Chapter 30: When in Rome

“Jerry, what are you suggesting?”

The President was meeting with Ernest Roberts, Speaker of the House, and other members of the Congressional leadership. Gerald Munroe was a Congressman from Pennsylvania.

“Mr. President, we lost twenty-two men yesterday in Afghanistan. If she’d been there she could’ve saved them.”

The President could see that many of the other members in the delegation were as surprised as he was. Even Speaker Roberts, a frequent opponent, looked uncomfortable. “Jerry, we can’t use Supergirl in a military capacity.”

“Sir, I don’t understand why not. She is one of the greatest assets this country’s ever had. We should be making better use of her.”

The President composed his reply carefully. “We have been in frequent contact with the Russians and the Chinese about her. They are understandably nervous given how powerful she is, and given the obvious relationship we have with her. Right now they tell us they don’t consider her a threat, because she assists in a purely humanitarian way. If that were to change…”

“With all due respect, Sir, what could they do?”

The President felt his temper starting to rise and smacked it back down. Munroe was canny and influential but had a poor understanding of the world; unfortunately, there were too many like him in high office these days. “I shouldn’t need to tell you why what I’m about to discuss is not to leave this room. The Chinese and the Russians have both informed us that they would consider any attempt to use her in a military operation to be a direct threat against them.” There was a sharp intake of breath; he couldn’t tell who from.

Munroe scoffed. “Isn’t that just a bluff? Would they really start World War III if she was just protecting our troops?”

“I hope you can understand why I’m not eager to try the experiment, Congressman. Besides which, do you really think we should be sending a child into a war zone?”

“It’s not like she can be hurt, is it? OK, leaving the military aside, there are other ways we could be using her. She’s just acting as glorified rescue worker when she could be doing so much more. Think of what she could do for industry! She could help rebuild our rusted bridges, help us find new oil and gas deposits, get our economy moving again. That trick she did with the rain cloud, our farmers sure could use help like that.”

“She is eleven. Between helping save lives, going to school, and being a kid, she doesn’t have time for a job, if it were even appropriate for an eleven year old to have a job. I don’t think either she or her foster mother would approve of the idea.”

“Well, maybe we need to rethink how we’re managing her…”

The President looked to the Speaker, who took the hint. “Congressman, I think you need to give us all time to consider your ideas carefully. Meanwhile, we have other topics we need to discuss with the President…”

The President was glad the press conference was scheduled for that evening. He was sure Congressman Munroe was not the only person thinking of Supergirl as the magic solution to all their problems.

• • •


“Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States,” announced Theresa Foley.

Kara watched as all the reporters in the audience rose and remained standing as they filed into the room: the President first, then the three of them, then his Chief of Staff, Mr. Lamb.

The President went to the podium, and Mr. Lamb ushered the three of them to his side. Emily put an arm each around Caitlin and Kara.

All three of them were dressed for the occasion, in clothes they had been provided. Emily, for whom “business attire” meant a doctor’s coat over blue jeans and an Oxford blouse, was wearing her first-ever business suit, with a silk blouse and a skirt. Kara and Caitlin were wearing dresses.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please be seated. I’m sorry for bringing you here at dinnertime; thank you for your understanding. I know everyone’s been eager to understand more about Miss Kent, and we’re here to try to answer some of those questions.

“You’ll all receive the press kit afterwards so let me just give you the high points. You know the story of how she was found and placed with her foster family, the Jordans. What we want to talk about today is where she came from.

“Miss Kent was found unconscious, feverish, and drugged with chloroform. That was possible because at the time she did not have any superhuman abilities. The next morning she told investigators about where she came from and about her life, and we’re going to share that information with you.

“I don’t need to tell you that Miss Kent has all the abilities of Supergirl and Superman in the stories we’ve enjoyed for generations. This is not a coincidence. As best as our scientists have been able to determine, Miss Kent comes from a kind of parallel world, an alternate reality where Superman and Supergirl are not fictional characters but real people.”

A murmur of astonishment ran through the room.

“I won’t pretend that we understand how this is possible, but this is what we know. Before she came to Milford she was a resident of Metropolis, a large city located where Milford is in our world. She lived there with her parents and her two siblings. Her parents are Clark Kent and Lois Lane.”

A louder murmur ran through the room.

“Until she came here and learned what we all know about Clark Kent and Superman, she had no idea her father was anything other than a reporter for the Daily Planet. Though Superman exists in her world she didn’t connect the two of them. Even after coming to our world she was skeptical until she developed superpowers herself.

“She doesn’t know how she got here; all she remembers is being kidnapped on her way home from school, then waking up in the hospital in Milford. We have no idea how any such travel between worlds could be accomplished so we have no idea how to return her home.

“Like any lost child, she has been placed in foster care until she can be reunited with her parents. Because of who she is, and who her parents are, she and her foster family are under protection by the Secret Service. Since their family has come into the public eye, for security reasons it’s necessary to move them from their previous home to a more controlled location.

“Because of her abilities Miss Kent is able to help out in a way that no one else can. However, we’d like to emphasize that she is only eleven years old, and providing her a safe home and family environment is our highest priority. We view her superhero activities as a form of volunteerism, something she does of her own volition as a part-time activity. She has other demands on her time, the most important being school, of course.

