The Last Daughter of Krypton - IC

"Thank you." Lex said with a nod to Kara as she invited them in. He stepped in as she closed the door behind them. Bruce was standing there in his boxers. "Mr. and Mrs. Kent, Misty and I witnessed Bruce being abducted by a couple of boys. We followed their tracks out to your farm. I'm afraid we might have damaged some of your crop in trying to help Bruce here, I can reimburse you for what we ruined." Lex said, giving Misty a knowing glance before focusing on Bruce. "Bruce, can you tell who did this to you? I can see to it that they are propperly punished for this." Lex said before giving Kara a second look. "My, other than the country girl look, this young lady could be a supermodel." He thought, before realizing that Misty more than likely caught his stray thought.

Misty nudged Lex in the side as she overheard his thoughts about Kara. "Lex you never have thoughts like that about me! MEN I TELL YOU."

Misty looked around the room some more as she stepped inside. "Your house is so warm and homely Mr. and Mrs. Kent not like my sterile home other then my bedroom that is."

"Of course not, Misty, with your breeding, an occupation like that would be beneath you." Lex whispered back as he noticed Bruce searching about for a phone. "Here, use mine Bruce." Lex said, handing him his Razr.

After Bruce changed, Lex handed him his Razr to call Alfred. He called his mentor, telling him what had happened, and asked him to come pick him up from the Kent's farm. Alfred told him that he was glad that Bruce was ok, and didn't know anything about it, seeing's as how Kara had told him that she would rather walk home.

Alfred told him he would be on his way, and hung up. Bruce handed the phone back to Lex. He still felt a little strange.

It seemed that everyone here knew everyone, except Bruce, who was standing in farm clothes, after everyone saw him in his boxers at the Kent's.

This is a great way to start off a year in a new town, Bruce thought to himself.

Kara nodded sympathetically with Misty as she walked inside, though she couldn't understand fully what she was going through. If something similar happened to either her mother or father... Kara would be devistated.

"Well I'm glad you're ok." she then said, smiling warmly at her friend and stepped aside as Lex came in. Kara's caring smile wasn't exactly shared by Mr. Kent, and upon seeing Lex he became cold and distant.

"Don't worry about it, Lex. We don't want your money." he said, rebuking the monetary offer made by the young millionaire, walking next to his wife. Martha, being a bit more welcoming than her husband, looked at Lex with a look that read 'He's just being stubborn'

"Your house is so warm and homely Mr. and Mrs. Kent. Not like my sterile home, other then my bedroom that is."

"Well you're welcome to stay here for a little while if you'd like. I can fix up some lemonade while you kids rest in the living room." she offered, being as hospitable as ever. Bruce used Lex's phone to make a call and she heard him talk to Alfred. Must be nice to have your own personal butler. Growing up on the farm kept Kara from experiencing the richer aspects of life, but she felt comfortable here... and even if she was offered 10 million dollars she probably wouldn't exchange it for this.

"Why do you keep referring to my breeding Lex. Just because my Dad is or was your friend here doesn't mean you need to keep acting all silly like that. In the end i'm just a normal Smallville girl and would appreciate a comment on my looks every now and then." Misty stuck her tongue out at Lex.

"Thanks Mrs. Kent I'd love some Lemonade and to hang out with your daughter for a little while." Misty smiled and noticed that Mrs. Kent thought she was a nice well behaved girl.

Misty then looked over at Lex and whispered in his ear. "Mr. Kent don't like you much Lex he is very leery of you because of your father."

"Kara I know it must not look to good me being out right now. I'm quite numb actually and if it wasn't for what I discovered about myself earlier i'd be an emotional wreck like i was earlier. Lex got me out of the hospital to cheer me up and it has helped but not as much as it appears it has. Lex stop thinking about those stocks your thinking so loud I can hear you all the way over here." Misty realized she couldn't read Kara's mind but by the look on her face she could tell she was wondering how Misty could be out right now.

"I appologize, Mr. Kent, I did not mean to offend you with my offer. If there is anything I can do to make amends, I would like to." Lex said, patting Misty's shoulder in thanks for her tip, nodding to Mrs. Kent, understanding her cue.

"Sorry, I'll try not to think so loud." Lex whispered jokingly to Misty, so only she could hear him, or so he thought.

He accepted the Razr back from Bruce and put it away. "Bruce, you look a little distracted, is everything okay?" Lex asked concernedly.

