A red tornado

Tess has been half-heartedly keeping herself busy planning that getting-to-know-you party for her new co-workers. It should have happened already, but 'half-hearted' for Tess really means 'hardly at all.'

Her mind is on something else completely, but it's something she'll have to deal with on her own. And that's fine. That's how she wants it. However, it remains distracting no matter how hard she tries to focus on anything else.

For the moment, she needs to decide on food options. She'll at least get this finished if it kills her.

Tess should have been better prepared for this. But then, there's no handbook for what to do when the clone of your half-brother goes AWOL. Coming after her, she'd been expecting. Going after Lena... not so much. It's a hell of a time for her to start losing her edge.

None of that matters at the moment. All she's concerned about is Alexander, his gun, and how to get herself and Lena out of this apartment alive. He won't listen to her and she's beginning to think he's right. She did abandon him, didn't she? And he knows exactly how to get her back for it.

He won't listen, but maybe someone else will.

"Please," she whispers, "if you can hear me, help us."


[Posting order Zod, Clark, Tess]

Tess has barely been back in Kansas when her attention gets pulled in a hundred directions at once. It isn't a while until she realizes she's forgotten one very important thing: Lena's lost barette, probably somewhere at the Kent Farm.

After a call to Clark to make certain the coast is clear, she drives over intent on making a quick search of the property and then heading back to the mansion. Naturally, it would be rude not to say hello so her first stop on arrival is the farmhouse itself, letting herself in the kitchen door.