Chapter 2
It was a beautiful day, everyone would always remember that when describing it, how everything had been so perfect. There hadn't been a cloud in the sky, the sun was shinning, and the Crows had won the homecoming game for the third year in a row. Jonathon smiled, as he shoved the last fence post into the back of his Ford truck, and with a sigh and a wipe of forehead he closed the tailgate.
He turned to see if Martha was done in the flower shop, and noticed that she was hunched over, talking to the small girl in the princess dress. He smiled, though it didn't reach he's eyes as it normally did and made his way inside. As he opened the door the girl asked his wife if she would like her to make a wish, which she agreed to. Waving her wand the child placed the tip to Martha's head and uttered "Abracadabra."
"She's gotten so big since the last time we saw her Neil." He commented as he came to stand at the counter.
The women turned from the arrangement that she was working on and smiled. "Jonathon, what can I do for you?"
"I was hoping to get some Tulips, red ones if you have them." Martha said as she stood.
Neil's smile dropped the slightest bit. "Oh, Martha I didn't see you there. Are you sure you wouldn't want a Tiger Orchid?"
Jonathon came to stand beside his wife, and placed his arm around her. "No thanks, Martha has her heart set on Tulips."
Neil nodded, and walked off. "Of course, they are a very uncomplicated flower." She returned a moment later and they paid for their purchase. Martha waved goodbye to Lana, while Jonathon grabbed the two bags of seeds and followed her.
Martha jumped into the passenger seat as Jonathon put the seeds into the bed of the truck. As he entered the cab Martha was leaning against the window, and he leaned towards her. "I know what you wished for."
She smiled. "To see a little face, its all I ever wanted." She said with a shrug. Jonathon nodded and pulled her towards him, and kissed her lightly. The sound of someone honking distracted them, and they pulled apart.
Jonathon smiled, and turned to watch as cars drove by, those inside them shouting and waving flags. "Looks like Smallville won again." He said as he pulled onto the road.
They were just passing the 'Welcome to Smallville' sign when suddenly a meteor hit, destroying the sign and causing the rows of corn stalks to catch fire.
Martha whipped around, and for a moment Jonathon swerved. "What's happening Jonathon?!"
He turned to look at her, and was about to answer her when a meteor stroke the rode in front of them, creating a huge crater. Jonathon slammed his foot on the break, trying all he could before they drove into the crater, but he couldn't and they went right into it, the truck flipping as it went down.
Their seatbelts were the only thing that kept them from hitting their head on the roof of the cab. Jonathon shook his head, and began to blink as he tried to clear his head. turning his head to the side, he could see tiny feet making their way towards them, and before he could say a thing, a small boy knelt to look into the truck. "Matha?"
Once they had been able to free themselves, they took the boy, and followed the destruction that had been caused. "Kids don't just fall out the sky, Martha."
"Then where did he come from?" She asked as she pulled the boy closer to her.
"I don't know." Jonathon said as they began to walk up a slight hill that had been created. "But he must have parents." They both stopped short as they found the crystal like ship. It was covered in dirt, but there wasn't single crack or scratch on it.
"Well if does, they're definitely not from Kansas." Martha said as she looked from the ship, to her husband, and back to the ship.
Jonathon looked to the sky, not sure what to make of the situation, then turn his attention his wife. She was smiling, the smile wider than it had been in a while, and he knew what she was thinking. "Sweetheart, we can't keep him. What are we gonna tell people? We found him out in a field?"
"We didn't find him." She said, looking at the boy. She then turned to her husband, and said. "He found us."
It really was hard to believe that sixteen years ago he had arrived, welcomed by two people that had given them their hearts. They taught him what it meant to be human, what it meant to be a good man, what it meant to work hard for the things that you earned. The lessons that they had bestowed upon him were important, but so was their aide.
He doubted that he could have made it so long without them, without their help in understanding and controlling his ever growing and developing abilities, abilities that made him different than everyone else.
But even with that difference, here he stood, at the podium, the valedictorian of his graduating class. He smiled and shook his principles hand before he turned to his class. Everyone began to applaud, and somewhere towards the back of the mass parents and friends, he could hear someone snort and say "God, I hope he didn't forget his speech."
He narrowed his eyes, the voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He took a sharp breath, and began. "First I would like to start by saying thank you to all the parents, teachers, administration and faculty of Smallville High School. I would like to give a special thanks principle Reynolds, who has never once tried deter us from reaching for the stars. Its because of your support and encouragement, we are all here today celebrating this special day together."
He went on, talking about being able to work on the school's paper, something that should have made writing his speech easier, but didn't, as well as being able to be a part of the team that won the championship.
He talked about how it was hard to believe that for twelve years they had gone to school and played together. That they would soon be going their own ways, find their own places in life, where they belonged.
The speech went on for another five minutes before finally came to an end with "Congratulations to the class of 2005, we did it, we've finally finished one of many trials in our lives. Now it's time we start another one."
Everyone stood and applauded as he shook his principle hand once more, and then went to take his seat. For twenty five more minutes he sat and waited for his turn to come, and when it did he blocked out all the noise, and concentrated on the voices of his parents as they congratulated him, and cheered him on. But again, the voice broke through, and he could hear the women say. "God I hope he doesn't trip."
He turned, trying to locate the source of the voice, and he saw her. It was a blonde woman, sitting next to Chloe's father. He remembered Chloe saying that her cousin was thinking of coming, but she wasn't sure if she would make it, he wished she hadn't.
The guy behind him suddenly poked him and pointed forward. Clark turned, and saw that his principle was calling and waving him forward, and sheepishly he went on. For the third time that day he shook the man's hand, along with the teachers that stood beside him, and took his diploma. Raising it above his head, he smiled and then walked off the stage and back to his seat.
"Are you sure son?" Jonathon asked as they sat around the kitchens island table, each with a slice of apple pie in front of them.
Clark nodded as he took a bite. He waited to take a sip of his glass of tea before answering his fathers question. "I am. It's something that I want to do, that I feel like I have to do."
His parent nodded, both looking at him as if they understood his reason. "How long will you be gone?" His mother asked.
He shrugged, unsure of the answer himself. "I don't know. There's so much that I don't know about myself, like where do I come from, why was I sent here, and why do those rocks hurt me. For some reason, I just feel like if I do this, I'll be able to find all the answers that I'm looking for."
"You deserve to know Clark. Just make sure that you stay in touch, or you'll cause you're mother to worry." Jonathon said, and laughed as Martha hit him with a dish towel.
Clark nodded, his mood solemn. "You know I will dad." He was silent for a moment as he stared at the picture on the wall, the one of his father in his old Air Force uniform. "Was it hard, when you left?"
Jonathon nodded, his own eyes looking at the picture. "It was, made my father upset when I did. I wanted to see the world, know what was out there, and do what I could. I loved the travel, loved the places, and the opportunity to do some good, its was amazing. There was no other feeling like it. It made me appreciate things better, the things I saw, it made me understand what I had here, and I appreciated it more. It made me see where my place was."
"As much as I want you to stay, your place is out there, in the world doing what you can to make it better. You just have to find and decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be, Clark. Whoever that man is, he's going to change the world. Your mother and I are sure of it."
