STIGMATA
EPISODE EIGHTEEN
No virgin me
For I have sinned
I sold my soul
For sex and gin
Go call a priest
All meek and mild
And tell him, "Mary
Is no more a child."
Mary, Mary (Chumbawumba)
"We wanted to tell you, together. We're getting married."
No…
"I know how much you mean to Lex, and well, I'm hoping that we can be friends, Hudson. I know how important it is to him that he can keep us both in his life."
No…
"I want you to be there, Angel. This is an important day for me, and I want to share it with you. Please?..."
No… Yes…
"I'm sorry, Mr. Kent. But there was nothing we could do to save the baby…"
No…
"Fuck!"
Hudson bolted upright, the pain searing through her chest, ripping through the very core of her. She clawed at the burning mark as it flared across her skin, but to no avail. It wouldn't go away; it wouldn't leave her in peace. Stumbling from the bed, she crawled into the corner of the room, silently chanting to ignore it, that it would just go away if she waited, but it never worked. The pain grew worse and she was forced to do the one thing she didn't want to do – remove the ring.
The moment she ripped it off her finger, the flare diminished, the pain subsiding along with it. At least, the physical pain. What took its place was possibly worse. Hudson cringed as she glanced at her surroundings, not wanting to know where she was or how she got here. The memories were always vague – simple flashes of doing things she shouldn't have done, a lack of feeling, a depth of anger that was foreign to her.
She dropped the ring to the floor as she struggled to her feet, staring over at the two men who were passed out on the bed, sheets twisted around their naked forms. She didn't know who they were; Tony somebody or other. Gary? Bile rose in her throat as she remembered what she'd done with them and she spun around quickly, diving for the ring.
It was too late; the memories came flooding back to her…
She hurried down the hall, desperate to get away from the scene in the study, to forget about what Lex had just asked of her. Helen had sat there, looking so smug, so sure of herself, so… triumphant. And then she'd had the gall to make some comment about being friends – for Lex!
"Hudson. Wait."
She didn't want to. She wanted to run. But the near plea in Lex's voice brought her to a halt. She didn't meet his gaze as she turned to him.
"Hudson, please." She felt his fingers ghost over her arm, plucking at her sleeve. He was too close, he smelled too good. And now, he belonged to Helen. "I want you to be a part of this. I need you to…"
"Why?" She finally lifted her gaze to his, searching his eyes. She missed him. She missed the way he used to look at her, blue orbs darkening as he touched her body. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"Dammit." He looked away and let out a breath, anger flushing his skin. "Not everything is about you. Why can't you understand that?" He turned back to her. "Can't this be about me for once? Can't you just… stop being so selfish and be there for me?"
"I'm being selfish?" She stared up at him in shock. "You dumped me, Lex. And it hurt – it hurt like nothing I've ever felt before. And now you want me to somehow… bless this wedding of yours to the woman you left me for?"
"Helen had nothing to do with –"
"Bullshit!" She snapped. "She had everything to do with it, and you know that!"
"Fine." Lex shrugged as if it meant little to him and spun around to head back down the hall. "I'll find someone else to stand beside me."
"You do that," she muttered, heart breaking when he didn't turn back...
"No!"
It was better this way. Safer. Calmer. Fire was better than suffocation. Burn out like a bright flame, instead of smoldering like a dying ember.
She took a breath and slipped the ring back on. Elation flowed through her. Power. Invulnerability. She could do anything, be anyone she wanted to be, own the world if she wanted. And all of the past… it was gone in a red-filled haze. Forgotten.
Bearable.
Rising back to her feet, Hudson looked over at the bed with a sneer. She still didn't recall their names, but she did remember that they were far more entertaining fucking each other than they were fucking her. She liked making people do what she wanted. At first, they'd balked at the idea, but then they'd gotten into it with quite a bit of zeal. Hudson doubted either of them would acknowledge it by the light of day. Men were like that; cowards. They didn't know how to delight in the simple pleasures of life. They cared too much about what everyone else thought of them – her father, her grandfather, Pete, Whitney, Lucas, Le –
No. Not him. Never him.
Angry at the turns her mind was taking, Hudson sped through dressing and made her way out of the room. A cheap hotel; pay by the hour. One of many. This life had become boring and routine.
She needed to find something to do.
Martha Kent stared down at the picture frame in her hands, eyes glued to the snapshot of her daughter – laughing, eyes bright and full of life, and the tell-tale tilt to her head that said she really didn't want her picture taken. It had been her fifteenth birthday, when times seemed simpler for their family. They'd had a picnic by the lake, with Chloe and Pete in attendance, and the kids had spent the afternoon swimming and playing Frisbee. Hudson was looking forward to high school then; she wanted to go to a dance and had a crush on the quarterback of the Crows football team, Whitney Fordman.
Unfortunately, nothing had gone as planned.
Blinking back the tears that stung her eyes, Martha set the picture down into the box, reminding herself that she couldn't concentrate on the past anymore. The future was all that mattered. Finding Hudson, bringing her home, putting the family back together that was what mattered. Everything around her was in pieces, and if she thought too long and hard about what they used to have… she just didn't know if she could take much more of that.
She heard Jonathan shuffling around above her in the attic, packing up their mementos collected over the years for storage elsewhere. He hadn't been the same since that night he'd come to her in the hospital, telling her that their daughter was missing, that something had driven her away. At first, Martha had been so angry; mad that her daughter had chosen to escape from her problems as opposed to facing them and letting her parents help. She wanted Hudson to be there for her; she wanted to hold the child she still had, the one who was living and breathing and so full of love. The dead baby in her womb had been a wish granted, a miracle given and then cruelly snatched away. Martha didn't know if she'd ever truly believed in the baby, if she'd ever even allowed herself to love it the way she should have, knowing as she did that at any moment, it would all be over.
And it was, and it practically killed her inside, but she knew she still had Hudson, still had that beautiful girl who was theirs and only theirs and to Hell with whatever Dr. Swann had to say.
She's gone, Martha. Hudson ran away.
At first she thought the pain and disappointment would be too much. But then she'd seen the fear in her husband's eyes – regret, too, that she didn't quite understand – and she knew she had to be strong. For him, for Hudson, and for their family. They'd find their little girl and they'd bring her home, where she would be safe and loved. There'd be no recriminations because there wasn't time for that; there wasn't a need for it. For whatever reasons Hudson chose to run away, to forget her problems through the meteor rock, Martha only knew that her baby was hurting and she couldn't stand that thought. She wished she could just speak to her daughter, tell her that it's okay to hurt, to regret, to make mistakes, as long as you own up to it. She wished she could hug her and make all of the pain inflicted on her the past year go away. She wished she could tell her, make her understand that she wasn't alone. And she never would be.
A tentative knock on the screen door pulled Martha from her thoughts, and she glanced up to see Lana peering her head inside. "Lana." She forced a smile. "Come in."
"I'm not interrupting, am I?" She asked, stepping into the kitchen, clutching a stack of paper to her chest.
"No. I'm just… packing some things together."
Lana nodded, approaching slowly, eyes drifting over the stacks of boxes. She brought her gaze back to Martha and held out her hand. "I… uh, I brought the key to apartment," she began quietly. "It's all cleaned out, so you're free to… to move in whenever."
"Thank you, Lana." Martha took the key quietly, staring at it, trying not to think about everything they were losing, before slipping it into her pocket. She focused her attention on Lana, on the paper she was holding close. "What do you have there?"
"I was hoping to go to Metropolis when I had a chance, and hang these up." She held up a flyer with Hudson's picture on it and bold font across the top: MISSING.
Expression tightening, Martha reached out for it, gazing down at the photo. It was her class picture from the past school year. Lex had driven her to school that morning; Martha remembered because Hudson's hair had been perfect when she left the house, but in the picture it was obviously disheveled. Her daughter had turned two shades of brilliant red when that fact had been pointed out to her.
"This is… " Martha shook her head and sighed. "You know this won't help, Lana. Even if someone knows where she is, it isn't going to bring her home."
"But maybe if we can go to her, talk to her, that would make a difference," Lana offered hopefully. Her shoulders slumped slightly as she stared down at the stack of fliers in her hands. "I should have gone with her, Mrs. Kent. When she asked, I should have said yes."
Immediately, Martha shook her head. "You know how dangerous she is when she's affected by the red Kryptonite, Lana. It wouldn't have been safe. You were right to stay behind – "
"H.C. wouldn't have hurt me," Lana denied quickly. "I know she wouldn't."
"Lana." Martha sighed and smiled sadly. "She isn't H.C. right now. There's no telling what she'd do if provoked."
Reaching out to touch her shoulder in consolation, Martha moved past Lana to the refrigerator to pull out the pitcher of lemonade. "Would you like something to drink, Lana?"
"Oh. Please. Thank you." Lana set the fliers down and peered into the box in front of her.
"Jonathan and I really appreciate your offer of the apartment, Lana," Martha commented as she pulled out some glasses and began filling them with the cool beverage. "Time's like these it's nice to know we have friends." She glanced back up to see Lana nodding in reply, her gaze fixed on a photo she'd pulled out of the box.
Picking up the glasses, Martha walked back across the kitchen, eyes moving over the photo that the girl was holding. It was of Hudson and Lex, taken last summer. They were sitting at the picnic table in the backyard, Hudson on his lap, his arms draped loosely around her waist. She was dressed for the heat – shorts, tank top, bare feet curling in the grass. He was dressed as only Lex would in ninety-five degree weather – black slacks, long-sleeved blue shirt, 500 perfectly shined shoes and not a drop of perspiration on his skin. Hudson was saying something to him, and he was smiling; that rare smile that Martha only ever saw him give to her daughter. They were both so young, so unaware of what life had in store for them.
"Do you think she knows?" Lana whispered, a catch in her voice.
"I don't see how she couldn't," Martha replied. "A day doesn't go by that the news doesn't report on the plane crash."
"Do you think she knows that Lionel has called the search off?" Lana blinked up at her, eyes huge with worry. "Do you… do you think she cares?"
Martha considered the question as she took the picture from Lana's fingers and slipped it back into the box. "A part of me hopes she doesn't, Lana – I can't imagine my baby in that kind of pain. And yet, the other part of me knows that she does."
"Where have you been?"
Hudson flickered a quick gaze over Lucas before slamming the door behind her and tossing her glasses on the table. "Out. Who are you, my mother?"
The man in front of her frowned, looked like he wanted to say something but then refrained from doing so. He was sulking and Hudson found it boring. There was a time, two months ago, that she thought it was kind of cute. She was drawn to his arrogance, his lack of common sense, his obvious need for someone to look after him. Walking into Metropolis as if he owned the place, Lucas appeared completely clueless to the fact that without protection, his father would have him killed, disposed of, never to be heard from or bothered with again. She had found him cheating at gambling to some big time mobsters, and losing badly. Hudson had to save his ass, while alternately walking away with a pretty heavy purse in winnings. Playing cards was something she was very, very good at, and no one could prove she was cheating. Lucas had been amazed to see her there, had made snide comments regarding her hick status. She'd ignored him, regarded him thoughtfully, decided he needed some looking after. So she took him under her wing, brought him into her world, spoiled him. And the perks hadn't been so bad, either. He was good in the sack, he learned quickly and he never pulled any of that moral bullshit on her.
