[THE KRYPTONIAN'S LITTLE BROTHER]

by McLanche

DISCLAIMER!

I do NOT own Smallville, Superman, or any of the canon characters, nor am I profiting from this history in any way. This piece is purely for entertainment only. I do own the mysterious boy and the plot, only.

WARNINGS AND REMINDERS!

(Please Read!)

First and foremost, my apologies for such a long absence. Truth is, I didn't plan on such a long hiatus, but it kind of happened. When I took notice of it, this fanfiction had been neglected for so long, that at some point I thought that it wouldn't make sense to continue it. And maybe that is indeed true. Still, Now that I got more time I decided to continue writing it, just for the heck of it. Second, now that the series is completed and Conner Kent made his debut on Smallville the story lost a lot in terms of originality. Still, I intend to work with it under a different perspective, and hope that it still has a shine of its own, that can keep you guys interested in it. I know that with the end of the series a lot has changed but the premise of the fic hasn't. I hope it still makes for an interesting reading. So, without further delay, I wish all of you a good read, and hope you enjoy it.

[EPISODE 03 - NAME (THE UNKNOWN CHILD)]

Lex walked down the dark pathway ahead of him with the same confidence he always did, even though the bald young man could feel the cold hand of anger grabbing at his spine. The only sound in the stone and cement hallway was the echo of his footsteps, in a somewhat hurried pace. The whole Talon situation was a complete fiasco. The billionaire was well aware of the risks from field testing an experimental bio-weapon, but he expected better results with a lot less collateral damage. So much for that. Now he had yet another Public Relations war ahead of him, piles of money spent in lawyers and lobbying, not to mention countless and tiring public appearances. But that wasn't the main reason why the head of Luthor Corp felt his insides boiling. Even more than that, doubt was the main fuel to his inner turmoil.

His mood was reflect by the way Lex opened the heavy metal doors at the end of the dimly lit hall. On the other side of the doors, a very bright room waited, covered in white tiles, and filled with metallic furnishing and hardware. Dressed in full medic garment, two men waited for him, both pale, sweaty and clearly nervous with the sudden and clearly angry arrival of their employer. The sore expression on his face was indication enough that Lex was not to be messed with, now more than ever.

"Gentlemen." - Spoke the Luthorcorp CEO as he entered, immediately laying his gaze upon the doctors as he approached a metallic table where laid the corpse of his GES-X5 specimen. - "I assume you already have a report ready for me."

Both doctors exchanged nervous glances, for a brief moment, before turning their attention back to their boss.

"Y-yes, we do. We do, Mr. Luthor." - answered the taller one approaching the table. The corpse of the big man laid nude, pallid below the bright white lights. - "Superficial examination showed several injury throughout the specimen's body..." - the man trailed off, as the other doctor, a smaller, chubby man, approached.

"Multiple abrasions, not to mention several cuts all along his body, each and every one of them differing from the other in length and depth. Certainly, none of it is related to the specimen's death." - started the other, small doctor, gesturing broadly at the body before pointing at the deceased's abdomen - "Over here, two lacerations from gunfire, which ballistics exam confirmed coming from a .357 Magnum. Point blank, it appears. While it would appear to be a very serious, probably mortal wound to a mortal, we highly doubt it had any effect on its posterior performance, since both wounds appear to have been worsened by exertion."

The first doctor nodded in agreement. Lex frowned slightly, his hand unconsciously scratching his chin in concentration.

"So, It kept fighting after getting shot." - concluded the entrepreneur. - "Interesting. But then again, that was inside It's specs. What else?"

The taller doctor nodded nervously before continuing.

"Well, you can see three bigger bruises on the the specimen's chest. Fist shaped bruises. The smaller one is an opened hand, the bigger, a closed fist." - the doctor pointed at them with the scalpel on his hand. - "Third one is on his back, no definite shape. We're guessing a plain surface. A wall. The ground, maybe." - He sighed then, dismayed. - "Autopsy showed multiple broken ribs, severed muscle tissue, as well as lung and heart trauma. The location of said damage matches the bigger bruise on the skin. Blunt force trauma is the only explanation."

"We believe... We believe the trauma came from the same punch that caused the bigger bruise." - finished the chubby scientist.

Lex nodded, apprehensively while both doctors looked at him with something akin to disbelief. They built that soldier. A Genetically engineered killing machine with metal covered bones, advanced muscular structure for higher strength and endurance, tougher skin and unbelievable amounts of pain threshold. Billions of dollars in training, mental development and conditioning, and still, there it was, laying dead on a morgue's operation litter. And they couldn't make sense of why.

"So, basically, you're telling me that he effortlessly endured two gunshots, kept fighting the assailants and then suddenly was killed... By what?" - Lex intent tone made the taller doctor take a step back. - "A punch?" - scorned the billionaire.

"We-Well..." - started the smaller doctor - "I... I mean, it's the only plausible explanation."

"You CAN do better than that, can't you, Doctor Morrison? - Lex's stare was enough to make the small man cower, which made his colleague decide to intervene.

"Mr. Luthor, we know for a fact that a human can't do that to a specimen of the X5 series."

"Your point being?" - retorted Lex.

"We can't explain it. Fact is, we are certain he wasn't killed by a human's punch. It's not possible. Still, that's what we have."

