DISCLAIMER: Characters in this story remain the property of DC Comics, Inc. Movie copyrights and trademarks are owned by Alexander & Ilya Salkind, Warner Bros. Pictures, and TriStar Pictures. The story contained herein is meant only for personal enjoyment and no money is being made from the story. No infringement is intended. I offer this fan fiction as a tribute to the creative teams involved in the actual production of both the movie and comic. However, I reserve the right to any original characters I create for the purpose of fan fiction story telling.

Kali Goes Missing

"You're nuts. Bianca could not have survived the explosion of the Phantom Zone. Now floor the gas, we've got 15 minutes before the test starts." Linda told her friend who almost threw both of them out of the windshield with her sudden brake.

"No, no. Just think about it. Doesn't Aneles remind you of somebody? She could be like Bianca's daughter."

"Lucy, we don't have the time..."

"I am telling you, there is something untrustworthy about that woman. She gives me a bad feeling. It is as if she knows me. You have to watch her like a hawk. " Lucy released the brakes and set the car into motion again.

"You are being too paranoid. Bianca is dead." Linda felt a tug at her heart as she remembered the explosion of Argo City.

Here she was 4 years later and she still could not get over the pain of her loss. The existence of Heritage Island was helping her to cope better with the loss of her parents though. At least now she had a place to retreat to when she felt like she needed to be in touch with her roots. Something that, because of the events of the past few days, she felt she would have to do as soon as her exams were over. She would take Kali "home" for a visit with her.

"That is what we thought about Selena too, and she almost succeeded in killing you."

****

Aneles had prepared Kali's morning snack with the hopes of putting her to sleep after so that she could snoop around the house without any distractions. The child was constantly crying and running away from her so that it took all of her strength to not simply zap the child into a statue or something.

"Kali, time to eat." she hollered towards the living room where the child had ensconsed herself in her playpen. She did not dare come near because the cries that emanated from Kali were so loud that it forced her to cover her ears.

"No. I won't eat ! Wait for mama." Kali protested when Bianca showed up with the feeding tray.

She was taken aback by the image of the child before her. Had Kali aged a full year since the time she had arrived at the house? Even her speech pattern had changed. The baby talk seemed to have lessened. This was certainly a strange child.

"Kali, your mama left me in charge of you. So you have to eat when I tell you to eat." Aneles tried to reason with the child whose head was now taller than the playpen she sat in.

"I don't like you." Kali hurled a building block at Aneles who was unable to avoid the projectile. It landed in the bowl of mashed potatoes which splattered across her chest and face.

"Kali, the goddess of destruction. What a fitting name." she muttered under he breath as she set aside the tray on the coffee table.

"Don't be so hard headed Kali. Your mama will be mad at you when she gets home and finds out you have not eaten. " she cleaned herself up with the table napkin that was on the tray.

"No! Monster! Stay away!" Aneles was amazed at how such a small child was able to jump out of the playpen and disappear from her sight so fast.

Where did she go? Could it be? Could this be a super child? She needed to find proof of this child's history. Could Supergirl and Linda Lee Logan really be the same person? Was Selena right all along?

She called after the child as she climbed the stairs. "Where are you Kali? Be a nice little girl and don't give Aneles a hard time."

She heard the small, afraid voice of the little girl coming out of one of the rooms. She found that the door was locked when she tried the knob.

"Open the door for Aneles Kali. It's okay if you don't want to eat. We can just play a game." Aneles tried to coax the child.

In truth she preferred that Kali lock herself out of the way so that she would have the freedom to search the house without having to worry about her getting in the way or discovering what she was doing.

"No! Kali will only come out when mama gets home! You bad! You have 2 faces! Monster! Monster!"

"What do you mean I have 2 faces?" she tried to peek into the keyhole to see what the child was up to. Admittedly, if anything happened to the child under her watch, it would ruin all the plans she and Lucila had carefully drawn up.

"Go away! Mama! Daddy! Help me!" Kali started hitting her head against the wall that she sat up against.

"Stop it Kali! Stop it!" Aneles decided it was time to open the door whether the child wanted it or not.

" Powers that control the portal to all worlds,

Powers that have the ability to unlock the arc of the covenant,

Unlock this door before the child within comes to injury."

