Chapter 10 - Kara
Clark was doing everything he could to avert his eyes from the girl standing on his front porch. She was completely naked.
His parents arrived to rescue him within seconds. One glance at her sent his dad hurrying up the stairs, and he returned with a long flannel shirt, which he handed to the woman—Kara. She stared down at it like she had never seen anything like it before, but then her eyes traveled up to Clark's shirt, and she seemed to figure it out, slipping the shirt on. Clark watched her getting dressed out of the corner of his eye, and when she had finished, he looked over at her—the shirt covered her to the mid-thigh. He sighed in some relief relief.
When his parents went back into the kitchen to check on Lex and grab a cup of tea for the new guest, Clark took a deep breath and said, "Kara, I don't know where you heard about Krypton, but an astronomer told me that planet was destroyed."
"Its physical form is gone, but it still lives on through us."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lex's sharp voice said.
Clark looked up to see Lex had entered. Kara just frowned up at him.
Clark's parents re-entered the living room after Lex. His mom held out a steaming cup. "Here, this will warm you up."
Kara took the cup, but stared at it as through she had never seen anything like it before.
"It's hot tea."
Kara gave a hesitant smile and set the cup down on the coffee table.
Clark's dad cleared his throat. "Young lady, I'm sure that your parents are very worried about you. Why don't you let us call them?"
"There's no one to call," Kara said.
"Well, you can't sleep out in the field," his mom said. "You'll stay with us tonight."
Kara smiled. "Thank you. I heard you were very kind."
This was all moving too fast—Clark was still stuck on the fact that she'd claimed to be from Krypton. "How exactly did you get here?"
"I came through a passage in the cave wall."
"A passage from where?" Clark asked.
"A place where all your questions will be answered, where you don't have to hide your true self."
"Right," Lex said.
Clark looked up at him.
He'd crossed his arms, leering at Kara. "Pardon my skepticism, but if you're from another planet, why don't you, ah, show us some ID. Give us some evidence."
Clark winced, even though he would have had to admit that Lex had a point. "Lex . . ."
"I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it. She shows up naked on your doorstep with no proof that anything she's saying is real. Obviously, she's trying to take advantage of you."
Kara's eyes narrowed at Lex. "Alexander Luthor, you have no place in this conversation. I will show Kal-El all he needs to see in due time."
Clark's heart jumped a little, and he stood from the couch. "Where did you hear that name?"
"It was given to you at birth."
Heart now pounding slow and steady, Clark asked, "Why are you here?"
She took his hand. "To take you home."
Lex gave a few slow claps. "Excellent acting. One question. Why should he believe a word you say?"
Kara frowned at Clark. "You can't trust him," she said.
"You don't know him," Clark said.
"I don't have to. It's human nature. It's just who they are."
"He's my brother."
"No, he's not. I'm your family, Clark."
"Then answer this," Clark's dad jumped in for the first time. "We found Clark almost fifteen years ago. Where have you been all that time?"
"Yeah, I'd like to know that, too," Clark said.
"If you join me, all your questions will be answered."
Clark swallowed hard. He wanted so, so badly to believe what she was saying, but his dad and Lex had made it impossible—their points had made far more sense than hers. It was better not to have false hope, but it still hurt when he told her, "That's not good enough."
It was silent in the room for a moment, and Clark's mom was the next to speak. "Clark, Lex, why don't you go upstairs and get yourselves moved in to one of your rooms for the night, so we can give our guest a place to sleep?"
Kara looked up at Clark's mom. "That won't be necessary, Martha Kent." And with that, she stood and left the house, disappearing into the cold night air.
Clark's parents exchanged a glance, and his dad ran after her, but he came back after a moment. "She's gone," he said. "Must have run for it."
"What was that about," Lex muttered.
"Well, um," his mom said, "why don't we all, uh . . . finish eating?"
"I'm not really hungry," Clark said. "Can I be excused?"
"Of course." His mom squeezed his shoulder. "I'll put away the leftovers for you and you can eat later if you get hungry, okay?"
"Okay," Clark said, and he headed toward the stairs and up into his room.
Clark closed the door behind himself and paced a little. There was too much happening at once, and all at a time when he needed to rest and regroup and think about less.
He'd been there for less than a minute when a soft knock came at his door. "Mom, I said I wan't hungry."
The door opened, and Lex peeked inside. "Mind if I come in?"
Clark sighed and gestured for him to come inside.
Lex closed the door behind himself and sat down in Clark's desk chair. "You didn't recognize her at all, did you?"
Clark shook his head.
"I had your mom save the teacup. I'll have someone run the fingerprints."
"Lex, you don't have to do that—"
"I want to. I know you, you won't rest until you know who she was." He lowered his voice. "And I suspect you really wanted her to be telling the truth."
Clark paced a couple of steps. "If I believe the legends on the cave walls, I'm supposed to have this great destiny. But . . . I know almost nothing about where I came from. And it seems like most of the time, when I feel like I'm getting close to learning something new, it all gets pulled out from under me.
"I know." Lex gave him a gentle smile. "That's why I'm so glad your parents agreed to having you with me on my trip to Egypt. I think these stones might be exactly what you need to learn what you want to know."
Clark nodded, and to his surprise, he found his throat was choking up a little. Lex was doing so much for him. He felt horribly guilty for what he'd said to his mom; he knew the guilt wouldn't go away until he spoke his mind. "Lex . . . I have to confess something."
Lex's eyebrows knitted.
"I . . . used my X-Ray vision on your briefcase. I guess I saw Lionel's research, and I thought it was yours, and I was worried you might have . . . you know."
"Say it." Lex turned to face Clark, eyebrows raised.
Clark hung his head. "Given in to the darkness."
Lex's jaw pulsed. "After all we've been through? Everything I've done for you?"
"I know—"
"I killed my own father to save you, Clark, how could you—"
"I know, that's why I'm apologizing. I trust you, Lex."
Lex stared at Clark for a long moment. "I'd do anything for you. You know that, right?"
"Same to you."
Another long moment, and Lex nodded. "I'm going to go take those fingerprint samples to the lab."
"It can wait until tomorrow, can't it? Mom and Dad wanted to spend some time with you, now that—"
"It's best I do it while they're fresh."
Clark sighed. He could tell from the tone of Lex's voice that he needed some time to cool off. He really wanted to do something that would make it better, but he couldn't think of any more words to say. And initiating any physical contact seemed wrong, right now—Lex had given him so much comfort through his embrace after he drew Clark's blood, but Clark couldn't return that favor. There was nothing he could do. "Okay. I'll see you later tonight?"
"Don't wait up. Let's catch up tomorrow." He stepped toward the doorway, and looked back at Clark. "We have a trip to plan, right?"
Clark grinned.