"Then what exactly killed him?" - asked the boss.

"For all we know, Mr. Luthor? A fist shaped demolition crane." - replied Morrison with a shrug.

That made Lex smirk, slightly amused. That was one mystery he would like to solve.

"Never took you for a funny man, Dr. Morrison." - he commented leaving the doctors behind and making his way to another table, where rested a very large, locked suitcase that bore a Hazard sign in it. Slowly, having all the time in the world, Lex opened it, fist by running his thumb print on a reader, then using a key he kept in his pocket which finished unlocking the very protected container. Both scientists just looked from behind while Lex admired the contents that had given him all that trouble. The package those men were sent to retrieve.

Lex couldn't help but smile as he looked at the faint glow which emanated through the room

"At least, the shipment is here." - finished the billionaire - "That's all that matters for now."

He then proceeded to close the suitcase and lock it, taking it from the table himself. He made his way to the door in a fast pace, stopping just as he reached the door, and spinning on his heels to face his employees.

"Keep on it. I want you to figure out what killed it, so we can solve the problem." - Then he turned away, and proceeded to leave the room as he finished - "We need to perfect it before starting mass production. And I want it done by yesterday." - With that, the door closed, leaving both doctors to their fate: More long nights of sleepless work.

"You don't know who you are?" - Clark asked, in a rather surprised manner.

The farmer boy knew he shouldn't be surprised by it, seeing how the unknown boy reacted when faced with pretty much anything, barely knowing how to use a spoon or how to bath. Even in the most serious cases of amnesia, such lack of memory and knowledge was rarely seen. Even so, he couldn't help but get a little bit surprised, nor could he suppress a little bit of pity for the boy in front of him. He was clad in black jeans and white T-shirt Clark bought to him the day before.

"No... I don't." - answered the kid, in his new-found language. It sounded pretty strange in his own ears. It sounded alien.

"I don't suppose you know where you came from or how you got here, as well." - Clark smiled reassuringly as he came closer to the boy.

"Nothing. I woke up amidst those green spikes..." - He closed his eyes while searching the humongous database of earthly information Jor-El had just downloaded into his brain. In a manner of seconds, he found the word. - "It was Corn. A corn field, yes." - he nodded to himself, and looked once more to the older kryptonian. - "I just remember waking up on a corn field. Then stumbling on the girl's vehicle..."

"Chloe's" - Clark corrected him, but only received a puzzled look from the young teen. He smiled. - "Her name." - clarified Clark. - "Her name is Chloe. Chloe Sullivan."

The boy nodded once more, as if reassuring the older male he would memorize it. He was about to say something when, coming from nowhere, but seeming to emanate from every crystal in the fortress, Jor-El's voice interrupted the brief exchange in a rather moronic tone:

"Second physiological analysis complete. One hundred percent Kryptonian heritage re-confirmed." - stated the shapeless entity. - "Running secondary analysis on cellular structure, solar power concentration and emanation. Running Tertiary analysis on blood, tissue and organ samples to access Health parameters. Running analysis on fragmented memory pieces and language pattern on the background." - And went silent again.

The boy looked at Clark rather quizzically.

"Kyrptonian Heritage?"

"Our race." - answered Clark with a serious look. - "I mean, at least, genetically speaking. It's an almost extinct race from a planet long destroyed. There are very few survivors from it, and we're among them."

The boy simply nodded in return, looking around the very ominous crystal cave, his rather long hair waving around with each movement of his head.

"Don't worry. We'll figure things out..." - reassured the Kent boy. The younger kryptonian simply nodded once amor.

"What about the rest of the things it said?" - asked the unknown child.

"Don't mind it. It's basically talking to himself, I'd guess..." - smiled the older male. - "Running tests on you. Maybe it'll figure something out for us."

The boy nodded again.

"We have to find something to call you, huh?" - stated Clark, while sitting on a small crystal platform. - "I'm Clark, by the way. Clark Kent." - and the boy nodded yet again.

"I wish I could tell you who I am. But I don't know." - answered the boy, quite depressed about it.

"Well, I'll call you Kryp, for now..."

"Kryp?"

"Yes. From Kryptonian." - said Clark.

The boy found it to be a very poorly conceived nickname, but decided not to comment on it. It would do.

"Alright. Kryp it is" - the boy shrugged. His eyes ran around the crystal fortress before setting on Clark once more - "That girl... Chloe... Is she a Kryptonian as well?"

"Chloe? No, she's a human."

"Really? She looks exactly like us, doesn't she? - questioned "Kryp".

"She does. But she's a human. They're the primary species populating this planet." - explained the farm boy. - "Our race looks exactly like theirs, coincidentally. Our physiology is also somewhat similar, to an extent."

"To an extent?" - asked the boy, curiously.

"To an extent, yes. We have organs like they do: Heart, Brain, kidney, livers. But we function a little different, in some ways." - continued the older kryptonian.

"How so?"

"Well..." - Clark paused, trying to figure out how to explain it. - "We have special abilities that they don't. In short, our bodies can store solar energy from the Yellow Sun. It makes us faster than them. Stronger. Better, all around. Invulnerable to almost anything."

"Like... Nothing can hurt us?"