But she was bored now. It was time to move on.
Moving toward the bedroom, she peeled off her shirt, tossing it to the ground, flinching slightly as the cool air brushed over the enormous scar that stretched across her chest, over-lapping her breasts and down to the dip in her belly. Lucas' gaze moved away from it, focusing on the ground, a hard lesson learned. Hudson hated it when he stared at it, when he asked about it. She hated being reminded of it, of the bastard who gave it to her in an attempt to control her life.
They all just wanted to control her life.
"Kaela," Lucas began, following her toward the bathroom. "We have to talk."
She shimmied out of the leather pants and kicked them to the corner, thinking that she was certain she'd worn a thong yesterday, but had no idea where it had disappeared to. "I'm not in the mood to talk, Lucas."
He leaned against the doorframe as she turned on the shower and stepped under the water. "That detective came by again last night. Asking again if I had seen or heard of Hudson Kent."
He paused, as if meaning to let that sink in. Hudson Kent. For the first few days after they'd met up in the city, he couldn't get it through his head that she didn't want to hear that name anymore. Finally, after enough threats, he got used to calling her Kaela – her true name. Sometimes he still slipped, though she was certain he did it purposefully.
"He said he was going door-to-door in the neighborhood, checking to see if anyone had heard anything."
"Yay for him."
"John Jones. He looks familiar. I think he might be tailing you," he continued, ignoring her. "He gave me his card again… to call him."
Hudson rubbed a palm full of shampoo into her head, scrubbing out the smell of cigarette smoke. She peered through the suds that were dripping down her face. "Plan on making a phone call, do you, Lucas?"
Lucas kicked at the door. "Dammit, Kaela, you know I won't. But it's getting dangerous; you're getting dangerous. What if he'd insisted on searching the place? What if he found all of the money and jewels and clothing that you've stolen?"
She laughed at that. "Guess you would've been in trouble. After all, you were here. I wasn't."
"And you wouldn't have given a fuck, would you?"
Washing the shampoo from her hair, she shrugged. "I wouldn't have given a fuck, Lucas. Maybe you should learn when not to answer the door."
"Look, I think I've been pretty goddamn patience, Kaela," Lucas snapped, moving in to lean against the counter. "I don't ask questions, I've never asked you to explain yourself and how you allude the cops time and again, where you get the money, nothing! You never seem to realize that all I have to do is walk down to Luthorcorp, ask to see my father and – "
She was out of the shower and had him pinned to the wall in the blink of an eye. Lucas struggled in her grip, gasping for breath, tugging at her hand where it closed slowly over his windpipe.
"All I have to do is squeeze my fingers," Hudson told him quietly. "Just a pinch, and you're dead, Lucas. Your neck will snap in two, and I don't have to stop there. I can rip your head from your shoulders, and send it to your father through the mail. Think you could tell him much then?"
"K-Kae… please… " He gasped.
Hudson stared at him silently for a moment, curious, examining the change in color over his complexion, the paling, the blue tint slowly creeping into his lips. It always amazed her, how fragile human lives were. She could take them so easily, and no one would be the wiser. No one could stop her. And really, who would care? Of the people she'd met through her life, most seemed determined to get themselves killed anyway.
"K-Kae-la…"
Sighing, she let go, stepping back as Lucas slid to the floor to grab a towel and dry her skin. "I want you gone when I get back," she told him, drying her hair. "If I hear you've gone to your father or find you following me? I won't be responsible for my actions."
Lucas glared at her, rubbing his throat. "I thought I meant something to you," he ground out, voice hoarse. "I thought – "
"You were a distraction, Lucas. You were fun. Now, you're not." Leaning over, she kissed the top of his head. "Look at it this way – you lasted longer than the others."
Taking a deep breath, Chloe made her way into the caves, attempting to ignore the figures on the walls, pushing back the memories of coming here with her friend. She didn't want to think about what she was doing; she always tried not to think about it. At first, it had seemed like a good idea. All she wanted was to hurt H.C. as much as she'd been hurt. She thought that maybe betrayal called for betrayal, but it didn't take her long to realize how wrong she'd been. No matter what might have disappeared in their friendship, she still loved her. She missed her. She missed the person she used to go shopping in Metropolis with or to the movies to squeal together over Orlando Bloom. Sometimes she believes she would do anything to get that person back.
"Mr. Luthor?" She called out once she reached the deepest section of the cave. "Mr. Luthor?"
She turned, searching the darkness around her only to suddenly find Lionel Luthor standing beside her. Pleased with herself that she didn't jump, she swallowed back the fear she always felt come over her in his presence.
"Mr. Luthor," she began in her best professional voice. "I got your message. I admit I was surprised to hear that you wanted to meet today considering the fact that tomorrow is Lex's— "
"My son is gone, Miss Sullivan," he interrupted blandly. "And there is nothing I can do now but put his memory to rest and get on with the business of living."
Chloe hid her surprise at his words, wondering not for the first time at the nature of the relationship shared between father and son. H.C. used to mention that it was weird, but Chloe had never really appreciated how right she was.
Lionel walked away from her, over to the cave wall opposite them. "You remember there used to be an octagonal keyhole here."
Chloe searched her memory for it, a quick flash of something like he mentioned appearing. "Vaguely. I didn't spend much time in this cave."
H.C. never wanted me here, she thought to herself. She brought Lana here all of the time. Lex. But never me. The familiar feeling of hurt rose within her.
"Trust me, it was right here," he told her, petting the rock with his fingers. Stroking it almost sensuously. Chloe shook that image from her head quickly.
"It disappeared the same day as that ... inexplicable explosion on the Kent farm. The same day that our young friend Hudson went into exile. You haven't seen her ... have you?" He glanced back at her.
"After the fight that H.C. and I had, I'd be the last person she'd call," Chloe told him, knowing that her gaze was relaxed and casual. She was good at this. Good at pretending she didn't know… anything.
"Mmm," came the reply.
As if switching gears, Lionel suddenly held up a newspaper. "I've enjoyed reading your column, Miss Sullivan. You're a good writer." He began to read: "The worst sin of age is to forget the trials of youth."
Chloe smiled a little as the man in front of her began to chuckle. She didn't know where he was going with this.
"I just wish that report you did for me on Hudson Kent had the same kind of insight."
Oh, that's what this was about. "Well, I gave you everything I had," she informed him.
Lionel shook his head, as if disappointed. "But you came to me with such vigor, and now it seems your enthusiasm for our arrangement is… uh, waning." He frowned slightly as he looked over at her.
Chloe didn't blink. "It's kind of hard to find information when the subject is M.I.A."
"It might help you to view that as a test of your reporter's mettle," he suggested. "You're such a promising young talent, I'd hate to see an opportunity like this vanish like the keyhole on this wall here." He flicked his hand toward it.
She bristled slightly with his words. "Threatening me, Mr. Luthor, isn't gonna make Hudson magically reappear."
Raising an eyebrow at that, Lionel turned his attention back to the paper and read: "All decisions have consequences." He glanced back over to her, his hand that held the paper falling back to his side. "Hudson chose to run away from hers. Are you going run away from yours too, Miss Sullivan?"
She wasn't afraid of him. Chloe didn't know how many times she recited that to herself, but she said it again: She wasn't afraid of him. Swallowing back any desire she had to tell him where to stick his threats and warning, she simply stood there and watched as the man turned and exited the cave.
H.C., she thought. Why are you making me do this?
Hudson wasn't worried about Lucas.
Though he'd left before she finished dressing for her night out, she knew he'd be back. He'd show up on the doorstep, probably with a black eye or something from his latest scuffle, and he'd give her some crap about love and lust and knowing the difference between the two. And then she'd let him in. She would feel just the tiniest pang of regret for setting him out on his own in the first place – some misguided duty to protect him – and she'd make it up to him. It always happened that way, every few weeks, a fun little game to keep her world from getting too boring.
Pulling open the doors to the car dealership, Hudson glanced around until she spied the man she'd been flirting with yesterday across the hood of the shiny red Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. He'd told her she didn't have enough money to afford such a cherry of a car, and she was here to prove him wrong. It was the car she wanted; the car she had to have. And, after all, there was nothing stopping her from making it hers.
"You're back." He slid a smile at her as she walked up to him. The badge on his jacket said his name was Bryan. His head was shaved and his eyes were gray and he really wasn't bad looking as he teased, "Find a Sugar Daddy to buy you that car?"
Hudson returned his smile. "Why bother? When I can get it for myself." She lifted up the bag of money she'd put together on the way over – ripping open the ATM's so quickly the cameras couldn't catch what had happened. "This should be enough."
Bryan raised an eyebrow at her, impressed though obviously suspicious. "That's a… uh, lot of cash."
She shrugged. "I don't want to sit around and wait for my bank to wire the money. So, where're the keys? Wanna go for a ride?"
An hour later, Hudson was tearing through the streets of Metropolis in her new ride. It didn't feel as personal to her as the bike did – there was something about having all of that power between her legs that just about got her off every time she rode it. But still, the car was nice. It smelled of leather and oil and the engine purred as she shifted gears, rounding corners in a smooth slide. She ran five lights and almost caused a major accident at Main and Broadway before the man sitting beside her suggested she might want to ease off of it a bit. With a smile Hudson told him to fuck off, and ran another light.
By the time she pulled to a stop in front of the nightclub, Bryan practically crawled out of the car. He obviously didn't appreciate what a good car could really be capable of.
Grabbing his arm, she tugged him with her through the line outside the door, ignoring the protests from those around her at their cutting in line. Like she didn't have more of a right to be here than any of these wanna-be-city boys and girls who looked like they bought their clothes from WalMart. The guy at the door, Mitch, gave her a smile and waved her forward the minute he saw her, opening the rope.
"Nice ride, Kaela," he told her as she moved past him.
"You like it?" She glanced over her shoulder at the Aston Martin. She'd never drive it again; she already hated the sight of it. Tossing him the keys, she said, "It's yours. I sure as hell don't wanna pay insurance on it."
Having no idea what his response was, she pulled her date for the evening into the club with her.
"You must come here a lot," Bryan shouted into her ear as they pushed their way through the crowd.
Hudson shrugged. "Yeah. I guess."
"Aren't you a little young to be wandering in and out of nightclubs?"
She shot him a quick look. "You think I'm too young for a club. But not too young for you to fuck my brains out before the night is over, right?"
Bryan frowned. "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"
"No." She was bored now. "And I won't be kissing you or your cock with it, either. C'est la vie."
She left him with a shocked expression on his face as she headed back out the door.
Bastard. All men were bastards. They only wanted one thing and then they wanted to control you once they got it. They were shocked when you wanted it as badly as they did, and disappointed when you didn't. She'd stick to her own team if it wasn't for the fact every female she'd taken home for the night the past few months didn't turn out to be as psychotic as the men.
The whole human race was worthless. They didn't know what they had in her; they didn't know what she was capable of. But god, she could show them, she could –
Pain ribbed across her chest, causing her to stumble slightly in the street. Gasping, she clutched at the front of the black corset she wore, laying her palm between her breasts, feeling the heated skin. She fell forward toward the telephone booth in her path, yanking open the door to pull herself inside, using the glass walls to hold her up as the pain grew, tearing through her skin, into her body…
"Fear not, Kaela-El."
"Who are you?"
"I am Jor-El... your father."