With that chant, the door she stood before opened up to reveal the child standing on the ledge of bedroom window.

"Kali don't!" she froze in horror as the child dangled her foot off the ledge where she stood.

She wasn't going to really make that jump was she? As if challenging Aneles, Kali stepped off the ledge and floated in mid - air.

"A Super child!" Aneles was sure of it now. But who was her mother? Linda or Supergirl? And the father? Superman?

Kali glanced towards the driveway as she heard the hum of a car driving up towards the house. She saw her father's car pull up the driveway. She smiled at the thought of her father coming home to protect her. In her mind, she believed that he had heard her calling for him. She had no idea that Ethan was not like her and her mom. This was just a coincidence.

"Daddy!" she cried out in joy as she floated down to the window sill.

"Daddy?" Aneles was getting more confused by the minute. The child's father was not Superman then?her father was an earthling? But the strength and self confidence that the child was displaying...

****

He had just stepped into the hallway when he heard Kali calling out from the top of the stairs. He turned just in time to see her take off from the topmost step of the stairs. He dropped his keys and lunged towards her. Completely forgetting that it would take more than a fall from the stairs to hurt his daughter.

Kali had not learned how to fly yet so that when she jumped off the step, she lost control and spiralled wildly downward towards her father.

"Kali!" he shouted as she landed squarely on his stomach where he had fallen in the hopes of breaking her fall.

"Ooomph!" he felt the wind get taken out him by the pressure of her body leaning on his own.

"Daddy! Home! Daddy come home!" she wrapped her little arms as tightly as she could around his neck and refused to let go.

"Kali, Kali, where is mommy?" he asked her as he tried to untangle her arms from his neck so he could stand up.

"Mommy at school. Home soon."

"Who is with you Kali? Clark? Lois? Jimmy? Lucy?" he called out as he took her hand and led her to the living room. He saw the uneaten food and wondered who had prepared it. Why was there a building block in the bowl?

"Mr. Logan?" Aneles showed herself. She stood at the top of the stairs where she had watched the events unfold. Seeing how Kali flew wildly through the air only convinced her further that Supergirl was somewhere in that house.

"Who are you?" he asked while Kali clung to him in fright at the sight of Aneles.

"I'm the baby sitter. Aneles Vinzenzo.I started today."

"Oh right. Linda told me about you." he lied.

He decided it was not Aneles' business to know that he and Linda had not spoken for days and he was only there to pick up some fresh clothes. He would have to play along and pretend to know what Linda had been up to with regards to Kali all this time.

"I was expecting Linda to be home by now." she explained.

"She should be here soon. I just came by to pick up some things I need at the office. Don't bother telling her about my coming home will you?" he was not yet ready to talk to Linda. He still did not know what he wanted from her or what to expect of this situation. Until he sorted things out for himself, it would be best for them to not see each other.

"Daddy, monster." Kali pointed to Aneles once again. Hoping that he could see what she was seeing. He did not.

"That is not a nice thing to say about Aneles Kali." he bent down to pick her up and was surprised to discover that, even though she had gained height and weight, she was still light enough for him to pick up. He wondered how much longer she would keep her human traits before he lost her forever to a heritage he did not understand.

"No daddy, look! Please daddy!" she was pointing to the mirror now that was behind Aneles at the top of the stairs.

Had Ethan not been so busy humoring his daughter he would have seen the gray cloaked burned woman who hunched over as she stood before them.

Kali rubbed her eyes and yawned. She was so tired from running away from Aneles all morning. She wanted to sleep. But she somehow knew that she would not be safe if she went to sleep.

"C'mon little one." Ethan carried her up to her room.

"Go have a snack. I'll put her to bed." he instructed Aneles as he closed the door on her.

"Daddy, don't go away. Daddy stay with me? Mommy home soon. " Kali was begging her father as he tucked her in.

"Daddy will stay till you fall asleep." he turned on the cassette player on the bookshelf and played a tape of nursery rhymes to help her fall asleep.

