Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Survivors

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 04: Midvale

J’onn sat in his quarters on the John F Kennedy aircraft carrier, going over the video Vivian had forwarded him of the attack on the DEO convoy multiple times. Every he saw it, he became more disturbed. While not powerless himself by any means, he had serious doubts if his Martian gifts would give him any advantage over one Kryptonian much less two and he knew there were more out there. Judging by their special interest in the pod, the Martian was now certain that this definitely was a Kryptonian pod and the two Kryptonians in black either wanted to kill the girl or find her because she meant something to the woman. The man had seemed more in control, almost gleefully sadistic, but the dark haired female seemed frantic behind her tough exterior.

His secure line, filtered through Vivian sounded, indicating Connolly had also seen the video.

“I take it you have seen what we are up against?” he asked, without preamble.

“Laser vision, flying, indestructible, incredibly strong and fast and dress like they are going surfing in cold water or skin diving. Yeah, I saw it. They Deathstar escapees?” he asked.

“That would be my guess. The man flew off in one direction and disappeared from radar, most likely going low or too fast for such a small object to be picked up. The female went back to the crash site and continued on. She is looking for the girl.”

“Yep, and I am betting the girl has no idea or no way to contact her. Have you seen the grocery store video? A scared kid with a baby, stealing baby supplies and running. She was farther into the East than we thought, J’onn.” Connolly fretted. “She is moving at incredible speeds. The kid didn’t even try to steal food for herself.”

“So what is your next move?” the Martian asked.

“Well, Viv caught a strange report from some hunters. Seems they found a dead bear next to a ten and surrounded by scorched land. Me and Ty are here now. Hell, the leaves on the trees are burnt half way up because of the heat. The bear is barbecue, and my guess is the animal was standing over her because there are two perfect holes right through its body and into the tree behind it at a 60 degree angle. She got scared and just discovered she has laser vision.”

“Another problem to deal with. If she burnt that much, it is doubtful she knows how to control it.” J’onn guessed. It was hard enough to learn to live on a new planet, add in taking care of a baby and having her eyes explode unexpectedly and this girl’s life must be a nightmare right now. “As much as I hate to rely on DEO information, their scientists are the only ones I have to rely on for forensics and analyzation. Vivian has hacked and is hidden inside their network and everything I have learned about these Kryptonians does not give me hope. If you see this woman, disengage and disappear. I know you hate hearing that but there is no way to defeat them at this time. As much as I hate to say it, if the woman in black finds her first, there is nothing we can do about it.”

“Even you, green you, I mean?”

“Doubtful. I may be strong, but I am not that strong and I am not as fast in the air. Use your head on this one. If you aren’t sure how, ask Jack. Thats what he is there for.”

“Why do you have to say such spiteful things, J’onn? They hurt my feelings.” Connolly joked. He wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t risk his men, his team against a foe that was unbeatable… at least unbeatable for now.

“What is your plan from this point on? You can’t exactly put up missing posters with her face. The DEO wanted to issue wanted posters and Adam Alerts for her. Vivian wiped the footage of her face. The cops couldn’t hold her, she doesn’t need to be more frightened and the DEO has more people looking for her than we do. If needed, I will come out, but I would prefer to stay out of this. If Henshaw discovers a green alien flying, I’ll spend more time handling him than looking for the girl.”

Connolly sighed, already knowing this. The man honestly didn’t think it would matter if J’onn was involved. If the Admiral didn’t know exactly what planet the girl was from when she crashed, he doubted she would know about Martians. He could very well make the situation worse, if it could be worse.

“From what Dante can tell and I agree, she has been traveling East constantly with only a slight deviation to the South. There is absolutely no way we can keep up. She isn’t stopping, she isn’t hiding as much as she is running. She will stop though when she runs out of land. My guess is she will end up in North or South Carolina or Virginia. From that point she will either travel North or South. She is too scared to backtrack. She may be young but this is no dumb kid. She knows to keep moving until she can find a place she believes is absolutely safe or hidden. We have to catch up to her on the East Coast. Once she is at the shore, she will decided on a direction and at that point, its either lose her as she follows the coast into South America or really lose her if she makes it into the Canadian wild. Since she is running I doubt she has figured out that she can fly but it is a matter of time. Once that happens, the chances of the woman in black finding her are greater. We are going to set up in those three states. I’m sending Ty with Dante to Virginia, Jack and Hawk will take South Carolina and I am handling North Carolina myself. She has to resupply and has avoided large cities because if my guess is right, she can’t handle loud noises. We are going to stake out small towns in those three states. Not much but until she surfaces again, we have nothing. Vivian has her on facial recognition, right?”