"You're supposed to be dead!" She shouted at the ship, watching in disbelief as it rose up before her.
"I am his memory, his will. I am to fulfill his promise and guide you all the days of your life. You are the last child of Krypton. When you traveled through the cosmos, you carried the hopes and dreams of your people. They now live through you, Kaela-El. It is time."
"Time for what?"
"Time to accept your destiny."
She shook her head. "I don't know what you have in mind for me, but I—"
"By the setting of the sun Sol, you will return to me. Your destiny will be fulfilled."
Turning, she found herself facing Lex, hands in the pockets of his long coat, smiling softly at her. Behind him stood her parents, watching them, almost approving. It was like she could feel their love for her emanating outward.
"Your thoughts are not a mystery to me, Kaela-El. These people have served their purpose. It is time to leave them."
Panic filled her at the voice. She shook her head slightly, knowing the voice that claimed to be her father was mistaken. In desperation, she reached out to touch Lex's face, but the moment her fingers brushed over the faint tint of his skin, the image began to flicker and disintegrate. Lex and her parents were gone.
"Please!" She spun around toward the ship. "Everything and everyone I love is here! In Smallville!"
"You must let go of your past. I will guide you to your future."
"No, I don't want your guidance!" She yelled, tears hovering at the corners of her eyes. "I want to create my own future!"
"You have no choice, Kaela-El…"
I have a choice! her mind screamed, even as she bit her lip to refrain from doing so out loud. Scratching at her hand, she ripped the ring from her finger, shuddering with relief as the pain receded and she sank to the floor, catching her breath, fingernails curled into her palms. Pain was replaced with pain. Hudson sobbed suddenly, terror washing over her. She was so alone and so afraid and all she wanted to do was crawl into her dad's lap and let him chase all of the demon's away.
Desperately, Hudson ripped open the black satin clutch at her feet, digging deeply into it for change. Finding it, she stood and pulled the receiver off of it's cradle, slipping the money into the slot and dialing the number. The number to the farm. Home.
She gripped the receiver tightly in her hands as she held it to her ear, whispering softly, "I can do this, I can do this, I can do this, I can – "
"Hello?"
Her heart wrenched at the sound of her mother's voice, twisting and jumping inside of her until she was certain it would simply crawl out through her throat. The sting of tears burned her cheeks as she fought for her voice – something to say, an apology, anything. But no words came.
There was a long pause on the other end, and then, in a soft, hopeful voice she heard her mother ask, "Hudson? Honey, is that you?"
Mom. She mouthed the word, but there was no strength behind it. What was she supposed to say? 'Mom, wait until you hear the stories I have to tell you!'?
"Please, come home," her mother pleaded gently.
Hudson's forehead pressed against the glass. All she had to do was say a few words. I'm sorry. Something. Anything. Her mother was waiting for her; she was there on the other end, waiting patiently, letting her know that she still had a home to come back to, that somehow everything was going to be all right, even if it didn't feel that way.
She could do this. She could…
Hudson's gaze drifted over the paper that the wind had pressed against the outside of the telephone booth. Beloved blue eyes stared at her from the picture, above which the caption read: R.I.P. Lex.
Shudders racked her. Hudson dropped the phone into the cradle, barely pushing open the door before she dropped to her knees and vomited into the gutter. Her stomach continued to empty it's contents until she was left with only racking heaves and a haunting voice in her head, repeating over and over:
Hesgonehesgonehesgonehesgonehesgonehesgone.
Stomach still roiling, Hudson pushed herself back, searched for the ring - her salvation, her damnation - and slipped it back onto her finger.
Oblivion.
Hudson's dreams were filled with glimmering white beaches and rolling waves. Sometimes it was all she saw, all she heard. Like a bird sailing on the ocean breeze, searching for a safe place to land. Often, she was on the beach herself, peaceful, content, away from everything and everyone. She fancied that every oyster she dug up from the sand was filled with a world – her world, the one that belonged to her. She could set the order of it, give it her own ending, god-like and untouchable.
But she wasn't always alone.
Sometimes she felt him there beside her, drawing their initials in the warm sand, reaching out to snatch her fingers into his, bringing them to his lips. Kissing them. His breath fanning over her cheek, gentle kisses; butterfly kisses with his lashes against her skin, her temple. He'd push her hair back, tuck it behind her ear, nuzzle his nose into her neck, hands drifting over her body, caressing and stroking and bringing her back to life.
"You left me," she'd whisper.
"Never," came the reply. "I've always been here…"
Her eyes flew open at a faint sound from the front room. The door. She could feel footsteps reverberating against the carpet – two sets moving toward the room. Remaining motionless, only darkness behind her closed lids, she lay there in waiting, curious as to who was invading her home, who had the nerve to do such a thing.
The footsteps stopped, and she chanced the slightest slitting of her eyes, quick to take in the glint of her intruders' guns as they whisked out from under their coats. Ah, so they wanted to play, did they? She laid there in anticipation, suppressing the desire to laugh as the bullets began raining over her body and into the mattress. They tickled, which was a lot different than the last time someone had pelted her with a steady stream of shots from an automatic weapon. Once the weapons finished discharging, and the man closer to the bed – one who looked familiar, with a smattering of tattoos over his face – stepped forward to poke at the sheets with his gun.
Hudson pushed the blankets away as she jumped up, grabbing both men by the neck as they cried out in shock, and tossing them across the room. As they slammed into the wall on the other side, slipping to the floor, she stood and moved toward them, fingering the ring on her hand.
"Who sent you?" She questioned, peering at them as they glared up at her.
"I did."
Hudson turned to see a middle-aged man with white hair, dressed in an expensive suit, moving toward her.
"Morgan Edge," he introduced himself, holding out his hand.
Rolling her eyes, Hudson grabbed a t-shirt to throw on over her bra.
"That's a hell of a scar," Morgan commented conversationally. "How'd you get it?"
Hudson grinned. "My dad's a real bastard." She wandered into the front room and sat down on the couch, stretching her legs out in front of her. "What do you want?"
"You came to my club flashing money, and then you interrupt my guys at the bank. I take it that was not coincidence." He raised an eyebrow at her.
Hudson howled with laughter. "Those clowns? They work for you?"
Morgan made a face at her reaction, frowning, expression slowly growing thoughtful. "You've made quite a reputation for yourself. I set up this test so I could see with my own eyes if you were man or myth. Apparently, you're neither."
"I'm a legend in my own mind," Hudson replied with a grin. "I'm glad I could clear it up for you, Mr. Edge." She said his name like it was a joke.
Ignoring her jab, he told her, "I'd like to talk about a job opportunity."
Of course you would, Hudson thought, perturbed. He was a man; he couldn't stand that a woman was out there making more money than him, pulling off miraculous heists, and all without some man's help. He just wanted a piece of the action. Feeble, weak, pathetic human being that he was.
She propped her feet up on the table. "Thanks. But I'm really not looking for work right now. I like to fly solo."
Chuckling, Morgan sat down in the chair across from her and leaned forward, looking for all the world like he was about to launch into some lecture. "No matter how many bullets bounce off you, Kaela, you're still just a girl, and I'm the biggest crime boss in Metropolis."
Bingo! She was psychic, too.
Smirking at the arrogance in his voice, Hudson nodded toward the two men that were finally pulling themselves up off the floor. "Well, I would think you could afford better help."
Morgan smiled at that; nodded. "That's why we're talking," he admitted. "I got this one job. It'll make you Midas rich. So when you are tired of playing the little league, you know where to find me."
He got to his feet, nodding toward his men as he adjusted his jacket before turning and heading for the door.
Sighing, laughing softly, Hudson laid her head back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, pondering his offer.
Midas rich. Hell, she could be that way without his help. Still, it would be nice to get it all in one lump sum and then… well, she could do whatever she wanted. Go wherever she wanted. Hide away forever and ever. Where no one could find her.
They all wanted her. They all needed her.
What they failed to take into consideration was that she didn't need any of them.
Lana stood tensely beside her aunt, squeezing her hand gently as she listened to Nell's quiet sobbing.
She hated funerals. They always seemed so selfish and self-serving. People gathered around and wailed and cried and expressed false grief over someone they hardly knew, someone they only realized was a presence in their lives when they were gone. She loved her aunt, but she knew that Nell and Lex had never been very close; she was here because Lionel was here and she had a show to put on for him. It was nothing more than that. And there were others, people from Luthorcorp who wanted to look good to their boss, acquaintances, associates, business partners. All with fake crocodile tears or blank expressions.
The people that really mattered, the people to whom Lex's death should actually mean something… they were missing. His mother, though her presence might be there, looking on from her own immaculate grave that stood behind them, wondering what tragedy had brought her son home to her so soon. Pamela, the nanny who loved him as a child, who was buried in another section of Metropolis cemetery because Lionel wouldn't allow her body near that of his sainted family. Hudson… Lana didn't know where she was, or how she was, or if she cared that Lex Luthor was gone from their lives. Maybe, maybe she had moved on the day he got married.
"I think the cruelest fate that a parent can suffer is to lose a child."
Lana blinked at the words that Lionel spoke, a memory of one of her last conversation with Hudson flitting through her mind…
"My mom's pregnant."
Lana had stared over at her friend, a huge smile breaking across her face. "Oh, H.C.! That's wonderful!" She paused, noting the forced smile directed back to her. "Isn't it?"
"Yes." Hudson nodded. "It's all my parents have ever wanted. Mom's… I've never seen her so excited. So nervous. Dad's already building a crib…"
Considering everything Hudson wasn't telling her, Lana walked over to sit beside her. "And you? How are you taking it?"
"I'll have a little brother or sister to look after. To have look up to me. It… it will be great."
Lana sighed. "H.C., why don't you tell me the truth? I can see that something is upsetting you?" She waited, receiving only silence from her friend. Shaking her head, she guessed, "You're afraid that your parents won't have any need for you once they have their own child, aren't you?"
Hudson glanced over at her quickly, expression clearly registering surprise.
"Trust me, I've had those feelings myself," Lana admitted. "Sometimes I think about how it would feel if Nell got married and had a family of her own, where does that place me?"
"Yes." Hudson nodded. "That's it, exactly. I… I know they love me, Lana. I do. But… I've always been trouble for them – what I am, my secret. I'm a danger to this family. And now they get to have a normal child, a child of their own blood and… Dammit, Lana. I put my parents in danger every day I'm here. I can't do the same to a little baby, too!"
Lana threw her arms around her and hugged her tight. "You aren't a danger to anyone, so stop saying something so ridiculous!" She sat back and smiled. "Don't be afraid, Hudson. You're right. Your parents love you; a baby isn't going to change that. And you'll all be stronger for it. I just know you will! Think about it! You're going to have this little person looking up to you, imitating your every action, wanting to be you. How exciting is that?"…
…My mom lost the baby…
"Lex was… touched with greatness. We'd only just begun to see that potential. I-I can only imagine the heights he would have soared to if his life ... hadn't been ... cut short so tragically."
Lana sighed softly, glancing to her left where Martha and Jonathan Kent stood stoically, staring ahead at the elaborate tombstone. Representatives for Hudson in her absence? Or maybe they were mourning someone else who had unwittingly become a child to them. Lana knew that Hudson wanted nothing more than for her parents to accept Lex into their lives, to give him the home he was denied from his own father. But sometimes she wondered if Hudson wanted it so badly that she never realized they had already done so just by letting him be a part of her life? Martha's red-rimmed eyes were proof of that. Proof that Lex was simply another loss for the Kents in a long line of heartache over the last few months.
