Please R&R, thanks
"What do you mean you don't know where she is?" Clark asks Lex in disbelief
"I'm sorry Clark, she's been vague lately, I don't know what's going on with her." Lex apologizes "I wasn't even aware she was planning on going anywhere. Or had bad the fights were between her and your father."
"Lana, where were you two going to go?" Clark asks
"We didn't have a plan, we were just going to leave. It sounds so stupid now so reckless." Lana sits down
"I'm not going to just sit around here." Clark tells them both "I'm going to look for her."
"You can't just search blindly, you have to come up with a plan." Lex instructs him
"Like what?" Clark asks
"Like how do you think she'd get out of here most efficiently?" Lex asks
Clark thinks "The fastest way out of Smallville is a car, but all our trucks were there this morning."
"The bus." Lana "Other than a car, it's the easiest way out, you know no hassle."
"She's got a point Clark."
"Yea, let's go."
***************
"Mind if I sit with you?" A man asks Crystal.
"Sure." She replies not even glancing at him.
"Leaving Smallville eh?" He asks making conversation as the bus starts up.
"Yup."
"Visiting or hometown?"
"Hometown."
"I see, so you're getting away for a while? Where are you headed?"
"I don't know, I don't really care either."
"Excuse my asking but aren't you a little young to be on a road trip alone?"
"I was supposed to go with my best friend, but she decided to stay."
"For a boy?"
"Yep, my brother."
"That's when it hurts the most." The man smiles "Charles Madison."
"Crystal Kent." Crystal glances at him and then looks away again.
"Kent eh? You're father wouldn't be Jonathan would it?"
"The one and only" Crystal mumbles
"Stubborn man, your father is."
"Yup."
"And you're mother, sweet as anything. You have a brother correct?"
"Yea, Clark."
"I thought so. Strong boy am I right?"
"I guess, he's not anything special."
"He saved a man's life from the river I'd say that's special."
"Lex Luther?" Crystal asks
"Ah so you're familiar with the story."
"Lex is my boyfriend."
"Well then if you wanted to get away why not escape to his humble retreat?" Charles jokes
"You know a lot about the people who surround my life."
"I'm a reporter." Charles explains "I know all and what I don't know I want to find out."
"You should meet Chloe then." Crystal replies "She'd love to meet you."
"Maybe my next trip into town…… is part of the reason for you're leaving due to the recent tragedy with you're ex-boyfriend Tom?"
"Is this on the record?" Crystal asks
"It's always on the record."
"Then I have no comment." Crystal looks back out the window in silence.
***************
"Hello Clark you need a ticket?" The guy in the ticket booth asks Clark
"Did my sister buy a ticket?" Clark asks
"Crystal? Yea she did."
"Is the bus still here?"
"Clark her bus left over a half hour ago."
"Where was it headed?"
"I don't even remember I'm sorry."
"Can you pull it up?"
"I'm sorry Clark she paid cash there'd be no record of it." He apologizes
"Thanks anyway." Clark starts walking away
"Hey Clark? Chances are she's on the eastbound bus. You can check the schedule to see its stops."
"Thanks" Clark grabs a schedule and goes out to Lex's car. "I got a schedule it's the best we've got."
"So get in." Lex tells him.
"No, you guys drive, I might be able to cover more ground if I go on foot." Clark shuts the door
"All right." Lex agrees "Hey Clark, be careful."
"I will." Clark looks at Lana "Everything will be all right."
*************
Charles nudges Crystal awake "Wake up."
"What?" She glares at him
"Get off here."
She looks at him oddly "Why? This isn't my stop."
"It is now." He grabs her arm
"Get off of me!" She demands
He flashes a gun "Get off." She nods and follows him off the bus
"What the hell is a reporter doing with a gun?" She asks
"Well I wouldn't exactly call myself a reporter." Charles explains "I would think of myself more of as a truth seeker."
"So you purposely got on my bus?"