“Yes, the DEO is wiped but ours is running. Sounds like a solid plan. If you find a clue and you need air support let me know. I’ll let you have the run of DEO agents in the area and I can help.”

“Understood sir. I will keep you updated.”

Connolly ended the call and sighed, taking in the fried bear, the tent with melted poles and scorched ground, wondering when life became so complicated.

He knew of course. The moment he had a face to face meeting with Admiral Robert Greer. Fifteen months ago, what seemed like a lifetime ago, he had been the commanding officer of Seal Team 10, specializing in hostage rescues, mostly non combatants being held by terrorist cells and extremist organizations. After a successful mission, before he could change from his combat fatigues, he was summoned, transported by Helicopter to an aircraft carrier and escorted into Admiral Greer’s office. Connolly did not know much about the man, other than his rank and being one of the most influential men in the Navy, someone the Secretary of the Navy and the President listened to. He was 6’1 with dark hair, streaked with silver and deep blue eyes, obviously in shape for a man of any age, unlike most Admirals, and had a commanding presence.

“Welcome Lt. Commander Jason Connolly.”

“Thank you sir. I am a bit surprised to be here. Could you tell me what this is about without standing on niceties?”

Greer smiled at his bluntness and pulled out a classified folder.

“This is your service record with reports from commanding officers, at least for the last five years. You have been rewarded the metal of…”

“Yes sir, but you didn’t bring me here to congratulate me.”

Greer took a deep breath.

“Your psychological profile interest me, as do these reports from your commanding officers.” Greer continued. “You are considered one of the best marksmen in the world. You have a mastery of three forms of martial arts. One of the best divers in spec ops. You are also an expert with very sharp weapons. Your infiltration skills are impressive. You are supposedly a ghost. According to these reports, you are smart, brave and your men are absolutely loyal to you. You have a great mind for tactics, improvising when missions do not go according to plan.”

Connolly said nothing. He knew what was coming next, he had heard it all before.

“You are also very dangerous, perhaps to no one more than yourself. You are a risk taker.”

“Its only a risk if I lose. Since I haven’t yet, I consider them successful tactics in opposition to standard operating procedure.”

“One psych report indicates you possibly have a death wish.”

“I consider it a zest for life, sir.”

“Extremely violent tendencies towards enemies, to the point of causing unnecessary death.”

“That was one time and despite what others believed, it was very necessary.”

“So you killed twenty two terrorists in their sleep, after you had gotten the hostage to safety, because it was necessary, even though that was not an objective?”

“Twenty three. I may have fibbed a bit on the body count.”

Greer smirked.

“Connolly, I need to know right now, honestly, are you psychotic? Are you a killing machine or can you really think outside the box as your mission briefs suggest? Do you have a clear understanding of what is right and wrong?”

“I have a clear understanding that there are grey areas in life where there is no right or wrong. I killed those men in the desert because in the tent I had rescued the girl from, there was a letter indicting that the men planned to suicide bomb and attack a daycare filled with the French embassy children the next day. By the time this information would have been sent to proper channels, read over by Naval Intelligence and passed on to the CIA then the French, it would have been too late. I couldn’t take a risk of it happening so I killed them all. I am not psychotic, I am always in control and know exactly what I am doing. I win. Its what I am paid to do and why I am in charge of my own team. If they really put any stock into those reports I would never be allowed to stay in the Navy, much less be trusted with classified missions. You know this Admiral. I am still not seeing the point of this conversation.”

“The point is, I have a job to offer you and I need to know if I have the right man. It was between you and Jack Webb and while I want Jack involved, the enemies you will be facing are what you could call, out of the box. I attended the Naval Academy when I was 19 but my high school records were faked. I never attended any high school. I used the identity of a kid killed in a motor vehicle accident when he was sixteen, used skills I had to bring him legally back to life and have spent twenty five years working my way to this position. Why the Navy? Because this planet is mostly covered in water and I needed to be anywhere at anytime with little trouble.”

Admiral Greer stood up, and in a flash of light, grew a foot, turned green and his uniform was gone, replaced by armor and a cape.

“You aren’t running. Thats good.”

“I doubt very seriously you brought me onto a large aircraft carrier in front of a thousand witnesses to kill me after doing whatever this is. You obviously aren’t human, or that is one hell of magic trick. Judging by my psych reports which you cleverly have, you know if I run out of here screaming, telling anyone about this, the powers that be will think I have finally reached my breaking point. I am also very intrigued now. Like I said, I know you didn’t bring me here to go over my service record. You need me for something. What is it?”

Satisfied, Connolly learned later that the Martian had read his mind, J’onn knew he had picked the right person.

“I need you to lead a team of four men, men you trust, men who won’t be frightened of me. Five minutes ago would it surprise you to know that there were aliens on Earth?”