At least we're here for you, Lex, Lana thought quietly, knowing that he would probably scoff at the entire service anyway. He and Hudson would be laughing at Lionel, whispering to one another. Hudson would probably make a face at him and Lex would poke her, tell her to behave herself and then flash her one of those expressions that clearly expressed how proud he was to have her as a friend.
Shivering slightly, Lana dropped her aunt's hand to rub her hands over her arms as she felt something prickle the hairs at the back of her neck. It was strange, but she could swear that she was being watched.
Twitching her shoulders slightly to shrug the sensation away, Lana began to surreptitiously glance around her, gaze flitting over the mourners who stood quietly in groups on every side of her. She took a tiny step back, craning her head over her shoulder, peering between the heads of those behind her.
And then she saw her.
Tucked away behind one of the columns that led to the mausoleum, Hudson was standing there, watching the proceedings. Dressed sedately in black skirt and blouse, her expression pinched, skin pale as she looked on. Lana's heart raced at the sight of her; she was alive, she was okay. And she knew. She was here, even under the influence of the red Kryptonite, to say goodbye to Lex. Lana swallowed at the thought, unable to imagine what kind of hurt her friend must be feeling, when their eyes met. It was brief, but she saw the anguish.
Desperate to reach her, to hug her and kiss her and berate her for disappearing on them like that, Lana moved away from her aunt and started toward the back. She pushed her way through one couple that wouldn't move…
And Hudson was gone.
Behind her, Lionel continued, "These rituals are meant to bring closure, but there are so many unanswered questions about Lex's disappearance. Questions I hope that will someday be answered, but those answers won't bring him back. I would've searched for a thousand years if I thought he could be found. We can't hold onto the past. In my heart, I will be searching for my son forever."
Searching. We're all searching, Lana thought. For friends, lovers, answers, an end to the pain.
"So will I."
Knowing she couldn't go chasing after Hudson when she had no idea where she'd disappeared to, Lana turned her attention back toward Lionel at the familiar voice. Murmurs ran through the crowd as Lex's widow, Helen Bryce-Luthor, walked up to her father-in-law. Lana moved back to her aunt, taking her hand once more, nodding slightly as Nell whispered into her ear how the papers were going to have a 'field day' with this one. Feeling sorry for Lex, that the most talked about aspect of the service in honor of his life would be the appearance of his reclusive widow and the obvious argument that occurred between her and his father.
Unable to hear what was said, Lana watched with those around her as Lionel stalked off, away from his son's memorial.
It was becoming a bit of a ritual, Lana thought. The abandonment that littered the lives around her.
I'll be uncareful
I'll cause such scenes
And I'll never talk
Of used-to-be's
Tattoo my face
I won't go grey
Be a dancing queen
I'm growing old disgracefully
Mary, Mary (Chumbawamba)
She didn't know why she'd gone to the memorial service – it hadn't been planned. She'd just been sitting there in the penthouse, staring at her ring, when she'd suddenly gotten up, dressed and headed out to the cemetery. Sighing, she laid her forehead against the glass of the elevator, closing her eyes against the quick flare of pain that flashed through her head. There had been no point in her going; nothing to see, nothing to change. Such human rituals were ridiculous and pointless and… she'd known she'd be seen.
It had been a surprise to her that the Kents were present. The only reason she could come up with as to why Jonathan Kent had gone was to make certain for himself that Lex Luthor was, in fact, dead. He was probably planning some celebratory party afterwards. The ass. He never had seen the potential in Lex. If the man hadn't gotten himself killed… well, it didn't matter. He hadn't seen the potential in her; he'd chosen that bitch, Helen. They would have been such a powerful pair, if he hadn't thrown it all away. Unfortunately, Lex wasn't as bright as she'd once thought. In fact, Lucas seemed to have more sense than his half-brother.
As the elevator stopped, she shook the thoughts from her head, figuring they were the reason for her headache. Any contemplation of her former life ended badly. She hated the memories.
Stepping out onto the walkway, Hudson glanced ahead to see Chloe Sullivan peering through the window into her penthouse. She glowered darkly as she moved toward her, the blonde turning to see her as she approached the door.
"H.C., I need to talk to you about— "
Hudson veered into Chloe suddenly, backing her toward the railing. "Chloe, I told you to never come back here again." She told her angrily, voice deadly soft. "Who else knows I'm here?"
"No one." Chloe shook her head, chin raising slightly. "Your secret's safe with me, but we need to talk."
Shaking her head, Hudson spun around and moved toward the door. "I'm busy."
She could hear Chloe following behind her, short quick steps on top of hers. "Well, I'm coming in." She pushed her way purposely through the door. "Now what's your deal? You come to Metropolis and you're a completely different person."
"Maybe it's the real me," Hudson replied with a shrug.
"Well, if it is then I definitely prefer the country Hudson. Now... " She paused, eyes going wide as she looked around the dwelling. "How did you afford all this?"
"Why, Chloe? So you can put me in your column and write a big story about me? Maybe that's why you kept my secret."
Chloe's mouth tightened as she glared up at Hudson. "I kept your secret because you asked me to. I was hoping that if I left you alone you'd get a grip and come home. Now, there are people in Smallville that still haven't given up on the search."
"I've erased Smallville from my past," Hudson informed her as she moved over to a chair to sit down.
"Really?" Chloe asked, waving a hand toward Hudson as she played with the ring on her finger. "Is that why you're still wearing your school ring?"
Hudson's eyes followed her gaze, and she smirked slightly.
"You know, sooner or later someone else is gonna find you."
"You were lucky." Hudson glanced back up at her.
"Maybe so. But what are you gonna do if one day Lana shows up on your doorstep, or your parents? How are you gonna explain this to them?" Chloe demanded.
Hudson's gaze darkened. "I'm through explaining myself to anyone!"
"H.C., your parents are losing the farm!"
Hudson stood and paced across the room, headache worsening, a brief flicker of pain moving across her chest. She rubbed at it, willing it away…
"Hey, H.C., I'm glad I caught you before the wedding."
She stopped short, impatient to get one with what she needed – no, had to do. "Chloe, what are you doing here?"
"Is everything okay? I mean, it seems you've been avoiding me lately…"
Only because she asked so many questions and there just wasn't time for that… "No. I mean… look, I can't talk to you right now." She grabbed Chloe's arm and tugged her back toward her car.
"What are you doing?"
"Look, I promise I'll find you later and… we'll talk."
"H.C., I—"
"Don't worry. I'll find you, okay?"
She turned to move away when she heard Chloe call out:
"So how'd you decide? Rock-paper-scissors, coin toss, or Eenie Meenie Minie Moe?"
She stopped and glanced back, frowning. "What? Decide?"
"Who was worthy of being your best friend?"
"Chloe." She sighed. "What are you talking about?"
Chloe walked toward her. "You tell her everything, H.C. – everything that you refuse to tell me."
"I don't – "
"What about your mother's pregnancy?"
"You know?"
"Yeah." Chloe nodded, eyes softening just a moment as she told her, "I came over to the barn the other night to warn you about something."
"About what?"
Chloe shook her head, gaze darkening suddenly. "You know, it doesn't matter now. The point is I heard you confiding in her, telling her not to tell anyone else because you trusted her. Even though the two of you have hardly been friends for more than a year, even after everything she's done to you, she's the one you trust. Not me. And I've shared everything with you, H.C. Everything."
"I-I didn't mean—"
"Didn't what, H.C.? Didn't mean to cut me totally out of your life? Didn't mean to leave me hanging around, foolishly thinking that we were actually still friends while behind my back you told Lana how untrustworthy I was?"
"Chloe, please. You don't know everything –"
"No!" Chloe shouted. "And that's the problem. You don't trust me, no matter how much I've apologized to you when I've made a mistake, no matter how good of a friend I've tried to be. Because Lana is more popular, more well-liked, friends with the Luthors – she's suddenly your best friend. She's suddenly more important, worthy of being a part of your life!"
"Chloe—"
"No." She cut her off, turning to head back to the car. "I deserve better than that. Have a nice life, H.C."
"H.C. – "
"What do I care?" She snapped, the pain in her chest growing. "I'm never going to go back there anyway."
"H.C., you were not forced into exile," Chloe told her. "You ran away from your problems. You are not being noble, you're being a coward!"
Spinning around, Hudson stalked toward Chloe, grabbing her by the shoulder and pushing her roughly toward the door. The pain was flaring now, near unbearable.
"Chloe, get out!" She growled, voice like sharpened steel. "If you tell anyone where I am, I'll go so far away from Metropolis that no one will ever find me!"
Chloe yanked out of her grip, stumbling back slightly as Hudson pulled the door open. "I don't even know who you are anymore."
"Get out!" Hudson shouted.
Staring at her in shock, Chloe finally turned and raced down the walkway. Slamming the door behind her, Hudson leaned against it, gasping as her skin burned, the ripping, tearing sensation echoing through her chest. She pulled her blouse open, staring down at the symbol that was burnt into her skin where it flared and glowed. Shaking her head, unable to accept which pain was worse, she slid to the floor and quickly yanked the ring off of her finger. The pain flickered, and finally died, a choked sob of relief escaping her.
Her parents were losing the farm. Why? How? Had they been searching for her so much that they'd let the farm go? It wasn't possible! The farm meant everything to her dad; he'd never let it be taken from him. No, Chloe had to be mistaken. She was lying. It was just a ruse to get Hudson home. It was –
She closed her eyes. She had to see for herself.
She shouldn't be here. The smell of the hay, the weathered, treated wood, dust and… memories. They threatened to smother her, overwhelm her, send her spiraling backwards into a descent she might not be able to climb out of. It was a bad idea, she should have turned back, could still turn back if…
Hudson took a deep breath and quietly made her way up the steps to the loft. She knew where to step so they wouldn't creak; she knew this path better than the back of her hands. But everything looked so different now. Boxes were stacked around her, the farm equipment was put up, signs hanging from them proclaiming they were for auction. The cattle were gone, their bull, Spike, their mare, Lady. Even AJ hadn't come running and barking when Hudson made her way onto the farm. She didn't know what they'd done with her dog – she didn't want to think about it.
There are more boxes in the loft. Boxes marked with the words 'H.C.'s Loft'. She stopped beside the first, her fingers drifting over the cardboard. She reached in to withdraw a picture frame, inside which was a photo of her and her parents sitting on the porch together. She wondered if this stuff hadn't been packed first; packed even before the farm was lost to her parents. And why not? Surely they wouldn't want her back, not when she was the cause of all of their trouble. Not when she was responsible for taking away the one thing in the world they'd wanted more than anything…
"How is she?"
Her father didn't answer at first. Then, "Doctors don't know yet." He paused, gaze focused on the activities of the medical personnel gathered around his wife on the other side of the window. "What did you do, Hudson?"
She swallowed. "I… I stole Lionel's Kryptonite key. I put it in the ship."
"And why did you do that?"
"Dad, I lied about the voice." She turned to her father, but he wouldn't look at her. "It did come back. It told me I had to leave by noon. I didn't have a choice, Dad. I had to destroy the ship."