He sat by her bed and stroked her arm till she dozed off. She looked so peaceful as she slept. He wanted nothing more than to dote on her. But he was held back by his inhibitions about who she really was. Was there any part of her that he could actually say belonged to him? He closed his eyes and imagined what kind of father he would be if Kali had become a normal human child instead of a half breed. What a perfect family they could have been.

He kissed the top of her head before heading out towards the master's bedroom. He took a long shower and packed another overnight bag full of clothes and other things he would be needing while he lived out of his office. His eyes fell upon the silver photo frame that held their wedding picture. He could not help but smile as he remembered the day that Linda became all his. The day that she chose to live as a human being. He took the frame and tossed it into his bag.

****

Linda sat staring at her exam paper. She had finished the test in 10 minutes but had to wait for Lucy to finish before she could turn hers in. Linda was worried about all the cries that she had been hearing coming from Kali. She simply refused to allow Aneles to get near her. Maybe it was too soon for her to be returning to school. Maybe she should have stayed home a full month. Or at least until Kali became comfortable around strangers. Things would have been easier if Ethan had been around to do his part. She tuned her hearing towards the range of Kali's voice while waiting. She could hear her breathing evenly.

"Aneles got her to take a morning must be very tired." she thought with a smile.

Lucy got up and signalled Linda to turn her paper in. They joined the other Creative Writing students in turning in their work to the teaching aide. Prof. Leighton did not come to adminster the exam to them. She had called in sick and allowed her teaching aid to supervise the procedure instead.

"How's Kali doing?" Lucy asked worriedly as they made their way to the parking lot.

"She seems to be sleeping right now." Linda replied as she strapped herself into the seat.

"We best get home then. I sure hope she did not freak out Aneles." Lucy still did not believe Aneles was on the level but if Linda trusted the woman, she would have to go along with it and hope Linda was right.

****

Kali's super hearing alerted her to her father stepping out of the front door. Not wanting to be left alone with the being that she feared so much, the little girl got out of bed, locked the door to her room and opened the window. She stepped out and floated onto the top of Ethan's car just as he passed her window. Nobody noticed that she lay on the roof of the car as it passed the busy intersections of Midvale. The yellow sun continuing to increase her powers and rapidly age her. Making her taller by nches in a matter of seconds before stopping. Now, Kali looked like a 3 year old child. She had fallen asleep again by the time Ethan pulled into his office lot.

****

Aneles heard Ethan leave the house. Confident that the child would not be wandering out of her room at least until her mother got home, she began searching the rooms of the house for evidence of Supergirl's existence. She could not find anything to link the two women and the child within the rooms she had searched so far. She felt anger rising up inside of her. The identity of Supergirl needed to be uncovered. She owed it to Lucila to bring her mother's killer to justice. But where would she find the evidence she needed? Taking a chance, she entered the master's bedroom.

Everything in the room looked like normal everyday items. Nothing out of the ordinary. She went through the drawers, careful to replace everything just as she found it so as not to arouse suspicion. Even the clothes cabinet was unremarkable. It was only by accident that she happened to grab onto the clothes rack when she lost her balance. Her weight pulled open the secret room behind the wall.

The fake wall held the answer to the secret that she had been looking for all along. Beyond the wall was another room that was only slightly smaller than the master's bedroom in size. Within the walls lay all the items that could directly link Supergirl to Linda Lee Logan.

Everything was here. From the numerous sets of Supergirl uniforms to the old Midvale School for Girls uniform of Linda. The various pictures of Linda Lee as a student at Midvale School and then in various states of undress as she changed into the Supergirl costume. Photos that were taken during playful moments with Ethan when he was trying to make her stay home instead of going off to save the day with Kal-El or on her own. Pictures that, if the world ever saw, would remove the anonymity of Kara forever. These were more than enough to prove that Selena was right. Linda and Supergirl were indeed one and the same person.

Taking a foldable film camera out of her back pocket, she took as many pictures of the room as she could. Lucila would be very interested to learn of her mother's vindication. Now, they could plot how to destroy Supergirl and her child once and for all.

****

"Kali baby, mommy's home." Linda said loudly as she and Lucy walked into the house. When she did not hear Kali's voice respond, she started up to the nursery to check on the child.

"Aneles? Where are you?" she looked at Lucy with a worried look on her face.

