A/N: I just wanted to tell you all to ignore my first author's note about Alicia as I find that the story works better with her being with Clark.
"Clark? Clark, are you even listening to me?"
"Sorry, Alicia I was kind of lost in thought." He told her as his blue eyes met hers. They had decided to go ice skating even though Clark still couldn't skate to save his life, but Clark had found himself unable to focus on his date. His mind kept going back to Kara and Galatea, and he prayed to RAO they were still in his barn.
"Now Clark, why would ever have thought we weren't where you told us to be?" Galatea asked him with a wicked smirk.
"Maybe because I could already tell you two had a tendency to not do as you're told."
"Where's the fun in always following the rules?" Kara asked and the Son of Jor-El just shook his head in response before continuing his tale.
"Well get your head out of the clouds and come back to me Clark before you fall on your ass again." She told him, and he just sent her a small glare in response; just because he had fallen twice in the last ten minutes didn't mean Alicia had to rub it in.
"Well, not all of us can be so gifted on our feet." He replied, and she just smirked before continuing to pull him around the ice with Clark trying his best not to fall again. They continued like that for another fifteen minutes before Alicia finally pulled him off the ice rink and walked over to a bench.
"Okay Clark, what's wrong?"
"What are you talking about?" He asked, and she just shook her head and huffed lightly.
"It's obvious that you're not okay considering you've barely heard a thing I've said in the last hour."
"That's not true!"
"Clark when I asked you whether you wanted to go see a movie or go to dinner you didn't so much as blink. Now I know you're some sort of Superman but even you have to respond somehow."
"I'm sorry Alicia, I've just got a lot on my mind at the moment is all."
"The things you happen to have on our mind wouldn't be blonde, Kryptonian and named Kara and Galatea would they?" She asked and Clark broke her gaze, suddenly becoming very interested in the laces on his skates.
"Clark, it's fine. You just found out that you're not actually the last of your kind so it's no wonder you can't stay focused. Go home Clark, and I'll call you tomorrow."
"Alicia-"
"It's fine Clark, but before you go I wanted to give you something. Just shut your eyes and no peeking." She said, and Clark did as she asked; he felt something slide onto his finger and opened his now glowing red eyes.
"Great RAO, how could I have been so stupid?!"
"Clark, what is it, what's wrong?" Kara asked as she moved from where she had been watching the sunset, Galatea doing likewise as they turned to a now pacing Clark Kent.
"I let myself get drugged, and almost got married."
"WHAT?"
"When Krypton exploded and I came to Earth, I came in a meteor shower. Pieces of our planet came with me, landing in Smallville. Some of it, the green rock, can kill us, while the red...the red rock takes away our inhibitions. We have no rules, no restraint...in short we do whatever we want, with no thought of the consequences. Alicia gave me a necklace with red meteor rock and almost-" He stopped suddenly aware of exactly what he was going to say. There were some things you didn't say in mixed company after all.
"Almost what Clark?"
"Isn't it obvious Kara? He's trying to be a gentleman and not say it but it's obvious. He and his little girlfriend almost had sex." She finished, and Kara laughed as Clark's face went bright red.
"Ex-girlfriend and please don't laugh about that. If she hadn't taken the red k off I could have actually hurt her. If I lost control I could kill her."
"I doubt she would have complained. There are worse ways to die you know." Kara said with a smirk, making Clark blush all the harder from her comment.
"Well I've never died so no I don't know. But I have to wonder, are you speaking from experience or is that your ideal way to go?" Clark shot back a moment later, the young man barely recognizing the words coming from his mouth. He had just broken up with Alicia not three hours earlier, and now he was flirting with a young woman he barely knew. What in the name of RAO was wrong with him?
"Well I can't speak for Kara, but that would be my ideal way to go. Why, are you offering?" Galatea asked, feeling her eyes heat up at the thought.
"Not today."
"Tomorrow then?" Kara asked.
"I'm just joking Kal." She told him, and he exhaled a breath in relief.
"Are you telling us you don't find us attractive Kal?" Galatea asked, and Clark laughed.
"I would have to be blind, deaf and dead to say that I don't find you two attractive. However, I'm also not looking for anything at the moment."
"Well that's good son, because you're not going to have time to date anyone for quite a while."
"Aren't you going to introduce us to your friends Clark?"
Clark cursed under his breath, so low that only Kara and Galatea caught it. This was not going to be pleasant.
