"Anybody home?" A young girl of about 15 called through the Kent house as she walked smoothly through the front door.
"Who's there" Lois answered crankily, as usual.
The girl who was wearing a tee shirt that was cut above the waist, jean "short- shorts," and black converse, walked to where Lois' voice had come from.
"Where's Ka- I mean Clark?" The girl asked, nearly forgetting to ask for Clark.
"Clark? What do you want with Clark, girl scout?" Lois questioned, staring down at the girl though she wasn't much taller.
"He owes money for some cookies." The girl replied sarcastically, and smirked showing her perfect teeth.
"Look kid, this is almost my house, so I'll be asking the questions around here, got it?" Lois spat back, glaring at the girl.
"You're no help, I'll be back later." The girl said, beginning to walk away from the older woman.
"Whatever pip-squeak." Lois said and walked back to her spot on the couch.
"Smallville?" Lois hollered when she heard the door open.
"Lois?" Clark asked, and walked into the room.
"Some little girl came to visit you a while ago, you buy any girl scout cookies?"Lois inquired sarcastically.
"No." Clark answered looking confused. Though he originally thought it could've been Maddie Van Horn, the girl who was able to control glass with her mind, but Lois would've recognized her. "Did you get her name?"
"No, but she said she'd be back later." Lois said plopping herself back on the couch and continued to watch TV.
"Clark, you wanna get that? It's probably your little friend." Lois said hearing the door- bell.
Without answering, Clark went to the door.
"Hello?" He looked down to the girl who he assumed was the girl Lois told him about earlier.
"Come out here we need to talk," She nodded towards Lois. "Without her." The girl said.
Clark looked down at the girls clothing. "Aren't you cold?" He asked motioning her in the door.
"No." She answered bluntly, and pulled Clark out into the darkness.
Clark closed the door behind him, and looked at the girl waiting for her to begin. The girl stepped up to him, and hugged him.
"Who are you?" He asked after she let go.
"You are Kal- el, right?" She asked cautiously.
Clark stepped back in shock 'Another one' he thought.
"Come with me." He said grabbing her wrist leading her to his car.
"So you are?" She asked again, as she stepped into his truck.
He sighed then nodded. "We're going to the Daily Planet." Clark said, thinking on her feet.
She shrugged. "Okay."
"What's your name?" He asked.
"Ashe" She answered and they were silent the rest of the way.
"Chloe." Clark said leaning over Chloe's desk, with Ashe standing behind him, hidden from Chloe's view by his body.
"Hey Clark, I'm really busy, with Lex being the editor, my schedules a little tight." She responded.
"I know Chloe, but I thought you'd want to see this." He said angling his body so that Chloe would see her.
"You were involved in a kid napping?" She asked, with little seriousness.
"No, she's kryptonian." He said looking straight into Chloe's eyes.
Chloe's head backed up in shock. "And you brought her here, Clark? Lex Luthor's new hang-out?" She asked.
"I'm sorry, but she's kryptonian, and I thought of you." He said.
"Oh, well…" Chloe said, not quite knowing what to do.
"You know Clark you could've just asked me to explain why I was here." Ashe said, leading herself into a vacant file room motioning for them to follow.
"Why did you bring us in here?" Chloe asked her.
"Lex Luthor bugged your computer, there's none in here." She said, looking up at the two who seemed to be in total shock, but decided to worry about Lex later.
"Who are you?" Clark asked her again.
"I'm Ashe Jor-el, I was sent to this planet on September 25, 1988 by my uncle Zor-el, he sent me to find his daughter Kara, my best friend, unfortunately on October 16, 1989, the day I was summoned to come home due to the fact that she had returned, Krypton was destroyed, and I was left here to live on planet Earth."
"Jor- el?" Clark and Chloe asked simultaneously.
"Yes, I'm your sister." She replied.
"Has Jor- el ever mentioned her?" She asked Clark, though she was looking at Clark, who shook his head.
"I don't see why he would, he thinks I'm dead." She told them.
"Why?" Clark asked, as if he and Chloe were taking turns asking questions.
"He thinks Zor-el killed me." She started. "He nearly did."
"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.
"Zor-el's other reason for sending me here because it was like his test run for sending Kara, she was my best friend I knew the chance of me not surviving, but I wanted her to make it all right when Krypton was to be destroyed." She explained.
"So, why didn't you try to find Kara first?" Clark asked. The girl stood, taken aback by the question.
"Kara? She's alive, she made it?" Ashe asked.
"Yes. She's been here for a while, and you didn't know?" Clark questioned.
"Where is she?" She asked sternly.
"The Talon, but.." Chloe started, but suddenly the girl was gone, and just as quickly Clark was as well.
"Kara?!" Ashe called through the almost empty Talon.
"I'm Kara, can I.." Before she could finish, the younger girl super-sped up to her and hugged her.
"Who are you?" Kara asked pushing Ashe off of her as Clark arrived.
"It's Ashe, Kara." The girl said backing away from her friend with a pained look on her face.
"Ashe, Kara lost her memory, I'll explain later, but…" Clark began.
"Clark, who is this?" Kara asked.
"This is your friend, Ashe, she just got into town." Clark explained.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Kara said.
Ashe just nodded and walked out the door.
"Why aren't you happy Clark?" She asked. Clark looked surprised.
"What do you mean? I am happy." He lied.
"No you're not Clark I see it, you're too stressed. I know you think the weight of the world is resting on your shoulders, but it's not. Earth has been fending for its self long before Clark Kent came to save them all." She said. "I think we should take a vacation. Go to Florida or something. Clark I just know your going to snap if you don't do something. Though we're not human Clark, we can still break, I mean look at Zod. And I think its because we're not human that we can't care to much. A human has a mental overload they get help or are put in an institution, but us Clark we have too be more careful, because if that happens to us, the whole world would be in danger."
"I caused it. The pain in everyone's lives." He shook his head.
"Stop it Kal-el! You didn't! It was Zod, you had no control of any of this. Maybe, if your father hadn't told you about the ship. I know you love him Clark both of them, but…" She sighed.
"Who?" He asked.
"Your fathers. Your God damned fathers Kal-el! If they hadn't told you, you would've been happy. You would still be the innocent boy who fell in love with a sweet girl, and would've told your kids stories of being high school sweet hearts. Now you're the weighted down man in love with a lying, cheating…aghhh!" She screamed at Clark, though her anger was not directed towards him.
"Th- they just wanted to help me." He stuttered, once again becoming boyish and naïve.
"I guess I was wrong, you haven't lost all innocence, but you keep believing that, I used to watch you Clark. You with Pete and Chloe, it was so pure. You were Clark. Then you changed, Jor- el he put too much on you. I just want you, to be you again." She said and plopped down on his bed.
"Me too." He whispered, inaudible to the human ear, but not to hers. When she heard it she pulled her brother into a hug, and they stood in an embrace. It reminded Clark of the warmth of his parents. It gave him comfort more than anybody had in a long time. There was no hidden agenda, just a gesture of love. Siblings really were the most you had in life.
Clark's pain began to fade. Their hug made them both at ease. Knowing that together, they really could save the world. They let go.
"I know you've lost so much Clark, but I'm here. Consider me your innocence." She said smiling up at him.
"Okay." He smiled at the bright face of his sister. It was almost like the way he smiled at Lana in his freshman year of high school, not romantic lovingly, but just super lovingly, like somebody could finally save him.
