"Sullivan." Gabe answered his phone on the first ring. "Chloe, sweetheart…"
"Dad, I don't know what you and Uncle Sam are planning, but the covert ops end now. I'm going out to find Mom. Lois is coming with me." Chloe said, grabbing her cousin's hand tightly. "This is a family matter." Lois nodded resolutely, and Gabe smiled, imagining the scene on his daughter's end of the line.
"Sweetheart, this is a National Security matter. Honey, proof of life in outer space could cause a national panic. Proof that they were actually here on Earth, living amongst us would be catastrophic. You have to trust me." Gabe was in his car, speeding back to Smallville. "I'll be there in a half hour. Wait for me at the Kent farm. The sheriff has been notified, and the highway patrol is looking for that car…"
"Dad." Chloe looked down at the open journal on the coffee table. The coordinates Clark said corresponded to the Kiwatchee Reservation were plainly visible. "I know where she's going." She hung up on her father, and looked at Lois. "You up for some fast driving?"
"Fast driving?" Lois smiled wickedly. "Honey, you came to the right place."
Lex looked at Lana across the table. Breakfast had been laid out perfectly, and Lana was angelic in her white robe. Spending time with Clark and his 'cousin' had been quite illuminating. Clearing his throat, Lex took a sip of his orange juice and smiled at his girlfriend.
"Lana, you've lived in Smallville your whole life. What do you know about Morgan Kent?" He asked, and Lana shrugged.
"Well, he was tall, handsome – a lot like Jonathan Kent, I guess. Nell used to say that he had gone to Hollywood to be a movie star, but we never heard of him. When I mentioned Kara, Nell said that Morgan was living in some artist colony on Catalina Island, living with a ballerina or something." Lana bit into her toast. "Kara could be a ballerina..she's so long and elegant looking."
"Lana. " Lex sighed, setting his juice glass down. "Had Clark ever mentioned a cousin before?"
"No, but that's no surprise." Lana laughed. "And it's not even Clark's fault this time."
"Why is that?" Lex asked, his patience wearing thin.
Lana shook her head. "Jonathan and Morgan Kent hadn't spoken to each other since before the first meteor shower. Jonathan had to mortgage the farm to buy Morgan out of his share. Morgan lost it, on some theater company or something, and Jonathan had to get another mortgage to pay it off. The Kents were never able to tread water after that until much, much later on." Lana informed Lex, with all the assuredness of the small town gossip network. "Morgan moved to the artist colony after that. No one ever heard from him again."
"So this girl may not even be Clark's cousin." Lex said suspiciously, and Lana laughed.
"Well, Lex." She said reasonably, and Lex felt himself almost lose control of his carefully schooled temper. "Clark IS adopted."
Later, Lex slammed the phone down in a rage. The private investigator had turned up nothing abnormal about Kara's origins. Born at the private artist colony with a midwife attending, Kara was home schooled until her parents death, so there were no school records. Not being believers in medical intervention, the girl had no vaccination records, no basic immunizations. Once again, somehow the ranks had been closed, and Lex was on the outside. He looked at the smiling picture on the computer monitor. Kara Lynne Kent, age 14. Born Catalina Island, CA, March 21 1992. Parents: Morgan Kent, actor/writer and Ilyana Morostrovich, ballerina, an exile from some Eastern European country that had since changed names.
"It's impossible." Lex said, staring into Kara's perfect face. "They couldn't have."
"Couldn't have what, son?" Lionel had come into the study, holding a newspaper in one hand, and a steaming cup of tea in the other. "It's Saturday. You have to take at least a few hours off." His father's tone was sardonic, and Lex was in no mood for Lionel.
"It could be, Dad, that I'm not interested in sharing right now." Lex said, closing his laptop viciously. "Not everything is a matter of LuthorCorp business."
Lionel, who had been sipping his tea, nodded. "True enough, Lex. I thought this might have more to do with Martha Kent's pretty little niece. Funny how she just appeared out of nowhere."
"What do you know about it?" Lex walked around the desk and stood before his father. "You might as well tell me."
"You're slipping, son." Lionel's grin was infuriating. "I remember seeing her mother dance with the Bolshoi Ballet in '88. In San Francisco, with your mother. Quite a beautiful girl and quite taken with Morgan Kent. He was writing then, for some obscure little newspaper. Really son, your suspicious mind is going to be the death of you."
"Right Dad." Lex took a deep breath in. "You're telling me that you knew about these people before this girl just miraculously showed up in Smallville?"
"Of course." Lionel nodded, setting his tea cup down. "And I remember when Martha Kent got the telegram that her brother in law had died. Tragic. Just after Jonathan Kent." Lionel stood, and tapped Lex's shoulder with the folded paper. "There's a fund raiser today at the Kiwatchee reservation. Given that I'm the trustee in charge of the caves, I have some extra tickets. Martha Kent is going, as is her whole little family. It's not Father's Day yet, Lex, but a day of family togetherness might not hurt you, come to think of it."
"You know, Dad. That sounds like a great idea." Lex smiled. "I can't think of anything I'd rather do more. I'll let Lana know."
"Lois." Bruce stood in front of Lois' car, arms folded. "You can't go off half cocked on some fools errand. This isn't the movies. I know you and Chloe think you are Thelma and Louise…." The Kent's front yard was a flurry of activity, Kara stood on the porch, watching the drama unfold with wide eyes, a pancake rolled up in her hand like a Midwestern burrito. Krypto danced at the girl's side, begging for scraps, but Kara ignored him.
"Okay, Bruce." Lois snarled, hands on hips. "You are not the boss of me. My father is a five star General and I don't let HIM boss me around."
"Be reasonable." Bruce said, jaw clenched. "Your aunt could be dangerous. Escapees from protective custody in a mental institution are not usually out for a weekend drive through the country."
"Dangerous?" Lois raised an eyebrow, her tone dark. "Why? Because she's been institutionalized?"
"No, not entirely." Bruce sighed, his frustration clear on his usually guarded face. "Damn you, Lois. Why can't you ever just do what you are told?"
"I wouldn't be me then, would I?" Lois smiled, leaning forward to kiss Bruce quickly on the lips. "And you love me just the way I am."
"You're not going alone." Bruce snatched her keys while she kissed him, jingling them against his palm. "I'm going with you." He smiled teasingly. "Because you love me the way I am." Lois scowled but their attention was diverted by an uproar from the barn that sounded a lot like Chloe's frustrated shriek. "No, Clark…!"
"So am I." Clark said, coming out of the barn, his face resolute.
"Clark!" Chloe stalked out of the barn behind him, outraged. "You can't."
Bruce and Clark both turned, and Chloe felt a quiver of fear race down her spine. Never had she seen either man quite so determined or angry.
"Why?" Clark asked, his voice soft, but there was definitely steel behind it.
"You have to go with Kara." Chloe said simply. "You can't be everywhere."
Clark's face did not change. "Kara is coming with us then too. Vision Quest or not."
Bruce nodded at Lois, jingling her keys again. "Finally, someone is talking sense."
Kara dropped her pancake to Krypto and whispered to herself in Kryptonian. "Rao defend us all."