A/N: Thanks to all thoes that submitted reviews. They help:) All usuall
disclamers apply so please dont sue me.
Blood Ties: chapter 2
Wil slept through the entry interface. The ship's sub-light engine was a gravity drive capable of allowing the ship to drift, light as a feather, to the ground if necessary. Reducing velocity as the ship neared the surface, the computer scanned for the correct landing spot. Locking on to the coordinates that Wil had chosen, the ship adjusted its course to compensate for several variables and began to cycle the landing gear. Sliding smoothly from the hull the small skids locked in place under the craft.
Wil woke sharply feeling an impact against the hull. Looking at the displays to ensure that everything was ok will noticed that they were on the ground already. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes Wil began to enter commands into the ships computer. There was a small cave nearby that he could hide the ship in.
The last thing he wanted was to loose the craft to some enterprising earthling let alone some government thug. 'If the technology in this ship were to get into the wrong hands.' Wil shuddered at the thought. Best to not think about what would happen. He could hide the ship effectively. The cave would prevent someone wandering by and noticing it and the ships holographic cloak would make it look like a big rock.
Lifting several feet into the air the ship floated silently into the cave mouth. Careful to avoid the cave mouth Wil nestled the ship into the cave. Once it was in place he activated the DNA scan security system ensuring that barring some freak accident no one would be able to access the ships systems.
Taking one last look at the ship become igneous rock, Wil smiled and started off towards Smallville.
~*~*~*~
The intelligenct that had taken up residence in the ships computer core began to send out small tendrils of data. Slowly and ever so carefully it would taint the data around it, seeping out like a creeping virus or cancer. If it moved slowly and secretly the two kryptonians would never notice. His mistake in the last encounter with kal-el had been to try to force him. They would come to him for knowledge. They would come to him for training and with this ships wonderful nerual traching device he could whisper lies in their ears and they would never even notice. All he needed were the seeds of doubt. He could turn them against the humans with that. If need be he could turn them against each other.
Slowly the tendrils crept outwards corrupting the ships data, warping the history of a long dead world to fit the needs and desires of a madman.
~*~*~*~
Wil reached the outskirts of town shortly before dawn. Checking one last time Wil verified that he had all the objects that he needed. Using the ships fabrication unit Wil had traded his form fitting black synthcloth flight suit for a more appropriate set of clothing. He had decided on a simple cotton undershirt, Dark green flannel overshirt and blue jeans. The work boots were a bit uncomfortable, but that could not be avoided. His skin would have provided him with all the protection he would need from the elements but the people of this planet seemed to frown on what they called nudity. To fit in he would have to deal with the discomfort.
Glancing at the map he had made will changed his direction a bit to the west and continued on.
~*~*~*~
Martha had woken early and started baking. Lana had called yesterday and ordered 5 more of her famous organic apple pies. Martha enjoyed baking, but lately it had become something she did to keep her mind of the events of late. So much had happened in the last week. Brushing away the thoughts Martha focused on getting the pies ready.
Jonathan came down the stairs with a yawn.
"Morning dear"
"Good morning"
"More pies for the talon?"
"Yes. Lana called me last night. I think she must be giving them away. She never orders this many."
"Its summer time, all the kids are sitting around the talon getting fat on your wonderful pies"
Moving in behind her, Jonathan put his arms around his wife. He knew that she needed the routine to go on. It kept them focused on the farm and life as usual. Until they could find Clark or he came home on his own all they could do was stick to the routine and hope for the best.
Martha leaned back into the embrace. It felt good to have her husband hold her. Jonathan touch had always made her feel better. Martha turned in the embrace to face her husband. Looking up at his face she could see the worry in his eyes.
"Clark will come back. We raised him right. He just needs some time to think things out." The words sounded hollow as she said them. Deep down she was terrified that she would never see her son again.
"I know dear, I know. We did the best we could to prepare him to deal with the suffering his abilities could cause. I just hope that my fool pride hasn't cost us both our children. I said some really hurtful things to Clark before he left."
Forcing a smile Martha leaned up and kissed her husband. "We will cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now you have to go feed the cows and get that fence fixed. Pete will be here any minute."
