Hourglass Part 3

Clara POV

So I saved the blonde waitress, Harry got arrested and all is well in the town of Smallville...except of course the World War III that's erupting in my kitchen right now. "She knows your secret?!"

I sighed as my dad ranted about the dangers of Cassandra Carver. I had actually stopped listening 20 minutes back. Danger...bad for me...experiments... "I don't think you should see her anymore."

I sat up, finally paying attention. "What?! If I hadn't seen her, Zoey would be dead!" I think that was the waitresses' name. Dad wouldn't know the difference.

Dad crossed his arms over his chest. "Your destiny might be to protect others, but ours is to protect you."

I scowled. "How is forbidding me from seeing Miss Carver 'protecting me'? She's a blind lady that everyone thinks is crazy. How credible do you think she is to other people?!"

He frowned and took a step forward.. "I don't care! If she knows your secret other people could too!"

I threw my hands up in the air. "Yes! Let's just move to where there are no people! I hear Antarctica is lovely this time of year. That way nobody will ever find out and I can't get into trouble." I remembered something Cassandra had said earlier. I crossed my arms, mirroring his position. "Not even the big bad Lex Luthor, right dad?"

Dad's eyes widened. "Now, Clara..."

I cut him off. "No, Dad! I can't believe you are being so stubborn about this. I know you don't like Lex, but he's my friend and it's going to stay that way!"

Dad scowled. "It's not that I don't like him, but I don't trust him."

I frowned. "You don't trust anybody! Not even me!"

He shook his head. "Not true. I do trust you, Clara, but we're your parents and we know more about the world than you do. It's not all pretty."

I snorted. "He says to the alien freak who's seen more near-death experiences than any other teenager on the planet."

Dad's face contorted into an angry look. He walked towards me and I flinched at the waves of rage rolling off of him. "Now I'm gonna say this once, so listen up. If you ever refer to yourself as a freak or anything of the like you will be grounded indefinitely. I don't ever want to hear you talk about yourself like that again." He ran a hand over his face before pulling me into a hug. "Your mother and I love you more than anything in the world. We just want to protect you. Cut us some slack, Clara. We're new at this too."

I sighed, leaning into his embrace. "I know, dad. I know." I looked up at him. "But keeping me away from every danger won't ever let me grow."

He frowned. "You really like this lady, huh?"

I shrugged. "I feel for her, dad. She's got nothing. She can only see through other people's lives. She's helped me save someone's life today and figure some stuff out about what I'm meant to do here. If that means she finds out my secret, then there's nothing I can do." I shrugged. "It'll just happen."

My dad sighed. "Be careful, Clara."

I smiled as I pulled back. "Aren't I always."

My mom spoke up. "Clara? Lex called while you were out. He said he had something to discuss with you. Sounded important."

Dad automatically frowned. "What if he found out from Miss Carver-"

I rolled my eyes. "Dad, chill." I kissed him on the cheek. "I'll go see what he needs. Don't wait up."

Dad caught my arm before I left. "Clara, I know Lex is your… friend, but I still don't trust him."

I nodded. "I'll be careful dad." I ran to the Luthor mansion. It was pretty late, but I knew Lex kept strange hours. Hopefully he'd still be up.

I was right. Lex's guard let me in and Lex met me in the foyer. I shuffled my feet in the carpet. "Mom said you wanted to talk with me."

He nodded. "I have something I want to show you."

I frowned. "Right now?" It must really be important if he risked leaving the message with my parents.

He shrugged. "After talking with Cassandra today...I just realized I may not have been being fair to you."

I felt my heart freeze. Did Cassandra say something to him like she'd done for me? What if he thought I'd been the one to insinuate to Miss Carver that we...that Lex and I were more than friends. I was jerked out of my thoughts as bright flood lights filled the room. I'd vaguely been aware we'd been walking. I blinked as my eyes adjusted. I'd never been to this room before, and...oh no.

"Is that...?" I asked, already knowing the answer. The Porsche from the accident. I scowled. "Why do you still have it?" Lex ignored my question. "I once read about a rich man who survived a hotel fire. He hung onto the ledge for an hour before the fire department rescued him. Afterwards, he bought the hotel...always stayed in that very room. When people asked why, he said he figured fate couldn't find him twice."

I stepped closer to the car, cautious. It looked so...unthreatening. An ugly mash up of metal. But I knew the dangers it posed. "I thought you didn't believe in fate."

Lex nodded. "I don't." Lex stood beside me. "But every time I look at this car, I wonder." I glance at him with my best look of innocence. I know I've got it down pat but Lex has this way of seeing past all the crap and knowing what I'm thinking...

Lex looked at me for a second before nodding over the car. "I had a team go over this thing inch by inch. They tell me there's no way the impact could have ripped open the roof like this."

I frowned. How was I going to get out of this? I shrugged. "Why are you telling me this?"

Lex stared at me so long I almost asked the question again. "Clara, do you remember anything about the accident?" I swallowed. It wasn't time. He wasn't ready, but I hated lying to him. I steeled myself for what I had to do.

I stared him down, unflinching. "I remember the car flying by, then a splash. I pulled you out...that's it."

Lex frowned. "I thought you'd be able to tell me more."

I shrugged. "Why are you so caught up in this? I mean, don't get me wrong, it was great that I could save you, but..."

Lex sighed, walking back around the car. "It's strange to be walking around when every shred of evidence says I should be dead...an unsolved mystery, I guess."

I looked at him. "That's what really bugs you, isn't it?" He looked at me curiously. I continued. "That unexplainable phenomenon. You want a scientific reasoning for everything. I can see it, Lex. It's eating you up." I shrugged. " Apparently fate has something different planned for you than dying in a river."