"Something along those lines, yes." - agreed the more knowledgeable kryptonian. It was a lot more complex than that, but it was explanation enough for now. They younger male simply nodded.

A second later, Jor-El's conscience, spoke from inside the fortress, breaking the brief silence that installed itself between the two kinsman.

"Analysis complete. Blood and Tissue sample analysis show chronic Kryptonite poisoning. Kryptonian physiology heavily affected by it. Solar energy storage and output greatly affected." - stated the artificial intelligence in a very emotionless tone. Clark's looked at the central crystal, expression becoming way more serious. The boy looked at Clark, as if he had all the answers. He figured Clark would have, at least, a lot more than him. It was Clark who addressed Jor-El.

"Chronic Kryptonite poisoning?" - he asked, slightly confused. Usually Kryptonite poisoning was acute, very painful and the son of the Kent's assumed that chronic exposure would be fatal. - "Wouldn't he be dead, being chronic exposed to it?"

"What is a Kryptonite?" - questioned the boy, but neither Clark nor Jor-El minded him.

"Under normal circumstances, it would, yes" - the disembodied conscience answered Clark - "But not under the radiation of an White Dwarf Star."

"So, what does that chronic poisoning means?" - asked the older male, slightly concerned with the consequences os such thing.

"You don't have to worry, Kal-El. His life is not endangered. The poisoning means that his capacity for solar storage is reduced. While he will be able to storage it, and will develop kryptonian powers the same way you did, He won't ever be as strong as you. His body won't be able to generate de same amount of energy, let alone storage it. How strong will he become, is debatable, and remains to be seen." - explained Jor-El - "On a brighter side, it's likely that his body is more resilient than yours in the presence of Kryptonite. He will lose his powers, and feel sick but to a lesser extent."

"What's a Kryptonite?" - repeated the younger male, confused. That made Clark turn his attention to him.

"A radiative fragment from Krypton, our home planet. While we are under a yellow sun, Kryptonite is extremely harmful to us." - answered Clark. - "remember the green meteorite rock I showed you at Chloe's? That's a Kryptonite."

"I remember. Made me feel sick..." - confirmed the boy. Clark Nodded.

"That's what it does to us when we're charged with the Yellow Sun's energy." - The older male got closer to the younger. - "It will strip away your abilities, and make you suffer, so avoid it at any cost."

"Alright." - agreed "Krip". Clark turn his attention back his biological father.

"Anything else?" - Asked the son of Jor-El. - "You mentioned exposure to a White Star. That means he's been somewhere else before getting to Earth?"

"That is a certainty. There aren't many planets with sentient life under a White Star, given its very faint luminosity, not adequate for life to flourish." - Answered Jor-El. - "How he got to Earth remains a mystery."

"One we need to solve..." - finished Clark, looking at the boy whose eyes wandered back and forth from him to the central crystal, clearly at a loss. - "And soon."

It was very unusual, on a week day, for the Talon to be almost empty. On a town that had the word "small" on its name, the local cafeteria was usually the most lively place of them all. It was the only place High School students had to hang out, just as it was the only place the rest of the town's people could sit for a hot cup of coffee, read a newspaper, eat a croissant, or simply enjoy a little bit of peace in their afternoons. That usual pace was simply perfect for Lois Lane, that on a slow day like that had nothing else to do but wipe the counter, which she had done thousands of times that day, or sit on her butt and stare at the walls. Bottom line was, Smallville's number one action girl was bored out of her mind.

"Smallville" was nowhere else to be seen since the other night. Chloe simply said she was busy tidying up her place. She had to keep the Talon open even there was no costumer at all, hoping that someone would come. She sighed, tired of doing nothing, and gladly welcomed the sound of the front door opening. Not surprisingly, the costumer was someone she knew well. Lana Lang.

"Hey Lois." - Greeted the former cheerleader as she approached the counter, just as merrily as always. - "Slow day?"

"Oh, Don't get me started on that!" - replied the general's daughter. - "That police Yellow Line on the front door? Not our best advertisement!"

The other girl chuckled, softly.

"I can just imagine." - stated Lana as she sat across Lois.

"Coffee?" - offered the waitress to her boss, who nodded.

"Large one, please." - she sighed.

It was Lois's time to laugh. - "Rough day?"

"Yeah. Classes are killing me!" - complained Lana - "I mean, they're great, but makes me wonder why I used to thought that High School was hard." - she smiled.

Lois smiled right back.

"Well, one large cup of pure caffeine goodness, coming right up!" - answered Lois, pouring black, hot coffee on a large cup. A minute later, she served it on the counter. - "Here it is."

"Thank you" - Accepted Lana, using a very polite tone, jokingly. One sip of the hot beverage, and she felt a little bit better - "Ah, just what I needed."

"You're welcome." - replied Lois, with a little, charming wink.

Both were silent for a moment, but after the third sip on her coffee, Lana broke the silence once more.

"So, have you seen Clark lately?" - she asked.

"Smallville? Nope. Came home late, left early." - She shrugged. - "God knows what he does when he's not chasing after you, huh?." - as always, her mouth went faster than her brain, and she quickly regretted the way she put it. She gave Lana a small, guilty look, before continuing - "Sorry. Stupid mouth."