Kissing him again she shooed him from the kitchen. The pies needed attention and there was a routine to be followed.
~*~*~*~
The morning had passed fairly slowly for Lana. Opening the talon was usually hectic with all her regulars coming in for coffee or pastry before work or school. With school out this had slowed to a crawl in the mornings. Lana took the time to do some work on the books and try to get things back in some semblance of order. One of the girls she had hired to help out during the summer had been a complete flake. Lana had fired her the night before after repeated talks about the way things were supposed to be done. The girl had almost blown up the cappuccino machine by letting the pressure build up to high.
Remembering that she needed to call the repair company to come service the machine she hopped off her stool at the counter and walked back to the office to get the number. As she was grabbing the card from the Rolodex she heard the bell on the front door ring. Grabbing the cordless she hurried back out front.
Standing by the door Wil had his back to the counter. There was a posting on a corkboard near the door that said Help Wanted. Not knowing how long it might take to find Clark Wil decided that having a means of income might not be a bad idea. Pulling the notice down he heard motion behind him. As he began to turn towards the noise a lilting voice called out to him.
"Welcome to the talon, can I get you anything?
As he faced the petite woman that had spoken to him a look of shock crossed her face.
"C-c-c-Clark? Oh my god, Clark!" Lana dropped the things that she was carrying and ran across the room. Wil recoiled a bit as she approached, not knowing what was going on. Nearly tackling him, Lana wrapped her arms around Wil.
"Where the hell have you been? We have been worried sick. Your mom is terrified." Looking up at Wil, Lana got a confused look. "What did you do to your hair, and are you wearing contacts?"
"Um, I think you have me confused with someone else." Stepping back from Lana he stuck out his hand and introduced himself. "Hi, I'm William Gibson"
Lana looked at him dumbstruck. Several moments passed as she studied his face. Blushing Lana began to stammer out an apology
"Oh, I am so sorry. It's just that you look a lot like a friend of mine that missing." Lana took his hand and introduced her self.
" I'm Lana Lang. Seeing the help wanted notice in his hand she added "you looking for a job?"
"Actually, yeah. And if the job is anything like the greeting I think I'm gonna like it here." Beaming her a 1000-watt smile Wil laughed a bit, as Lana blushed even more.
"Don't worry about it Lana, It was a simple case of mistaken Identity. I tell you what you give me a job and we will call it forgotten, deal?"
Lana considered it for a second while she tucked a stray lock of raven hair back behind her ear. " Well I could use another hand around here. You got a deal." Lana smiled back. She considered his face again. He really did look like Clark. So much so that they could almost be twins.
" Let me show you around and then we will fill out the paperwork, ok?"
~*~*~*~ Clark checked into the motel shortly after midnight. The night clerk had wanted a credit card but he had relented when Clark dropped the extra 50 on the counter. He had found a temp agency that needed some manual labor. The work would have been back breaking for a normal man, but Clark had finished the assignment with time to spare. The room was small and not very clean, but it would do. The bed was soft and the water in the shower was hot and that was enough. Clark frowned at that thought. Subsistence living had never been something that he had contended with. A rogue neuron fired as a thought of home crossed his mind. Shoving it away he stripped and started the shower. "I can't go back. They will never forgive me for what I have done." Muttering to himself as he let the steam fill the room Clark hoped that his parents were ok.
Stepping into the scalding water Clark swept that though away as well. Letting the heat permeate his body he decided that he would never think about them again. There was no point in dwelling on things that could not be fixed. Clark had killed his sibling and destroyed their lives. No one could forgive him for that, not even Jonathan and Martha Kent.
He would make a new life far from Smallville where he could hide from the shame that he had left behind.
~*~*~*~
Martha had packed the pies in the truck and left a note for Jonathan. Riding into town by herself was a bit nerve wracking. The accident had left her with some fear of driving. It seemed that personal fate had some sort of morbid fascination with moving vehicles. Laughing a bit at the thought helped to pour off some of the stress that had been building.