He rolled his eyes. "You've been spending too much time with Cassandra."

I smirked. "Maybe. I'm sorry you haven't found your answers yet, but don't let the curiosity become obsession Lex. The past has happened, but you're alive now. The question is, where do you go from here?"

Lex looked at me, considering. "Wise words, Clara."

I did a mock bow. "I do try. So, do you want to watch a movie, or did you two want a minute alone...?" I gestured to him and the car. He glared at me. He started walking with me to the living room. I nudged him. "So, what are you gonna do with that thing now?"

He shrugged. "I thought about selling it as a piece of modern art."

I snickered. "Yes, you could title it 'Drive Slower'."

Lex scowled. "Not funny."

I laughed. "Is too and you know it...crap is that the time? I'm soo sorry Lex, my parents will kill me if I show up past midnight again."

Lex shrugged. "Not a problem."

I waved goodbye. "While I'm gone look up some interesting explanations for your being alive… like possessed cars or something." Hey, it was Smallville. Possessed cars would be…normal.

Lex rolled his eyes. "Good-bye, Clara." I walked home that night, cutting through the fields. Somehow I knew this was only the beginning to the Lex mystery. I sighed, looking up at the stars. Where the answers to my questions up there?

One thing I did know. I needed to get to the bottom of this Time Warp mystery with Harry. I'd see if I could visit him tomorrow.

~Smallville~

That no good, slimy, filthy creep! I couldn't believe he thought he could just pretend he didn't know what was going on. Harry was a disgusting jerk, calling the nurse on me and claiming I was "harassing him" and making me leave. I'd definitely still have to keep an eye on him. And I didn't like the way he spoke about my family. It was just creepy.

When I finally met up with Chloe and Pete they'd just started going over the past news reports for Harry Volk. "This is everything I could find on Harry Volk. The Ledger carried stories on the trial, the murder, the investigation...you name it." Chloe handed some papers to Pete and me.

Pete frowned at the stack. "Is anybody watching this guy?"

I snorted. "Luke. If you can count that." Pete and Chloe laughed. Pete cleared his throat. "So what are we looking for?"

I sighed, flipping through the papers. "I dunno. There's gotta be a connection between the people Harry's going after."

Chloe looked thoughtful. "In Zoey Garfield's statement to the police, she said that Harry accused her grandmother of killing his future."

I plopped down in one of the rolly chairs. I loved these things. I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. Luke walked in, looking panicked. "Harry's gone. They found his wheelchair out by the koi pond half an hour ago."

I glared at him. "Half an hour ago? I thought you were watching him!" He shrugged. Great. Give the guy one job...Something he said hit me. "Wait. Chloe, I saw meteor rocks in the koi pond."

Chloe nodded. "At least now we know how he's doing the time warp."

Luke looked at me and Chloe strangely. "What are you talking about?"

I waved him off. "I'll explain later. Chloe, we gotta figure out who he's gonna kill next."

Chloe frowned as a piece of paper caught her eye. "Clara, take a look at this." I grabbed it from her, glancing over. It was a list of names. "What is it?"

"The list of jurors that worked on Harry's trial." I blinked. "Rudolf Gage, Eve Garfield...Oh, my gosh. He's killing the descendents of the jurors that convicted him." My eyes scrolled over the names before seeing one in particular. I gasped.

Luke nudged me. "Clara, what is it?" I handed him the list. "Look at number eleven." He scanned through the list. "Hiram Kent. Wasn't that your grandfather?"

I nodded. "Harry's gonna try to kill my dad." After calling the cops I sped home. Dad was just getting out of his car. I ran to him. "Dad are you okay?"

He frowned. "Why? What's wrong?"

I frowned. "Where's mom?!" He put his hands on my shoulders. "I don't know. What's the matter?"

"Somebody's trying to kill you." His eyes widened. I looked around, spotting the truck. "He's already here…"

I scanned the farm and found the two bodies in the grain silo. I barely pulled mom out in time. I dragged her to safety, pulling her into a hug. She smiled. "Cassandra was wrong, Clara. Nobody's going to die."

?'s POV

He couldn't know yet. She couldn't know yet. The Cassandra woman knew far too much. The future needed to be shrouded for now. It needed to be a secret.

It was so simple it was almost laughable. A tasteless, untraceable poison that would take effect in a few hours…and by that time I would be long gone. My child's future a secret and any other secrets would be dead along with Cassandra.

And the poor boy thought her death was a result of seeing his future. He wouldn't even know what she'd seen.

Just another secret Cassandra Carver took to her grave. I couldn't afford my secret getting out…our secret.

Clara POV

I couldn't believe she was dead. Cassandra had predicted her own death. She'd seen her own future. She'd been close to me and now she was dead. The police didn't even perform an autopsy. Why would they? She was old and obviously had heart problems.

Did she even have any family? Was she alone when-

I spotted a familiar black trench coat caught my eye. The owner was slinking through the chaos and pushing their way outside. There was no doubt who it was. The only question was, what had Lex been doing with Cassandra?

I looked towards my now lifeless friend, tears blurring my eyes. More importantly, what had she seen? I shivered and pulled my jacket around me. I tried telling myself it would be okay. Lex had given up his search and my powers would remain under wraps. The future was bright.

Yeah, I couldn't convince myself either.

AN: I've had questions about the Mystery ? POV. People have guessed Jor El, Lionel Luthor, and even Martian Manhunter. I really can't let you know right now. Sorry. That's just how the cookie crumbles. I guarantee they will continue to pop up.

Also, about Helen. As much as I'd love to have her struck by lightening in some freak accident, she does serve her purpose. I hate her, but she's a necessary evil for plot movement.