chest, trying his best to chase her fear away. "I'm here, don't worry..."

Due to his full attention on Marie, Bruce failed to notice an unknown stranger slowly approaching him from behind.

×

Marie's high-pitched cries caught Clark's attention. He was knocking out a few assailants when he heard the pained screams. It was different from Marie's usual cries for attention. She sounded... in fear. She was calling for Clark's help.

Bruce.

The man's heartbeats were faint. Immediately, Clark rushed back. His eyes were red.

×

"Watch out!"

Before Bruce could notice the assailant behind him, a teen rushed forward and pushed him away.

Bruce watched; eyes wide – as the teen with bright hair was shot. The scene shocked him. It brought back an unpleasant memory of the past... of a loved one who had been in the same age range as the one who protected him.

Jason.

Cold pale body on the ground.

Lifeless.

Bruce hurried over and flipped the boy over. It was a vital shot right in the head. There was no way the youngster survived. His pulse had stopped.

No.

NO!

Bruce only regained his consciousness when he felt the cold tip of the gun against his forehead. Slowly, Bruce tilted his head up – his eyes narrowed at the man, as he held Marie close against his chest. He couldn't let her witness such a bloody scene.

He was processing how to defend, when all of sudden, Clark appeared. The Kryptonian was furious, Bruce realized. He was blinded by his anger, as he zoomed forward, grasping the assailant in a bone-cracking grip at his neck.

"Superman, NO!"

It was too late. Clark's grasp on the man's throat tightened, and there was an audible snap.

×

"Do you realize what you have done?"

Bruce's question was met with silence. Clark's gaze remained on the floor.

"Clark."

If it wasn't for the child in his arms, Bruce would have yelled.

"I'm just doing what I should," Clark stated in calm. "Bruce, he was going to kill you."

"That is no excuse for you to crush his bone." Bruce frowned. "You were going to kill him. You think I didn't notice it?"

"But he isn't dead. He is lying peacefully on the bed in the hospital now." Clark said, sarcasm heavy. "You are going to blame me for trying to protect you and Marie?"

"That's not what I mean." Bruce sighed.

"I can't allow anyone to hurt Marie, or you, Bruce."

Clark's next movement was unexpected. He approached Bruce, and slowly wrapped his arms around the other's back. He leaned his face to Bruce's neck, his nose lightly brushing on the skin, tickling the human.

The familiar cologne was just too endearing to neglect. Even if someone could have used the same brand as Bruce's, they could never excite Clark as the man could. Arms tightened in the hug – but not firm enough to cause discomfort for the sleeping child in Bruce's arms, Clark pressed a soft kiss on the other's neck.

"Bruce, I like you."

Bruce flinched at the words.

"Do you feel the same as I do, Bruce?" Clark whispered into Bruce's ear. "Tell me..."

"Let me go, Kal-El!"

Clark snapped out of his trance at the tone. With shock, he loosened his grip, creating a gap for Bruce to escape and leave the room. It appeared that he had pushed too far, and he just realized it. It was supposed to be a hand grip and asking of the question, but he went outside his limits when he didn't control his strength properly.

What did he just do?

Why did this always happen, when all he wanted was to fix things with Bruce?

His legs gave way as he sat heavily on the ground. He might be entitled as the man of steel, but his heart was made from flesh – which is why it was throbbing painfully, as though he had been hit by a kryptonite bullet.

It hurt to see Bruce slowly pushing him away and avoiding him like this. He had worked so far, closing the gap between them. And he thought, the days he had spent with Bruce in taking care of Marie, would have deepened their relationship. He had never expected Bruce to accept his feelings, but maybe... he had become greedy. What was once an impossible dream had become a possibility. He was too afraid to let the chance go, and now, he had ruined everything.

"Damn it, Bruce..."

Clark closed his eyes. Bruce's smile came across his mind. They had been so happy, taking care of Marie as though they were her actual parents. But why couldn't it become a reality? Why would Bruce push him away like this? What had gone wrong between the both of them?

×

Due to their argument, Bruce had decided to stay in the hotel instead of Clark's apartment. He had brought Marie along with him, and he didn't know why. She was, after all, Clark's problem. However, a part of him began to grow fond of her, maybe a little too much.

Bruce was feeding Marie when his phone suddenly vibrated. A part of him wished that it was Clark, but instead, it was Dick. In the beginning, he was going to swipe off the notification, since he wasn't in the mood for interacting with anyone. But he saw that what Dick had sent to him was the information about a woman who was searching for a missing baby in Metropolis.

×

When Bruce reached the police station, there was a short-haired woman with black sunglasses. She seemed to be waiting for his arrival, since she had immediately stood up upon noticing his appearance.

"You don't look like her mother."

His detective mood was getting the better half of his characterization. Bruce didn't try to mask his lack of certainty towards the woman. He knew that she was safe, since he had seen through the documents which Dick had sent to him about the missing baby.

"I'm a friend of her father. He was being occupied by a sudden meeting at work, so I'm here instead."

