A/N: Sorry this took awhile, had some RL stuff (everything's fine :)-just had extra hours at work) and I didn't want to just submit 2 or 3 paragraphs. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!
Deep within Cheyenne Mountain, in one research bay a bullet-shaped ship emitted an almost inaudible beep. This continued for a few minutes, and then stopped. A short while later, a tiny light lit on the display console within the ship. It went unseen by the electronic eyes scouring the bay.
In a distant part of space, a similar ship had noted the homing beacon. Claws tapped on the ship's console, and a reply was sent. A few more taps, and the ship's course was altered. The claws tapped a final time, and a tiny encoded communications beam was sent to similar ships.
Chloe slammed down the phone in frustration.
"No luck?" Pete asked.
"Well, I was able to track one van to the airport, where a military plane was waiting. I can't seem to find out where that plane went, though." Chloe said, annoyed.
"What about its flight plan?" Pete said, trying to be helpful.
"That's just it. The flight plan says it was going to Metropolis, but why take a plane when they could've just driven there in two hours?"
"Hmm." Pete said. "Think it's a bogus flight plan?"
"Well duh." Chloe replied. "There's definitely something hinky going on."
Pete chuckled. "Did you just say 'hinky'?"
Chloe glared at him.
"A little more help and a little less heckling, please. Wait a minute." Chloe got a thoughtful look on her face.
'Ut oh' Pete thought. That look usually led to Pete being in precarious situations.
"Didn't you have a crush on a flight attendant that was involved in one of your mom's cases?" Chloe asked.
Pete became suddenly defensive. "Yeah?" he replied warily.
"Well," Chloe smiled sweetly at him. "Maybe you can give her a call, set up a date, and pump her for information."
"As I remember," Pete stated, "You said she was too old for me. You called her Mrs. Robinson."
"Um, well," Chloe said, stymied, "She is young and new at her job. Maybe you can say you're interested in interning at an airline. You want to know everything about planes and flight plans and such. And how people could fake them, and where the real flight plans would be."
Pete stared at her. "You really don't give up, do you?" He sighed. "I guess I could give Cherise a call. We did have a good conversation that one time. I actually think she kinda dug me."
Chloe grinned, victorious. "Oh yeah, Pete the lady-killer. Watch women fall at his feet."
Pete glared at her. "Fine. See if I help you."
Chloe's eyes widened. "I was joking. Besides, you want to know where Clark went too. I can tell."
"Okay," Pete replied, mollified. "You're right; I do want to know where Clark and his folks went. And it is suspicious that they went with the military. Okay." He repeated.
"I'll call Cherise. I'll tell her my friend Chloe wants to be a flight attendant and could she give us all the details."
He smiled at Chloe's stunned look. "Well, this way you get to come along. And see me work some of the Ross magic." He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
Chloe stared at him in horror. 'I've created a monster.' She thought.
Jonathan had been right. They didn't get much sleep at all. He'd watched with apprehension as his son prepared to tell his secret to Lex. He'd come a long way from hating Clark's friend but to have him know everything unsettled him. He swallowed, and then sighed, resigned. Lex had protected Clark with the confidentiality agreement. He could only hope that the boy would want to continue to protect his friend, and not take advantage of him. And if Lex did seem to want to do anything to harm Clark, there was always his shotgun. He nodded internally, and exchanged a look with his wife. Martha seemed to be okay with this. He bowed to her judgment, and waited.
"Yes, I'm sure." Clark said.
He looked gravely at his friend. "Lex, first I want to apologize. I lied to you, but I had to, I lied to everyone. I'm not what you think I am."
Lex stared at his friend. He nodded slowly. Things began to add up, Clark's earlier comments shifting things around in his brain.
"You're an alien." He stated, wonder in his eyes.
Clark nodded. "I'm sorry." He said. "I wanted to tell you, I wanted to tell all my friends, but my parents didn't think it was a good idea. I guess…I was afraid." He admitted, lowering his head.
Lex stared at him in awe.
"I did hit you that day at the bridge." He mused. "And you weren't hurt. But I saw you in the hospital the time that boy hurt you. How could that happen? Do your powers come and go, unlike the meteor mutants?" He began thinking furiously.
Clark stared at his friend. That was it? No ranting and raving, no accusations, no angry retorts? Lex seemed more curious than anything else, almost as though he'd expected something like this.
"Um…" he said helplessly, and looked toward his mother.
"Lex," Martha began.
Lex shook himself out of his reverie.
He looked at the Kents, and smiled genuinely at them.
"Thank you." Lex said, his eyes shining and sincere. "For trusting me. For telling the truth. I promise, I won't let you down."
Clark and his parents looked at each other. Then Clark grinned, relieved. Words began to pour out of him, describing all the high points of what he knew and suspected about himself and his powers. He told Lex about how he didn't even know he was an alien until he saw the spaceship that fateful day.
"That second ship!" Lex broke in, in an intuitive leap. "It's yours, isn't it?"
Clark affirmed that it was.
Lex waved for him to continue, and he did, explaining about Eric Summers and his various battles with the meteor mutants, and how he'd been able to save Lex on several occasions. Over an hour later he finally stopped, having brought Lex up to the present.
Lex just sat there a few moments, digesting it all.
"Well, that definitely does clarify things." he said.
He looked at Clark. "I'm glad the military signed those confidentiality papers. You're right, if they already work with aliens, maybe they can help you find out where you're from, who your real parents are."
Clark looked at Martha and Jonathan. "I know who my real parents are. I just want to find my biological ones."
Martha smiled at her husband, and then her son.
Jonathan grunted.
"Getting late." he said.
Lex nodded. He had a lot to think about. He smiled warmly at Clark. "See you in the morning."
Clark smiled back; glad to have finally told his friend his secret. He no longer felt so alone.
Lex went to his room, and Clark and his parents retired to their temporary bedrooms.
None of them got much sleep.
All too soon, there was a knock on the door.
Groggily, Jonathan opened it.
"Rise and shine, campers! There's a nice breakfast at the cafeteria. I'm told there's oatmeal." Col. O'Neill's wide-awake voice entered the room, and Clark grinned. He couldn't wait to start the day.
A/N add-on: I apologize in advance for whatever I get wrong about airplanes and flight plans. All I know comes from movies :) I promise to try to update sooner next time. Have a good week!