“She does not in any sense work for the government of the United States and while we do point out opportunities for her to help, we do not tell her what to do.

“That’s the story in a nutshell. At this point we’d like to open it up to questions.”

The reporters all shot back to their feet as Theresa Foley stepped forward. She looked out over the sea of eager faces and pointed. “Gene?”

• • •


Kara found the press conference confusing.

The reporters were very polite. This wasn’t at all what she’d expected based on what her mother had said in the past. While Mom mostly worked as an editor these days, she’d attended a White House press conference roughly a year ago and had come home exulting that she “still had what it took to make the President sweat bullets.” Kara recalled her saying similar things after other press conferences.

The reporters seemed awfully interested in asking her about Superman. She explained that she hadn’t spoken to her dad since finding out his secret, so all she could tell them was what she learned about Superman in school. She parroted what she was able to remember from fourth and fifth grade about his debut and other highlights of his career. That hadn’t included details on how Grandma and Grandpa Kent had found him, or what his life had been like growing up with superpowers, or someone named Lana Lang whom she’d never heard of.

They asked about her family and she spent some time talking about them in general terms, including her grandparents and Aunt Lucy and Uncle Ron. She didn’t get into anything too personal, like Mom’s occasional disasters in the kitchen, or the time Laura tried to flush her sneakers down the toilet.

They asked about Uncle Jimmy and Uncle Perry, too, and Kara talked about how Uncle Jimmy taught her about computers, and Uncle Perry let her hang out in his office while he told her Elvis stories.

They asked about Metropolis, and she talked a bit about their house and some of her favorite places in the city.

They asked about her, too, and Kara, embarrassed, stammered about her school, her gymnastics, her reading, and the Girl Scouts. She remembered not to mention The Girl Who Flew.

They asked what the chances were of her going home. The President answered that no one knew, but he expected that her parents were looking for her, and he wouldn’t bet against them.

They asked if Kryptonite was real; the President nodded that it was OK to answer. She said it was, back home. They asked if she’d ever been exposed to it, and she said she thought she had been when she was kidnapped.

“Can you tell us what it feels like?” one woman asked.

“It hurts,” replied Kara immediately. She tried to think of what else to say, but all she could add was, “A lot.” She shrugged, and they laughed.

It was only near the end that they began to ask questions about how she decided which rescues to go on. Emily answered that as Kara’s foster mother she had to decide, with Kara’s input, whether it was appropriate for her to get involved, taking the situation, school, and other factors into account. She repeated what the President had said about Kara being only eleven, and added that she didn’t want her traumatized by getting into a situation inappropriate for a child. As Fort Collins had shown, that wasn’t always possible.

Kara understood, but wished people would stop emphasizing how she was only eleven. It wasn’t like she was a little kid or something. She was in sixth grade!

Afterwards the President brought them to the Oval Office for a short tour. Kara was looking around, wide-eyed, when Caitlin’s stomach growled noisily.

Caitlin’s cheeks flamed red. “Excuse me…” she squeaked, and looked down.

The President checked his watch. “Have you folks had anything to eat?”

“No Sir,” said Emily. “With all the rush…”

“Would you like to come upstairs and get a bite? Stephanie and the girls have probably eaten already but you’re welcome to join me for something quick.” He smiled. “I must admit, Sophie has been pestering me for a chance to meet you all.”

Emily and the girls looked at each other. “Um… thank you, Mr. President.”

• • •


“Are you really Supergirl?” asked Sophie Hunter.

Kara and Caitlin looked at each other. “Yes,” replied Kara. “Well, I guess Supergirl is me.”

“You look just like a normal kid.”

The four of them were ensconced in Becca Hunter’s bedroom while the adults had after-dinner coffee. For dinner Kara and Caitlin had had the best cheeseburgers they’d ever tasted. Kara didn’t think it was worth all the hassle of being famous but she had to admit the food was great.

Becca poked her sister. “You look just like a normal kid too, Doofus, but your dad is the President of the United States.” Caitlin grinned.

“Oh yeah,” said Sophie. “Still…”

“Go ahead, Kara,” said Caitlin. “Everyone’s a skeptic.”

Kara nonchalantly levitated two feet off the bed, her legs still tucked under her.

“That is totally awesome!” cried Sophie as Kara settled back on the bed. “How do you do it?”

“I, uh…” Kara squinted and thought. She even lifted up again, then floated down, her brow furrowed. Finally, she shrugged. “Um, I don’t know. I just… do it.”

“Oh,” said Sophie. “I was hoping you could teach me how.”

Her sister grabbed and hugged her amidst squeals. “I think you have to be from Krypton, squirt.” She thought a moment. “Do your brother or sister have any powers?”

“If Laura had powers everyone in Metropolis would know Dad is Superman; she’s only seven. Jordy never said anything, but Dad has this thing he does—” Kara briefly focused on a conversation in a restaurant a mile away to demonstrate, “—like that, when he hears something that grabs his attention. Jordy does the same thing at the same time so I guess he’s hearing what Dad hears. I didn’t realize what they were doing till I got my own powers.”