Oh, it's just a little strange. First year in a small town, now, I'm standing here, in a strangers house, with everyone I just met, who all saw me in my boxers. It's a little strange. Bruce said as he stood next to Kara.

Bruce thought a moment about the ones who made him the "Scarecrow". Something had to be done before they did something like that to someone else. He had a feeling he wasn't the only one it was going to happen to.

Martha smiled at Misty as she turned around to head back into the kitchen. She pulled out a glass pitcher and the ingredients to make some fresh lemonade, and she set off to work right away. Kara smiled at Misty and then at Lex.

"Thanks for taking care of her." she said, expressing her gratitude, something her father just refused to do. He could be courteous... but nothing more than that.

"You didn't offend me, Lex." Jonathan said, trying to be a bit more hospitable. "We just can't accept any money." he added. If there was significant damage to the property (which he hoped there wasn't), then Jonathan would much rather take a loan out from the bank than borrow from a Luthor.

"Look, I've got some work to do out in the barn." he added, glancing over at Kara for a moment before walking away. Martha came back into the living room with a pitcher and some glasses, setting it down for everyone to help themselves. Kara excused herself real quick and chased after her dad, catching him just outside.

"Dad" she said, coming up behind him.

"Kara I don't want you getting mixed up with Lex. He and his family are nothing but trouble."

"Dad I don't think you should judge him so quickly. He seems like an honest guy." she said in defense of Lex.

"He's not honest, honey. The Luthor's... they don't give something away for nothing. There's always a price. We accept one check from him and before you know it he owns the entire farm."

Kara seemed a bit saddened by her fathers stubbornness, but there didn't seem to be any way of changing his mind anytime soon. Jonathan placed his hand upon her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Look, I just don't want to see you get hurt. If something happened to you or Martha then I don't know what I'd do. So just... just be careful, ok?" he asked, and Kara nodded her head. She felt her father brush aside some of her blond hair and kissed her forehead.

"Do you need any help out here?" she asked, but Jonathan shook his head.

"No, I'll be alright. You should go back inside." he said. Kara smiled and headed back into the house, making her way to the living room.

"Thank you Mrs. Kent the Lemonade is great. Its been awhile since i've had any is it fresh squeezed?" Misty looked around the room impressed with the modest house. She felt a warmth from Martha and even the stubborn Jonathan she new that she could always trust Kara's parents that put her at ease some.

Then Misty began to wonder why she couldn't read Kara's mind. There is something different about her something special but Misty can't quite figure it out. Misty decides that she can trust her and will get to know Kara better. It might be nice to have someone around that she can't get into their mind.

Misty looked at Bruce "Bruce nothing to be embarrassed about your rich and kinda cute." She then giggled at Bruce before turning around to see Kara walking back in.

"Is he okay Kara, we wouldn't want to intrude would we Lex?" Misty looked at Lex with a faint smile.

James Hamilton was a smart man.

This was not hubris; this was not exaggeration. He was not as smart as his older brother, but he was still fully capable of grasping concepts that would leave most men shaking their heads and gawping like fish.

He didn't like it when matters escaped his comprehension.

Women, for instance. His own wife and daughter. They had an easy rapport. Intuition and empathy... even when they fought, when they argued, they each knew what the other was thinking, natural as breathing.

James Hamilton reflected, with no small degree of rueful chagrin, that he rarely knew what anyone was thinking except himself because he was so very busy thinking it.

He wasn't especially good at expressing his thoughts, except when they had to do with hypotheses that pushed back the boundaries of commonly-accepted scientific law. Normally, he would instead toss out some literate-sounding snatch of wisdom from his vast repository of historical head-knowledge which was, arguably, applicable to the context.

But all that meant was that dead men could express Jamie Hamilton better than Jamie Hamilton, and what kind of sorry state of affairs was that? It was a right pig's ear.

Bollocks.

Well. So help him, if dead men expressed his feelings better than he himself, and feelings needed expressing, well, he'd just have to resort to using the words of dead men, then, wouldn't he?

Thus, whilst Ceri made Rose a sandwich and they sat on Rose's bed and spoke about the paralysis that comes from dread, Jamie Hamilton took an unsullied Moleskine notebook out of one of his boxes of things not yet unpacked. He took the little black notebook and a good ballpoint pen and he went out and he walked.