As she reached the talon she noticed that Lana's car was not there and hoped that she had remembered to tell her staff about the order. The last time this had happened Martha argued with one of her employees for 20 minuets over the order. Martha decided that she defiantly did not have the strength to deal with that today.
Pulling the pies from the seat beside her Martha got out of the truck and walked into the talon. As she walked through the door she noticed a tall blond headed man behind the counter. Looking around Martha did not see Lana anywhere. Stepping up to the counter she sat the pies down.
"Excuse me. Is Lana here?"
Wil turned to face the woman. The look of shock quickly faded as the woman wilted to the floor.
"Oh, hell!" Rushing around the counter to where the woman had fallen, Wil called out for Lana.
" Lana I need your help. Some woman just passed out!"
Lana came rushing out from the back room. "What happened?"
"I don't know, she asked for you, I turned around and she just hit the floor. She looked shocked when she saw me."
As Lana rounded the counter she realized who was lying on the floor before she ever saw her face. It had to be Martha Kent. ~*~*~*~
Martha woke up and sat up with a start. The acrid vapors from the smelling salts burned her eyes and nose. Blinking and looking around she saw Lana kneeling next to her. Lana's face showed concern but it was replaced with a smile as she saw the recognition in Martha's eyes.
"Lana, was that Clark?" Looking around she noticed the blond headed duplicate of her son standing off to the side a bit. He was clutching his apron in his hands obviously worried.
"Mrs. Kent I am so sorry. I should have called to warn you. I had a similar reaction when I met Wil. The resemblance is uncanny, isn't it?" Glancing back over her shoulder she looked at Wil again. Motioning for him to come closer Lana introduced him to Martha.
"Martha Kent, this is William Gibson."
Wil walked closer and extended his hand to Martha. " I am sorry if I shocked you. Lana told me that I looked like your son, but I guess we must look more alike that I had originally thought."
Martha just stared at him. His face was Clarks. The only difference was the color of his hair and eyes. Where Clarks Raven hair should be was a slightly unruly mob of platinum blond strands. The twin blue orbs staring back at her had the same passion and intensity as Clarks. It was downright spooky.
Martha shook away the cobwebs and took the offered hand. Smiling at him she replied. " You too could be twins. Are you new to town? Surely you have to be. We would have noticed you before now."
"Yes Mam, I just arrived here this morning. After my mother passed away I decided to move here and finish school. I figured I could find a place to stay cheaper in a small town and Smallville looked as good a place as any other." Wil hated to lie to her. He had recognized the name as soon as Lana had said it. If he was right this was the woman that had adopted the very person he was looking for. Deciding the lie was necessary for the moment, Wil made a mental note to apologize to her as soon as he could. Not knowing how many people knew about Clark's powers was becoming a nuisance that he would have to deal with soon. Slipping in front of the wrong person could be bad.
Martha tried to stand up from the couch and fell back immediately. Wil moved to catch her, and scolded he a bit. "Easy now, don't try to get up too fast." The look of concern that flashed across his face made Martha even weaker in the knees. Clark had scolded her like that the last time she had come down with the flu. He had cared for her for 3 days, insisting that Jonathan let him do it to keep him from getting sick. He had nearly burned the house down trying to make her Chicken noodle soup.
Martha began to giggle a bit but the giggles quickly turned to sobs as all the stress of the last week caught up.
~*~*~*~
Lana drove Martha home with Wil following them in Lana's car. Martha had insisted that she could drive, but she was glad for the help. Staring out the window at the reflection in the mirror, a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Could it be that there had been another ship that fell to earth that day so long ago? What if this really was Clark's brother? This could be an answer to so many questions. She had phoned the farm and left a message for Jonathan. She hoped that he would remember to check the machine.
As they neared the farm she could see the tractor out in the field bouncing along as her husband returned from fixing the fence in the west pasture. A bit of panic set in as she saw the tractor. Jonathan might not be willing to see the resemblance between the two boys, instead seeing some threat to his son.
Martha knew that this was a sign that things were going to get better. Wil seemed to have a good heart. She knew that he could help them find Clark, especially if he was still wearing that dam ring. If he was indeed who she thought he was, then things were going to be fine. It had to be true. She needed it to be.