"Yes, I was planning on leaving Smallville anyway if you guys have secrets there you sure know how to bury them, then at the station I saw you so I got on your bus."
"What do you want?"
Charles chuckles "You're not scared?"
"I've seen worse." Crystal shakes her head
"Ah of course a sweet boyfriend gone bad, how did he blow out those windows anyhow?"
"How did he manage to kill his parents? You tell me."
"See that's the thing I don't know, but you do." Charles reaches for her arm and she jerks it away. "Come with me."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"I've got the gun."
"So you use it. You wouldn't shoot anyone is a public place." Crystal challenges him.
"What are you hiding? Is it something about you? Lana? Lex? Or is it Clark?"
"Maybe it's your dementia that's causing you to hallucinate."
"You know something and I want to know what." Charles growls.
Crystal looks around and sees Clark appear at the station, thinking fast she quickly starts to move towards the parking lot. Charles catches up to her fast enough but doesn't see Clark.
"Not so fast, see here I wouldn't be afraid to use my gun." Charles smiles "You're not so bright."
"Neither are you." Crystal glances past him, Charles turns and sees a security guard. Crystal starts to run and shrieks when she hears a shot, she turns to see the guard on the ground.
****************
"Maybe we should call your parents." Lana suggests to Clark
"I don't know."
"Clark you've checked all the stops. You have to."
"Maybe you're right." Clark accepts Lex's cell phone and makes the call. "They're on their way."
"Clark why are we staying here?" Lana asks
"I don't know I just feel like she's here." Clark shrugs "It's weird."
"Well do you know if she's ok?" Lana questions
Clark sighs "I hope so. We've got to keep looking."
"What was that?" Lana asks looking around scared
"It sounded like a gunshot." Lex comments, Clark speeds off before Lex could finish. "Come on." Lex gets back into the car with Lana.
Crystal looks around trying to decide what to do. "I'll shoot him again Crystal." Charles voice taunts her. "Why don't you just come out?"
"So you can shoot me too?" Crystal walks towards him.
"What's this? You all brave now?" Charles smiles
"Yea that's it." Crystal replies sarcastically "No, I don't care that's what. So what do you want to know?"
Charles smiles "Get in." He opens his car door and Crystal gets in. He goes around to the other side and drives away.
Clark comes in as Charles car disappears, he goes to the security guard "What happened?"
"Some guy had a girl hostage, shot me than left with her." The guard explains, Clark looks and sees help coming so he leaves to go find Crystal.
"So you're ready to tell all?" Charles opens the door to his office.
"We'll see."
"No, you'll tell that's what."
"No. I'm calling the shots now." Crystal replies sitting down. "What do you know?"
Charles looks surprised but humors her. "Take a look" He turns him computer on and shows her his research.
Crystal looks through everything. "You did your homework."
"I did, now it's your turn to tell me what you know."
"I will in due time." Crystal turns back to his computer.
"What are you doing?" Charles asks standing up.
"Deleting your files you didn't really think I'd tell you anything did you?"
"So it's true then? All of it?"
"No of course not, but I don't want these rumors going around it would bring people to Smallville that we don't want."
"Who's to say you're ever going back?" Charles asks as she keeps deleting files "Stop that!" He orders her.
"Almost done." Crystal clicks a few more keys he grabs her and pulls her out of the chair.
"Now listen to me, you're going to tell me everything you know, or you're going to get shot." He twists her arm pulling her closer to him.
"So shoot me." Crystal replies "Cause I don't care." He lets go of her throwing her back into a wall.
"Be careful what you wish for." Charles points the gun at her. Crystal grabs his briefcase and hits him with it and runs out of his office. Charles gets up and goes after her. "Crystal, no use looking for help. No one knows you here. No one cares. No one cares back home either, but you already knew that. What are you going to go home to?" He asks
Crystal thinks about what he was saying, thinking he may be right. She turns and finds him standing there. "This could have been avoided." He tells her then shoots.
Please R&R sorry to keep you hanging but it's part of the fun right?