“Nope. I never figured the underground portions of Area 51 and Dugway were holding fine art or an old spy plane museum. It wasn’t my business. I had real problems to deal with.”

“The problem is very real. Earth is a safe ground and has been for thousands of years. Some aliens were worshipped as Gods in the past. Some just tried to get by, landing here for some reason or another. Unfortunately there is an organization now, led by a man named Hank Henshaw. The organization is called the DEO and has been formed to capture ad kill aliens. The ones that can be taken in alive are experimented on. The problem we, me and now you face, is that not all of these aliens mean us harm. Some like myself, had nowhere else to go. I have been on this planet for over three hundred years. I have seen aliens hunted and killed, and I suspect even worse, taken to a fate probably worse than death. I have been setting up refugee spots, safe houses to hide the those who mean this planet no harm.”

“And you want us to beat this DEO to crash sites and determine if these aliens mean us harm or just need a safe place to hide.” Connolly guessed.

“Exactly. The team has to be mobile, ready to move at a moments notice and deadly. These aliens are no joke. Many of them have special powers, powers that I may know about but not all. I need men who can think in the field. These aliens could be scared and defensive, protecting themselves without meaning or wanting to cause actual harm. Others will attack without provocation. I need someone who knows the grey areas. Are you that person?”

Connolly took a sheet of paper from J’onn’s desk and began writing, then handed it over to him.

“Jack Webb, of course. Dante Youngblood, I have heard of him. He is also checked out on choppers in event extraction is needed. You worked with him in Khabul. Tyrone Gavin, the primary sniper on your team. Also… have you lost your mind?”

“Thats probably the reason I am here, right?”

“Dan Hawk? He is in the brig serving a five year sentence! The man is a psychotic monster.”

“He’s my psychotic monster. I’ve worked with him before. He will do what I say. I need someone to handle the big guns that we are probably going to need. Besides he likes kids and puppies. How bad can he be? Those are the guys I need, the guys I can trust, you can trust and can get the job done. Hawk takes orders from me and Jack. We are probably the only ones he listens to. The other two are familiar with grey areas and won’t panic. They are very good at what they do. Do we have a deal?”

J’onn sighed. “Yes. Hawk won’t be available for the first mission. I doubt he can swim that well anyway. A large object crashed into the Pacific four days ago. We are in route now and I need your men to dive to the crash site and find out whatever or whoever is down there. The official report has it listed as a meteor. I know better and so does the DEO. Unfortunately for them, they aren’t SEALs. They cannot dive to find out and the Navy is not going to waste resources looking for them. Find out what is there and do what needs to be done. If extraction for a non combatant is needed, I will give you further instructions.”

“Then we have a deal. Have my men brought here by the time we reach the crash site and I will find out everything you need to know.”

Connolly shook his head, pulling himself out of the past. No matter how weird his life had become, it didn’t change the fact that there was a little girl and a baby, being chased by the DEO and a homicidal Kryptonian who may have her best interests at heart or may want to kill her.

The Kryptonian girl in question was running once again, a backpack attached to her, a baby in her arms and tears that had not stopped streaking down her face. Kara had no place to go so she kept running, staying away from nosies, the black pavement, the sounds of cities far off. She used the cover of trees whenever possible and ran faster across open land. Kal slept at times, wrapped in his blanket, head on her shoulders and at other times woke and cried to be let down. At those moments, Kara would find tree cover and let him walk, feed him a bottle or can of the food she had stolen and moved, never staying in one place, longer than an hour. She needed shelter, someplace completely hidden, no humanoids around, no creatures, that roared and importantly no one near who she could harm. The girl had even avoided looking Kal directly in the eyes for fear of whatever she had unleashed would come back. Nighttime came and though she was exhausted, the thought of burning that creature kept her running. She knew she was hungry once again, starving, but that didn’t matter now. Kara would deal with that later, eat some of Ka’ls baby food if she had to. Hunger didn’t matter.

Kara was freaked out and panicking.

As dawn approached and the sun rose, the worst happened.

She ran out of land. The girl had come to a stop and down below, at least a couple hundred feet, waves were crashing at the base of a cliff she was standing on. Though covered by trees, her former plan of running straight was gone. She had to chose a direction because this water seemed to stretch forever.

“Oh great. Which way Kal? I hear cities on either side of us, far off but that means people. There is a small village near here, but I can’t take that chance. Its better than the large cities though. If it is small maybe I can… I’m going to have to resupply, aren’t I? I can’t avoid it. Its either risk going into this small village or we starve. You have enough for maybe a week. I have nothing. If I pass out, I can’t take care of you.”