"I bet your father just loved that Mr. Kent." Jean said, and Clark laughed.
"Call me Clark please, and no not really."
"It can't of been worse than the time Logan caught us kissing in the Danger Room." Zod interjected, making Kara clear her throat.
"Which is a story for another time and with less ears around." He finished, making his mother nod approvingly, while Clark just grinned before continuing his tale.
"I'm sure you'll understand my hesitance to believe your story given our past experiences with Jor-El." Jonathan said as the Kents and their two guests sat around the table.
"Dad, let's get something straight. If it came down to it, if they honestly wanted to do me harm, I would be outmatched against Kara or Galatea alone, never mind the two together."
"I don't know, you did alright. Did someone teach you to fight or was it just instinct?" Kara asked.
"A bit of both." He replied, but he didn't elaborate.
"Look it's getting late. Why don't we all get some rest and we can decide what to do about this in the morning once we've had a chance to cool off?" Martha suggested, seeing her husband about to lose his temper due to Clark and Kara's comments.
"Can't sleep?" Clark asked as he came onto the roof where Kara was sitting, looking at the stars.
"It was right there you know?" Kara said, pointing toward the sky where a constellation of stars were. Or rather, where they had been. The constellation was broken, one star missing, unnoticeable unless you knew where it used to be.
"I know that Earth can never replace Krypton Kara, but I promise you that you will always have a home here for as long as you want."
"Thank you Clark." She said softly, taking his hand in her own. For several moments they just sat there in silence before Clark spoke.
"What were they like? My parents I mean?"
"Jor-El was stubborn as could be when it came to science, always having to be right. But when it came to you and your mother he loved you unconditional. I remember just before he placed you in your ship he said that you would be the best Krypton had to offer. You wouldn't have his crosses to bear. Your mother Lara was like a second mother to me. She was kind, and caring, and I never saw her happier than the day you were born. However, she also had a temper and wouldn't hesitate to get angry if she felt it was justified. I think that aside from my own mother, Lara was the only person on Krypton that my father was afraid of. It was actually quite funny to see him with his back against the wall when he and Jor-El came back one night after having a little too much to drink." She said with a laugh, making Clark smile.
"I don't mean to pry, but shouldn't you already know about your parents from Jor-El's training?" She asked, and the young man's mood instantly darkened.
"I haven't started any training with Jor-El, nor do I intend to. Whatever that machine is, I want nothing to do with it. When I refused to leave my family, and my human side behind it branded me like cattle, took me over to make me into a perfect Kryptonian."
"What are you talking about?" Kara asked, so Clark told her everything that had happened during his time as Kal. When he was done she looked livid.
"That was not what Jor-El intended. Is there nothing that you can do to rewrite the AI's programming?" Kara asked and Clark shook his head.
"The crystal that I used on Galatea is supposedly one of three which will create a fortress containing all of Krypton's knowledge, but nothing that could help me with Jor-El."
Kara nodded, and for several moments the two sat there in silence before Kara broke it.
"The crystal of course! It's so obvious!"
"What are you talking about Kara?"
"Yes do tell us what you have in mind." Galatea said as she walked up behind them.
"The crystal in my ship. Lara told me that she had programmed it to help you. Maybe we can use it to override the AI's programming." She said, and Clark smirked before taking her hand as Galatea grasped his other one. Two minutes later they were at the sight of the destroyed Luthorcorp facility, Clark seeing a sight that made his blood boil.
"So there is no trace of her?"
"No Mr. Luthor. All we managed to find was the crystal." The scientist said, indicating the crystal.
"What good is the crystal?"
"Sir we suspect that if we can properly harness it we could create an endless supply of energy. Imagine the people that we could help."
"Or the weapons I could build." Lionel said softly as he and the scientist turned away from the crystal.
"You've done well Dr. Jenkins, keep me apprised of your progress."
"Of course Mr. Luthor. I'll walk you out." He said and the two left the room. If they had stayed a moment longer they might have felt the gust of air or seen the crystal seemingly vanish from it's glass case.
A few moments later they arrived at the Kawachi caves, Clark quickly accessing the portal that would bring him to Jor-El. Kara quickly placed her crystal in the console and for a moment there was silence. Then a voice spoke.
"Hello my son. I see Kara has found you at last."
Clark turned and saw a blonde woman with blue eyes that appeared to be in her mid thirties.
"Mom?"
A/N: There you have it! I hope that is an acceptable chapter and I will be sure to update this story more frequently!