Gabe jumped out of the helicopter and collected his daughter in his arms. "Chloe!"
"Dad, we're okay." Chloe laughed, as her father looked her over. "We're ALL okay." She turned and Gabe saw Sarah, standing just a few feet away, watching. He'd never seen her looking so beautiful. Her eyes were full of tears and she folded her arms over her chest, watching he and Chloe as they greeted each other.
"Hi, Gabe." Sarah said softly, taking two steps closer. "How are you?"
"How am I." Gabe sighed, kissing Chloe's head. "I'm perfect." He smiled broadly and held out a hand to his wife. "How are you?"
Sarah smiled but resisted going to him. "I'm okay. In spite of appearances." She looked down at the clothes she was wearing. "I guess I have to go back to the hospital, huh?" She smiled, and Chloe could see where her own wide grin had come from.
Gabe made a sound, something between a sob and a cough, and went to Sarah. "No, honey. Never again. You'll come home."
"Home." Sarah shook her head. "God, Gabe. It's been forever. I don't even remember how to take care of a home…" Sarah ran her hands through her hair, looking around. "I'll probably give you food poisoning the first meal I make."
"It can't be worse than Dad's waffles." Chloe laughed. "They are brutal."
"Gabe, that's my mother's recipe…it's not hard." Sarah admonished, and then the three of them laughed.
Clark and Kara walked back to town, Clark carrying Livvie the whole way. The little shaman sang and spoke to them in Kitwachee, a language Kara had no trouble understanding. So, Kara was the interpreter, singing Livvie's songs in English for Clark's benefit. As they approached the reservation, a small group of Kiwatchee ran out to greet them – Dr. Willowbrook, Miriam and Miriam's daughter, Rose among them.
"Naman!" Dr. Willowbrook called, as Miriam and Rose grabbed Livvie from Clark and covered the child in kisses. "You defeated the great wind. You brought our shaman back. No words can express our gratitude."
Clark smiled shyly, nodding. "As long as everyone is safe and sound." Kara nodded too, grinning proudly, and Dr. Willowbrook bowed to her.
"And you, Fledgling. A baby bird no longer." Dr. Willowbrook looked down at Kara's feet. She was levitating off the ground, nearly a foot, bringing her to Clark's height exactly. Miriam and Rose exclaimed in Kiwatchee, but Clark just pulled Kara's hand, bringing her back to the ground as the girl blushed. "You will need a new name." He turned to Livvie. "Well, little Shaman. You went in search of your vision. What is the Fledgling to be called?"
Livvie looked at Kara. "Her name did not come to me." Livvie struggled out of her mother's arms and walked to Kara. "The warrior spirit told me that your name is already written in your heart. You will know it when the time comes."
"Warrior spirit?" Kara asked and Livvie nodded.
"He who brought us the prophecy of Naman. The Great Grandfather Spirit. Falling from a star far, far away, he gathered the Kiwatchee into one tribe, gave us our laws. He defended us from the great winds, and then left, back into the stars. You, Naman, carry his name." Livvie turned to Clark. "His children live among the Kitwatchee still, and they have special gifts. Like me."
Clark turned to Dr. Willowbrook, who answered the unspoken question. "Apparently, his spirit remains with us."
Clark looked at Kara, who shrugged. "It might have been, Dr. Willowbrook. Today, nothing would surprise me less."
"Come. The feast is still being held." Miriam said, embracing Kara. "We have family to welcome!"
Chloe ran into Clark's waiting arms. "That was incredible!" She laughed as he swung her around. He set her down on her feet, and Chloe beamed up at him joyfully.
"Yeah, well." Clark smiled down into her face. "I couldn't have done it alone. It wouldn't have been possible without Kara."
"It doesn't matter." Chloe returned his grin. "My mother is cured, Clark. She can speak, and she's coming home with Dad and I. Whatever you did in that archive, Clark, it set things right."
"I didn't do anything in the archive, Chloe. I just took it to the Fortress. I'm it's guardian now." Clark told her truthfully. "It's safe now."
"Incredible." Chloe grinned. "Saved the day again. More than once in one day this time."
"Well…" Clark hugged her. "I'm glad you got your mom back."
"Me too." Chloe replied, snuggling closer. "And I'm glad I have you."
Lois watched her cousin and Clark, smiling. She looked over at Bruce, who was just nearby. His dark eyes were on her, intense and watchful.
"I suppose you want thanks, or something." Lois said, folding her arms across her chest, a smile playing on her lips. "For finding my aunt and cousin."
Bruce matched her half smile with one of his own. "No thanks needed." He put his arm around her shoulders. "But, if you WANT to thank me, you can."
"You're still arrogant." Lois turned to him, smirking.