Lana gave a small smile. Things between her and Clark were frustratingly undecided. Of course that had just as much pros as it had cons, but was nerve-wracking nonetheless. On the bright side, she could hope for things to move along at some points, and giving her feelings for Clark, she certainly hoped for it to go that way. Still, he had way too many secrets, way too many excuses and things seemed to always fall apart when they were finally close to being together for good.

"Don't worry." - she smiled at Lois, trying to easy her guilt. - "Things are not bad between us... Just complicated."

Lois smiled.

"Complications are the one thing that Smallville, both town and boy, have no shortage of." - pointed Sam Lane's daughter.

"Tell me about it." - sighed Lana, sipping her coffee once more.

"He loves you though." - continue Lois - "You do know that, right?"

"Yeah" - blushed the former cheerleader - "I know. Doesn't make it any easier."

"Do you feel the same?" - asked Lois, once again her mouth running way ahead of her brain.

"Wow. Very subtle, Lois." - replied the other girl, amused by the other's bluntness.

"I know, right?" - she sighed - "What's wrong with me today? Its even worse than usual."

Lana chuckled while Lois shrugged it off.

"Well, do you?"

"Yeah." - Mused Lana, playing with the plastic lid of her cup - "I do. I really do."

Lois nodded as she listened to Lana's serious answer, while considering what was so good about Smallville. Every girl in that town seemed completely enticed by him, including Lana and Chloe. Was she the only girl immune to his boy scout attitude and country boy charm?

"Well. I hope things work out for the two of you" - it wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the complete truth as well. She also wished for Chloe to be happy with him. Picking sides didn't seem like a good option on that situation, so Lois decided to just cheer for both of them, and be there for the one who didn't came out on top. It was the best she could do.

Lana smiled.

"Me too, Lois. Me too."

Night had already fallen once more when Clark and the unknown child made it back to Smallville once more. It had been a while since Clark had the pleasure to run around with someone else in super speed, even though he had to slow down a little bit for the other to keep up with him. Krip, how Clark had chosen to call him for now, had little to no problem adapting to his most basic powers. Since Strength, Speed and invulnerability were almost natural occurrences on their bodies under the Yellow Sun, it was pretty simple to explain then, and after a few tries, they were but blurs to what seemed to be a world frozen in time.

That was a very strange sensation for the boy. Everything simply stopped. People, their vehicles (that he now knew it were called cars), birds. Everything, just frozen like a picture, while Clark and him ran around making their way back to the City they both meet. It was a very distinct yet amazing feeling. For the boy because it was knew. For Clark because he had someone to do it with. Since Bart Allen, he hadn't meet anyone who could keep up with him to an extent, even more with a friendly attitude. It was a very pleasant change of pace.

Both of came to a halt on the alley beside the Talon, where Clark told him was a safe way to stop. Simply "appearing" in the middle of Smallville's main street could be pretty surprising to the average citizen roaming the streets in the soon-to-be-over afternoon.

"You kept up with me, huh?" - smiled Clark - "Really nice."

"Thanks." - shyly replied Kryp. - "Its easy. Once you get used to it."

"It is, isn't it?"

Both of them entered the Talon, passing by a ragged yellow police line, on their way to the stairs that lead to the upper apartment. There was only a few customers at the time but it was enough to Keep Lois busy, and keep her from noticing their arrival. All the better for them. Clark didn't want any unwanted attention for now, at least not until they could come up with a good reason for that nameless boy to be there. Moments after, they were standing in front Chloe's door.

"Here we are again." - muttered Clark, ringing the doorbell.

It didn't took long before the door opened, revealing Chloe in a very casual outfit, comprised of Jeans shorts and T-Shirts. The house behind her was seemingly recovering from the previous night's events, and as always she seemed to be dealing fairly well with the strangeness of it all.

"Clark! You guys made it back! Come on in!" - invited the blonde, quickly giving them room to enter. - "So, tell me everything!"

"Slow down, Chloe." - answered Clark, stepping inside the apartment, closely followed by the boy. Chloe smiled brightly upon seeing him again. He looked a lot better with clean clothes, his light brown hair, perfectly framing his delicate, albeit very thin, features.

"Sorry, but I'm really curious! Did Jor-El knew anything?" - asked the girl, closing the door behind them. The older kryptonian made his way to the living room, followed by the younger one. - "Did you discovered anything? Who is he, and where he's from?"

"Not that much." - said Clark. - "But first, I think you should say hi. He can understand us now."

"Oh! Really?" - gasped the blonde, quickly turning to the younger male. Suddenly she was at loss. - "Er... Hi! I'm Chloe. The one who found you." - she tried, stating the obvious.

Kryp nodded slightly.

"I remember" - he answered, shyly.

She turn back to Clark, smiling.

"He does understand us now." - she state, happily, sitting on the couch. - "So what's your name? Where did you come from? What were you doing at the road, on the rain, hurt like that?"

"Wow, slow down, Chloe" - intervened the son of the Kents. - "He doesn't remember it. Any of it."

Once more Chloe found herself at a loss. After a few seconds she regained her composure.

"Oh. Nothing?" - she turned to Kryp once more, who just waved his head in denial. - "That's terrible. Couldn't Jor-El do something about it?"

"I don't think so." - Clark answered. - "He just said that he is indeed kryptonian, and that unlike me, he hasn't been on Earth for long."