~*~*~*~
end of chapter 2
Blood Ties: chapter 2
Wil slept through the entry interface. The ship's sub-light engine was a gravity drive capable of allowing the ship to drift, light as a feather, to the ground if necessary. Reducing velocity as the ship neared the surface, the computer scanned for the correct landing spot. Locking on to the coordinates that Wil had chosen, the ship adjusted its course to compensate for several variables and began to cycle the landing gear. Sliding smoothly from the hull the small skids locked in place under the craft.
Wil woke sharply feeling an impact against the hull. Looking at the displays to ensure that everything was ok will noticed that they were on the ground already. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes Wil began to enter commands into the ships computer. There was a small cave nearby that he could hide the ship in.
The last thing he wanted was to loose the craft to some enterprising earthling let alone some government thug. 'If the technology in this ship were to get into the wrong hands.' Wil shuddered at the thought. Best to not think about what would happen. He could hide the ship effectively. The cave would prevent someone wandering by and noticing it and the ships holographic cloak would make it look like a big rock.
Lifting several feet into the air the ship floated silently into the cave mouth. Careful to avoid the cave mouth Wil nestled the ship into the cave. Once it was in place he activated the DNA scan security system ensuring that barring some freak accident no one would be able to access the ships systems.
Taking one last look at the ship become igneous rock, Wil smiled and started off towards Smallville.
~*~*~*~
The intelligenct that had taken up residence in the ships computer core began to send out small tendrils of data. Slowly and ever so carefully it would taint the data around it, seeping out like a creeping virus or cancer. If it moved slowly and secretly the two kryptonians would never notice. His mistake in the last encounter with kal-el had been to try to force him. They would come to him for knowledge. They would come to him for training and with this ships wonderful nerual traching device he could whisper lies in their ears and they would never even notice. All he needed were the seeds of doubt. He could turn them against the humans with that. If need be he could turn them against each other.
Slowly the tendrils crept outwards corrupting the ships data, warping the history of a long dead world to fit the needs and desires of a madman.
~*~*~*~
Wil reached the outskirts of town shortly before dawn. Checking one last time Wil verified that he had all the objects that he needed. Using the ships fabrication unit Wil had traded his form fitting black synthcloth flight suit for a more appropriate set of clothing. He had decided on a simple cotton undershirt, Dark green flannel overshirt and blue jeans. The work boots were a bit uncomfortable, but that could not be avoided. His skin would have provided him with all the protection he would need from the elements but the people of this planet seemed to frown on what they called nudity. To fit in he would have to deal with the discomfort.
Glancing at the map he had made will changed his direction a bit to the west and continued on.
~*~*~*~
Martha had woken early and started baking. Lana had called yesterday and ordered 5 more of her famous organic apple pies. Martha enjoyed baking, but lately it had become something she did to keep her mind of the events of late. So much had happened in the last week. Brushing away the thoughts Martha focused on getting the pies ready.
Jonathan came down the stairs with a yawn.
"Morning dear"
"Good morning"
"More pies for the talon?"
"Yes. Lana called me last night. I think she must be giving them away. She never orders this many."
"Its summer time, all the kids are sitting around the talon getting fat on your wonderful pies"
Moving in behind her, Jonathan put his arms around his wife. He knew that she needed the routine to go on. It kept them focused on the farm and life as usual. Until they could find Clark or he came home on his own all they could do was stick to the routine and hope for the best.
Martha leaned back into the embrace. It felt good to have her husband hold her. Jonathan touch had always made her feel better. Martha turned in the embrace to face her husband. Looking up at his face she could see the worry in his eyes.
"Clark will come back. We raised him right. He just needs some time to think things out." The words sounded hollow as she said them. Deep down she was terrified that she would never see her son again.
"I know dear, I know. We did the best we could to prepare him to deal with the suffering his abilities could cause. I just hope that my fool pride hasn't cost us both our children. I said some really hurtful things to Clark before he left."
Forcing a smile Martha leaned up and kissed her husband. "We will cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now you have to go feed the cows and get that fence fixed. Pete will be here any minute."