"That's not changing anytime soon." Bruce said seriously. "Like you being opinionated."
"You're never driving my car again." Lois stood tiptoe and kissed Bruce quickly on the cheek. "Count on that."
"I'll have it taken to be tuned up and detailed." Bruce told her, "I don't want to seem ungrateful."
"Good." Lois nodded, and then her eyes softened, and Bruce heard a jingling behind him. She pulled her keys from his jacket pocket and grinned. "I'll take these."
"I'll take you, Lois. No matter what, I'll always want you." Bruce laughed, pulling her closer.
True surprise was something Lex was not accustomed to. And yet, here he was, looking around this small village and there was no trace at all of the storm. Words failed him, and the excitement of the people around him somehow wasn't enough to still the questions that revolved in his mind. Lionel had come up with Martha from the shelter, and Lex saw him take Martha's arm, whispering in her ear. She smiled in reply and patted Lionel's hand warmly, but said nothing in reply.
"It's a miracle." Lana breathed, grasping Lex's hand, smiling up at him. He looked down at her and smiled back, but in his mind, Lex knew a tornado didn't just PASS by. The ground around the Kiwatchee village wasn't even wet and the sun was starting to come out.
"Yes, definitely." Lex said, squeezing her hand. "Look, there's Clark and Kara." Lana smiled and dropped his hand, running with Lois and Martha to greet the new arrivals. He watched Martha gather her son and niece in her arms. It was Kara's radiant face that drew Lex's eye, not Clark, not Lana. The girl appeared to be glowing and Lex blinked in disbelief. That she could literally GLOW was impossible. But, it certainly seemed that even the newly appearing sunlight was being DRAWN to her. Clearing his throat, Lex walked to the little group.
"Clark!" Lex said, holding out a hand. "You had us all worried."
Clark shook Lex's hand with a shy smile. "Well, we were okay. There were these caves and we sheltered in there." Clark looked down at Chloe who nodded, her eyes wary.
"Well, the excitement certainly agreed with your cousin. Saved the little Kiwatchee girl from a rattlesnake?" Lex remarked, turning to where Kara stood with Lois and Lana. The older girls were fussing over her and Kara, like Clark was uncomfortably receiving their happy concern. Clark and Chloe followed Lex's gaze and Clark's eyes widened, and then he cleared his throat.
"Oh, you know, kids…" Clark laughed. "I don't think it was a rattlesnake. But, after your accident on the bridge, Dad said I was so full of myself I could have been a float in the Metropolis Thanksgiving Parade."
"That's not quite how I remember your behavior then." Lex replied, nodding. "I guess it's a trick of the light that makes Kara appear as if she's glowing."
"That's probably all it is." Clark nodded, and Chloe beamed up at him and then at Lex. "Are you staying for the rest of the festival, Lex?"
"Wouldn't miss it." Lex smiled, waving as he moved back to Lana. Kara darted past, her long blonde hair streaming behind her, and snagged on the buttons on Lex's sleeve. The girl turned, her hand to her hair, eyes wide, and Lex immediately moved his arm, jerking the button free. "Kara, I'm so sorry. Are you all right?" Lex said, and she grinned brightly, stooping to pick up the horn button.
"I'm okay. Sorry about your button, though. They don't sew them on very tightly, do they?" Kara placed the object in his hand and ran over to Clark, chattering brightly. Lex stared down at the item in his hand as if he had been handed the meaning of life. The button still had it's thread sewn tightly in it, and Lex didn't need to look to know that there was a small hole where that button used to be. But he didn't care. Four long white-gold strands of hair were wrapped around the thread, and on close inspection, the root was plainly still attached to two of them. Moving away from the crowd, Lex pulled out his cellphone, closing his hand around his delicate prize.
"Dr. Starke. I'm ready to go forward with that project we discussed. Yes, I did obtain an acceptable sample. I'll get it to you tonight." Lex hung up the phone and made his way over to a food stand that had just reopened. "Excuse me, " He asked the Kiwatchee woman who'd begun pouring fry bread batter into the large greased skillets. "You wouldn't happen to have a small plastic bag by any chance, would you? I'll gladly pay you for it."
"Oh sure. I can spare you one. Wouldn't know what to charge anyway for it." The woman nodded, pulling a small plastic sandwich bag from a box under the counter. "Anything else?"
Lex looked up at the menu. "One of your famous Indian tacos, of course." He smiled charmingly and the woman laughed, nodding. Slipping the hairs into the bag along with the button, Lex folded the whole thing up and placed it in his inside jacket pocket. His father had been right. A day with family was EXACTLY what he'd needed, Lex thought, as he waited for his lunchI'd better make a note to do something special for Dad this Father's Day.