Chloe offered Clark a slightly puzzled look.

"So, he's been living on another planet?" - that was a very complex idea for Chloe, which brought a lot of questions with it. How had he gotten there, and why now?

"According to Jor-El, he has." - affirmed Clark - "He's got some leads on where, and its checking it out. We'll know more, soon." - at least, it was what he hoped. It would be very disappointing for him if Jor-El's research came up with nothing. "Kryp" seemed like a nice kid, but Clark was used to everything turning sour, one way or the other. He couldn't be sure if the boy was friend or foe just yet, even if he wanted to believe in him.

"That's good." - nodded Chloe, turning once more to the unknown boy - "So, you don't know your name?"

"No." - was his only answer.

"What have you been calling him?" - she asked to the other male.

"Kryp." - Clark shrugged. - "From Kryptonian."

"Kryp? Seriously Clark? That's the best you can come up with?" - Chloe rolled her eyes, sighing in disbelief.

"Well, it's not like I'm used to naming people." - pointed out a slightly offended Clark Kent.

"Fair enough." - answered Chloe. - "But we certainly can't introduce him to anyone with a name like that. He's not a dog!"

"I know." - he sighed - "It was temporary."

Chloe nodded, her gaze turning back to the boy who quietly observed the exchange between them. He was clearly lost, trying to keep up with them, and Chloe couldn't blame him. In his position she would be scared out of her mind, and she figured it was precisely what he was thinking. Clark and herself where still considering if he was another problem to solve, something dangerous, and the boy himself was probably considering if he should trust the two strangers who where talking about him as if he wasn't even on the room. He knew nothing of the world he was in, had nowhere else to go, and no one else to be with. How terrifying could that situation be? Sighing, she turned back to Clark:

"Do you have any idea of what to do next?" - was her question, which Clark briefly answered by shaking his head.

"No. But he's a Kryptonian like me." - he looked at the boy now sitting at his side, who was looking back at him. Chloe knew Clark well enough to see that he felt responsible for the boy, even though that wasn't his fault or responsibility in any way. Still, that was one of his strongest points. - "I've got to look out for him. I'll talk to my parents and figure something out. Can you keep him here for the time being?"

Chloe nodded, looking at him.

"Sure, But I can't keep him here for to long without arousing suspicion. Lois will be poking around soon enough, and I have no clue on how to explain having an unknown, unnamed fifteen year old boy living with me." - answered the blonde. Clark nodded immediately, clearly understanding the predicament. They would have to come up with a very good explanation for that. - "He's welcome to stay for as long as needed though." - she smiled at the boy, the same way she had done before, when they were meeting one another.

And he felt compelled to smile back, even as shyly as he was. Something in her simply drew his smile out of him, even unaware of it.

"Good. I'll sort it out with my parents by tomorrow. I'll also drag Lois home so she won't have the opportunity to bother you." - said Clark, getting up from the couch, followed by both the boy and Chloe. - "I better be going. It won't be an easy conversation."

"Alright. We'll be here until you do." - reassured Chloe, with a smile on her lips.

Clark nodded, quickly.

"See you later Chloe." - he said to her, before turning to Kryp. He seemed harmless, and trustworthy, but he couldn't help to worry about Chloe being alone with a stranger. - "Take care of her for me, ok?"

"Alright." - replied the kid.

"See ya." - waved Chloe as the Kent boy walked out the door. Then she closed the door and turned to her visitor. - "Well, here we are. Guess we can talk now, huh?"

"Yes." - he replied shyly.

"Good. That's good." - she stated, noticing that a slightly awkward atmosphere installed itself between them now that hey were alone. She shook the feeling the best she could. - "So did you enjoyed the soup last night? I still have some of it."

"Oh... Yes, it was... enjoyable" - answered the kryptonian boy, giving brief pauses to chose from the many different words on his new found vocabulary.

"I'll heat it for dinner then. Why don't you go ahead and take a shower? I believe I don't need to explain it again, right?"

"No, I remember it." - he nodded, confident.

Good! Go right ahead!" - she smiled, brightly as always - "Dinner we'll be ready when you're done." - she continued, making her way to the kitchen.

The boy voiced no objections, and simply went to do as he was told.

Clark was home just about a few seconds later after leaving Chloe's apartment. It took him that long, because he stopped to convince Lois to go straight home. He was a very lousy liar, but he was confident enough that the girl would do as he said, believing Chloe was tired from tidying up and went straight to bed. Now, he had at least half an hour to sit and explain the situation to his parents, and decide what to do with boy. Both Jonathan and Martha were already aware of the boy's presence, since they paid for the clothes Clark bought him, and were just waiting new information to decide what to do. As always, Clark was glad he could count on them to help, whenever needed. Even with things getting weirder and weirder around them. It was with that thankfulness in mind that he walked inside the house.

"I'm home" - announced the son, being greeted by the his parents, that stood in the kitchen. Jonathan on the table, with nice cup of hot coffee, and Martha on the sink. The fresh smell of hot cookies filled the whole house, watering his mouth instantly.

"Took you long enough, son." - said Jonathan Kent, aware that he sounded way harsher than he meant to. - "I thought you would help me fix the tractor, today." - gladly, he knew that both Clark and Martha knew that a whole lot of his harshness was just his way of showing concern.