"Why didn't you tell us?" His voice broke slightly, choked on tears.
She'd never seen her dad cry before. It made her ache inside. "I… I knew you wouldn't agree with what I did. Dad, I didn't want it to take me away from you." She bit her lip and gazed at him hopefully. "I'm so sorry for what I did."
He turned to her then, looked at her, and the tears were replaced with anger. "Your actions have consequences, Hudson. Didn't your mother and I ever teach you that?"
"Yes, but—"
"There's no time for excuses, Hudson. It's too late." His shoulders slumped, and the anger gave way to bitter disappointment. When he spoke, his voice was desolate. "You didn't think this thing through. You had no idea what was going to happen, and now... Now your mother is lying in a hospital bed."
She sucked in a sharp breath at that. His words were clear: It was all her fault.
"Mr. Kent?" The doctor was standing in the hall, waiting for him.
Giving her a long look, Jonathan finally turned and walked away. "Doctor, how is my wife?"
"She has a mild concussion, but she'll be fine."
"And how is our baby?"
There was a brief moment of silence before the doctor replied regretfully, "I'm sorry."
Her father remained motionless, silent, as the doctor walked away.
She took a step toward him, reaching out to him, wanting to comfort him and be comforted. "Dad..." She began.
But he shook his head slightly, back straightening from her touch. And then he made his way inside Martha's room.
The door slammed shut behind him, leaving her standing there all alone…
"I spoke to the bank. They still want us out before the auction."
Snapping out of the memory at the sound of her mother's voice, Hudson quietly slid back into the shadows out of sight. She stared down into the barn from her vantage point tucked among the boxes, where her parents stood behind the truck.
"You know, it's amazing how you can fit your whole life into the back of a pickup truck," Jonathan commented softly, an attempt at humor that fell flat.
"Is…uh… Bill Ross still okay with us storing our stuff in his garage?" Her mother's voice cracked slightly, her speech hesitant.
"Yeah, he said as long as we need it, it's fine with him."
"Oh, Lana gave me the keys to the apartment over the Talon." She pulled the set of keys out from her pocket and slipped them into Jonathan's hand.
His reply was forced, quiet, "Great."
"Yeah, it… it's small… " She broke off, sobbing suddenly.
Hudson stepped closer to the railing, peering down to see her father pull her mother into his arms, holding and consoling her gently. Biting her lip until she tasted blood, Hudson did her best to block out the sound of her mother's tears but nothing worked. She shouldn't have come back here, but she had to see. And now, she wished she hadn't.
"It's okay, Martha..."
"It's just not fair," she cried. "This farm has been in your family for three generations, four counting Hudson."
"It's sad."
Her fault.
Jonathan continued, "Since when have our lives been fair anyway, huh?"
Pulling her back with him, they sat on the tailgate of the truck. "You remember the day we found out we couldn't have children? You grabbed my hand and you told me not to worry. You said that we would have happy days again, and you were right. We have had happy days with Hudson. But even though she's not here with us anymore, Martha Kent, I am here to tell you that we will have happy days again."
All her fault.
Hudson fought back the nausea flowing over her, reaching into the pocket of her skirt to clasp the red Kryptonite ring in her hand, fingers smoothing over it lightly. She felt a flicker of it's affects, the grief subsiding just a moment, making it bearable. She needed to get out of there; there was no purpose in staying any longer. She'd already taken everything from her parents – the child they always wanted, their home, their hope. If ever she wanted to make all of her wrongs up to them, then it would be best if she never came back, if she simply disappeared for ever. Just like Chloe, they deserved better than what she had to give them.
Stepping back, she bumped the box she had been glancing through, knocking the picture of her and her parents off the top, watching in shock as it clattered loudly to the floor.
"Hudson!" Her mother cried out, footsteps scrambling up the stairs.
Hudson hovered there in momentary indecision before collecting her senses and speeding out of the barn window.
"Hudson! Hudson!... Hudson!"
Her mother's hopeful cries echoed behind her as she ran.
"Well, you're certainly the last person I expected to see… alive."
Helen tapped the pen in her fingers against the glass of the desk as she watched Lucas Luthor hovering in the doorway to the study. He regarded her for only a moment before his gaze moved over the room, hovering at the piano and the vases of fresh flowers she had set out. She could tell he didn't really like her decorating changes, but she really didn't gave a damn. This place was like living in a mausoleum; it needed some serious remodeling done to it. But that was going to have to wait at least a year – she needed to allow herself a mourning period, after all.
"I could say the same for you," he replied finally, taking a few steps further inside, obviously wondering if his father might be lurking somewhere to drive a knife into his back. "Not many people walk away from a plane crash in such perfect health."
Helen shrugged, leaning back in the chair and smiling. "Lex sacrificed himself for me. That's what people who love one another do."
Lucas chuckled at that. "Lex sacrificed himself? Please. He's a Luthor. I have yet to see any of us pull such a noble act." He dropped onto the couch, kicking his feet up on the table. "C'mon. We're family; you can be honest with me. You set this whole thing up so you didn't have to deal with his pathetic ass, didn't you? All of the perks, none of the bullshit."
She pursed her lips. She'd already had to deflect Lionel's accusations earlier that day. Not that he had any proof, but the man was even more of a nuisance than Lex had been. Of course, dispatching of Lionel Luthor wouldn't be quite as easy. He was a wily and dangerous man, who always seemed to be two steps ahead of every one else. Until she could truly protect herself, there was nothing she could do about him but avoid him.
"Maybe you don't understand what love is, Lucas. Lex loved me. He gave his life so that I might live. It was a beautiful moment. And, even though you and your father might be doing a little dance at his death? I'm still coming apart at the seems over his loss." She tried to call up some tears but was fresh out of them at the moment. The memorial service had been… trying.
"Yeah." Lucas grinned, glancing around the room. "I can see that."
"Is there a point to this… visit?" Helen demanded as she came to her feet, moving around the desk. "Because if not, then you can show yourself to the door."
"Easy, sis," he told her, taking great relish at referring to her with such familiarity. "I happen to be in possession of some information that I think more than a few people would actually kill for."
Helen glanced over at him, keeping her expression carefully neutral. Maybe he had an idea of how to get rid of his father? "Lucas, I really doubt you could have anything that would hold any interest to me."
"Oh? You so certain about that." He looked inordinately pleased with himself. "Not even if it has to do with the perpetrator of all of the recent robberies in Metropolis?"
"Not for one moment will you convince me that you are capable of pulling off such heists, Lucas."
He grinned broadly and shook his head. "No. But I've been living for the past three months with the person who did."
Sighing with aggravation, Helen leaned back against the desk, folding her arms across her chest and glaring at Lex's half-brother. "Cut the crap, Lucas. Either tell me something of interest or get the hell out of my house."
"Very well. Does the name Hudson Kent ring a bell?"
"You're still in love with her, Lex. Don't deny it. You're obsessed with her."
"Maybe." Lex nodded. "But maybe not for the reasons you might think…"
"What are you saying, Lucas?"
"I'm saying that Hudson Kent isn't what she appears to be. And I've been party to that fact for the past three months."
Montaigne said obsession was the wellspring of genius and madness. This is my obsession.
Like you said, Doc. It's a miracle.
Not what she appears to be.
Helen knew it better than most; she'd seen the blood firsthand, knew the impossibilities of what she'd seen. She'd combed through Lex's secret room before handing the key over to Lionel. It was why she couldn't have pulled off Lex's death in any other way than how it'd happened – otherwise, instinctually she knew that Hudson would have saved him. Somehow.
"Do you know where she is?" She asked quietly.
Lucas' grin grew. "I told you, I've been living with her for the past three months. I know where she lives, what she's been up to and what name she goes by at the moment. The girl is out of her mind. I think my brother's death must have knocked a few screws loose or something." He watched Helen silently for a long moment before asking, "You, uh, knew they were an item, right?"
"Yes. Of course."
"You know it's kind of odd to have a female best man, right, Lex?"
"I'm rich, and allowed to be eccentric. Besides, Hudson is my best friend, Helen. You might think it's a little weird but, I'm sorry. Other than you, she's all I have…"
"Anyway, you probably wouldn't recognize her now if you saw her," Lucas continued, stretching out on the couch. "She's been doing all kinds of things with her hair, dresses like a high class whore and has this ugly ass scar across her chest –"
"Scar?"
"Yeah. Looks like it was burnt into her skin or something. Some weird-shaped eight or something. I didn't know the Kents were those kinds of people."
"They aren't," Helen answered automatically. For all of the secrets that family was obviously hiding, they were good people. At least, she could always count on them for supporting her against the Luthors. "Why would she do it to herself, I wonder?"
"Who knows? She's into some kinky shit, lately."
Helen stared over at her brother-in-law, contemplating. "Why are you telling me all of this, Lucas?"
Sitting up, he leaned forward, elbows rested on his knees. "I figure you and I only have one more person left in our way before we're home-free. Once he's eliminated, we don't have to look over our shoulders anymore. Everything is ours for the taking."
"Your father." Helen frowned. "And how, exactly, is your knowledge of Hudson's whereabouts supposed to help with that?"
"Look, she doesn't like my old man any more than the rest of us. If we could convince her that he was responsible for Lex's death, then she'd take care of him for us."
"You want her to kill him."
"She's more than capable of it." Lucas touched his throat, frowning a little before continuing, "And it leaves our hands completely clean."
"And what if she comes after us next?"
"Hey." He held up his hands. "I'm the innocent one, here."
Helen shook her head. "None of us are exactly innocent in our dealings with Lex, Lucas," she pointed out. "If you trust her to kill Lionel, then you can't truly trust her in anything. Be it for you putting him out onto the street for a short time to me stealing him away from her? She has reason to hate all of us."
Lucas smiled. "Ah. But we have something on her. I mean, I know what she's been up to. And I have a fairly good idea how she's done it."
"No. It won't work," Helen told him suddenly, her thoughts taking a different direction.
She could still use the information to her benefit, but the point was not to focus Hudson's attention on her. Lex's death could work to her advantage, gaining Hudson's sympathy for her plight. She had to be careful, though; if Lucas was right, then dealing with the teenager would be touchy at best. Imagine if she could convince Hudson to come home? The town would love her even more than they already did, and the Kents would be indebted to her. After everything was set to rights, no one could deny her help in her fight against Lionel.
And no one would believe his accusations.
Sitting down on the chair across from her brother-in-law, she told him, "Give me everything you know. You're obviously too dangerous to approach her at this point; if she catches on to your true intentions, she could run. Or worse. For now, I want you to go to a place I have up in Maine. You'll be safe there, from both Hudson and your father, until I can get things sorted out."
Lucas stared at her, obviously not trusting a word out of her mouth. "Why should I believe anything you say? I'm not an idiot, Helen. I know damn well you took my brother out, though god only knows how. You've got balls, I'll give you that."
"I didn't kill Lex," she reiterated, wondering if saying it enough would completely exonerate her. One day, she might actually believe her own lie. "Is life easier without him? Yes, I can admit to that honestly. But that doesn't mean this was the way I wanted it. Do you think I really want to go up against Lionel Luthor on my own?"
"Helen, at this point in time, I think you'd take on all of Hell by yourself."
She smiled slightly, pleased at the compliment. "I'm not quite so ambitious. One step at a time, Lucas. And right now, I'd rather have Hudson with us, as opposed to against us."