"I'll check the kitchen." Lucy could only hope to find Aneles with Kali there.

Having heard the women arrive, Bianca had used magic to transport herself from the secret room to the kitchen where she was now feigning sleep as she slumped over the breakfast nook.

"Aneles, Aneles? Wake up." Lucy nudged her lightly.

"Hummm...? Oh Lucy. I must have dozed off."

"Where's Kali?"

"In her room. Mr. Logan was here earlier and he told me he would put her to bed for me. She clung to him the minute he walked into the door."

"Lucy!" Linda's voice was in sheer panic coming from the nursery.

She broke into a sprint up the stairs.

"Please god don't let it be!" she prayed.

"Kali's gone!" Linda exclaimed as Lucy appeared at the door.

****

Vicki walked into Ethan's office just as he was unpacking his overnight bag. She had the laundry that he had asked her to do for him.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she placed the laundry bag on the couch and opened it up. She took his folded shirts out and lay it in one of the filing cabinet drawers that she had emptied out for him.

"Maybe some lunch? I haven't had time to grab a snack all morning. I was at the house." he took out the wedding picture and placed it on his desk.

She felt a tinge of jealousy upon seeing the picture. But she was confident in the knowledge that his marriage was in trouble . Ethan never said a word but all the signs were there for her to see. She would have to be a fool to not take advantage of it.

"Any particular requests?"

"Just something to tide me over. Maybe a BLT?"

"Coming right up."

****

"Don't panic Linda. I'll get Clark to come over." Lucy tried to calm down her panic stricken friend.

"No, no. Don't tell Clark. This is something I have to deal with on my own."

Aneles came into the room to find out what had happened. She had been so busy in the secret room that watching Kali completely slipped her mind.

"Where were you? How could you let this happen?" Linda tried to control her anger from surfacing. She had entrusted her daughter to this woman.

"Mr. Logan told me to go have a snack and relax..." she began to explain.

"Mr. Logan? Ethan was here?" The thought that Ethan chose to come to the house when Linda would not be around added to the hurt and worry that she was already feeling.

"He told me not to tell you but under the circumstances..."

"Go home Aneles. I'll call for you if I need your services." Linda signaled Lucy to see her out of the house.

It was only then that she noticed the open window in the room. Using her x-ray vision, she saw the imprints of Kali's shoes on the ledge. She could almost guess what had happened and where her daughter was.

"Lucy, stay here till I get back." Linda got up on the window sill as well.

"Where are you going?"

"I know where Kali is." she jumped off and flew upward in the direction of Ethan's office.

****

Ethan flexed his shoulders as he ate his lunch. Vicki had drawn the blinds in the office so that he could wear more comfortable clothes while he ate.

"How about a massage?" she offered.

"I'd love one. Linda has been too busy lately to give me one." he appreciated her gesture.

She came over to him and began massaging him through his shirt. He smelled of Spring Fresh soap. His scent filled her senses so that she could not properly massage his shoulders with his shirt on.

"I can't reach the knots in your shoulder blades." she told Ethan who was now lying on his chest on the couch.

Without even thinking, Ethan whipped his shirt off and threw it towards his desk. His rippling muscles were now exposed for Vicki to see and enjoy touching. She felt herself feeling hotter than ever as she continued to massage his shoulders and back. He was enjoying the massage too much to ask her to stop. It had been months since Linda had any real time to take care of his physical needs. Their anniversary night was more of an exception that a norm.

"Ethan?" she called out his name softly.

He rolled over and reached up to Vicki's face for a soft and tender kiss. She returned his kiss with an unexpected passion. He was unsure as to whether to push her away or just enjoy the moment. It did not take long for him to simply go with his emotions of the moment.

Just as things were beginning to get serious between them, Linda burst into the office.

"No Ethan! Stop it!" she screamed in anger and pain. How could he do this to her? How easily he cheated on her. He thought nothing of making love to another woman just to spite her.

He pushed Vicki off of him and grabbed his shirt. "Linda! It's not what you think!"

Vicki straightened her clothes out as she left the room. She smiled as she thought about how close she had been to getting what she wanted from Ethan. There would be another chance. She would make sure of it.