Kissing him again she shooed him from the kitchen. The pies needed attention and there was a routine to be followed.
~*~*~*~
The morning had passed fairly slowly for Lana. Opening the talon was usually hectic with all her regulars coming in for coffee or pastry before work or school. With school out this had slowed to a crawl in the mornings. Lana took the time to do some work on the books and try to get things back in some semblance of order. One of the girls she had hired to help out during the summer had been a complete flake. Lana had fired her the night before after repeated talks about the way things were supposed to be done. The girl had almost blown up the cappuccino machine by letting the pressure build up to high.
Remembering that she needed to call the repair company to come service the machine she hopped off her stool at the counter and walked back to the office to get the number. As she was grabbing the card from the Rolodex she heard the bell on the front door ring. Grabbing the cordless she hurried back out front.
Standing by the door Wil had his back to the counter. There was a posting on a corkboard near the door that said Help Wanted. Not knowing how long it might take to find Clark Wil decided that having a means of income might not be a bad idea. Pulling the notice down he heard motion behind him. As he began to turn towards the noise a lilting voice called out to him.
"Welcome to the talon, can I get you anything?
As he faced the petite woman that had spoken to him a look of shock crossed her face.
"C-c-c-Clark? Oh my god, Clark!" Lana dropped the things that she was carrying and ran across the room. Wil recoiled a bit as she approached, not knowing what was going on. Nearly tackling him, Lana wrapped her arms around Wil.
"Where the hell have you been? We have been worried sick. Your mom is terrified." Looking up at Wil, Lana got a confused look. "What did you do to your hair, and are you wearing contacts?"
"Um, I think you have me confused with someone else." Stepping back from Lana he stuck out his hand and introduced himself. "Hi, I'm William Gibson"
Lana looked at him dumbstruck. Several moments passed as she studied his face. Blushing Lana began to stammer out an apology
"Oh, I am so sorry. It's just that you look a lot like a friend of mine that missing." Lana took his hand and introduced her self.
" I'm Lana Lang. Seeing the help wanted notice in his hand she added "you looking for a job?"
"Actually, yeah. And if the job is anything like the greeting I think I'm gonna like it here." Beaming her a 1000-watt smile Wil laughed a bit, as Lana blushed even more.
"Don't worry about it Lana, It was a simple case of mistaken Identity. I tell you what you give me a job and we will call it forgotten, deal?"
Lana considered it for a second while she tucked a stray lock of raven hair back behind her ear. " Well I could use another hand around here. You got a deal." Lana smiled back. She considered his face again. He really did look like Clark. So much so that they could almost be twins.
" Let me show you around and then we will fill out the paperwork, ok?"
~*~*~*~ Clark checked into the motel shortly after midnight. The night clerk had wanted a credit card but he had relented when Clark dropped the extra 50 on the counter. He had found a temp agency that needed some manual labor. The work would have been back breaking for a normal man, but Clark had finished the assignment with time to spare. The room was small and not very clean, but it would do. The bed was soft and the water in the shower was hot and that was enough. Clark frowned at that thought. Subsistence living had never been something that he had contended with. A rogue neuron fired as a thought of home crossed his mind. Shoving it away he stripped and started the shower. "I can't go back. They will never forgive me for what I have done." Muttering to himself as he let the steam fill the room Clark hoped that his parents were ok.
Stepping into the scalding water Clark swept that though away as well. Letting the heat permeate his body he decided that he would never think about them again. There was no point in dwelling on things that could not be fixed. Clark had killed his sibling and destroyed their lives. No one could forgive him for that, not even Jonathan and Martha Kent.
He would make a new life far from Smallville where he could hide from the shame that he had left behind.
~*~*~*~
Martha had packed the pies in the truck and left a note for Jonathan. Riding into town by herself was a bit nerve wracking. The accident had left her with some fear of driving. It seemed that personal fate had some sort of morbid fascination with moving vehicles. Laughing a bit at the thought helped to pour off some of the stress that had been building.
As she reached the talon she noticed that Lana's car was not there and hoped that she had remembered to tell her staff about the order. The last time this had happened Martha argued with one of her employees for 20 minuets over the order. Martha decided that she defiantly did not have the strength to deal with that today.
