Title: Alternate Circumstances

Author: Vincent-from-Zebulon

Disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with DC Comics, Smallville or anything else, I do not own the characters and am making no profit on this. The only thing I do own is THIS story which is mine.

Rating: The story moves between T (mostly) to M (for the occasional strong language and maybe romance if the fic goes that way).

Premise: What if Clark's grandfather hadn't died on December 22, 1980 (From the Smallville timeline) and instead had lived with Jonathon and Martha on the farm after the death of his wife Jessica? Furthermore, what if he'd gotten to meet and have an influence on his adoptive grandson. This is my take on what the Smallville universe could have been with just one tweak. So please, just bear with me as I work and see where this fic will go.

-Vince.

October 7, 1989

Hiram wasn't sure what made him give into his son's incessant pleading for him to move back onto the family farm after the death of his Jessica. In fact, he downright regretted it. Every inch of that farm carried painful reminders that she was gone, and every day that he woke up alone his heart broke just a little more. The elderly Kent patriarch insisted on helping around the farm and being there for his son through all the drama of trying to conceive a child.

"If anyone deserves to be parents, lord knows that it's those two."

Hiram Kent was sixty-five years old, and those words had left his lips at least once a week since he'd seen what Martha and Jonathon were like together. Currently, the two were at yet another doctor's appointment trying yet another test to see if all the other medical information was wrong. Being alone at the farm, the older man decided to try to catch up on mending the fences on the back forty (A job that Jonathon had told him repeatedly that he'd handle himself). Smiling a bit at the prospect of finally getting to make himself useful around the old homestead, he loaded his tools and some lumber into his old truck and glanced at the window and as normal now, saw that it was empty of his beautiful wife.

Shaking the despair that threatened to claw its way from the depths of his stomach, he cranked the car and began the drive to the border of his family's land. Every time he made the short trip a thrill of pride went through him. His Grandparents had settled this plot of land in 1871 and had operated the farm ever since. Parking next to a broken section of fencing, he looked around cautiously before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up gratefully.

Martha and Jonathon were always on him about giving up smoking, so therefore he had to take his addiction "into the closet", so to speak. "God forbid a man enjoys a cigarette after a stressful day." Hiram groused as he set to work on mending the fence, humming a tune as he lost himself in the labor that he so loved.

However, fate had a different plan this day for Hiram Kent. As he lined a new board up to be nailed into place, he heard a roaring sound, almost like that of a twister coming down- and quickly fell to his chest and stomach as a rock whizzed through the space where his head had just been. The impact shook the earth beneath him and he couldn't help but be amazed as looked skyward and saw the cluster of rocks falling from the sky in haphazard directions.

Several more impacts jarred the field around Hiram, but none came as close as the previous one. "The goddamn sky's falling." The words were breathed with a sort of reverence as he stood up and let the cigarette drop from his mouth in astonishment. "Lord I hope and pray that Jonathon and Martha aren't caught up somewhere in all this." His voice seemed to shock him as he reassured himself that they were fine and sensible people who wouldn't get caught up in the mess of rocks falling from outer space. He had no idea how wrong he was.

Hiram tore his gaze from the sky as the last of the meteors disappeared on the horizon, turning it instead on the rock that had nearly taken his head a souvenir. Maybe he was getting sentimental in his old age, but he felt like he needed it for a kind of trophy for the day. A talisman was exactly what he needed, he thought as he climbed over the fence and into the crater. He couldn't help but be amazed at the large crater around the rock that was roughly the size of his head. He'd heard of these sorts of things before: Meteorites. Sometimes they had gems in them that people could sell and make a little pocket change. Maybe after he got it to the farm and broke it open he could do that.

Carefully reaching out and hesitantly patting it, Hiram made sure the chunk of rock was cool to the touch before wrapping his hands around it and picking it up, struggling for a moment before adjusting his grip and carrying it back to his truck. Forgetting about the fence for the foreseeable future, he loaded up his tools and took the winding road home, not knowing that in doing so he'd completely change the course of the future in just a few short months.

When he returned home he saw the damage on his son's pickup truck and immediately threw his own into park and rushed into the house, in full-panic mode as he frantically called their names, "Jonathon! Martha!" The house seemed oddly empty as he hollered again. After a tense moment, a voice responded. "Dad! We're upstairs, head to the kitchen and sit down. We have news!" Jonathon's voice echoed down the stairs and made the old man's face shift from that of a terrified father to a happy old man. His family was safe. "Alright son. I'm glad you're safe."

Hiram knew his son couldn't hear his reply, but he couldn't help it. He just had to voice his happiness that nothing had happened to what was left of his family. With a new lightness in his heart, he fixed the coffee maker and sat at his spot at the table that he and his father had made so long ago.

"Dad, we have someone we'd like you to meet."

The words brought a tingling sensation to the top of his spine. Hiram couldn't resist turning around to see both Jonathon and Martha grinning like fools at the boy holding onto Martha for all he was worth. "Your Grandson… Clark." Martha's voice sounded unsure, almost hesitant to tell him. He looked from her to his son and then to the boy that they had no doubt run across in the meteor shower. A variety of emotions had bubbled inside the Kent Patriarch: Pride, happiness, and finally doubt. What if someone claimed the boy was theirs?

Sensing the direction that his father was headed by the stare, Jonathon quickly interrupted as Hiram opened his mouth to ask the million dollar question (Little did he know, billion would've been the correct denotation) "Everything's being taken care of. The paperwork, adoption papers… Everything dad. He's ours." The smile on his son's face undid all of Hiram's doubts and fears of everything being legal.

"Then I only have to say congratulations on welcoming another member into the Kent fold. You will both be great parents."