Rather than running, Kara took a moment and decided to walk the area, taking her time and thoroughly looking around the area. The girl noticed her eyesight either seemed sharper or everything was brighter here. She could see details of this planet that she had not noticed before. She noticed the creases in the trees, the bark and how it cracked, the dew on the blades of grass, the tiny grains of sand that littered the grassy ground. She could hear the sounds of the winged creatures more, the flapping of wings, the intricate colors of their feathers. She thought she had never really seen more beautiful creatures in her short life. They looked so angelic, so happy, so… free. Though she had unknowingly ran from one end of the United States to the other, Kara did not feel free. She felt trapped.

So Kara walked, trying to relax, trying not to focus on all the new sounds assaulting her ears. The sounds were at least gentle, not roaring like the loud overhead voice in the food market. The girl focused on one sound, the gentle flapping of wings, then the crashing yet soothing sounds of the waves breaking on the rock far below.

“I can drown the sounds out. If I focus on one or two sounds the others don’t bother me as much Kal.”

She opened her eyes but kept her ears focused on the two sounds that were most peaceful.

Kara had walked for five minutes, wandering aimlessly when she saw it. A small opening in the ground, covered by rock, a natural shelter. It was dark but her vision allowed her to see despite the near absence of light. The entrance was small but the inside was larger, even though it slightly dipped into the ground. Ahead she could see light, moving ahead carefully, ready to run if she saw any of the creatures like the one she had… killed.

Moving towards the light, deeper into the cave, Kara looked up and saw a slight opening high above, enough to let the light in. It was partially covered by limbs but the dim light was all she needed. Eventually the cave ended into a rock wall, approximately a hundred feet from the entrance. It was empty, she could see the insects crawling but they were few and seemed to scurry away from her. The cave stunk but was quiet. Having no way out if she was cornered was a problem, but Kara felt confident that she could jump through the small opening letting light in. During her run, her escape, she had jumped long distances over fallen trees and small streams without a second thought. At times it seemed as if she could fly. Yes, she wouldn’t be able to take the backpack but would definitely be able to take Kal with her. If nothing else she could barrel past whoever cornered her and hope they didn’t have a sound weapon like the man who had caught her sleeping. It wasn’t ideal but it would hide her.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, while she had been tuning out sounds, focusing on others, she had neglected to hear a heartbeat near her.

Alex Danvers was annoyed, very annoyed. The girl knew she was brilliant. Alex could pick up school work with ease, not feeling challenged no matter how many advanced classes she was enrolled in. She desperately wanted to test out of high school and enter college, even if she was 14. Her mother and father forbade it, insisting she have what they considered normal childhood.

So now normal had led her here, walking around these damn woods, photographing birds for some stupid science project her mother had given her instead of hanging out on the beach. Eliza felt it was important for Alex to get in touch with nature, instead of always focusing on her studies. So of course her father agreed and gave her a list of local birds to photograph. It was ridiculous and something only her parents could come up with. Still the sooner she had it done, the sooner she could relax on the beach. It was hard enough for Alex to fit in, always being too smart for others to want to hang out with her. If she wasn’t at the beach, she would be even more of a social outcast. Her parents wanted her to have a normal childhood so they made sure she had as few friends as possible. That was ridiculous logic.

A sound ahead, drew her attention, brush being pushed aside, and the teen briefly thought it might be an animal. Not surprising for this area, so far from the populated beach, but enough that she needed to find out what it was. Looking for fur, she instead saw something bright red walking on the other side of the trees.

Alex was curious by nature and she was in an area not often explored. The girl had come here purposely, so her classmates would not catch her photographing birds like a giant nerd. Seeing what was obviously a person walking around with a bright red sack set her mind in motion.

Was it some serial killer hiding a body? A hiker who decided to camp, far from the beaten path? A drug dealer hiding his stash, or a bank robber hiding the loot?

One of the reasons Alex Danvers was so good at school and so often bored was because she was curious. It had always been in her nature to take things apart, find out how they work and put them back together again. If there was a puzzle, she would solve it, if there was a disease, she wanted to know how it worked and how to treat it, especially if it was incurable. Her plan was medical school, research and breaking ground in unlocking the key to so many incurable diseases. To do this one had to be curious.

Alex also had a sense of adventure. Doing what was expected was boring. Alex craved danger, even if it was something as simple as sneaking out of her house after curfew or sneaking into old abandoned buildings, just to see what was in them.

All these traits led her to walk closer, quietly, ready to run at a moment’s notice, but still so curious.