"What do you mean you don't know where she is?" Clark asks Lex in disbelief
"I'm sorry Clark, she's been vague lately, I don't know what's going on with her." Lex apologizes "I wasn't even aware she was planning on going anywhere. Or had bad the fights were between her and your father."
"Lana, where were you two going to go?" Clark asks
"We didn't have a plan, we were just going to leave. It sounds so stupid now so reckless." Lana sits down
"I'm not going to just sit around here." Clark tells them both "I'm going to look for her."
"You can't just search blindly, you have to come up with a plan." Lex instructs him
"Like what?" Clark asks
"Like how do you think she'd get out of here most efficiently?" Lex asks
Clark thinks "The fastest way out of Smallville is a car, but all our trucks were there this morning."
"The bus." Lana "Other than a car, it's the easiest way out, you know no hassle."
"She's got a point Clark."
"Yea, let's go."
***************
"Mind if I sit with you?" A man asks Crystal.
"Sure." She replies not even glancing at him.
"Leaving Smallville eh?" He asks making conversation as the bus starts up.
"Yup."
"Visiting or hometown?"
"Hometown."
"I see, so you're getting away for a while? Where are you headed?"
"I don't know, I don't really care either."
"Excuse my asking but aren't you a little young to be on a road trip alone?"
"I was supposed to go with my best friend, but she decided to stay."
"For a boy?"
"Yep, my brother."
"That's when it hurts the most." The man smiles "Charles Madison."
"Crystal Kent." Crystal glances at him and then looks away again.
"Kent eh? You're father wouldn't be Jonathan would it?"
"The one and only" Crystal mumbles
"Stubborn man, your father is."
"Yup."
"And you're mother, sweet as anything. You have a brother correct?"
"Yea, Clark."
"I thought so. Strong boy am I right?"
"I guess, he's not anything special."
"He saved a man's life from the river I'd say that's special."
"Lex Luther?" Crystal asks
"Ah so you're familiar with the story."
"Lex is my boyfriend."
"Well then if you wanted to get away why not escape to his humble retreat?" Charles jokes
"You know a lot about the people who surround my life."
"I'm a reporter." Charles explains "I know all and what I don't know I want to find out."
"You should meet Chloe then." Crystal replies "She'd love to meet you."
"Maybe my next trip into town…… is part of the reason for you're leaving due to the recent tragedy with you're ex-boyfriend Tom?"
"Is this on the record?" Crystal asks
"It's always on the record."
"Then I have no comment." Crystal looks back out the window in silence.
***************
"Hello Clark you need a ticket?" The guy in the ticket booth asks Clark
"Did my sister buy a ticket?" Clark asks
"Crystal? Yea she did."
"Is the bus still here?"
"Clark her bus left over a half hour ago."
"Where was it headed?"
"I don't even remember I'm sorry."
"Can you pull it up?"
"I'm sorry Clark she paid cash there'd be no record of it." He apologizes
"Thanks anyway." Clark starts walking away
"Hey Clark? Chances are she's on the eastbound bus. You can check the schedule to see its stops."
"Thanks" Clark grabs a schedule and goes out to Lex's car. "I got a schedule it's the best we've got."
"So get in." Lex tells him.
"No, you guys drive, I might be able to cover more ground if I go on foot." Clark shuts the door
"All right." Lex agrees "Hey Clark, be careful."
"I will." Clark looks at Lana "Everything will be all right."
*************
Charles nudges Crystal awake "Wake up."
"What?" She glares at him
"Get off here."
She looks at him oddly "Why? This isn't my stop."
"It is now." He grabs her arm
"Get off of me!" She demands
He flashes a gun "Get off." She nods and follows him off the bus
"What the hell is a reporter doing with a gun?" She asks
"Well I wouldn't exactly call myself a reporter." Charles explains "I would think of myself more of as a truth seeker."
"So you purposely got on my bus?"