Clark flashed him a slightly guilty smile.

"Sorry, dad. I got caught up in this."

"There's no problem, Clark..." - intervened Martha, shooting a repressive look to her husband. - "We understand the situation is serious."

"Yes. Of course we do." - agreed Jonathan, completely convinced by her look. - "So? Anything new?"

"Actually, yes. He is indeed Kryptonian. But he can't remember who he is and why he is here." - explained Clark, sitting beside his father. He reached for the cookie jar, but was suddenly interrupted by a slap on the wrist.

"Clark Kent!" - came the voice of a very serious Martha Kent - "GO and Wash your hands before eating! You just got home!"

Clark gave her a very apologetic, yet charming smile. Jonathan couldn't help but smile as well. No matter how old and independent he was now, Clark would always be the obedient son. And Martha, it seemed, would always be the energetic mother.

"Sorry 'ma." - he asked, making his way to the sink. Martha agreed and took a cookie for herself, smiling as well, as her son diligently washed his hands.

"Seriously, I always wondered where did you learn your manners." - she sighed.

"And I always answer the same thing, mom. On a farm, remember?" - he smiled and sat once more, this time successfully reaching for his cookie.

"Can we get back to the issue at hand, please?" - asked Jonathan. He didn't want to kill the lighter, normal family mood, but he wasn't known for liking unresolved situations.

"Yes, sorry." - asked the mother, turning to Clark once more. - "Go on, Clark."

Clark's smile died off, as he resumed his train of thought, nodding.

"So, we know for a fact that he's kryptonian and has some kind of amnesia. He spent his time until now living on another planet, under a White Star, according to Jor-El." - continued the son, while his parents listened, paying close attention to each word. - "I think... I think he's just another Kryptonian kid lost in this galaxy."

"As much as I want to believe in all of it, Clark, isn't it possible that he's just faking the illness?" - asked Jonathan.

"I don't think so, dad." - replied his son - "Jor-El seemed to confirm it."

"Can we be sure, this isn't another of Jor-El's plans to win you over?" - asked Martha, with concern clear on her soft-spoken voice. - "He's very set on you fulfilling your destiny, whatever it is."

Jonathan nodded, gravely looking at his son. He couldn't agree with his wife, more. It wouldn't be the first time Jor-El would use Clark's good nature against him, and Jonathan was well aware of the lengths the alien AI would go to force Clark into taking the choices he believed to be the right ones. Every caution wasn't enough when dealing with his son's biological father.

"That..." - Clark shook his head, but had no arguments to disprove it. - "I don't know. It's possible."

"We have to be very careful, Clark." - warned his father. - "At least until we know what we're dealing with."

"I know! And I will be. Believe me, if that boy is a menace to any of us, I'll be the first to acknowledge it." - he pleaded. - "But I don't think it is. When I look at him, at his eyes... He's lost. If he's a part of Jor-El's or anyone's plan, I don't think he's aware of it himself."

"I don't know, Clark." - Jonathan was very reluctant on the subject, it was clear for both his wife and son. He was always the cautious one, putting the safety of his family in the first place, even if it meant to be a little bit narrow minded or even ignorant about something.

"You don't understand, Dad." - answered his son. It was pretty difficult to explain what he felt to others. They could never understand what it meant to be like him. Different. Unique. Alien. What it felt to finally find someone like you, after so long. Someone who could understand. Of course Clark worried about the same things Jonathan did. He worried about leaving Chloe alone with him. But on the other hand he wanted to believe, for once, that something good could come with no strings attached. And for some reason, the few times he looked on the boy's eyes, he did. He was well aware of how gullible he could be, always trying to see the best in others, but that wasn't enough to change his nature.

"What do you want us to do, Clark?" - Asked Jonathan.

"I... I don't know, dad." - answered his son, honestly. - "I really don't know what to do, but... I mean, you guys gave me a chance. I could've grown to be anything. But you loved me and cared for me all the same. He deserves the benefit of the doubt, doesn't he? I want to help him."

Of course he did. That wasn't surprise enough for Martha, knowing her son. They were the ones who taught him to help those in need, often regardless of danger. And he did it for humans, all the time. Why wouldn't he desire to do the same for someone like him?

"Clark..." - started Jonathan again, but Martha quickly interrupted him.

"Why don't you bring him here, tomorrow?" - suggested her, trying to appease both of them. - "Then we can meet him. Can't hurt, right?" - she asked, looking at her husband.

"Sure." - sighed Jonathan. - "Why not?"

Both of them could see he wasn't entirely convinced of it, but was able to at least, see reason in their words.

"Alright. I'll bring him over tomorrow, then." - agreed their son, with a sigh of relief.

"It's a deal. Now go take a shower, and I'll serve dinner for you." - finished Martha Kent.

"Alright, mom." - Thanked Clark, as he went to the stairs. Once there, he turned to his parents once more. - " And, thanks. Both of you."

"We still haven't done anything, son." - answered Jonathan, taking a sip from his coffee.

"But you're willing to help. That's good enough for me." - smiled Kal-EL, climbing the stairs right after.