He walked down the road and he jotted in the notebook good thoughts he decided might be handy for Rose to look upon in times of trouble. Maybe if she took out the notebook at school between classes and paged through some of these good thoughts, it might make up for not having a father who could say such things without the aid of ghosts.

C.S. Lewis.

The Dokkodo.

Dwight Moody.

Churchill, Sun Tzu, Napoleon, Douglas Adams.

Terence Hanbury White, even.

And, of course, greatly beloved, G.K. Chesterton.

He wrote, and he walked for a long time as he wrote, and he walked on autopilot. When he reached the end of a particularly extensive passage from the sixth chapter of "Orthodoxy," he stopped and he considered what he had written.

He stopped, and, again rueful, he considered that walking and writing at the same time had never done wonders for a man's legibility.

He sighed, and he closed the notebook, and he tapped the black leather cover with the capped end of his pen, and he looked about at where he was.

He had gone a long way, he realised with a start. He stood at the mouth of a driveway that led into a farm. A yellow house, a red barn, set iconically against the wide wide blue of the sky.

Over the drive was set a wooden arch with a sign hanging from its apex, and the sign read the same as the words on the mailbox off to one side: "KENT FARM."

Kent. Kent. Kentkentkent. Why did that sound so familiar? (Of course, he meant, besides the obvious: he'd spent a part of his growing up years in Canterbury. In Kent. He'd worked in an office there as a lad; he'd been a clerk.)

Oh, but no! That's not what he was thinking of...

Ceri had mentioned a family called "Kent." Nice people, if Jamie remembered properly. The woman, Martha? When times had been lean for both families, Ceri and Martha had more than once bartered with each other, a trim and a highlight for a good supply of fresh garden produce...

(Nothing like a little bit of symbiosis to restore a man's faith in the functionality of humankind.)

Seemed there was a bit of a hullaballoo going on on the premises at this point, though: cars parked and voices coming from the house and all sorts.

Jamie blinked, and he frowned, and he was just about to approach the house, had his foot half up in the air about to be set down beneath the arch over the drive, when he remembered his manners. He set his foot back down, still on the roadway.

He shook his head at himself. Is this what you are, then, Jamie? he wondered. Rude? Ceri's said this about you more than once: can't keep your nose out.

No, no, doesn't matter what they're up to, it's not your business. Keep your nose out.

He nodded firmly to himself, and pocketed his pen and half-pocketed his notebook and had resolutely turned back down the road to return from whence he'd come when he realised with a bit of a start that for all his vaunted intelligence, he had no idea where he was.

The long walk on autopilot (it couldn't have been that long, surely!), and he'd gotten himself a bit lost.

He stood there for a moment, a little bit out in the road, turning this way and that and trying to figure out at exactly what point he'd gotten completely disoriented.

(It was at this point, when he was turning this way and that and trying to figure out, that Kara Kent left her father in the red barn and returned to the yellow house, and Jamie had his back to her and didn't notice her at all, God save him.)

He stood in the road and he clawed one hand's fingers through his hair and he shook his head, and he declared, perhaps a bit more loudly than he intended: "Well, then. Bendigedig!"

"Well, the important thing is that you're safe now, Bruce." Lex offered as he turned to Kara, accepting a glass of lemonade she made.

"It was the least I could do for Misty, her father has been with Lexcorp for some time." Lex explained before taking a sip of the lemonade.

Lex nodded with respect to Mr. Kent, taking the man's explination as a sign of pride.

"Yes, the lemonade is excellent." Lex added as Misty complimented Mrs. Kent on it. "Misty, if you can read thoughts, then maybe you can send thoughts as well..." Lex thought as he gave her a passing glance. "Give it a try, see if you can send me what Bruce is thinking."

Lex nodded his agreement to Misty's last statement as he took another sip of lemonade. "Of course not. Your father is a proud man, Kara, I respect that. However, I feel responsible for the damage to your farm... If there is anything I can do... Don't hesitate to ask." lex said, taking out a business card and handing it to Mrs. Kent.

Bruce felt a little bit better after Misty's remark. He laughed to himself.

He noticed Mr. Kent and Kara going outside, after arguing about money, and the damage done to the property. It was his fault, and he didn't want them to have to pay for it.

Bruce walked outside to the barn. He heard Kara and her father talking. He didn't want to intrude, but he accidentally knocked over a pitch fork, letting them know he was around.