"Yes, I was planning on leaving Smallville anyway if you guys have secrets there you sure know how to bury them, then at the station I saw you so I got on your bus."
"What do you want?"
Charles chuckles "You're not scared?"
"I've seen worse." Crystal shakes her head
"Ah of course a sweet boyfriend gone bad, how did he blow out those windows anyhow?"
"How did he manage to kill his parents? You tell me."
"See that's the thing I don't know, but you do." Charles reaches for her arm and she jerks it away. "Come with me."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"I've got the gun."
"So you use it. You wouldn't shoot anyone is a public place." Crystal challenges him.
"What are you hiding? Is it something about you? Lana? Lex? Or is it Clark?"
"Maybe it's your dementia that's causing you to hallucinate."
"You know something and I want to know what." Charles growls.
Crystal looks around and sees Clark appear at the station, thinking fast she quickly starts to move towards the parking lot. Charles catches up to her fast enough but doesn't see Clark.
"Not so fast, see here I wouldn't be afraid to use my gun." Charles smiles "You're not so bright."
"Neither are you." Crystal glances past him, Charles turns and sees a security guard. Crystal starts to run and shrieks when she hears a shot, she turns to see the guard on the ground.
****************
"Maybe we should call your parents." Lana suggests to Clark
"I don't know."
"Clark you've checked all the stops. You have to."
"Maybe you're right." Clark accepts Lex's cell phone and makes the call. "They're on their way."
"Clark why are we staying here?" Lana asks
"I don't know I just feel like she's here." Clark shrugs "It's weird."
"Well do you know if she's ok?" Lana questions
Clark sighs "I hope so. We've got to keep looking."
"What was that?" Lana asks looking around scared
"It sounded like a gunshot." Lex comments, Clark speeds off before Lex could finish. "Come on." Lex gets back into the car with Lana.
Crystal looks around trying to decide what to do. "I'll shoot him again Crystal." Charles voice taunts her. "Why don't you just come out?"
"So you can shoot me too?" Crystal walks towards him.
"What's this? You all brave now?" Charles smiles
"Yea that's it." Crystal replies sarcastically "No, I don't care that's what. So what do you want to know?"
Charles smiles "Get in." He opens his car door and Crystal gets in. He goes around to the other side and drives away.
Clark comes in as Charles car disappears, he goes to the security guard "What happened?"
"Some guy had a girl hostage, shot me than left with her." The guard explains, Clark looks and sees help coming so he leaves to go find Crystal.
"So you're ready to tell all?" Charles opens the door to his office.
"We'll see."
"No, you'll tell that's what."
"No. I'm calling the shots now." Crystal replies sitting down. "What do you know?"
Charles looks surprised but humors her. "Take a look" He turns him computer on and shows her his research.
Crystal looks through everything. "You did your homework."
"I did, now it's your turn to tell me what you know."
"I will in due time." Crystal turns back to his computer.
"What are you doing?" Charles asks standing up.
"Deleting your files you didn't really think I'd tell you anything did you?"
"So it's true then? All of it?"
"No of course not, but I don't want these rumors going around it would bring people to Smallville that we don't want."
"Who's to say you're ever going back?" Charles asks as she keeps deleting files "Stop that!" He orders her.
"Almost done." Crystal clicks a few more keys he grabs her and pulls her out of the chair.
"Now listen to me, you're going to tell me everything you know, or you're going to get shot." He twists her arm pulling her closer to him.
"So shoot me." Crystal replies "Cause I don't care." He lets go of her throwing her back into a wall.
"Be careful what you wish for." Charles points the gun at her. Crystal grabs his briefcase and hits him with it and runs out of his office. Charles gets up and goes after her. "Crystal, no use looking for help. No one knows you here. No one cares. No one cares back home either, but you already knew that. What are you going to go home to?" He asks
Crystal thinks about what he was saying, thinking he may be right. She turns and finds him standing there. "This could have been avoided." He tells her then shoots.
Please R&R sorry to keep you hanging but it's part of the fun right?