Her curiosity was stoked when she saw a young girl, perhaps not much younger than herself walking around with a baby wrapped in red, in her arms and a pack on her back. Crouching down, she watched the girl taking to herself or the baby, Alex wasn’t sure but she appeared to be looking for something. Maybe she was a hiker who had lost an earring or something? But where were her parents? This place was far off the beaten path and Alex couldn’t see or here anyone else around.

Following the girl while staying out of sight, she was surprised to see her looking into what appeared to be a small cave entrance. There were several in this area, tiny rock crevices formed millions of years ago, the ever shifting cliff, changing its shape slowly over the centuries due to the constant hammering of the ocean. Perhaps this opening had always been here, uncovered by a storm. Either way the girl went inside with the child and Alex had a choice to make.

But of course she knew there was no choice to make. It was just a girl with a baby, not a mass murderer. There was absolutely no way Alex was not going to find out what this kid was doing here, babysitting while exploring caves.

Walking quietly into the small opening, Alex was glad to see that the inside was a bit larger if still dark. Up ahead she could see there was a bit of light and she could hear the sound of a baby babbling.

The footsteps of the girl stopped and so did Alex’s. Quiet reigned for a moment.

“Hello?”

Hearing nothing she shuffled along the walkway, bumping her head on the rocky ceiling a couple times.

“Hello? This isn’t weird at all Danvers. Some kid walks into a small cave with a kid, you of course follow because you are stupid and if she isn’t in here I will swear I believe in ghosts which is ridiculous because I am a scientist. There is a rational explanation to this. There better be.”

Kara for her part, didn’t realize she was being followed until it was too late. Not ready to abandon the backpack to jump out of the small hole up top, she slid into the darkest corner she could find, placing Kal behind her and praying that he would stay quiet. So of course he started babbling.

Kara had to be prepared to run, prepared to attack. The last thing she wanted was to hurt anyone but she could not allow Kal to be injured. The sonic device these human’s had would hurt her, disorient her, especially in a closed space.

To her surprise it was a gentle feminine voice that spoke. She wasn’t sure what hello mean’t but did not feel like using her strategy of repeating what the humans say. The was not a good tactic. It may have gotten her out of the hell hole refresher but it hadn’t worked at the food distribution center.

Placing Kal El sitting against the rock and the backpack in front of him, she decided her only option was to see who was coming and what weapons they had. The blonde cursed herself, thinking she had just found a perfect hiding spot so of course while she played with her hearing she should have been taking in everything. She would have heard this human.

“Hello?” Alex said once again, stepping into the dimly lit end of the small cave. What she saw hurt her heart. She had thought a blonde hiker with a kid was exploring. Instead she saw a trembling blonde, a back pack behind her, crouched and ready to attack. It wasn’t anger on her face but fright and even in the darkened cave, Alex could see her face was filthy.

“Hey.”

Kara took the girl in, meeting her eyes. She was tense, very tense and frightened, for herself, for Kal El and for this girl who wasn’t much older than she.

“ Please leave. I don’t want to hurt you. I will leave, I will never come back but please go away.”

“Okay then, Not a language I have ever heard. Not that I have studied many. Or any I guess. Do you speak English?”

Alex could tell the girl was frightened, so she slowly raised her hands palm open and sat on the ground.

“I’m Alex. What is your name?” Best to start simple, Alex decided, hoping the girl knew at least some English.

Kara took the girl in, using her vision and nearly becoming dizzy. She didn’t appear to have any weapons on her, besides a device in her pocket that vaguely resembled the communicator the guard at the market had on her. She had made no move to reach for it, however.

Knowing she should not trust anyone, the look in the girl’s eyes stopped her from running. For the first time, Kara was with someone who wasn’t shouting at her or trying to stop her. This girl looked like she cared. The blonde tried to control her trembling. The voice, though loud and amplified by this rock structure she found herself in, sounded friendly. It reminded her of her friends who… who were gone.

“Alex.” the girl tried again, pointing to herself. She was trying to communicate with her. Alex. She called herself Alex. Kara debated giving her name, not knowing if it was safe. There was no reason it shouldn’t be but the alien was very, very nervous. So of course Kal made the decision for her. Climbing out from behind the backpack, he dropped into her lap.

“ Kawa? Hungry. “

Alex picked up on this immediately. She didn’t know the second word the baby said but the first was obviously her name.

“Kawa?” Alex asked, pointing at the frightened girl. The blonde shook her head.

“Kara.” she replied, emphasis on the R.

“Kara. Thats a pretty name.” Alex told her. The teen knew she should leave, ask her parents to come back with her. If the girl was gone a police report could be done, surely someone was looking for two, a girl and a baby? Yet she didn’t. Whatever was going on it was obvious this girl wasn’t lost or missing, she was hiding and she was very frightened. Judging by the growling in her stomach Alex could hear from six feet away, the girl was also very hungry.

