"This just doesn't seem real." Kara said, as she and Dick walked through the circus grounds. Everything was set up, pristine and pure in a way that it would not remain once the crowds began to show up. Dick grinned.

"I always think that before we open." He held her hand lightly as they walked, but he did see the fairgrounds through new eyes. "I'd take to you see the lions, but if they ate you, I'd be pretty upset."

Kara looked at him, mild alarm mingling with amusement. "You'd be upset?" She asked, a teasing gleam in her eye. "I want to see them."

Dick grinned. "I didn't even have to dare you. Aren't you scared?"

"No." Kara said confidently, and then drew back. "Are they very dangerous?"

"Not from 10 feet away." Dick pulled her just slightly closer. "We're not going IN the cages." He looked down into her face, peering around her hair. "You didn't really think we'd be up close, did you?"

"Oh, well, I guess not." Kara nodded, more than a little disappointed. "Okay then, I still want to see them."

They walked in silence to the lion cages. The majestic beasts seemed to be sleeping, but Kara could see their ears move as she and Dick stood outside, alert and aware of the teenagers. The electric light mingled with the last of the day light and the animals fur rippled with burnished gold.

"How awful for them." Kara said sadly after a minute. "To live in cages."

"Sad? For them?" Dick dismissed her empathy with a careless shrug. "They're used to it. I'll bet they are pretty tame anyway."

"They're beautiful, and they're prisoners." Kara said, stepping over the rope to get closer to the cage. "Poor things."

"Kara, you can't let them out." Dick said, hoping over the rope barrier after her. "I mean, they're not completely tame."

She waved at him, smiling at the deep, even breathing of the large lion that had opened his eyes at her approach. "He sounds like the cats in the barn."

"Kara…" Dick whispered urgently. "Come on…"

Hypnotized by the warmth of the large beast, Kara leaned forward a little more. The lion stood, and rubbed his massive head on the bars of his cage, as if imploring her to pet him. Dick held his breath as Kara moved slowly toward the lion and reached up to stroke his velvety nose. The lion groaned happily at her touch, crouching so she could move her hand up between his eyes,

"I don't believe it." Dick whispered, as Kara stretched up on her toes to kiss the beast on the nose. She backed away carefully, and soon her hand was in his again, squeezing it with excitement. "You are either really brave or completely stupid."

Kara smiled, and suddenly Dick felt as if he'd never seen her before. She was absolutely gorgeous, triumphantly radiant. He swallowed deeply, nervous beyond belief. Ever since girls had become interesting, Dick had always had one or two hanging around in every city or town they visited. Yet Kara was different. From the moment he'd first seen her, Dick had no interest in the other girls in Smallville. They were plain compared to her. And the urge to kiss her was nearly overpowering.

Kara tipped her head, smiling. 'Dick? Are you okay? You look like you are going to throw up."

"Uh…" He cast around for something to say, something smart or witty. "I heard you have a dance this weekend." It came out on one great gust of breath and Dick winced hearing it, but Kara seemed to not notice.

"Yes." Kara nodded. "At school."

"Well, I…never went to a school dance. And I thought that maybe I could take you to yours." Dick swallowed after he spoke, trying break the lump that had formed his throat up. "But I'll bet you already have a date for it."

"No!" Kara said quickly, and Dick hung his head, deflated. She laughed sweetly and put her hands on his shoulders, looking up at him. "I mean, no, I'm not going with anyone." She grinned as he began to brighten. "I'd love to go with you." Aware of the closeness, she dropped her hands and took a modest step back.

"Okay." He nodded, his confidence returning. "Okay." He looked at his watch. "Well, I guess I'd better get you home."

"I guess." Kara said reluctantly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Or I could just walk. It's not dark yet."

"Walk? No way." Dick rejected the idea immediately, and he grabbed her hand again. "Even though after seeing you with those lions, I guess you wouldn't be nervous about walking home in the dark."

"No, I wouldn't be afraid of that." Kara said, controlling the wild fluttering in her stomach by barely speaking. It was all she could do to keep her feet on the ground, literally. "But I'd like it if you brought me home."

"Dr. Starke, I thought you should see this." His assistant said, and the scientist came to look at the computer screen. "I was running an analysis of Karen 1's blood, to see how the growth accelerator was affecting her, and I found this." The assistant pointed to the strand of human DNA.

"We knew this, Philip." Dr. Starke replied, but Philip shook his head.

"Not this, sir." He brought up another screen. "Remember a couple of years ago, Mr. Luthor brought us a blood sample of some girl he had in hiding? Well, look at this."

Philip brought the strands together. The links that matched blinked. "Whatever Karen 1 is, she's got human family."

"That's impossible." Dr. Starke took off his glasses and leaned into the screen, moving his finger along the strand. "I don't believe it."

"Sir?" The assistant looked up. "What does this mean for Project Galatea now? We can't continue this if …."

"For now, it doesn't change anything. Monitor all her life functions carefully, Philip. She's already aging way faster than I'd have thought possible." Dr. Starke looked up past his assistant, through the window at the child. Karen 1, grown to nearly the equivalent of a 4 year old, was putting puzzle pieces together. She looked up, sensing Dr. Starke's attention, and waved, smiling at him brightly. "What was the name of that girl we got the blood sample from?"

"Sullivan, sir." Philip looked at the notes. "Chloe Sullivan. Mr. Luthor had it taken to, ehm, identify her in case of a problem."

"See what you can find on the Sullivan family, Philip. I want everything we can get, medical records, dental records, everything." Dr. Starke picked up his clipboard. "I want you to find me any reason to scrap this project."

"Dr. Starke, if we scrap the project, what happens to…" Philip looked over at Karen 1, who had gone back to playing, singing quietly to herself.

"Never mind." Dr. Starke's tone held more than a strong note of warning. "You leave that part of this to me. Get me everything you can on the Sullivans."