Dinner at the Kent home would have been eaten in silence, had Chloe not started up various topics of conversation, the main one being her theory on how the meteor rocks would have had something to do Martha's amnesia and sudden recovery. Neither of the three Kents explained who was behind the real cure. They could understand why the mysterious girl known only as Redd would want to keep her secrets.

Dinner had ended when Chloe's dad came and picked her up. She was a little surprised that he knew where she was. After all, she had taken off from the hospital without even informing the nurses. Apparently Lex had given Gabe the tip on where to find his daughter, which surprised Chloe as well. Why would her father be speaking with Lex Luthor? He father merely mumbled something about "tying up loose ends."

Pete left shortly afterwards. It was getting dark and he hadn't been home since he found Chloe lying on the road a bloody mess. He needed a shower and needed to get out of his tux.

That left Redd. She had thanked Pete and Chloe for the food before the each had gone their separate ways, and thanked the Kents for letting her wash up and allowing her to keep the clothes she had been given. She began to leave back towards her little shack in the woods, when Martha began insisting that the frail, young girl stay.

Jonathan, of course had his objections. He took Martha aside, away from Clark and Redd, so they would be able to discuss the matter without hurting the small redhead's felings. "We can't just keep her."

"Why not?" Martha asked. "The girl gave me my memory back. She gave my identity back to me, Jonathan. She has nowhere else to go. We at least owe her a place to stay."

"Martha," Jonathan said, "look around you! The kitchen and guest room have been destroyed. We have no food, not even for ourselves. We have no place to put her."

"Well, anyplace is better than the woods, even if it means we have to put her in the storm cellar or in the livingroom. I'm sure she'd be grateful for even that much."

"I'm she would, too. It's just that." Jonathan trailed off. He was never truly good with words. "It's just that even if we do keep her, we wouldn't be able to for very long. We're going to have to spend all our money on rebuilding the farm, and that won't even be enough. How could afford to feed another person?"

It was almost pointless for Martha and Jonathan to step out of the room. Redd had been on the run for a few months, always alert in fear of her life. Her paranoia had trained her senses well. She could hear everything that the two adults were saying without the use of her telepathy. So could Clark. As keen as Redd's senses were, Clark's were by far keener.

The two had been sitting across from each other on the floor, staring at the other, trying to figure the other out. Redd was a mystery to Clark. She somehow managed to restore his mother's memory completely in a matter of a few minutes. He knew it wasn't magic. He had seen many people with strange gifts and abilities. He wanted to know hers.

Clark was also somewhat of a mystery to Redd. Try as she might, she couldn't get inside his mind. It was a strange a feeling fo her. It should have scared her, but instead, she felt a calmness, as if she had nothing to fear from him.

Redd got up and moved into the room Jonathan and Martha were in. Clark followed her, lagging behing some. "You needn't provide me with a place to stay," she told the two adults. "I've been making do in the old shack for such a long while now.I'm rather used to it. And I wouldn't want you to go to such lengths for someone as.strange.as myself. I shall be leaving." It was odd. For a homeless, run-away, street urchin, Redd spoke like royalty. When she turned to walk away, she didn't slouch, but walked with perfect posture with the greatest of ease. Something was definitely amiss with the child.

"No! Wait!" Martha cried out. "You're staying!"

Jonathan grabbed Martha's arm. "We're not done talking," he whispered in her ear.

Martha nodded and then turned to her son. "Take Redd for a walk or something. Make sure she doesn't go anywhere."

"Sure," Clark said as he went out the door.

Redd hadn't gotten far before Clark had caught up with her. "Hey, where are you going?" he asked. "Looks like you're staying." Clark flashed his trademark smile.

"Only for one night," Redd said simply.

"You don't know that for sure."

"Don't I?" Redd said with slight sadness reflecting in her voice. She shook her head. "I'm sorry.I didn't mean to sound so rude." Redd turned away from Clark.

"You didn't." Moments of silence passed before Clark's curiosity got the best of him. "I don't mean to pry, but.how did you do that? How'd you get my mom's memory back?"

Redd shrugged as she looked at her feet. "How are you able to lift an entire tractor with one hand?"

Clark's steely blue eyes grew large. "What are you talking about? No one can do that."

Redd turned back around to face Clark. "You can. When I was restoring your mother's memory, I saw.glimpses.into her mind. I didn't mean to. I just happened to catch bits and pieces. I saw you doing that.lifting a tractor like a textbook."

The pieces were starting to come together in Clark's mind. Earlier that year, his parents had taken in another stray that could read minds. "You're psychic, aren't you?"

