I don't understand it, Clark, I really don't." Chloe said as they drove back to Smallville later. "Why has everyone kept my mother and her past a secret from me for all of these years?"

"I don't know, Chloe." Clark looked over at her briefly before bringing his eyes back to the road. "Why not ask your dad, or your Uncle Sam?"

"I'm going to." Chloe held her phone in her hand. "As soon as I have a signal."

She looked over at Kara, who had promptly fallen asleep almost as soon as Clark started the truck. "What about this vision quest, Clark? Kara can't go on it alone."

"I'll keep up with her." Clark replied. "I don't think there'll be a problem though."

'Are you sure you can trust these people? You have a purpose in the grand scheme of things for them, but she doesn't. What if someone decides an alien orphan has a price?" Chloe asked, turning back to Clark. "You were raised among humans, Mr. Kent was very cautious about your abilities. Kara has been here for four weeks and already an entire tribe of Native Americans will be privy to her secret."

"If they believe it." Clark said, but a trace of doubt had crept into his voice. "I'll keep a close eye on her during the vision quest. Meantime, you get in touch with your dad and see what you can find out."

"I'm not going to my Dad." Chloe replied, grimly, looking at her phone. "I'm going to a more direct source." She pressed a speed dial number and waited. "Hello, Lois? Listen, I need a favor. It's about Mom…."

General Sam Lane was not in the habit of being interrupted. Sighing, the young captain who served as his assistant looked up at the young woman impatiently tapping her foot, and tried to stare her into silence. Arms folded, the girl cocked an eyebrow at him, and increased the tapping, making each one somehow louder and more insistent and just short of stamping her foot. These Army brats were really very tiring, he thought, making a mental reminder to ask his wife if her birth control prescription was up to date.

"Look, Ms. Lane, I know you are busy, but the General did say…"Captain Wilkes began reasonably. "I'm sure your position with Senator Kent leaves you with very little free time, but really, I …."

Lois leaned forward, placing both palms on the Captain's desk. "Listen, I've run through more of Daddy's assistants than you could ever know." She smiled. It glittered dangerously in her eyes. "You really want to keep your commission, don't you?"

"Of course I do, Ms. Lane." He looked helplessly over at her companion, a petite blonde who was having trouble hiding her amusement. "Please, Miss, can't you make Ms. Lane understand? I'm just trying to do my job."

"I suppose." Chloe said reasonably. "But I think if you would only tell my uncle that we're here, he'll understand."

Out numbered, Captain Wilkes sighed again, and dialed into his C.O.'s office. Quietly, he told the general what had gone on, and then nodded, holding the phone away from his ear to avoid the full blast of the General's enraged bellow. Pleading, he looked up at Lois again, but she rolled her eyes and took the phone from his hand.

"Daddy, this is serious. No, I don't care who is in your office. This is important." Lois looked over at Chloe and winked. "Dealing with a National Security issue? Well, this is more than National Security important, Daddy. It's Family Security Important. Uh, huh. Of course, Daddy. We're right outside." Triumphant, she handed the phone back to the beleaguered officer. "He wants us to come in."

Taking Chloe by the hand, Lois passed Captain Wilkes' desk with a saucy wink. "Nice try, Wilkes. Next time, just let me go in."

Opening the door, Chloe could not have been more shocked at what she saw. Her father, dressed in a neat blue uniform, sat in one of the chairs facing the General's desk. He rose when the girls entered, and the General cleared his throat.

"There better be a damn good explanation for this outburst, Lois Joanne Lane or so help me, New Zealand will not be far enough away for you to be out of hot water." The General began, crushing out his cigar. Lois, undaunted, rolled her eyes.

"Really? And who'd chase Lucy down for you while I was exiled? Deputy Dope out there? Please." She folded her arms and sneered at The General brazenly. "I'm not afraid of you, anyway."

Gabe cleared his throat. "Girls, you really don't know what you've done." His voice was gentle. "Chloe, I know I owe you a world of explanations. You can't really understand the discoveries you've stumbled on to."

"Well, now I've discovered my father is a Navy officer." Chloe shook her head. "As if my life was not weird enough. Why didn't you tell me, Dad?"

"Never mind that for now, Miss." The General turned his attention to Chloe. "You were snooping around your mother's hospital. I should have known you wouldn't just visit Sarah there." The General looked at Chloe. "You didn't know your mother was under protective custody there, did you?"

"I don't know a lot about what's going on, Uncle Sam, so, no." Chloe replied, placing her hands on her hips. "But maybe, if you and Dad had enough faith in me to tell me what was going on all this time, then things would be different."

"Chloe." Gabe held out a hand. "Baby, please. You really need to listen."

"I want to listen, Dad. There's a lot I need to listen to. " Chloe did not take his hand, but shook her head. "Why don't we start with Mom and the Kiwatchee reservation."

The men looked at each other. "What about it?" Gabe said, sliding his hand into his jacket pocket. "She was an social worker and a teacher. She lived out there for three years before you were born."

"That's all?" Chloe looked at her father, disbelieving. "Nothing unusual or out of the ordinary?"

The General cleared his throat. "Well, buttercup…" Seeing Chloe and Lois both turn a doubtful glance in his direction, The General's face grew dark. "Now. Listen. UP. You girls are going to get this story straight now, but without the back talk and the sassy faces. Got it?" Chloe nodded, but Lois smirked rebelliously. Ignoring his daughter, the General sat back down heavily, looking down at his desk. "Chloe, it was after her time at the Reservation that your mother started seeing things and hearing voices. When you were born, she seemed to do better. We all held our breath, hoping it was going to be okay."

"But it wasn't." Gabe said sadly. "In a very short amount of time, Sarah started rambling on and on about Naman, and prophecies. The walls of our house were covered with glyphs and symbols." Gabe shook his head. "I wanted to resign my commission then and there, but Sam found a way for me to stay close to home. That was when she went away for the first time."

"First time? When I was five?" Chloe asked and Gabe nodded. "In a hospital?"

"No, a high security military base." General Lane interrupted. "She was talking about aliens, Chloe. She said she had been abducted."

"Right…" Lois said. "Look, why don' t you tell us the truth? You expect Chloe to believe this, Daddy?"

"I do, Lois, because it's true." The General sighed. He pulled out a large file, and pushed it across the desk at his niece. "It's all there, dates, times, photos. The nurse at this hospital has been involved with your mother's case since then."

Chloe stared at the file. "She keeps journals."

"I'll make those available to you. There are 25 years worth." General Lane looked up at Chloe. "I know you think she spoke to you…"

"She spoke?" Gabe and Lois said at the same time. "She never talks when I…." They looked at each other, and Gabe smiled. "Thanks for going to see her, Lois. I know it means a lot to her."

"It's okay." Lois said, looking embarrased and her eyes full of tears. "Mom wanted me to make sure I, well, anyway, Mom wanted me to see her."

"She did speak to me, Uncle Sam." Chloe put her hand over her heart, covering Clark's pendant. "I heard her."

"Okay, buttercup. I'll get the journals to you, and you keep me in the loop. If you find anything, anything to get Sarah back in game…" General Lane looked at Chloe and smiled softly. "Well, I think you know how much I would like having my sister back, don't you, buttercup?"

"Yes. I do, Uncle Sam.." Chloe smiled turning to her father. "So, what kind of Navy commission lets you work at LuthorCorp, Dad?" Grinning, she hugged Gabe. "If that's your REAL name."

"That's always my name, baby." Gabe smiled into his daughter's hair. "No matter where I am."