The words made the young couple smile at one another and then their new son. After a moment's hesitation, Clark looked up at his grandfather and smiled. The Eldest Kent smiled and lowered his head to the child's level. "Welcome to the family son. I hope to do plenty of spoiling and maybe teach you a thing or two before my time here is through." The words held an odd power to them, like the promises in the days of old between knights and squires. The couple shivered as an unseen hand rushed down their collective spines.

Deciding to leave the new couple to work out the dynamics of how to rearrange the house, Hiram excused himself to head out to work with the mysterious piece of rock that had nearly beheaded him. His plans regarding the rock had changed now though. He'd turn it into a medallion for his new grandson, both as a welcoming gift and as a reminder that hard work can sometimes be the reward in itself. Picking up the source of his plans, he made his way to the workbench and grabbed a hammer and chisel to bust the space rock in half.

December 24, 1989

Nearly two and a half months since his grandson had appeared among the meteors and he hadn't ever seen a woman take to mothering as Martha Kent had. It was reassuring to see the woman with Clark. He was the apple of both his parent's hearts, and though he was never one for admitting his feelings, but the child had made his own special place in the old man's heart.

In fact, for the past few months he'd given up his jobs on the farm to Jonathon so that he could finish his grandson's present in time for Christmas. The meteor had not just had a single gem vein in it, but three: Green, red, and blue. As the blue was the most beautiful of the three, he set to separating it from the others and tossing the others into his grandfather's old toolbox. Maybe one year he'd do something with them, but for now he was focused on the blue.

The tenacity with which he'd worked with the stone surprised even him as he'd gradually grinded the rough edges away from the stone and chiseled it into the rough shape of a shield. He didn't know why, but the shape just fit. He wanted his grandson to be shielded from the evil in the world, and when he was grown and strong, he wanted him to be able to shield the ones he loved from harm. It was what he had wanted for Jonathon, and what he knew that his father had wanted from him.

Several times, he'd stopped work on it to head into town to have the local jeweler do things that he couldn't, such as put the fittings and smooth it to a sort of glass-like polish. He'd been almost happy to pay the man for the finished product, and he was notorious for his reluctance to part with money (But understandable for anyone else who'd grown up with him in the depression.).

Hiram returned home with a smile on his face and immediately went into the barn and to his work table to put the finishing touches on his grandson's new medallion. "The little tyke better enjoy this." His words echoed through the barn as he wrapped the present with the expertise that only a parent can manage.

Carefully making his way to the house with his box in hand, the elder Kent smiled at Martha as she waved him in from the window. She had insisted on making a big Christmas Eve dinner for Clark's first Christmas, and was signaling him that it was time to eat.

It was with a light heart that the old man made his way into the heart and slipped the present under the tree with the others. "Grampa!" The child's shout made him turn and a smile blossomed across his face as the youngster waddled his way to him, smiling goofily. "Clark, what are you doing?" He knelt down, ignoring the protests of his arthritic joints as he scooped up his grandson and carried him to the table with him.

The remainder of Christmas Eve passed with smiles aplenty and good cheer unrivaled since a Christmas years ago when Martha had come with Jonathon for the first time. All too soon it was time for bed and the family went their separate ways to their bedrooms. "Goodnight all. And a very merry Christmas!" Hiram's voice echoed as he laid himself to bed.

The next morning he opened his eyes to his grandson's excited face. It's really amazing how quickly he's taken to life here, Hiram thought as he rubbed his eyes and smiled. "Good morning scamp." He yawned and sat up, making his way downstairs with his grandson.

The rest of the family was downstairs gathered around the table, smiling as Clark led his grandfather to the table to eat a hearty breakfast before moving on to the presents under the tree. Taking his place, Hiram grinned at his son and daughter-in-law. "Merry Christmas." The words made them smile like fools as both their eyes immediately centered on their new son who was nestled between them.

Breakfast passed in amiable silence as the family of four basked in each other's company. Hiram couldn't help but to announce that he'd play Santa as breakfast was finished. The proclamation was met with three identical grins as everyone took places in the living room around the tree. "Let's see… Who gets the first present." The words were spoken with a smile as the Eldest Kent ran a hand through his hair and smiled at the three most important people in his life.

Pretending to feign ignorance of their anticipation, the elderly man passed out the presents in leisure before finally coming to his gift to his grandson. "And this one is something that I made myself." The announcement was made with a touch of pride. He couldn't help it. He'd always loved gifting others with his work. It'd always been a hell of a lot cheaper than a present too. For some odd reason, he'd always felt that the gift of his hard work was the most special thing he could give to someone.

Very soon, too soon Hiram would say, Clark was opening up the last of his presents- the medallion that he'd made with the help of Samuel Bretton, the Jeweler. Immediately Martha began gushing about the beauty of the stone and Jonathon smiled, shaking his head at his father's handiwork. Clark's smile as he rushed to his grandfather to have him put it on him made it all the more worth it to Hiram. He didn't know why, but he got the feeling that he was making history as he slipped the leather chord around his grandson's neck and tightened it so that it wouldn't slip off.

With the chord tight, he let the stone drop and for a moment when the light caught the meteor stone, he could have sworn that the stone glowed as it touched his grandson. But stones don't glow, least of all in Smallville. "I love you Clark." The words were spoken softly as he embraced his grandson and smiled at his son and daughter-in-law. Two months ago he was wishing that he was with his darling Jessica. Now, he thought she could wait a while longer while he drug his feet and spoiled his grandson rotten.

A/N: The First chapter's down. Please review and let me know how you liked it? The whole story's not going to be from Grandpa Kent's perspective. In fact, my original plan was just to do a brief thing with him… It just kind of came out like that.