Mr. Kent, I wanted to say thank you for helping me out this evening. I really appreciate it. Bruce said. But I want to help you with the damage done by the truck and Lex's car. He added. It's no problem to me, I can afford it, and it's the least I can do for you not shooting me in the corn field. Bruce said, smiling.

Jonathan looked up to see Bruce standing by the entrance of the barn.

"Well you're more than welcome, Bruce. I'm just glad that we found you in time. But as I said to Lex, I don't want his or your money. My family and I can manage on our own." he said, not changing his position on accepting generous donations to help rebuild.

"Really, it's ok." Jonathan said again reassuringly. He smiled as he picked up the knocked over pitch fork and set it up against the wall.

Lex can you hear me can you hear my thoughts. Your gonna tell me how beautiful I am. Your gonna find my daddy and return him to normal for me. Your gonna repay the family greatly for the damage that was done. Your gonna take me out as friends once a week. Your also gonna know i appreciate everything you've done for me today. Misty was trying to not only project her thoughts onto Lex but issue commands just to see if they would work since he was being accepting as a receptacle.

"Kara I should probably be going I won't be at school tomorrow can you get my homework for me, and come and see me after school I want to talk to you about something. Got a piece of paper so i can write down my address?"

Okay. Jamie looked left.

Nothing for it now, then. Jamie looked right.

Allons-y, Hamilton. He looked squarely at The Kent Farm.

He sighed, closed his eyes, swallowed his pride, opened his eyes once more, and strode down the driveway.

At first, he headed for the house, but he heard fewer voices coming from the barn. Feeling like, perhaps, tactically, he should reduce the humiliation involved, he thought that he might rather disturb fewer people instead of many. He turned instead to the great wide red doors.

Rapping briskly on one of the boards bordering the doorway, he stuck his head inside.

He saw a young man who looked uncomfortable in his own skin.

He saw a man with a pitchfork, and this brought him up short a bit.

Good weapon in a pinch, a pitchfork, he reflected. Go to stab a man in the heart with a pitchfork, it doesn't even matter if he's got situs transversus, you'll still get 'im with one prong or another. Always respect a man with a pitchfork.

"Oh, er," he murmured, eyes a little wide, then spoke up. "Hate to interrupt. 'Male bonding,' and all? Yeah. Soz. Only I think I might have to borrow a map. Maybe a phone? (S'pose there's not a phone in a barn.) Either of you two have a mobile?"

As Bruce's attempt to make things right failed, he heard someone speak from behind him. Bruce turned to the man speaking.

Sorry, this isn't my place, and I don't have a phone on me. Bruce said as he sat on the bench besides him. He could understand being lost out here. For that matter, he didn't even know where here was.

"Yes, I can hear you. Of course you're pretty, that goes without saying. I will do everything within my power to return your father to you. I can't make the Kents accept my help. I don't know about once a week, but you're welcome to come to my mansion any time you like. After all that has happened today, its the least I could do." Lex answered Misty with his thoughts, barely able to tell what ones were hers and which were his own. His head began to ache from it and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps we should be going, Misty?" He asked, slowly as he leaned against the wall.

Alfred pulled the Benz up in front of a big red barn. The doors were opened, and he could see someone inside. He got out of the car, and heard Bruce's voice coming from the barn.

Alfred walked inside, knocking on the door. He saw Bruce sitting on a bench, wearing a flannel shirt, and some blue jeans. He didn't even look like the 16 year old master that he had been serving for all these years.

Alfred, do you have your phone on you? This gentleman needs one. Bruce said. Alfred pulled out his phone from his pocket, and handed it to the man next to him. He saw Jonathon Kent standing, holding a pitch fork.

Bruce turned back to Mr. Kent. Mr. Kent, please, let me help you. It was my fault that this happened to your farm, and it's the least I can do to repay you. Bruce said again.

Mr. Kent looked at Bruce with a stern look. Look, Bruce, I don't need your money. This farm has lasted this long without all that money, it can last longer. He said, finilizing his answer.

Bruce had an idea. Then put me to work. I'll do whatever you want, whatever you need to help get this place back in shape.

Jamie accepted the phone gratefully. "Cheers."

He'd not expected such prompt service, to be honest.

"Alfred, eh?" he smiled faintly, and nodded to the man. As he dialed, Jamie with a murmur recalled some of that G.K. Chesterton he'd been scribbling out for his daughter:

"'I will go with you,
As man with God has gone,
And wander with a wandering star,
The wandering heart of things that are,
The fiery cross of love and war
That like yourself, goes on.'"