The kitchen went suddenly silent with just Martha and Jonathan in it, the only sound present being the one from Martha getting ready to cook. She guessed a simple cheese omelet would do for Clark, and could be simply be re-heated for Lois once she came back home. She was getting the eggs of the fridge when Jonathan spoke again.

"So, do you think this is a good idea?" - he asked, concerned.

"What exactly?" - she asked back.

"Getting to know this boy." - he clarified.

"Well, Clark think that's a good idea..." - she answered, while preparing the food. - "That should be good enough for us, no?"

Jonathan sighed, heavily. - "I just don't know what good will come out of it."

"We'll wait and see then." - she answered once again. - "Clark's been looking for someone to connect to, to understand him, for years. We can't deny him that."

"I know."

"So, let's meet him." - concluded Martha - "Then we'll sit, talk, and decide on what to do."

Jonathan nodded then, finally giving in. Both of them heard a car approach as soon as Martha finished her sentence, assuming it was probably Lois coming back from work. For now, that subject was closed. With some luck, they could resume ir, and end it definitely, on the next day. Martha suddenly felt a pair of arms embrace her, tenderly, and the rough touch of Jonathan's beard as he kissed her cheek. A smile crossed her lips as she continued cooking. They had each other, they had Clark, and every time she put things on that perspective, she knew no challenge was great enough that they couldn't overcome.

"Lois is back." - she announced, in a very soft voice. - "Right on time for dinner."

Back at Chloe's apartment, dinner had been way quieter than at the Kent's. Both Chloe and the boy ate in silence, after he complimented the soup a couple times, which she knew it wasn't that good to begin with. Still, even for her, it was pretty difficult to simply start a conversation with him, out of the blue. It was very strange that she thought it was a bit easier to talk to him, when he had no idea of what she was saying. She did have a lot of questions and wanted to know him better, but she simply couldn't find a way to start. On the boy's part he simply have no idea of what to say, no matter how much he wanted to talk to her.

None of them could say that it was unpleasant, though. It wasn't the kind of awkward silence that seemed to permeate a room full of distrust and secrets. They just enjoyed the other's company, silently, while eating. And that had been all. After they finished, she started to clean up, and he made his way to the room she offered him.

Now, as he looked out of the window in the dark room, only lit by the moonlight, the unnamed boy pondered about what was going to happen. Where would he go? What should he do? He had no home to return to, at least not in that planet. He had nothing to do, he knew no one. He couldn't remember his own name. He was still surprised that he knew so much, and could grasp concepts about life that before didn't even crossed his mind. Was that a result of the knowledge hat being called Jor-El shared with him, or something he already knew, but just now started to pay attention to? He couldn't say.

Still, he was pretty much able to recognize that there was no place for him, anywhere in that world. Truth was, people had a way to be "eased" into life, growing up somewhere that served as ground zero, as a platform for them to balance themselves before facing the world. He had been "born" the day before with no clue as to where he belonged, if he even belonged somewhere. That was one thing that could make the future something very uncertain. And scary. Very scary.

His train of thought was broken by three soft taps on the door. Soon after, it was open.

"Hey. Can I come in?" - asked Chloe, with the same gentle tone he always heard on her.

"Of course." - he answered, looking at her. It was her house after all.

"I was afraid you'd be sleeping already." - she confided, looking at him.

"No." - he answered the obvious without noticing, then added - "I don't feel... sleepy."

She couldn't help but to find cute the way he seemed to wrestle with his own brain, looking for the right words.

"I understand..." - replied Chloe, smiling. She got closer to him, and sat on the bed, right behind him. The wind outside entered the open window, making the boy's hair wave around him. It was slightly cold to her taste, making her rub her arms, but he didn't seem to mind it. - "Have Clark told you? About your gifts?"

"Yes, a little." - he answered, assuming she spoke of his strength, speed, and invulnerability.

"About where you came from?"

"Yes, that too." - he nodded, still looking through the window.

Chloe nodded, falling silent once more, looking at the sky, over his shoulder. A few stars could be seen between white clouds, and the young woman wondered which one of them had he come from. Where had he grown, and how he got there, on Earth after that. Most of all, she wondered why he couldn't remember anything. She remembered when Clark went through the same thing not able to remember anything, his frustration and how helpless he where. She imagined he was going through something very similar, but worse. A lot worse. Clark had people who remembered him. The boy didn't. The thought of it made her heart tight in her chest.

"I can't imagine how it feels. Can't imagine What is like... Not knowing anything." - she started, looking at him once again. - "But you can talk to me about it, if you want. It helps."

"How it... feels?" - he asked, thinking about it for a moment. It was pretty hard to put his feeling into words, let alone on their strange and very limited language. He did his best to summarize it - "It's scary. I'm... Scared."

"I know." - replied Chloe. She saw that the moment he woke up, the night before.

"I don't know what to do. Don't know where to... go." - he confided, turning to face her, leaning his thin, malnourished body against the window frame. - "I don't know if any of it has... A meaning..."

"We'll figure it out." - reassured the girl. She simply felt compelled to do it, noticing the fear and doubt in his words. - "I promise. Clark. Me. We'll help you."

The boy looked at her, for a brief second, that seemed to last an eternity for him. She was smiling gently, and nothing could be seen on her expression but caring and gentleness. The small smile on her lips were prove enough that she would give her best to help him, and for a brief, fleeting moment, he felt better. Then, he nodded. Her smile widened.