“Hungry?” Alex asked, patting her stomach and making a spoon feeding motion with her hand and mouth. Kara looked closely at the girl and nodded. Something about her made Kara trust her, or perhaps she just hoped she could trust her. She needed someone to trust.

“ Don’t tell anyone I am here.” Kara pleaded, forgetting for a moment that the girl couldn’t understand her.

Alex watched her look around and then cover her eyes.

“You don’t want anyone to know you are here, do you? You need food.” Alex decided, motioning to her mouth and repeating.

“Food?”

Alex rubbed her stomach. “Food.”

Kara slowly nodded her head.

Alex was excited about this. She had no idea what the hell was going on except this girl and kid needed to stay hidden, and the girl and boy were hungry. The boy was pawing at the backpack so Kara slowly moved it in front of her, the blonde’s eyes never leaving Alex and brought out a can of baby food. To Alex’s surprise, Kara opened the can with what looked like her fingernail.

“Whoa. Hardcore.”

“Hardcore?” the blonde asked, confused.

“You have some really sharp fingernails… even… you shouldn’t be able to do that. Where are you… what are you? You are a girl, I know that, Your stomach wouldn’t be growling if you were a robot. But…” Alex stopped talking when Kara looked at her confused and suspicious. She was immediately upset watching the girl scoop her hand into the small container and begin feeding the child. The kid didn’t even have a fork or spoon.

“Oh you are so screwed, aren’t you, Kara?”

“Screwed?”

“Yeah, I have a feeling that is what you are. Food?” Alex repeated then pointed to herself and up above. “I, me, I can get food for you.” she finished, pointing at the girl. Alex would take her home but she had a feeling Kara wouldn’t trust her that much yet. If she brought other people into this, the girl would run and Alex doubted she would be able to stop her if the rest of this girl was as strong as her fingernail.

“Do you want me to get food for you?”

Kara slowly nodded her head, continuing to feed Kal who happily lapped the food from her hand.

Alex was grateful or at least hopeful that whoever this kid was, nodding the head was universal for yes,

“Stay here?” Alex asked, pointing at the ground. Kara quickly covered her eyes then looked back at Alex.

Alex covered her eyes. “Hide?”

“Hide.” Kara agreed. The blonde still wasn’t sure why, but she was beginning to trust the girl. She hadn’t attacked her and though they couldn’t understand each other at least they were beginning to communicate. Deep down, Kara was just tired. She needed a break, she needed help and taking this chance was better than chancing a trip into the village.

“Hide.” Alex agreed. “Stay?” she continued pointing at the ground. Kara nodded.

“I will be back. Stay.”

Alex slowly backed out, cursing a few times when she bumped her head on the way out. After exiting the cave she moved a short distance away and watched the cave. The girl hadn’t come out. Deciding the best she could do was hope the girl stayed, Alex walked quickly then ran, working up a sweat by the time she made it home.

“Hi darling.” Eliza greeted her from the kitchen.

“Hey Mom.” she greeted her and moved towards her bedroom upstairs to grab a bag.

“Alex wait! Did you complete your assignment? Did you get outside today in nature or hang out on the beach?”

“Yep, I sure did get out. Found a lot of… birds, but most of them were the same… kind. I am going out to look for some more but my phone is dead. Think I can borrow your camera?”

“Oh, wow. I honestly thought… no, you did as I asked, why don’t you go to the beach and play with your friends?”

Normally Alex would have been extremely annoyed at her mother discussing her social life as if she was four and had play parties. Today she could care less.

“That’s great. I’m going to charge my phone for a bit and then head there. I think I am going to pack a bag too, enjoy lunch at the beach.”

“Lunch? Can’t you eat before you leave? It’s only noon. You will have plenty of time before dark.”

“No, uh, this morning really gave me an appreciation for nature. I would really like to soak up some sun and eat outside. I’ll fix me something, take a bag, water, that sort of thing.” Blankets, pillow, lamp, and spoons, don’t forget spoons, Alex continued in her head.

“Okay then. I think I will go to the lab. Your Dad is there and wants me to look at some… do you want to come?”

“Nah, I hate the idea of being inside on a day like this. I’ll be fine.” Perfect. The lab was a thirty minute commute for her parents, giving her until at least 6 or 7 o clock tonight, maybe later.

“Okay, pack you a lunch and we will have a late supper, maybe we will pick up chicken on the way home. Would you like that?”

Great idea.

“Yeah, just pick up a lot. That sounds like a good snack for my… nature walks.”

