Clark's P.O.V.

It's been three days since I found Ember.

Her speech is still halting but she is learning words. Most of her communication with me, such as it is, is nonverbal.

She also never quite makes eye contact with me.

I've been looking at case studies of feral children and, while they do seem to help, Ember is still largely a mystery to me.

I have been able to find out, through the Daily Planet records, that she was in a house fire. That would explain why her voice is slightly husky.

Okay. She was twelve then. Obviously, she wasn't always feral.

The article is from three years ago which means she's 15 now. It also means that she's lived with wolves for three years.

My God. That's a fifth of her life. No wonder her acquisition of language is slow.

She should regain it completely because I don't think it's too late for her. It can't be.

Jimmy notices the article I'm holding. His eyes widen. "Em! C.K., did you find her?"

He knows her?

I ask.

He smiles. "Yeah, we bonded over our red hair. She was...is one of my best friends."

He shows me a photo of the two of them in his wallet. They're wearing goofy grins and giving each other bunny ears.

In a kind of choked voice, he tells me that he thought she was dead.

"She's not dead, Jimmy, but she's been living with wolves for three years. I don't know how well she'll remember you."

He puts his wallet back in his pocket. "At least I know she's alive."

He laughs. "Don't know why I didn't think to look with wolves. I always told her that, with her ears and teeth, she looked a little like one. She hid both from everyone but me. Guess they made her kind of self-conscious."

He scratches his head. "I wonder why I never saw her in gym. She'd never tell me why she didn't take P.E. The track coach would have loved her. Man, she could run."

We go back to our desks.

"Can you take me to see her?"

I begin typing an article. "Just don't expect to have much of a conversation with her. Both her understood and spoken words are pretty rudimentary. You'll have to talk slow and use simple grammar." I finish the article.

"Wait. If you're here, who's taking care of her?"

A robo-babysitter from the Fortress. "I hired a sitter. You can come over after she's left."

He grins. "Great!"

I really hope that she behaves herself for this. She only recently has been keeping her clothes on and she's still not quite potty trained. I feel like I'm teaching a dog to act like a human.

Well, I kind of am doing that.

She's lived as a wolf, which is technically a dog. Canis lupus.

As amazing as it may sound, I'm beginning to think she might actually be part wolf. She's 15 but she has no sign that she's started puberty. This is clearly more than her just being a late bloomer. I don't really have any answers for this and Ember can't give me any.

Soon, I'm heading home with a copy of the article. Jimmy also insisted I take a copy of a photo of him. I can agree with him that it's worth a try. The article can probably wait until after his visit.

After getting the robot back to the Fortress, I show Ember the photo I have of Jimmy and point to it. "This Jimmy. You know him?"

She points to herself, then to the photo, then back to herself. I think she does remember him. "He come for Ember?"

As you can see, she refers to herself largely in the third person.

I smile. "Yes, he will come for you. I will call him."

Jimmy sounds excited.

Jimmy's P.O.V.

I'm going to see Ember again!

Let's see. Here's what she left over.

For three years, this wolf book was all I had of her. The photos inside are why I chose to be a photographer.

I always thought that she'd be a firefighter.

One day, when she was 10, we were in our top secret hideout. We had agreed to exchange secrets to christen it.

After I told her mine, she nervously looked around then shyly showed me her ears and grinned, wide and toothy. "I'm part wolf like my Dad."

She whispered her powers into my ear and, after she hid her ears and teeth, we pinky swore not to tell each other's secrets. I still haven't broken that pinky swear.

Ember, you're alive but I don't know if your Mom is. I think C.K. and I are all you have right now.

I've never seen your Dad. Do you still believe that he's alive somewhere?

You used to tell me that you thought he got stuck in wolf form. That he wants to find a way to join you and your Mom again.

Your Mom was...is? pretty cool. She had gray eyes which you always said were like smoke. I was trusted with the knowledge of her powers too.

What if both of your parents are stuck in other forms? You're essentially an orphan now.

At least you have C.K.

Hey, my phone's ringing. It's him.

Soon, I'm at his door, knocking, carrying Ember's book in my free hand.

I'm inside now.

Well, there's Ember. She's on all fours.

I put her book down on the table.

Since I've read it a few times, I know wolf behavior really well so I hold out my right hand, knowing that she'll sniff it. Her sense of smell, like her sight and hearing, were always really good. I bet they're even better now.

She does just what I knew she would, even with what looks to be a broken leg. "Jimmy."

She remembers me!

"Yes, Ember, it's me. I brought your book. Do you know where your Mom is and, while you were living with wolves for three years, did you ever find your Dad?"

She cocks her head.

Right. You said it yourself, she's lived with wolves for three years.

She's not the Ember you know and she didn't understand you because you got overly excited and didn't go with the way that C.K. said to speak to her. I'll just have to try again.

Actually, it looks like that's going to have to wait. C.K. wants to have a private conversation with me.

I follow him to the bedroom, feeling sure of two things. That the conversation's going to be about Ember and that, even though I hate to, I'm going to have to break a five year old pinky swear.

I won't even be able to make her understand that I'm sorry about it.