Introduction: We do not live in this world alone, but in a thousand other worlds.

Once upon a time, those words were spoken over the opening credits of ANOTHER WORLD. Their meaning was that, besides the physical world, we each live in the world of our own desires and fantasies. However, they could mean something else!

In our reality, Jordan Stark turned out to be a 200-year-old time-tripping circus freak, who could morph like an X-Files Alien, make people disappear etc etc. But suppose that he had turned out to be Someone Else? It happened in Other Worlds...

OTHER WORLDS #1: DOUBLE TROUBLE

The Lumina Ball was in full swing, such as it was. In spite of the earlier excitement, when Donna 'magically' turned into Felicia, it was a very dull party. That was about to change, however, as the elevator doors opened, and Lila stepped out.

"What's SHE doing here?" Sofia demanded.

"I don't know." said Matthew, "I told her to stay at home! Excuse me."

He crossed the room to confront Lila.

"I am gonna be so glad when that baby is born and Lila is out of our lives for good!" said Sofia.

"How do you figure that?" said Nick, "Lila is the mother of Matt's child; she's always going to be part of his life."

"Matt will get custody and Lila will leave town." said Sofia, as though stating the obvious.

"Has Lila agreed to do that?"

"No, but - if she doesn't agree, Matt will take her to court."

"Judges don't usually take custody of a baby away from its natural mother, unless she's totally unfit to be a parent. " Nick pointed out. "And even if Matt did get custody, Lila would have visitation rights. So what makes you think she'd leave town?"

"She's GOT TO!" Sofia cried, "We've gotta get her out of our lives!"

"You know, Sofia," said Nick, "There's something I've been wondering about; when Maggie pretended to be pregnant, you said it was my duty to marry her, for the sake of the baby."

"Yeah, so?"

"It's ME Matt loves, not Lila!"

"Just like I loved you, not Maggie."

"Lila practically tricked Matt into makin' love to her!"

"Yeah, like Maggie 'tricked' me, in the barn. Don't you think there's a flaw in your logic?"

Meanwhile, Matthew was determined to take Lila back to the Cory Mansion, whether she liked it or not. "The clock just struck twelve, Cinderella." he said, "Let's go!"

They got onto the elevator, which promptly became stuck between floors. Lila went into labour (High time, too - she was ten months pregnant!) and, in defiance of all probability, gave birth about five

minutes later!

"She's so beautiful!" Lila cooed, looking down at the baby in her arms, "Jist as sweet and pretty as a jasmine flowah!"

"Jasmine!" said Matt, equally enthralled, "That's what we can name her - Jasmine Cory!"

Just then, the elevator started to move. When it reached the penthouse, Matthew carried Lila out. Then, turning back to get Jasmine ( who, for some reason, had been left on the floor) he found that the elevator doors had closed behind him. When they opened again, there was no sign of the baby!

"JASMINE! Wheah's ma baby?" Lila shrieked.

Joe took charge of the investigation into the (presumed) kidnapping of Jasmine Cory.

"I wanna see that boss of yours." he informed Jordan Stark's flunky, Ms Allen.

"That will not be possible." she said, looking down her nose at him. (Quite a trick, when he was taller than she was!) "Mr Stark sees no one."

"Oh yeah? You tell him he can talk to me here, or he can do it down at Headquarters! It's up to him!"

"I'll see what I can do." she said, icily, and exited.

A few minutes later, she returned. "Mr Stark will see you, Captain Carlino." she said, "Only you. This way, please."

Joe followed her to Stark's Inner Sanctum.

Meanwhile, Lila was resisting being loaded onto a stretcher by the paramedics.

"No!" she cried, "Ahm not leavin' heah without ma baby!"

"Lila, you're bleeding!" said Matthew, "You've got to go the the hospital! The police will find Jasmine!"

"Don't leave me!" she moaned.

"I'll be with you, every step, until our daughter is back where she belongs - in your arms!" he promised.

As the elevator doors closed behind them, Nick remarked, "Gee- he didn't even say good night!"

Sofia gave him a dirty look.

When Joe came back, Paulina asked, "Did Jordan Stark know anything about the baby?"

"Naw - but he says he'll do anythin' he can to help." said Joe. He looked her up and down. "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight, Paulina?"

"Oh? You don't think this dress makes me look 'kinda porky'?"

"Did I say that? I musta been outa my mind." said Joe, "Let's dance!"

"Dance? But Joe, you've got to find the baby!"

Just then, the elevator doors opened again, and a high-pitched wail emerged from a bundle on its floor. Tiny pink fists punched at the air.

"Oh my god, it's Jasmine!" cried Paulina, scooping her up, "How on earth -?"

"It's a weird situation, all right." said Joe, "Let's get her over to the hospital. Matt and Lila are gonna have kittens!"

When the Carlinos finally arrived home, the telephone was ringing. Joe answered it.

"Hello?"

"Joey?"

"Oh, hi, Pop! What's new?"

"I just found out that your brother was released from the loony bin three months ago!"

"Oh?"

"They just got around to tellin' me! You better watch your back, Joey."

"I will. Bye, Pop."

"What did Eddy want?" said Paulina, as he hung up.

"Nothin' much. Just to tell me somethin' about my brother."

"I didn't know you even had a brother, Joe."

"Didn't I ever tell you about Johnny? Yeah - as a matter of fact, we're twins." said Joe, "Let's go to bed, Gorgeous."

"You go ahead.' said Paulina, "After everything that's happened tonight, I'm too hyper to sleep."

"Who said anythin' about 'sleep'?"

"Oh!"

As his mouth came down on hers, and his hands deftly removed her costume, Paulina forgot all about the phonecall, and Joe's brother, and the Lumina Ball, and everything - except the flames of passion that consumed them both.

The end - or is it?

Note: In case I've been too subtle here, I had better spell it out: Joe's Evil Twin, Johnny, has killed him and taken his place. But not to worry, he will be a much better husband and father than The Jerk was - or at any rate, he couldn't possibly be worse!

In his first few appearances, as a voice in a darkened room, Jordan Stark actually was played by Joe Barbara (Joe The Jerk). That was just one of the stupid things that the Powers That Were at AW did in connection with the Ludicrous Lumina Lunacy.