Eliza patted Alex’s cheek. “I am so glad you are taking to this. The nature, the beauty of this place is why we wanted to move here, not just for that beach. Sometimes you work to hard in school and miss what is around you. I know its hard, you want to be with your friends…”

I want to have friends. Alex thought followed by would you please leave and leave the speeches for later.

“But while the beach is beautiful it isn’t the same as experiencing…”

“Nature in solitude. Got it. Talk to you later Mom. Love you.” Alex ran up the stairs before Eliza could say another word or go on one of her parental wisdom speeches. Grabbing the largest carry on bag in her closet she folded blankets and placed an extra pillow in the bag. It wasn’t perfect but at least she would have something warm to wrap around her and a soft place to lay her head until Alex could get her to trust her enough to leave that horrible place. She waited until her mother had driven off then raced downstairs, making four sandwiches with ham and cheese, and grabbing every wrapped snack in the kitchen. She also grabbed four bottles of water from the fridge and threw them into the bag. The bag weighed quite a bit, but she wasn’t done. Running upstairs to grab a second, smaller bag, she ran to the back shed where her Dad kept their camping equipment and found what she needed, a battery powered lantern. Checking the batteries to make sure the lantern was working, she moved back upstairs, and grabbed a couple towels, a sweat shirt and sweat pants from her drawer, looked around and decided underwear would be a must. Judging by how filthy the girl was, she doubted Kara would mind wearing Alex’s clean underwear. Beggars can’t be choosers and this girl looked worse than a beggar.

Alex moved, nearly running and ten minutes later she had entered the woods on the cliff. Checking her watch, she decided that she had been gone an hour from Kara. The teen couldn’t determine what her pull was to this girl, she could be dangerous judging by how sharp her fingernails were, but someone dangerous wouldn’t hand feed a baby. This kid didn’t speak English, or sound like any language she had ever heard. She was a mystery, a puzzle, and Alex could never turn down a puzzle.

Looking around to make sure no one was around who would see her enter, Alex slipped inside and moved to the back, managing not to bump her head this time. When she got to the end of the cave, she was very disappointed.

Kara wasn’t there.

Dropping the bags in frustration, she nearly jumped at the voice behind her.

“Alex?”

Kara was walking in behind her, backpack on and Kal in her arms. The baby was smiling and Alex wondered if he had any clothes besides the blankets he was wrapped in.

“You waited outside to see if I came alone. Smart girl.” the teen told her, impressed. At least she was still here.

“Alone?”

Alex sighed. She would have a ways to go with this girl in terms of communication. She pointed to Kara and her. “Alone.”

Kara nodded slightly and then her eyes shot to the bag with food, her stomach growling.

Alex sat down and slowly opened the bag, then slid it to Kara. She sat down, letting Kal down. The baby began walking towards Alex before Kara stopped him.

“Kal!” Kara called, not wanting him to leave her side. She was beginning to trust this Alex but… he was her mission, her responsibility.

“Kal? His name is Kal? He is cute. Kara and Kal. I like it. Is he your little brother?”

Kara said nothing and Alex had no idea how to mime little brother.

“ He is all I have.” Kara mumbled. She saw the food, the bread, the sandwiches and the water, the packages underneath.

“Eat.” Alex instructed. Kara was learning that word quickly. She opened one of the bags and sniffed, then took a bite. Then another. Alex sat in wonder, watching the girl go through one sandwich, two, three, four, before her eyes in less than two minutes. She barely took time to breathe. Alex offered her a bottle of water. Kara sniffed it, then met Alex’s eyes.

“Paranoid little thing, aren’t you?” Alex told her, grinning. She tipped the bottle back and sipped it herself then handed it back to Kara who was, for the first time since she had known the girl, smiling. The blonde tipped the water back and drained it in seconds. She then moved onto the first package and ripped it open, taking a bite.

Alex was frightened at first, thinking she may have hurt the girl, judging by Kara’s moan when she first took a bite. The girls eyes were wide, then closed as she threw her head back. Kara looked at the treat in almost awe.

“Like that, huh? They are called Sticky Buns. The ones that are hot and fresh are even better but these aren’t bad for a quick snack.”

Kara took her time with this, seeming to savor every bite. While she was eating Kal had once again made his way to Alex. Kara stopped chewing, watching him reach out for the brunette. Alex met her eyes and Kara slightly nodded.

Kal El was in her arms in a second, giggling. Alex mimed eating once again. Kara’s eyes looked towards the bag and she nodded. Alex carried the baby over to the bag, pulling out the can and realizing she had not brought a can opener. She offered the small tin to Kara, who was licking her fingers. Understanding immediately what to do, Kara opened the can and Alex noticed when she pulled back the tin back, the rough, sharp edge did not cut her finger. Taking it back, Alex pulled a spoon out of her bag. She dipped into the can and brought the first bite to Kal’s mouth. He giggled at the feel of the spoon and clapped his hands, wanting more. After he was finished he walked around a bit before sitting down in Kara’s lap, resting his head on her chest.