"You have a plan?"
Helen smiled. "Yes. But first, tell me what you know."
Feeling the need for an outlet to release the rage burning within her, Hudson made her way to Atlantis for the evening. Sex sounded like an option – hard, fast, dirty. She didn't want to know names or bother with flirtation. Just a pretty face, maybe two. Or three.
God, she just wanted the stink of that horrid farm off of her skin.
Making her way toward the front door, Hudson stopped suddenly, staring ahead at the woman climbing out of the limousine at the curb.
Helen.
Slipping back to the corner of the building, Hudson watched as she spoke to the driver, then made her way toward the door. She was dressed in a slinky, silky black dress, hugging every curve. Hudson twitched slightly, unable to deny that the woman was definitely hot. Too bad she was one of the last people she felt like dealing with at the moment, otherwise, she might find out for herself what it was that had drawn Lex to the woman.
Well, Atlantis was obviously out, she thought angrily before turning and stepping back into the alley behind her. Now she had to find something else to do.
Hudson stopped short in her progress down the alleyway. She heard something, directly in front of her. Cocking her head slightly to the left, she stared into the darkness, tensing slightly, noting a familiar scent in the air.
"Who is there?" She called out. "Show yourself."
A shadow moved out of the darkness. It seemed to waver and then slowly take form as it walked toward her.
Hudson glared. "Dodd."
"Miss Kent." He nodded toward her. "I think you should come home."
She snorted indelicately. "Did my parents send you?"
"No." He took a few steps closer. "I have been watching you, Hudson Kent. I have allowed you to carry on in this manner far too long. It is time for you to return to where you belong."
"You know nothing about me," she snarled. "And you have no right to demand that I do anything. You're just a cook!" She laughed suddenly. "An out-of-work cook, come to think of it."
"Hudson – "
"Stop calling me that!" She yelled. "That's not my name anymore. It's Kaela."
"Hudson," Dodd began again, side-stepping slightly to the right to walk around her. "You are not doing yourself any favors by hiding away. I understand that you are hurting, but you will only hurt yourself further if you do not let go and force yourself to face that pain. There are people at home who need you; they can help you."
"I don't need help." Hudson raised her chin arrogantly. "And I sure as hell don't need my old, pathetic life back. I'm free here – to do what I want, and who I want. I can be anyone I choose to be. I don't have limits now."
Dodd nodded in reply to her remarks, his expression assessing as he continued to move around her, like stalking his prey. "You are right. You are without limits. And it is exactly for this reason that you will only end up bringing about your own destruction. Limits keep fear at bay; without them, there is no control, and the people will see that. You must be contained, Hudson Kent, or I will no longer be able to protect you."
"Protect me?" Hudson rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Good luck with that. I mean, you did such a great job protecting your employer and all."
"His death is unfortunate and sad. But the assurance of his well-being has never been my purpose." Dodd stopped beside her. "You are the reason I came to Smallville. And you are the reason I am here now."
"Careful, Dodd," she whispered, eyes narrowing dangerously. "You're coming awfully close to sounding like my father. And I don't really like him."
The man before her regarded her thoughtfully, silently, for a long moment. There was something different about him from the man that Hudson knew in Smallville, something that made him appear even more mysterious and out-of-touch with the rest of the world around him. Her gaze swept over him in the same manner he seemed to be assessing her; he wore dark clothing, drab clothing, the type of outfit one wore to blend in and not be noticed. She wondered how long he'd been tailing her and what all he knew. If he had any information on the robberies, he might try to use that against her to bring her back. She doubted that anyone who worked for the Luthor family would be above a little blackmail. The easiest way to protect herself would be to dispose of him – as quickly and painlessly as possible. After all, he'd kept her secret. He deserved some kind of thanks in return.
"I do not wish to force you to return, Hudson Kent," Dodd told her, as if reading her mind. "I only want you to understand that you are hurting yourself, as well as those who care about you. You are stronger and braver than that."
Hudson glared. "I already told you, I don't care!"
Bored with the discussion, Hudson lunged forward to grab him – only to find herself flailing with empty air and slamming into the wall behind him. She grappled at the bricks she had loosened and turned to stare at Dodd. She was certain he'd been right in front of her. How had he possibly moved out of the way that quickly?
Frown deepening, Hudson attacked him at full speed this time, knowing she could catch him even if he tried to move out of the way. Except, he didn't move. As Hudson dove for him, he simply seemed to dematerialize right in front of her, and she swept through him, stopping herself before she hit the opposite wall. Spinning around, she stared in shock at the man as his form became solid once more.
"How… how did you do that?" She demanded, knowing that if Kryptonite were involved, she would have felt it's affects.
"You are not the only one on this planet who is special," he informed her matter-of-factly. "Perhaps it is time that you grew up, and accepted that fact."
She gaped at him, not fully comprehending his meaning. "Who are you?" She whispered, and a part of her couldn't help but wonder if her father had sent someone after her.
"I am your friend, Kaela-El." He nodded to her briefly, and then flew upwards, out of the alley and away.
Lana stared at the stack of fliers in her hands as she moved down the steps into the Talon. The coffeehouse was packed, and she should have been pleased about that, but none of it seemed to matter anymore. She didn't have a partner to congratulate her on how well she was doing; and she'd fired her best friend from working there before she'd really given her a chance. A part of her wanted to sell the place – it brought back too many memories. But, at times, those memories were a comfort, and she couldn't give it up if only for that. Besides, Lex would give her hell for giving up like that, and Hudson wouldn't want whatever happened between them to color her decisions.
So she was left with this place.
Lifting her head at the sound of laughter across the room, she mentally made a note that not every sound had to be Hudson. Not every opening of the door meant that Hudson or Lex, or maybe even both together, would come walking into the main room, drawing the attention of everyone around them. They both had that quality, though Hudson would never accept it and certainly didn't know how to cultivate it. The moment people paid too much attention to her, she would instantly withdraw into herself, subliminally convincing them that she wasn't of much interest. Unlike Lex, of course, who made commanding a room into an art form. He knew people watched him, and he seemed to relish in that knowledge, either speaking so softly that the room was forced to hush to hear him or acting out in a behavior meant to shock. Only when he was with Hudson did he ever seem to be on his best behavior, and Lana always figured it was because his own attention was far too focused on her to care about anyone else.
Damn. She had to stop thinking about it.
"Hey, Lana."
Glancing up at the sound of her name, Lana forced a half-smile to her face as Chloe approached her. Ever since it became apparent that their opinion of Hudson's disappearance varied, they had been doing their level best to avoid one another. It wasn't what Lana wanted; they should have been commiserating in their grief over the loss of their friend together. But then, she knew that Chloe felt Lana had taken Hudson's friendship away from her, and there really wasn't a way to prove otherwise without Hudson there.
"Hi, Chloe." She set the fliers on the counter before moving behind the register.
"I'm, uh… sorry I didn't attend the memorial service with you," Chloe began, slipping on to one of the stools. "I mean, I know you wanted to go look for Hudson and all, and I'm sorry I bailed like that. I guess my easiest way to deal with problems like this is to deny them."
Lana glanced up at her friend and smiled in sympathy. "It's okay, Chloe. We're all dealing with Hudson leaving in our own way."
"Yeah," Chloe snorted lightly in a way that was all too reminiscent of their missing friend. "And my way is to pull the emotional ripcord and pretend like it didn't happen. It's a force of habit when people walk out of my life."
Biting her lip, Lana nodded slightly, knowing what Chloe meant by that. They'd both had their share of losses in their life, and maybe that helped her understand Hudson's refusal to come home, to keep that ring on her finger and forget about who she was. She'd never dealt with loss before; maybe she wasn't handling Lex's death very well at all. If only she'd come home, they'd all be able to help her, to make the pain easier to deal with. She knew her friend was dealing with so much pain…
The area behind the barn looked like a missile had struck it. Lana had known that trying to destroy the ship had been a bad idea, but she never really considered how dangerous it could be until she saw the crater where the storm cellar should have been. When she found Hudson standing in the middle of it, eyes slightly glazed over, skin pale, she immediately knew that nothing had gone as her friend had hoped it would either.
"Hudson, did it work? Are you okay? My god, look at this place!" She moved over to her friend, reaching out to touch her arm. "Where are your parents?"
"Hospital," came the deadpan reply. " They're fine. Mom lost the baby."
It wasn't so much the information given as the way it was spoken that caused Lana to gasp. Hudson's voice was emotionless, like she'd already given up all hope. "Oh, Hudson. Honey, I'm so sorry."
"This is all my fault, Lana. I did this."
"No," she replied instantly. "You were trying to protect your family, yourself. This isn't your fault. If you want to blame anyone, blame Jor-El!"
Hudson shook her head slightly. "I bring pain and suffering to everyone's lives."
"Hudson, that's not true –"
"Yes, Lana, it is." She finally turned to face her, and there was so much anguish there it actually caused Lana to take a step back. "I've lied to my parents about this and look what happened? I took away the one thing they wanted most in this world. And Lex… " She stopped and looked away. "I've lied to him for so long that I… I pushed him away. I thought that I was protecting him but now… I've realized all I did was hurt us both."
Lana moved closer to her, took her hand in hers. "You can't always be expected to make the right choices. You did what you thought was best, and I'm sorry it's ended like this, I'm sorry that Lex couldn't wait for you. But it's nothing that you should fault yourself for, Hudson."
Silent tears fell. "I tried to cover up my past and push it away. I-I couldn't." She pulled her hand from Lana's, moved away, pacing almost restlessly within the confines of the crater. "Jor-El said if I didn't go, everyone I love would be hurt. He was right."
"Hudson, you're in shock," Lana told her softly. "Let's get you to the hospital and – "
"No!" She shouted, pulling back and stumbling away from Lana. "Stay away from me. Stay away from me before I hurt you too!"
Hudson sped away then, leaving Lana alone and terrified, and wondering what her friend was going to do…
"I can't just forget about her," Lana said finally, returning her attention to the present, and Chloe. "I can't let her go like that. I already screwed up once."
Chloe's brow furrowed at her words. "Screwed up? How?"
Lana sighed. "When Hudson was leaving she asked me to go with her. I said no, but I can't help thinking that if I had gone, I could have convinced her to come home by now." She shrugged. "At least, I could have been there for her, helped her through whatever she is dealing with. Made certain she was safe."
"Lana." Chloe reached out and touched her hand. It felt strange, not like Hudson's touch which was always warm, always overwhelming. "You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved."
Lana glanced up at her, biting back the impulse to tell her the truth, to tell her how she really felt about Hudson. But then, she didn't think Chloe would handle that very well. It was enough that she believed Lana had stolen her best friend away; she didn't think Chloe wanted to hear that her feelings went even deeper than that. No one needed to hear it, really. Those kind of things were safer to keep bottled up deep inside.
"I saw her yesterday," she finally confided. "Just for a second at Lex's funeral."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." She couldn't help but smile a little, gaze dropping to the counter as she drew her finger over it in the shape of a flower. "She took off right away, but just seeing her there… I had a feeling she wouldn't be able to stay away. I mean, this is Lex, you know? I just hate the idea of her facing such things alone."