"...Alfred." He grinned beamingly, and shook his head, as the phone rang at the other end. "Good name. Good name for a good man."

He walked away, then, walked to the other end of the barn so as not to disturb the talk of men that was going on between Alfred and the discomfited lad, and the respectable, pitchfork-wielding Mr. Kent.

The other end picked up. "Hulloh?"

"'Ello, Ceri," Jamie replied sheepishly. "Would you mind giving me a bit of a lift? I found my way to the Kents' place without leaving a trail of breadcrumbs, and I'm in something of a quandary as to how to make my way back."

"For God's sake, Jamie," Ceri muttered crossly, and shook her head.

Silence lingered on the line, for a moment. "Yes, yes, of course. I'll be right along. Don't be causing any trouble for those nice people! (Honestly, worse than a schoolboy. For God's sake.)"

Jamie grinned beatifically. "Splendid! I'll be waiting here with the proverbial bells on."

He could all but hear Ceri shake her head. "See that you are. See that you are."

...and with a click, she was gone.

Ruefully, sheepishly, Jamie walked back over to the knot of men to return the phone to Alfred, King Among Gentlemen... though he lingered on the edge of things, again not wanting to interrupt.

Bruce looked at Mr. Kent, who was considering his offer. Just let me know. Alfred will give you my number, and whenever you want me, just give me a call. Bruce said. Then he headed back inside the house.

Kara and her mother were talking as he knocked on the screen door. Lex and Misty were just standing there, looking at each other, kinda strangly.

'This is one hell of a scene.' Bruce thought to himself as Kara walked up to the door.

Okay, John Smith, or Var-Sen as he really was, thought to himself, this is pretty interesting.

The meteor shower that hit Smallville around a decade ago left deposits of a greenish rock that, other than a unique color, had no scientific value, according to a government publication he found via Google.

Okay, so then why was this high school newspaper reporter saying that the meteor rocks turn people into freaks?

Duplicity and lies is human nature. Var-sen had almost forgotten. It was not uncommon for the world governments to direct untruths towards their populaces in order to stave off alarm or prevent further investigations. It had been done with the numerous landings by other lifeforms during the past years, so this meteor rock issue was logically another incident.

But, which was truth, and which was lie? Was the truth that this rock, obviously of extra-terrestrial origin and arriving as meteorites, of no scientific value? Or, was the fantasies of a high school newspaper writer the more accurate picture?

Perhaps John Smith should pay another visit to Smallville High.

Despite putting a brave face on for his ex-wife (or, at the very least, a brave voice), Jamie presently felt the awkwardness of the situation. Here he was, on another man's turf, having just strolled in and made himself at home.

(Or, at the very least, at barn.)

Jamie's manners had never ever been his strong suit. But he was making an effort, at the very least.

He pressed the mobile back into Alfred's hand, and nodded gratefully to him once more.

"Cheers again, old boy," he smiled, though the awkwardness shone through in his eyes. "Another bit of good karma for you, eh? Though it strikes me that you've likely no shortage of that in your life. Good man, Alfred."

Then he turned in place, and brought himself face to face with The Lord of The Manour.

He held out his hand in greeting. A good solid handshake. (Americans couldn't resist a handshake; he'd been living in The Midwest long enough to know.)

"Jonathan Kent, is it?" he wondered. "You like shortening that, ever? Jon, Johnny, Jono, Jack? Jack Kent?"

He blinked, and realised he was being facetious again. No call for it.

He took a deep breath. "Jamie Hamilton. Doctor. I'm living nearby at the old McCrimmon place. You know them, eh? Ceri and Little Rose? Anyway. Pleased as Punch to meet you, though I'm frightfully sorry for adding to the chaos of the day. Certainly seems you've enough on your plate without me to deal with."

Kara, I wanted to apologize to you for all of this. I really did not want to meet your family under these circumstances. And I've talked to your dad, hoping that he will allow me to work with him to help get the farm back together. Again, I'm sorry. Bruce told the young blonde.

Kara smiled at him, as they both stood standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

Bruce walked outside, and headed to the Benz parked outside of the barn. He heard the gentleman talking to Mr. Kent. Bruce hoped that Mr. Kent would allow him to work with him, he seemed like a nice man.

OOC: Guys I really apologize for not posting, I've been swamped with essays and getting ready for Finals and such. When I have some more free time I should be able to sit down and get some posts in.