Bruce stared at the woman. She seemed odd, but with a sense of familiarity. He had his doubts about her words, but Marie has already reached her arms out towards the woman. The infant was gurgling happily, her tiny feet kicking. It was rare, since the child had refused the touch of everyone in the Justice League aside from Clark and himself. Reluctantly, Bruce handed Marie towards the mysterious woman.

"She doesn't cry when you hold her, " Bruce stated, watching as Marie got herself comfortable in the woman's hold and played with the pendant of her necklace. The woman looked at the child in her hands, her tenderness expressed in her smile.

"You could say I'm her godmother. Right, Marie?"

The baby squealed in response and Bruce couldn't help but smile. It was a great relief to see that Marie was finally back home.

"Well, if there is nothing else, I shall leave her in your care."

He was ready to leave, when a sudden call halted his steps.

"Bruce, do not let Clark out of your grasp. Okay?"

Bruce's eyes widened at those words. He turned around, ready to question the woman about her identity. However, all there was left was a sharp gush of wind and the empty surroundings.

×

Bruce stood in front of Clark's apartment, fidgeting with the key in his hand. It was a spare key given to him by Clark, since he was supposed to stay over for the night. However, that had not happened. Now, he was hesitating on whether he should just hand the key over to the landlord, put it underneath the carpet, or hand it personally over to Clark by himself. Obviously, he should go for the final decision, since he had to apologize for what he had said on the previous night.

However, his ego was pulling him back. He was never good with apologies; just look at how it had often ended with his boys. Maybe he should have just place it underneath the carpet. It wasn't like anyone would try to barge in, right?

At the thought of it, Bruce let out an exasperated sigh.

In the end, he was still a coward. He couldn't even bother to meet with Clark for the last time. He just wanted to see if the man was okay. He should apologise, if he had hurt him.

"Bruce?"

Every part of his hair stood at its end. The key in his hand dropped to the floor. Bruce looked over, meeting Clark's calm gaze as he wasn't sure how to react in front of the other. After all, he couldn't act like the whole argument had never happened, could he?

Clark bent down, picking the key up and handed it over back to Bruce.

"Where's Marie?"

"Her family came and picked her up this evening." Bruce fiddled with the key in his hand for a little while, before he handed it over to Clark. "So... I was here, to give this back to you..."

After all, he has no right to keep the key now, did he?

"No," After a quick glance, Clark turned his gaze back to his doorknob as he started to unlock it. "Keep it."

"What?"

"I said, you could keep it." Clark sighed. "This is stupid. Isn't it, Bruce? We're adults, and yet we're fighting as though we're immature teens..."

His voice trailed off. It was a heavy silence between the both of them.

"Hey," Clark was the one who broke the awkwardness. "I know that Marie's no longer here. But I bought extra ingredients for tonight. If you're not in a rush, why don't you stay for dinner?"

×

The atmosphere was dominated by silence, even though the sound of running water from the tap and plates made small noises. Bruce was searching for the perfect moment to apologize for his harsh words the night before.

"Clark."

"Bruce."

Both flinched and looked at each other in unison as their names were called in unison.

"You first," Clark said, before going back to his cooking.

Bruce hesitated. He felt a sudden nervousness as he tried to find the words to speak.

"Bruce, do not let Clark out of your grasp. Okay?"

The words rang in his mind. Whoever the woman is, she had convinced Bruce to do the things he had never had the courage to do – chasing after love.

"Clark," He pulled the reporter in by his tie. Their lips brushed against each other's. "I love you."

×

As she stepped out of the portal, the woman pulled off her sunglasses, revealing her green eyes. At the corner of her gaze, she took notice of the blank stare given by the other figure in the room, which confused her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the man shook his head. "I was just thinking... in that universe, the impossible is still possible. Thank you for doing this, Selina. I'm sorry for troubling you."

"Don't be." She shook her head, smiling tenderly at her friend. "You knew that I would always do this for you. And it was easy to recognize her. Little Marie sure looks like him, especially the eyes."

"Yea..." The man murmured half-heartedly as his gaze was settled at his daughter. There was a brief smile before it disappeared. "Is he okay? Is he still Clark?"

She nodded. "He still has his light. The world was in peace, for now."

There was a mild silence, as the man gazed over at the portal. "I should be grateful for that, shouldn't I?"

"It's not your fault, Bruce."

"No, it's my fault." Bruce frowned, grasping on the hem of his sleeves tightly. "Marie will never get to see her mother again... because of me. If only I had admitted my feelings earlier, none of these would have happened. Lois wouldn't have been hurt. You wouldn't have been hurt. And Clark... he wouldn't have to be in the tub, feeding on IV fluid to stay alive. We would live without having to face these unneeded complications. All of us would live happily..."

Marie, who was almost asleep, could easily sense her father's distraction. Her eyes started to fill with tears, and then, she wailed. Her body squirmed and Bruce nearly lost his balance. In panic, Selina quickly took the child over, calming her down.

"Bruce, please, stop hurting yourself like this." She held the child close, gently patting her back to calm her down. "Marie can sense it."

"You're right." Bruce breathed in deeply, walked towards his desk and started to rummage for his pills. "I've got to stay strong, for the sake of Marie and Clark."