Alex reached into the bag and brought out the clothes, indicating they were for her. She also grabbed the blankets and pillow out of the bag, then a towel. Taking the lantern out, she illuminated the cave, allowing her to take Kara in even more and she nearly gasped at how dirty the girl was. How long had she been outside? Kal also had some dirt on him but it was obvious Kara kept him fairly clean. She had food for him, but not for herself. She kept him clean but didn’t… if this wasn’t her brother she couldn’t imagine who else he could be, despite the fact that their hair colors were very different.

Alex grabbed a towel from the bag, the last item and took one of the two remaining water bottles. She poured a bit of water on the towel and scooted towards Kara. Lifting the towel she waited for approval. Kara nodded slightly. Alex gently began wiping the girl’s face. She needed more water on the towel but after five minutes Kara no longer looked as if she had been rolling around in a dirt pile. Laying out the blankets and pillow the girl said something to her that unsurprisingly Alex didn’t understand but thought she knew the meaning.

“ Thank you.”

“ I don’t know what that means but if it means what I think it means, then you are welcome.”

Alex took in the girl, who was eating another Sticky Bun and she noted Kal was asleep on the pillow and blanket she had prepared.

“I can’t believe I am leaving you two here tonight. He doesn’t belong here and neither do you, but if I take you home my parents are going to call the police and everything in me is screaming that wouldn’t be a good idea. You would run and never trust anyone again would you? Where are you from? Where is your home? God, I wish you could talk to me.”

“Home?” Kara asked, noting that Alex had said that word quite a bit today. Alex saw the sun was going down in the little natural light hole in the roof.

“Yeah, home. Where I have to go soon. You had better be here tomorrow. I will find you a place, a better place to hide than is no place for either of you. We just need to make it one more day then Mom and Dad go to work on Monday. I can bring you home and get you really cleaned up, both of you.” Alex told her, knowing the girl wouldn’t understand.

“Home?” Kara asked again, pointing at Alex.

“Yeah,” Alex sighed. “Home, where I sleep.” Alex told her, placing both hands to the side of her head and closing her eyes. “Its where I sleep, that way. Where is your home?” she asked, pointing at the blonde. Kara looked over at a sleeping Kal and stood up, even placing the sticky bun back in its wrapper, She looked at Alex and slowly walked towards the cave exit. Alex checked on a lightly snoring Kal and followed. Just out of the entrance of the cave, Kara looked back and Alex could swear she was looking at Kal through rocks. Satisfied by whatever she saw in the rock, Kara looked at Alex once more.

“Home?”

“Yeah, home. That way.” she pointed. Then she mimicked sleeping once more. “Where is your home?” she asked the blonde, pointing at her.

Kara looked up at the sky, the stars were just coming out as the sun set. She slowly pointed to the sky, her eyes watering.

“Home.”

Alex followed her finger and guessed she wasn’t talking about the trees.

“Oh shit.” she whispered. “You mean you are from…”

Alex stopped her question at the wail that broke the silence in the forest. Kara was on her knees crying, her hands covering her eyes but the stream of tears not slowing. Her breathing was fast and the sobbing was broken. Alex looked back at the stars and then knelt behind Kara, putting her arms around the girl from behind. To her surprise, Kara actually turned towards her, pressing her face in Alex’s chest and wrapping her arms around the girl tightly. Alex noticed she had an unnaturally strong grip in the back of her mind but her focus was on the paranoid, skittish girl, who was having a complete breakdown in her arms.

“Something very bad happened to you, didn’t it? You are from… yeah. You are way to strong, you don’t bleed… oh Kara what happened? Thats why you can’t be found.”

Alex held the girl for a few more minutes until Kara’s breakdown seemed to subside and her eyes were drying up. Her breathing evened out but Alex still held on to her.

“Relax. We are going to figure this out. I’m going to help you. Just trust me. Can you trust me?”

Kara looked up at her. The two were both on the ground but Kara was still shorter than her, not just because she had wrapped herself around the first person on this planet who had shown her kindness.

“Yeah, trust me.” Alex told her, squeezing her tighter.

Kara didn’t know exactly what those words meant but she thought she got the meaning. Despite the breakdown she had just had, thinking about everything that had happened since her home had been destroyed, she was not embarrassed. She trusted Alex. The girl had fed her, clothed her, given her water that was so clean and even fed Kal. She had a blanket to cover her tonight and a pillow for her and Kal to sleep on. It wasn’t a hard choice.

“Trust, Alex.”