Redd nodded. "A telepath, to be exact. A telekinetic as well."

Clark was surprised that the girl possessed a second power. And it made sense, too. She was living in shack that had been pelted by meteor fragments. Chloe had a theaory that most of the freaks around here gained their abilities thru exposure to the meteor rocks. In most cases, it seemed to be proven true.

Redd shook her head. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this.I can't even read your mind. I should be frightened and apprehensive-but I'm not. For some reason, I feel there's nothing to fear about you. Maybe that's why I can't read you're mind. You're so pure, it's unneccessary."

Clark blushed a little with a smile. "I wouldn't go so far as to say that."

"What else is weird," Redd continued, "is that I feel a connection with you.Like I would towards a brother, had I one. It's quite peculiar."

Silent moments passed again, Redd looking out at the horizon where the sun had just set, clouds making the sky darker than normal. "So why did you come to Smallville?" Clark asked, trying to make conversation.

"I.uh." The topic was one of difficulty for Redd. In her violet eyes was pain and agony, yet she did not cry. "Can you keep a secret?"

Clark nodded.

Redd took a deep breath. "Someone's trying to kill me."

It was such a simple sentence, yet the story behind it was so much more complicated. Clark was even more shocked by these words than the revelation that the young girl was a telepath/telekinetic. Who would want to hurt such a tiny frail like Redd? "Why?" Clark asked, getting a little purturbed that someone would be evil enough to do such a thing.

Redd shrugged. "Money.I guess.My grandmother quite the amount before she was murdered by the same man that's after me. I'm her only living relative.All that money would go to me, had I not 'vanished'. Until then.the account's frozen until I reemerge into the real world.or if I turn up dead."

"Do you have any idea who would want all that money?" Clark wanted to help this girl. He felt the same sybling-esque connection Redd had mentioned earlier. He wanted to help her.

Redd shook her head. "I haven't the slightest hint of an idea."

"What about the police?"

"The FBI were called into the matter.I was taken into protective custody once my life was being threatened. For all their technology and professionalism, they couldn't help me. My killer used Voodonic Magicks to break into the facility I was staying at. His magicks nulled my powers-I was defenseless against him! He almost killed me, but he disappeared at the last moment in a puff of green smoke. No one was there, he just vanished as if someone were. I ran from the facility that night. If the FBI couldn't protect me that night, then they most likey couldn't in the future. And how can they, against one who weilds the power of the Black Arts?"

Something clicked in Clark's head. "Wait.You had your powers before you came to Smallville?"

Redd nodded.

This was odd. Clark thought Redd had gained her powers by exposure to the meteor rocks. He needed to know more. "When did you get your powers?"

Redd sighed and moved to sit down on the trunk of a toppled tree. "It's a long story.When I was thirteen, I was on a flight from Cairo to New York with my parents. Some terrorists blew the plane up. My powers first manifested then, as I was falling from the sky. A telekinetic bubble engulfed me, keeping debris from hitting me and keeping me from drowning in the Atlantic. I heard.voices.in my head. The voices of everyone dying around me.It's amazing what people think as they take their final breath.It's also heart-wrenching.I tried listening for my parents thoughts. I never heard-or saw-them ever again. I was never the same after that.

"I eventually learned to harness my powers, stretching and developing them. I kept them a secret from everyone, save my grandma. That's why I'm surprised why I'm telling you this. I've never trusted anyone like this before. It's quite out of character for me."

Clark put a large hand on the frail's tiny shoulder. "I'm going to do everything I can to help you."

Redd looked at him. "I doubt, in such a circumstance as mine, that it shall be much." Sadness again reflected in the young girl's large, violet eyes.

Jonathan and Martha Kent came outdoors to talk to Redd. "We've made a descision," the burly man said.

"You're staying," Martha said with a smile on her face.

"But only for a bit," Jonathan added. "We can't keep you here very long. And you probably ought to be taken into social services."

Redd's eyes grew large and Clark stiffened. "I don't think that's such a good idea, Dad."

"That's what I tried to tell your mother, but she insisted Redd stayed-"

"No, Dad. I don't think sending Redd into social services would be a good idea."

The two adults exchanged curious and worried glances. "Why not?"

It was Clark and Redd's turn to exchange worried glances. Clark soon explained everything that Redd had told him. Martha and Jonathan understood why Redd would seek refuge in hiding. They still agreed to let her stay until they figured out something else to do with her.

Redd almost wished they had tried to turn her in or deny her refuge after learning that information. The one thing that the Kents didn't know, was that everyone Redd touched died. And they died horrible, merciless deaths.