Pulling the pies from the seat beside her Martha got out of the truck and walked into the talon. As she walked through the door she noticed a tall blond headed man behind the counter. Looking around Martha did not see Lana anywhere. Stepping up to the counter she sat the pies down.
"Excuse me. Is Lana here?"
Wil turned to face the woman. The look of shock quickly faded as the woman wilted to the floor.
"Oh, hell!" Rushing around the counter to where the woman had fallen, Wil called out for Lana.
" Lana I need your help. Some woman just passed out!"
Lana came rushing out from the back room. "What happened?"
"I don't know, she asked for you, I turned around and she just hit the floor. She looked shocked when she saw me."
As Lana rounded the counter she realized who was lying on the floor before she ever saw her face. It had to be Martha Kent. ~*~*~*~
Martha woke up and sat up with a start. The acrid vapors from the smelling salts burned her eyes and nose. Blinking and looking around she saw Lana kneeling next to her. Lana's face showed concern but it was replaced with a smile as she saw the recognition in Martha's eyes.
"Lana, was that Clark?" Looking around she noticed the blond headed duplicate of her son standing off to the side a bit. He was clutching his apron in his hands obviously worried.
"Mrs. Kent I am so sorry. I should have called to warn you. I had a similar reaction when I met Wil. The resemblance is uncanny, isn't it?" Glancing back over her shoulder she looked at Wil again. Motioning for him to come closer Lana introduced him to Martha.
"Martha Kent, this is William Gibson."
Wil walked closer and extended his hand to Martha. " I am sorry if I shocked you. Lana told me that I looked like your son, but I guess we must look more alike that I had originally thought."
Martha just stared at him. His face was Clarks. The only difference was the color of his hair and eyes. Where Clarks Raven hair should be was a slightly unruly mob of platinum blond strands. The twin blue orbs staring back at her had the same passion and intensity as Clarks. It was downright spooky.
Martha shook away the cobwebs and took the offered hand. Smiling at him she replied. " You too could be twins. Are you new to town? Surely you have to be. We would have noticed you before now."
"Yes Mam, I just arrived here this morning. After my mother passed away I decided to move here and finish school. I figured I could find a place to stay cheaper in a small town and Smallville looked as good a place as any other." Wil hated to lie to her. He had recognized the name as soon as Lana had said it. If he was right this was the woman that had adopted the very person he was looking for. Deciding the lie was necessary for the moment, Wil made a mental note to apologize to her as soon as he could. Not knowing how many people knew about Clark's powers was becoming a nuisance that he would have to deal with soon. Slipping in front of the wrong person could be bad.
Martha tried to stand up from the couch and fell back immediately. Wil moved to catch her, and scolded he a bit. "Easy now, don't try to get up too fast." The look of concern that flashed across his face made Martha even weaker in the knees. Clark had scolded her like that the last time she had come down with the flu. He had cared for her for 3 days, insisting that Jonathan let him do it to keep him from getting sick. He had nearly burned the house down trying to make her Chicken noodle soup.
Martha began to giggle a bit but the giggles quickly turned to sobs as all the stress of the last week caught up.
~*~*~*~
Lana drove Martha home with Wil following them in Lana's car. Martha had insisted that she could drive, but she was glad for the help. Staring out the window at the reflection in the mirror, a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Could it be that there had been another ship that fell to earth that day so long ago? What if this really was Clark's brother? This could be an answer to so many questions. She had phoned the farm and left a message for Jonathan. She hoped that he would remember to check the machine.
As they neared the farm she could see the tractor out in the field bouncing along as her husband returned from fixing the fence in the west pasture. A bit of panic set in as she saw the tractor. Jonathan might not be willing to see the resemblance between the two boys, instead seeing some threat to his son.
Martha knew that this was a sign that things were going to get better. Wil seemed to have a good heart. She knew that he could help them find Clark, especially if he was still wearing that dam ring. If he was indeed who she thought he was, then things were going to be fine. It had to be true. She needed it to be.
~*~*~*~
end of chapter 2
