Clark's P.O.V.
It's been a week since I've taken Sayna in. We've both found things out about each other.
She's learned that I'm Superman. I really had to try not to laugh at the look on her face.
There's no doubt in my mind that, were she able to talk, she would have asked if I was kidding her.
She quickly pulled herself back together though and said that she may have wanted a good explanation for finding herself alone but she was definitely not expecting this. She seemed almost like a petulant teenager as she asked when I planned on telling her.
She then slowly breathed out and saying that fair's fair, told me about her other powers.
They're what she calls blinking, which is the ability to vanish from sight though she can only do so for fifteen minutes at a time.
She can, however, move while unseen. I can still find her by following the sound of her heartbeat.
She told me that she uses this power when she's really scared so I get the feeling it helped when she had to deal with her bullies.
It must be how she was able to keep some of her food. I found out that she's holding vanishes with her.
I was pretty surprised at being unable to see her though.
She became visible again then levitated so that she was eye level with me and made a silly face.
I laughed and she smiled then hugged my right leg after going back down.
I shortly found out that she can't levitate beyond what she knows for certain is there which makes sense.
I told her how far my powers can go too.
She told me to be careful out there, calling me Dad for the first time.
Yes, I've adopted her. I may still not know about where she's from but I know I don't want to imagine life without her.
She seemed pretty stressed at the adoption hearing though, likely due to the fact that, well, she can't talk. She almost seemed scared as she pointed to her throat.
She ended up having me interpret for her.
I've yet to come up with a middle name for her but she's pretty happy with her last name which, yes, is Kent.
She'll be meeting the rest of her family later today. I've just made sure that it's okay with her.
She's come out of her room dressed in a Superman T-shirt that Wally got her, gray jeans and her green flats.
I have got her tennis shoes. She just doesn't wear them that often.
However, I've noticed that she tends to have her notebook and pencil on her.
That must be because she forgot to bring them for the adoption hearing two days ago. I couldn't go back because we would have been too late.
The panic in her eyes is not something I want to see again.
At least the judge let me interpret for Sayna.
One of the jury members, it turns out, has a deaf nephew. She was sympathetic and the hearing actually went pretty well.
We were able to make them believe Sayna was born mute. As you may remember, she doesn't want everyone to know the truth.
I don't blame her.
She's good at keeping up the facade but, every once in a while, I get a glimpse that tells me she wishes so much she had the capability to make the smallest kind of sound.
I was able to find out that keeping up the facade while she's at school, around a lot of kids, is pretty stressful for her.
She's very smart so she came up with the idea of having the bus drop her off at the Planet.
It's worked out pretty well for both of us. She gets a jumpstart on her homework and I get more time with her.
I'm very proud of my 7th grader.
Hey, I told you she's very smart.
She gets along pretty well with most of the people I work with. She just didn't care much for Steve Lombard and she took some time to warm up to Lois.
She's still pretty skittish but is less so around people who know sign.
Jimmy actually surprised me with his knowledge of it, even though said knowledge was mostly the alphabet.
Everyone's picked up some either from or for Sayna. It was adorable watching her gently correct Perry when he used it to finger spell her name.
Steve winning her over after using to apologize for startling her was also adorable. I think she's had a good effect on him.
According to Lois, he's not that much of a jerk when around my little girl.
She's not as little as she used to be, thank goodness. I still count a gain of half a pound and half an inch as a victory.
Every little bit helps and she does eat faster now. It's nice to see that she's not as effected by malnourishment.
She just sits out for some of P.E. because she doesn't have enough energy for some things. For example, running laps.
The coach is pretty understanding though. We both help Sayna to get stronger.
There have been a few frustrating moments for her but she never gives up.
We once found her pushing herself way too hard. I still don't know why she would do that though I think it might have something to do with "Silent's memories".
She won't tell me but I keep trying to find out what I.E.C. stands for. I don't think she likes that I found out about it in the first place.
What are you hiding, Sayna? Is it something bad?
Are you afraid to tell me?
I'm starting to think her "monster" may be more than just bullies. She's had a few nightmares, even though she does sleep with Pippin.
Yes, that's the name she gave her stuffed dog. It's after her favorite hobbit from the Lord of the Rings. She seems to like him fine now but I think she still misses Bruno.
I've tried to find him for her but I haven't had any luck. She's shown me a poem that she wrote about him in her notebook.
Yes, I've obviously been allowed to read some of its contents. It's not all English but it doesn't appear to be a total mish-mash of languages. She's told me that sometimes words from other languages just seem to find better.
I've noticed that she can be very precise when it comes to words, which I guess makes sense, given the size of her vocabulary. Part of me wonders how much, if any at all, of her wanting to choose the right word is due to the fact that she, as you know, doesn't have spoken ones.
It could also explain why words dealing with speech sometimes make her touchy. Like how she doesn't like being called Say.
I've seen her trying to talk, usually in front of a mirror. The reason why is another one of her secrets.
I know that she has good senses of sight, smell and hearing but her trying to talk in front of a mirror seems like something she'd do if she was deaf. Does she think it will help somehow? Then again, it could be because she had a friend who was deaf.
I'd like to believe the latter. She'd probably get along pretty well with a person who can't hear.
Well, she actually has something of a way with people in general though her connection with animals is much stronger. I'd swear they can sense that she understands them. She'd make an excellent veterinarian.
I bet that she'll like all the ones at the farm.
There's a couple that I want to keep a surprise though. I can hardly wait to see the look on her face when she meets them.
She's finished reading a book that she got from the library. Her reading level is very advanced so I'm not surprised to find out that it's The Silmarillion. She seems to read mostly to escape.
That reminds me. I need to get my copy back from Kara.
Sayna puts her book back in her room then comes back and asks if we can go.
I check the clock. "Do you want a snack first?"
She nods.
I decide to go with crackers and cheese. She's, more than likely, sick of peanut butter.
Ritz crackers, sharp cheddar cheese and a glass of water. That should make a good snack and I like how her eating speed, for the most part, is pretty regular.
She'll make an exception for things she likes or if it's something rich and filling.
Lunchtime at school seems to make her self-conscious so she eats in the library.
The librarian at school isn't the only one who likes her. It seems like the more stern the librarian is, the more they like her.
Wally's joked that it's because of her silence.
She didn't like the joke too much. It made her try to scream at him.
I don't blame her. I gave him a dirty look for it.
He quickly apologized.
She accepted the apology but you could tell she was still a little annoyed with him. The fact that he made another joke about getting the silent treatment didn't help.
It looked, for a minute, like she was going to punch him for that one, which surprised both of us.
Does she know how to fight? I've never seen her use violence.
Sure, she'll get angry but she's mostly gentle and caring.
I put my thoughts aside and soon give Sayna her snack. She actually reminded me with her telepathy.
Well, that's one way of getting my attention.
I wonder if she could pick up languages that aren't from Earth. I'm sure that Kara would like it if Sayna learned Kryptonese.
I know Bruce has*.
Feeling curious, I try saying a few words.
She signs that she knows she's my daughter.
"You can add languages that you hear."
She finishes her snack then signs Apparently.
"Wow. You know, you're pretty blasé about that."
She breathes out slowly then says that she already knew because she understood what Zee said backwards.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She shrugs her shoulders then says that it's because she didn't feel like it was a language.
"All right, my little secret keeper. I can agree with you. Are you ready to meet your family now?"
She tells me that she wants to go to the bathroom first.
I take care of her dishes while she's gone.
She comes back after I'm done then raises one eyebrow and flaps her arms.
I laugh gently. "Yes, we'll be flying."
She grins then, soon, we're on our way.
*This is canon.