She pressed her lips together. “I mean, I didn’t have any idea about Dad till I came here. I don’t know why they didn’t tell me yet.”

Becca rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. Dad never says anything about work. I guess I kind of understand, but still…”

“Is it hard, living like this?” Kara waved at their surroundings. “I don’t just mean in the White House, I mean, with everyone watching what you do all the time?”

Becca and Sophie looked at each other. “Yes,” they said together.

“I mean, you get used to it after a while,” continued Becca. “It becomes part of the background. It was hard at school to start with. It was a completely new school in a new city, and in the middle of the school year, too. And then people are, like, put off ’cause you’re famous, and ’cause you’ve got an agent or two following you everywhere you go.”

“Yeah,” agreed Caitlin, a bit downcast.

“But eventually people get used to it. It took a year, but I started making friends again. Mini-Me here had it a little easier; she was in first grade when we moved in here.”

“Hey! I told you to stop calling me that!”

Becca ignored her. “We have friends come over here, and we go to their houses, and have sleepovers and everything. So it’s not too bad. I mean, it’s not the same as it was when Dad was a Congressman from Virginia but it’s OK.” She sighed. “It’d just be nice to walk down the street without an entourage.

“It’s only been a week or two for you guys, right? I think it’ll get better.” She spread her hands. “You have to admit you’re pretty interesting.”

“I guess,” conceded Kara.

“But people get used to anything. Give it a month and then someone in Hollywood or Washington will do something stupid, and everyone’s attention will shift to that.”

Caitlin and Kara exchanged looks.

“So,” asked Becca in a playful tone, “do you have a boyfriend, Caitlin?”

Caitlin rolled her eyes. “Em says not till high school. It doesn’t matter anyway. I play sports, and half the boys think I don’t like boys because of that.”

“Most boys are morons,” stated Sophie, with conviction.

“Ha,” said Becca, ruffling her hair. “Just wait a couple of years.”

• • •


Kara sat on her new bed in her new bedroom, and looked around again. The room was a bit more girly than she might have chosen herself but she didn’t mind. She wasn’t a girly-girl, but she wasn’t a tomboy either. There was a canopy bed dotted with adorable stuffed animals, a desk, a closet, a notebook computer, her own TV. It was bigger than her room back home, and beautifully decorated.

It had been a fait accompli. At the end of the school day she and Caitlin had been driven to their new home instead of to the cottage. Their possessions had already been moved, though Kara hadn’t had any beyond her clothing; her room had been furnished and decorated from scratch.

It hadn’t been a total surprise either. They’d known they were moving, and they’d known it was soon, and they’d discussed the details with Mr. Douglas and the others. But today had been the day that she and Caitlin had been delivered here; Emily hadn’t yet come home.

Kara looked around again. The room was lovely, really. That was the problem.

When she’d been sleeping on an air mattress in Caitlin’s room, that had been temporary. This, this spoke of permanence. This was an arrangement to last months, or years. To Kara, this room was a constant reminder that she might never see her home or family again. As she’d done several times already she burst into tears.

She tried to stop but couldn’t. She took more tissues, wiped her eyes, and blew her nose. The used tissues joined the growing pile in the trash can next to the bed.

That reminded her of the last time Mom had been sick in bed, and Dad had brought her chicken soup he’d made from scratch, from Grandma’s recipe. They’d all had some, keeping Mom company and trying to cheer her up. Kara could taste it even now, and that made the tears come faster. She gave up, buried her face in her knees, and wept.

It had been a month. No, over a month. It was early December, and Christmas decorations were up all over town.

She hated the part of herself that whispered that she was never going home, that she might as well get used to life here. It wasn’t a bad life, despite being a celebrity. But it didn’t feel like her life.

She didn’t want it to become her life. She didn’t want to lose her old life, to lose who she’d been.

“Hey, what’s this?” asked a gentle, familiar voice, and Emily’s arms wrapped around her. Kara turned towards her foster mother and clung to her as she cried. Emily just rubbed her back and made soothing noises while Kara cried herself out. She finally looked up at Emily with big, sad eyes.

Emily noticed Mount Kleenex in the trash can and sighed. “Oh, sweetheart…” She stroked Kara’s hair with one hand. “What is it?”

Kara’s voice trembled. “The room. I mean, it’s nice and all but… it’s so… forever. First it was school. I was just supposed to be sitting in on classes, and now I’m a regular student. And now there’s this.”

“Oh, honey,” said Emily. “I know it’s hard to wait, but you have to keep in mind who your parents are. I bet they’ll move Heaven and Earth to find you, and,” she smiled, “in your father’s case that’s not just a cliche.”

Kara smiled in spite of herself, but it faded quickly. “I know. But not knowing when… or even if…” She sighed. She was all cried out for now.

“I keep thinking it would be nice to change some things, to make it more personal, more mine. Put up posters and stuff. But doing that feels like giving up.”

Emily squeezed her. “It doesn’t have to mean that, but you take things at your own pace, OK?”

“Also… it feels weird having other people do all these things for us.”

Emily looked around the room and sighed. “I know what you mean.”

• • •