Moving back around to the front of the bar, Lana grabbed the stack of fliers and showed them to Chloe. "Seeing her renewed my determination to find her. I'm going to go back and post these around the area. Maybe someone else has seen her, or knows her." She brought her gaze back to Chloe's, hopeful. "Think you could give me a lift? We could put them up together."
There was hesitation in Chloe's gaze as she worried her lower lip quietly. Finally, she replied softly, "Sure. But you don't need the fliers." At Lana's quick glance, she admitted, "I know where she is."
Lana stared at her in shocked silence, unable to believe what she'd just told her. "What?" She demanded.
"Yeah." Chloe sighed and looked to Lana nervously. "Okay, you're going to totally hate me for this, but I found her two months ago. Some friends of mine from the Planet snuck me into this club and there she was, and I couldn't believe it was her. She seemed so different and wrong and… Well, I followed her back to her apartment."
Lana couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You've known where she's been this entire time and you haven't said anything to anybody?"
"Lana, look, I didn't have a choice," Chloe defended quickly. "She said if anyone else found out, she'd run away to somewhere no one would find her!"
Shaking her head, Lana snatched the fliers into her hands and glared a person she thought was her friend, was Hudson's friend. "I can't believe you've been telling me to give up on her, to forget about her."
Chloe tried once more to explain. "Lana, she's not acting like herself. She could be dangerous."
She knew exactly how dangerous Hudson could be with that ring on her finger. She knew the robberies the past few months in Metropolis were due to her, she remembered her behavior when they first learned about the affects of the red Kryptonite, and she had a feeling there was more that Hudson hadn't shared with her. If anyone should be handing out a warning here, it was Lana to Chloe. Unfortunately, without Chloe knowing the truth about Hudson, there was nothing much that she really could say. At this point, though, she understood why Hudson had never told Chloe the truth: she'd just proven that she couldn't be trusted.
"Just give me the address," she told her.
"Wait. I'll take you," Chloe offered.
Lana bit back everything she really wanted to say to her, how angry and hurt she really was that Chloe would hide this information not only from her, but from the Kents as well. "I think you've done enough already, Chloe."
Silence followed for the next moment, before Chloe finally reached into her purse for a pen and grabbed one of the fliers to scribble down the address.
After getting a ride to the station from her aunt, and a promise that she would call the moment she made it to Metropolis, Lana took the first train out to the city that was available. She had enough money with her to grab a cab six hours later, when the train finally reached it's destination. With the address of Hudson's whereabouts firmly clutched in her hand, Lana paid the cabbie and then climbed out of the car and made her way up to the apartment building.
The robberies made more sense as she looked over the landscape; Hudson wouldn't have been able to afford this place otherwise. Lana couldn't help but wonder if living in the richest neighborhood was Hudson's silent tribute to Lex, an attempt to live the kind of life he had, or the life they should have shared together. When first infected by the red Kryptonite the year before, Hudson had almost immediately developed a taste for 'the finer things in life' beyond any other change in her behavior. It was so very unlike her. Hudson was the kind of person who found immense pleasure in something as simple as a nice space of cool grass to lay on, and an expanse of fluffy white clouds to stare up at. Just as long as the people she loved were safe and nearby.
"This isn't the same person," Lana softly reminded herself as she exited the elevator and moved along the walkway toward the penthouse door. She had to be careful of what she said, and how she said it.
She knocked three times before realizing Hudson was likely out somewhere, maybe even now committing one of her infamous robberies. She considered just camping outside her front door, but decided it would be safer, and easier, to find Hudson first. If Hudson saw her on the way up, she might leave before Lana had a chance to say two words. Confident in her decision, Lana made her way back down to the street.
It was the sound of an approaching motorcycle that caused Lana to peer over the railing to the parking lot beneath her. There, riding up on her dad's bike, was Hudson. She wore a short leather skirt that was hitched indecently up around her hips, thigh-high boots, a leather jacket over what might have simply been a black bra. Lana tried not to stare. Her hair was lighter, with blonde highlights shot haphazardly throughout, and cut at jagged angles. It was pulled up in an uneven and severe ponytail, drawing focus to her eyes which were heavily laden in black eyeliner and mascara. She'd be considered exotically beautiful, if Lana didn't know that she wasn't herself. Hudson had changed so much in the last three months; her face was thinner, all sharp angels, and she seemed older. Certainly not seventeen, not the sweet, well-meaning farm girl.
The bike pulled to a stop beneath her, and Hudson was looking up, watching her as Lana descended the short stair case. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you," she replied determinedly. "Hudson, you need to come home."
"Smallville's not my home anymore," Hudson answered, grinning slightly as her gaze roamed over Lana.
Lana knew how easy it would be for Hudson to just disappear again. She couldn't let that happen. She remembered standing there on the Kent's driveway, watching helplessly as her friend slipped that ring onto her finger and became… someone else. She'd been so scared, uncertain of what to do, crying as Hudson rode away from her and her home.
It wouldn't be the same this time. They'd once vowed to take care of one another, and that was exactly what Lana planned to do.
"I am not letting leave without me again," she told Hudson resolutely as she moved up beside the motorcycle.
Hudson smiled and slid forward on the seat. "Then get on."
Nodding in acknowledgment, Lana quickly slipped the strap of her purse over her shoulder then climbed on to the bike. She wrapped her arms around her friend's waist as they pulled away, and burrowed her face against the shoulder of her jacket. There was no turning back now. She had to trust that Hudson – the real Hudson, the one hiding behind the Kryptonite – would look out for her, protect her. It was true that after three months of being affected by the meteor, it could very well be that Hudson was too far gone to reach. But Lana wasn't ready to give up just yet.
"I've missed you," she shouted above the wind, head ducking slightly not to be hit by Hudson's hair as it whipped around her shoulders.
"Really?" She could hear the laughter in her friend's tone. "I never once thought about you."
Lana pursed her lips stubbornly. "I don't believe that. I… I think I mean more to you than that."
"Then you think an awful lot of yourself, Miss Lang," Hudson replied. But she dropped one hand from the handlebars, and her fingers brushed against Lana's.
"I saw you the other day… at Lex's funeral."
"How much do you think Lionel spent on the fucking memorial?" Hudson's laughter drifted back to her. "Think it's an expression of overwhelming guilt? The man is such an ass. Going on and on about what a great man his son would have become… all posthumously, of course."
Lana noted that Hudson was careful not to say Lex's name. "Hudson, how are you dealing – "
Fingers closed painfully around her hands. Lana bit off her question with a quick gasp of pain.
"Why don't I show you my new home?" Hudson suggested, patting the fingers she had just squeezed almost to the breaking point.
"O… Okay."
She had to be more discreet than that. Taking a deep breath, wondering if she'd done the right thing, Lana dipped her head once more against Hudson's shoulder and tightened the hold around her waist.
Jonathan taped the top of the last box form the attic before gingerly lifting it and carrying it over to the stack beside the kitchen door. Three days. It was all the time they had left to pack up everything they owned and move it off of the farm. To say goodbye to the only home he had ever known – the only home his father had ever known, his grandfather. What would they think of him, if they'd known that he had given up, that this land meant nothing to him now?
With Hudson's absence, there was a void in their lives that Jonathan couldn't seem to replace. And he knew he didn't want to. There was no reason to keep the farm going if he had no one who loved it as much as he did to leave it to. Every day, Martha lost more and more of the light to her eyes that he thought could never be extinguished; she laughed less, dark circles were constantly present beneath her eyes, her beautiful red hair had lost it's luster. Day in and day out, Jonathan mentally replayed the things he'd said to Hudson during their last conversation, changing the wording, trying to be more sympathetic and understanding to the choices he'd made. If he'd listened, if he'd held her, if he'd simply reached out and touched her, maybe then their daughter would still be there; an excitable maelstrom of hyperactivity that was missed in their lives.
She'd been so afraid of Jor-El, afraid of the ship, of the things he told her, of a destiny she feared might be inescapable. Jonathan had been foolish enough to believe that the voice in the ship couldn't touch them, had told his daughter to ignore it and let it go, when he should have been more vigilant. He, as much as Jorl-El, was responsible for pushing her toward a future not meant for her…
"H.C., what is it?"
She frowned as she stared down into the ship. "It's a message from my biological father." Hudson shook her head, shifting closer to him. "I'm sure I'm reading it wrong…"
"Why? What does it say?"
"On this third planet from this star Sol, you will be a goddess among men. They are a flawed race. Rule them with strength, my daughter. That is where your greatness lies."
She gasped softly, stepping back from the ship, turning away as terror swept over her gaze. "I… I think I was sent here to conquer." She spun around to stare at him. "What kind of planet am I from?"
"Maybe you did misread it, H.C.," he reasoned. "But even if you didn't, it's you who decides what kind of a life you're gonna lead. Not me, not your mother, not your... biological parents."
"What if it's part of who I am?" She asked. "Is… is that the kind of person I will become?"
"Hudson Kent, you're here to be a force for good," her dad assured her quietly. "Not a force of evil."
She shook her head, bit her lip. "How can you be so sure?"
Smiling, Jonathan moved toward her, placed his hands on her arms. "Because I am your father. I raised you, and I know you better than anyone."
She trembled and her dad pulled her against him, holding her tight. How did you tell the most powerful being on Earth that you would protect them? How could you possibly assure them of that?...
The ringing of the phone pulled Jonathan from his reverie. Rubbing a hand over his face in weariness, he moved over and picked up the receiver from it's cradle.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Kent, I found Hudson."
"Lana." He frowned, hand moving through his hair to tug on the back of it in concern. "Where are you?"
"A nightclub in Metropolis called Atlantis. I found her a few hours ago."
"Lana, you shouldn't be there alone," he admonished her. "You should have told us. Hudson is too dangerous like this."
Behind him, he heard the startled gasp of his wife, and then she was quickly beside him. He gave her a small smile before reaching out to squeeze her hand in a silent offer of strength.
"I want you to be very careful," he continued. "Don't provoke her. I'm on my way there, but if she wants to leave, don't try to stop her. You hear me Lana? We both know what she's capable of like this, and no matter what you might think, this isn't Hudson. I don't want you caught in the crossfire."
"Okay," the voice replied, then suddenly another voice could be heard nearby.
"Who you talking to?" There was silence, then, "Who's this?"
Jonathan felt his heartbeat quicken painfully at the sound of his daughter's voice. She was safe, and right now that was all that mattered. "H.C., it's me."
Beside him, Martha grabbed hold of his arm, pulling him down to her height so that they could both hear the phone.
"Jonathan," Hudson intoned on the other end, obviously bored. "How's the farm?"
Jonathan ignored the pointed barb; it wasn't his daughter that was speaking. "H.C… honey, your mother and I love you very much and we want you to come home."
"Is that right? Hey, what about not dwelling on the past and making a fresh new start? Come on, you can admit it. You're happier I'm gone."
Jonathan blanched, his words from the other night coming back to him. She'd obviously heard everything said between them before accidentally revealing her presence. How much more could he say to involuntarily hurt his child? She didn't deserve this from him. He had to make it up to her.
"Hudson… " Martha whispered softly, voice filled with regret.
"Honey, that's not true," he began, hoping to convince her. "You're our daughter. You – "
"I'm not your daughter!" She shouted over the phone. "And you're not my parents. You never have been and you never will be!"
"Hudson!" Martha called out but it was too late. The phone went dead in his hand.