"But first, we need to find you a name. No way I'm calling you 'Kryp'!"- she stated, changing the subject. It would do them no good to dwell on what they couldn't change. Or even explain.

The boy smiled a little.

"I would like that." - he answered. Kryp sounded horrible, even to his own ears.

"We could look at some name lists if you want. So you can find one you like." - proposed Chloe, smiling.

"Me?"

"Yes. It's your name after all." - replied the girl, still wearing the same smile.

The boy pondered about ir for a few seconds, then shook his head, softly. She was about to ask why not, when he continued.

"You choose." - he said. Chloe's puzzled look in response to that, clearly stated that she would require a bit more of explanation about it. He promptly gave her. - "My name. You choose it."

Her eyes widened a bit, and she nervously smiled at him. That was a lot of responsibility, right there. Now she knew the kind of pressure Clark felt, that made him settle with "Kryp". So much that calling him "Kryp" almost sounded like a good idea. It was his gaze, intently piercing her eyes, that made her take the responsibility to herself. She promised she would help, and she would honor that promise. On itself, the fact that he gave her that decision showed that he trusted her, a lot more than she expected him to do, so soon. And that was enough for her at that moment.

"Alright." - she answered, the same nervous smile on her lips, despite her decision. - "I'll do it. I'll choose your name."

"Thank you." - he said simply, looking at her. Chloe couldn't help but smile back.

For a moment, she considered which name would fit that skinny, homeless boy. Naming someone was pretty difficult, to the point that she wondered how did parents were able to settle on which name they would give their children. And that happened when they were babies. Doing it for a teenager was even harder.

Chloe was getting to the conclusion that it would take a while for her to chose one, when she suddenly remembered a conversation she had with her father, years ago, when life was way more simple, without aliens and meteor freaks, and world scale conspiracies, and she asked her father if they never wanted other kids. Two years after Chloe was born, according to him, her parents tried to have another child. Apparently both wanted a boy and a girl. Unfortunately, her mother miscarried it, before they could even know if it was a boy or a girl. But they had already chosen a name for him, if he was indeed the boy they expected. When she heard it, she thought it was a beautiful name, but ever since, every time she heard it, it gave her a sense of loss that she couldn't explain. Made her remember the brother she never had. Maybe it was the time to change it. To let such a beautiful name to have a different meaning in her life. It was decided then.

Given, of course, that he liked it.

"Andrew." - she finally said, her voice all but a whisper, as if she pondered the decision herself. Then, with more confidence, she asked. - "What do you think of Andrew?"

The boy looked at her for a few moments, where the young woman could just wonder what went through his mind. Then, he flashed her a beautiful, delicate and satisfied smile, that put her at ease. She knew he had liked it, before he even answered.

"Andrew." - he mused, carefully examining how it sounded on his own voice. - "I like it."

Chloe smiled, brightly, looking at the boy.

"Good." - replied the girl, contented. She was afraid he wouldn't like it, but couldn't have imagined she would feel this glad that he did - "We're settled then."

The now named boy nodded at her.

"Thank you." - he said then, and she could feel the gratitude in his tone. - "It... Means a lot to me." - he added, trying to convey the much it did, without really knowing how to.

"You're welcome." - she answered, smiling, while she looked at her watch. - "It's getting late. We should get some sleep. Tomorrow morning, we'll meet the Kent's at Clark's house."

"Alright" - answered the boy, as he watched Chloe get up, and make her way for the door. She was about to close the door again when he addressed her once more, his hand reaching for her in the distance, but lost in the room's shadows. - "Chloe..."

"Yes?" - she asked, turning back to him, her hand still holding the doorknob.

"Thank you."

She smiled, softly.

"You already thanked me, silly."

"No." - retorted the boy. - "Not for this..."

"For what?" - she asked, slightly confused.

"For finding me." - he said, simply, his tone carrying way more than words ever would. - "Thank you."

Chloe felt her heart warm inside her, beating slightly faster than she was used to. Only a few times in her life a simple 'thanks' was said in such a way that could mover her close to tears, but that was definitely one of them. Simply because it was said in a way that made clear that she, and everything she did, meant more than anything else to him. She had given him all he had. And that was an emotion so powerful that was clear in his voice.

"You're welcome, Andrew." - she replied with a warm smile on her lips as she closed the door.

[CONTINUES...]

[AUTHOR S NOTES]

(Please, Read)

After so long, I'm finally updating this fic. Third chapter was very challenging as I had to show a lot of mixed feelings about the situation on a lot of different characters. I hope it didn't get messy or inconsistent. I plan to develop romance slowly between all planned pairings, and for that to happen I need to create a solid base from where I can start exploring each character's feelings. I don't know yet how the future characters in the Series like Tess, Ollie or Kara will fit in it, but I'm planning on adding a lot of characters for the DC Universe in it, just as the series did. The only things I'm sure about is the two main pairings in the fic. Aside from that, everything is just a great possibility I'm toying with. Any suggestion and ideas you guys who read and like it have, feel free to toss me. =)

I hope you all like where I'm going with this, and ask you to review it with your opinions, critics and impressions, to help me create a nice, interesting story.