"What the hell Vicki?" Joel asked her when he saw her coming out of the room. "He's a married man."

"An unhappily married man Joel. Unhappily married."

****

"Linda I..."

"Don't. Don't talk Ethan. Don't say anything at this point. Please. I beg you. Don't hurt me any more than you already have." she tried to control her emotions as she spoke.

"You're the only one Linda."

"Then what were you doing with your secretary!" The power of her fists slamming into his table broke it in half. "Look at what you made me do!"

"Linda..."

She held her hand up to stop him from speaking. Turning away from him, she saw his employees haggling for a position between the slots of the venetian blinds. She drew up the blinds mostly to help her control her temper than anything else.

"It was just a massage Linda."

"Since when did a massage include lip service from a woman who isn't your wife Ethan?"

"Linda.. it's been so long since you took care of me."

"What do you mean? What more do I have to do for you? I can't understand you anymore Ethan!"

He approached her with the intention of hugging her to calm her down.

"Don't touch me. Don't make me hurl you at the wall in front of your employees." she warned him.

"That! That is what I want to see! Get mad Linda! Let me see how human you are!Get mad at me! At least if you are mad at me I can feel that you still love me! That I am still a part of your life! No pretenses!"

"I never pretended to be anything with you Ethan! I am human!I I love you! You are the only one I ever loved! I risked my life to have your child!"

"No you're not! You've changed Linda! You are no longer the woman I married! All I ever wanted was you! You were enough for me. I did not need anything else. But you never gave yourself fully over to me! I will always own only half of you, just like I my child will forever be only a half human!" he cried out.

"You've changed Ethan! When did you start hating who I really am? Kali is not a half breed either. She is our daughter. She is a part of me and a part of you. Regardless of her abilities. We have a very special child Ethan. Love her, love me, love us!"

He was struck by her words. He did not hate who she really was. He loved her no matter who she was. She was his Karalinda. The love of his life. His soul-mate. The other half of his being. Kali was his own flesh and blood as well. But why couldn't he accept her as half Kyrptonian? What was wrong with him? What was happening to them?

"We need to work this out Linda. I don't want to lose you. I don't want to break up this family." his voice cracked as he spoke.

"I don't want to lose you either Ethan. But we don't have the time to sort this out now. Kali is missing."

"What?"

"Aneles said that you tucked her in for a nap this morning."

"I did. Before I left. She did not want to let me go. She kept saying something about Aneles being a monster. I had to calm her down first." he explained.

"Well she disappeared soon after. I was hoping she was with you."

"No. I would have known if she had snuck into the car."

"Not unless she floated or flew after you." she reminded him.

"Oh right. My daughter isn't an ordinary child." Linda thought she detected sarcasm in his voice but chose to ignore it.

****

Kali awoke upon picking up on her parents voices coming from the building in front of the car. Slowly climbing down, she made her way into the office building.

"Mommy, daddy?" she asked every person whom she passed in the room.

Everyone was too busy to notice her. Everyone except Joel who was running copies of a landscaping job specs on the copying machine when she wandered into the copy room.

"Well hello there. Whose kid are you?" he asked her.

****

A knock on the door interrupted their discussion. Joel poked his head through the door.

"Sorry to disturb you guys but there is a kid wandering the office halls...." he began.

"Mommy? Daddy?"

"Kali!" her parents jumped at the sound of her voice.

They rushed towards her in relief. Linda picked up her daughter and hugged her tightly.

"Don't scare mommy that way ever again Kali."

"Mommy, monster. Daddy went away. Left me with the monster. I followed daddy." she smiled triumphantly at her mother.

Kali was proud of her accomplishment without realizing the dangers she had exposed herself to because of it. The recklessness of a child. Linda would need to have a serious talk with her when they got home.

Linda looked at Ethan with sadness in her eyes. Was it really too late for them? Could he really hate his flesh and blood so much that he could not spend a few hours with her when she was afraid?

"Mommy and daddy?" Joel sounded confused.

"She's our daughter Joel." Ethan explained. "That is all you need to know." He closed the door in Joel's face.

"Daddy's here Kali. I am here for you." He took her from her mother and hugged her tightly.

"Don't make promises you can't keep Ethan." Linda warned him.