Silence followed as Jonathan stood there, holding the receiver in his hand, staring down at it. Resolution and strength that he hadn't felt in ages rushed through him. He slammed the phone back into it's cradle and turned to his wife.
"I've got to go get her," he announced.
"How, Jonathan?" Martha's brow creased as she stared up at him in dismay. She reached out, clutching the front of his shirt in her hand. "If she sees you she could either run, or if she's angry enough, she could hurt you. You can't stop her."
She was simply stating what they both already knew, what he had already warned Lana about.
"Martha," he replied softly, his hand moving over hers to hold it. "If I don't go and get her now, we may lose her forever."
Jonathan watched her, waiting, knowing this was a difficult decision for her. If she let him go and he didn't come back, then she would be forced to suffer another loss. But he really didn't believe either of them could continue on like this. They needed closure; they needed their daughter back.
"All right," she whispered finally, nodding her head in agreement.
"I'm going to bring our little girl home," he told her confidently before leaning down to kiss her cheek, and then headed out of the house.
There was only one person that Jonathan knew of who was capable of bringing Hudson home, and no matter what it took, he would make the necessary sacrifices to gain the help he needed.
Luthorcorp.
Hudson stared up at the building with a sneer. All roads led here, it seemed. Sometimes she wondered if the Luthors weren't trying to control her life as much as that bastard father of hers was. Well, this was the last of it. Once she finished this job and got the merchandise back to Morgan Edge, she would be free. There was a whole world out there just waiting for her to make her mark; she'd already remained in Metropolis long enough. It was time to move on. Tearing off the metal grating around one the air vents, Hudson made her way inside and from there used her X-ray vision to find her way to Lionel's office.
Of course, she didn't trust Morgan Edge, she mused as she crawled her way through the confined space. Once he saw how easily she obtained the package for him, he would undoubtedly want more. Hopefully it wouldn't take much to convince him that honoring the bargain would be much easier, and less dangerous, for him without complicating matters. She didn't really have time to fool around. Now that Lana and her parents knew how to find her, they would certainly be calling in the Calvary – which likely included a hefty load of Kryptonite to make certain she didn't get away.
She kicked at the panel just beneath her when she reached the right spot, following it down to the floor as it fell. In front of her were the double doors that led into Lionel Luthor's office. Hudson knew the place all too well.
Stepping inside, she didn't stop to admire the office as she made her way over to the titanium-reinforced steel safe. It was completely new, a replacement of the previous model that simple thieves had been able to break into. Hudson crumbled the top and bottom hinges from the door in her hand, hesitating only a moment as she wondered if the refined Kryptonite that used to lay within the safe was still there. Surely Lionel wouldn't be so stupid as to leave that stuff on the premises any longer. Lifting the door completely off the safe, she set it to the side, against the wall, then walked over to the shelf inside. Laying on it was a metal box, just as Morgan had described to her, slim and long, almost like a jewelry box. Not bothering to check it's contents, she slipped it into her pocket, then turned to leave.
"Hello, Hudson."
She stopped short, an amused smile breaking across her face at the sight of her unexpected company. "Jonathan Kent. Isn't it a little past your bedtime? How'd you find me?"
"Your biological father."
Instantly, the smile disappeared from her face. Eyes narrowing with anger, she stepped forward, stalking toward him menacingly. "You two are working together now, huh? That's cute. But I didn't listen to him and I'm certainly not gonna listen to you."
With a derisive shake of her head, Hudson moved to sweep past him only to find his hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Hudson. I know you're hurting. We have a lot to talk about – "
"Oh, yes. That we do." She nodded in agreement. "Should I tell you about the guy I sucked off this morning behind the mall? He buried his fingers in my hair and fucked my throat hard. Come to think of it, he kind of looked like you. Now there's a nightmare that will live with me forever."
Jonathan blanched at her words, the determination in his gaze wavering for just a moment. "That… that doesn't matter now," he told her. "Come on home to the people who love you."
Hudson smiled, her gaze almost warm, and reached up to brush her fingers over the hand on her shoulder. Suddenly she grabbed it forcibly and lifted Jonathan up off the ground, sending him flying across the office, into the wall beside the door. The drywall caved inward with the force of the impact of his body, and she watched in immeasurable satisfaction as Jonathan slid to the floor.
Quirking her head to the side, she grinned. "Guess you should've stayed in Smallville, Johnny-boy."
Jonathan lifted his head then, fixing her with a determined and steely gaze as he slowly rose to his feet. "Hudson Clark Kent, you're coming home with me. Now."
Hudson stared at him in reply, fascinated by the beating his body was suddenly able to take. Just what had he and Jor-El been up to? Lifting an eyebrow slightly in anticipation as she watched him, she waited, gaze challenging, to see what he would do next.
Without warning, Jonathan rushed her, superspeeding toward her until his body crashed into hers and they both went flying, sailing into the window behind them and then falling.
Instinctually, Hudson fought against the fall, anger flowing through her as she attempted to stop the descent. Jonathan's body had hers trapped though, his arms tightly wound around her as if purposely preventing escape from the fall. Snarling like a trapped animal, she moved to slam her head into his, no longer paying attention to the rushing air around them or the ground that was fast approaching. Before she could hit him, he grabbed hold of her hair behind her back, pulling her neck backwards, securing her inability to free herself.
Then suddenly they were crashing through more glass – a ceiling held together by steel girders and plating and then into the electrical machinery that lay beneath it. Hudson felt the metal claw across her back, a series of sparks and explosions lighting up the area around them. She threw her body heavily to the right, rolling them through the debris in an attempt to gain the upper hand. Once in position, she kneed Jonathan hard in the groin, flinging her arms outward to loosen his hold and quickly jump to her feet. Before she could escape, he grabbed hold of her jacket, spinning her backwards, into a concrete pillar behind her that instantly shattered and crumbled down around them at the impact. Surprised by the attack, Hudson pushed the blocks off of her, planning her retaliation just as Jonathan grabbed hold of her again, dragging her to her feet and throwing them both across the open space into a stack of two-by-fours.
Hudson couldn't help but chuckle in amusement. "Looks like the old man's been working out!" She drawled, realizing she hadn't had this much fun in years. She wasn't used to someone who could match her in strength.
"Jor-El and I have an understanding," he told her. "I'm taking you home."
"I don't care what he's done to you." The amusement fled as quickly as it arrived. "You're not taking me anywhere."
Determination obviously resurfacing, Jonathan reached for Hudson's hand, attempting to grab the ring and pull it off of her finger. With a cry of rage, Hudson shoved him hard, sending him flying backwards into a set of pipes against the far wall. Getting to her feet, Hudson brushed at the dust gathered on her skirt, cursing soundly when she realized one of the heels on her boots was broken. Apparently they just didn't make clothing up to Kryptonian standards.
"Hudson!"
Glancing up, Hudson was chagrined to see Jonathan pushing away from the pipes that were bent inward, the steam that shot around him leaving him untouched. She made a face, wondering exactly what it was going to take to get rid of the man.
"You don't realize how dangerous you are when you're wearing that ring!"
She laughed and waved her hand at him. "It's not the ring. I was born this way. You just can't accept it!"
Born strong. Fierce. Dangerous. For so long, she'd allowed them to all take advantage of her, hurt her, always telling herself that it was her fault, that she should be the one to suffer for what she was. But that wasn't the truth. She didn't ask to be here, she didn't ask to be a part of any of the lives around her. If they suffered for wanting to touch her, to hurt her, to love her even, then that was their problem. She was tired of playing martyr.
Superspeeding forward, she grabbed hold of Jonathan, physically lifting his body as she spun him around and threw him into a tower of scaffolding. It rained down around them, heavy pipes and dust scattering as it crashed into the concrete beneath their feet. Hudson lost her balance, falling with it, closing her eyes until the dust slowly settled around her before she shrugged the scaffolding off of her shoulders and back, climbing to her feet. The leather jacket she wore was in tatters, hanging awkwardly from her shoulders and arms. Frowning in displeasure, she ripped what remained of it from her body, glancing up at the shocked gasp heard a few feet away from her.
Jonathan was staring in disbelief at the Kryptonian symbol that was etched into her skin, just visible beneath the black bra top that she wore, like some tribal tattoo.
"What in the hell did Jor-El do to you, H.C.?" He asked, voice edged with anger.
This is the mark of your ancestors. You cannot fight it, Kaela-El.
Her eyes narrowed. "He made sure I'd never forget who my real father is."
Grabbing one of the steel pipes at her feet, Hudson hurled it toward Jonathan. The moment he ducked to avoid being hit by the missile, she sped out of sight, moving up behind him to catch him off-guard. Just as he seemed to realize what had happened and turned to find her, it was too late. Hudson had him pinned against the pillar, hand against his throat, holding him up off the ground where he couldn't fight her. Eyes glittering with her upcoming victory, she raised her fist, preparing for the blow she knew it would take to end this. No longer would she allow these people to rule her, to destroy her, to try to take from her everything that she was. She had her own destiny to write, one that no one understood – not her biological father or her adopted father or Lucas Luthor or Morgan Edge.
"H.C., you choose your own destiny. Nobody can decide that for you, honey."
"This is my home. And you're my parents. It's where I belong, and I'm not going anywhere."
Her fist wavered in the air as the memories began to assail her.
"H.C.? How's it going today?"
"Good."
"No voice?"
She forced a smile. "No voice."
"Looks like you're just going have to face the future the old-fashioned way."
"I guess so. It's pretty scary."
He chuckled. "Yeah."
The pain in her chest began to flare. No, I'm so close.
"Go on. Do it," Jonathan taunted. "If I could raise a daughter that could kill, then kill!" He demanded.
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"You look beautiful today."
"Thank you, sweetheart."
She stared at Jonathan, eyes wide with anger. It would be so easy…
You will obey me, Kaela-El.
Screaming her rage, Hudson pulled her fist back and slammed it forward into the pillar, missing Jonathan's head by mere inches. On impact, the red meteor within the ring shattered, falling away from its setting which bent and buckled against the concrete. Her knees collapsing beneath her, Hudson sank to the ground, a feeling of exhaustion sweeping over her. The pain in her chest continued to flare and burn, causing her to cry out, curse it. Slowly, it dwindled and dissipated until she lay there, breathing hard, blinking back tears, a belated realization that the scar was gone from her chest. She ran her fingers over the smooth skin, wondering for a moment if she had simply dreamed every moment of the past few months.
Then she looked up and saw her dad laying, unconscious, a few feet away from her.
Not a dream.
"Dad."
Picking herself up from the ground, Hudson crawled her way over to him, lifting him up against her and quickly checking his pulse. It seemed right, but she couldn't be certain. "Dad?" She called to him again. "Daddy?"
"Hudson." His eyes fluttered and he looked up at her, a small smile touching his face.
"I need to get you to a hospital," she told him, moving to gather him into her arms.
"N-no." He touched her arm, halting her. "Home. Your mother… she's expecting us."
"But you're – "
"I'm fine, honey." His eyes drifted closed once more and Hudson thought he'd lost consciousness again until he whispered, "Just tired."
And then she felt his body go limp against her. "Daddy?"
Nothing.
Struggling against the voice that was telling her to take him to the hospital, Hudson climbed to her feet and gathered her father into her arms to take him home.
To take them both home.
