"Clark, you must know by now that you were abandoned as a small child."
Lionel knew.
"Ya." Clark looked down; it still hurt.
"Well, Martha and Jonathan Kent were the ones who found you." Lionel explained.
"What? You never said..." Clark was surprised.
"Because it didn't matter. They found you and apparently they couldn't have children of their own, so they just decided to keep you." Lionel said, sounding disgusted, "They didn't even try and look for your real parents, or notify anyone."
"They kept me?" Clark was confused.
"Yes, apparently they had you for about 6 months, secretly." Lionel face Clark, "They realized that they couldn't continue, so they came to me, they wanted me to forge a fake birth certificate for you."
"What! Why would they even think you would do it?" Clark was so surprised.
"Because... at the meteor show, they helped Lex, after his accident...they assumed I owed them one." Lionel didn't wait for Clark's reaction, "They were so angry with me that I wouldn't do it. Once I knew about you, I couldn't just let them continue on with their sick lies. When I had a social worker try and remove you from their home, into a proper adoption agency, they went crazy. They swore you were really theirs, and that I couldn't take you, screaming that you were special, that no one else would take you. They never told anyone about you, it just proves that they know how sick a thing they did, keeping you like that. You asked earlier... why I adopted you...This was all so recent after Julian's death... and they were right, you were special, I obviously couldn't hand you over to just anyone, so I adopted you. To tell the truth, I was deeply concerned when I heard that they had adopted the Lang girl."
"Dad..." Clark could feel his father's pain, for what he didn't know.
"Clark, I know you have every right to be angry with me, but you most of all must understand keeping things from someone, to protect them." Lionel said in an apologetic tone.
Clark just sat there for a few moments, "You should have told me!"
"Clark..." Lionel sighed. Clark had been gone in less than an instant, using his super speed.
When Clark finally stopped running, he found himself in New York, atop a high building, just sitting there thinking.
How was keeping that from me, protecting me? It all makes sense now. What kind of sick bastards just takes a kid? What if I wasn't abandoned? It's possible; maybe they even know who my real parents are. Lana must have known all this; it only makes sense for her reaction the other day. What had they told her? What kind of monsters has she had to grow up with? Ah, Dad should have told me! Maybe it didn't matter in the past, but he knew the whole time why the Kents hated me. Maybe if I had known... If I'd of known, I probably wouldn't have done anything different, but still. Are you happy? Isn't that what Martha had asked me. This certainly explains the look I saw in her eyes, a look of... history together. She sounded so genuine, like she actually cared. I've grown up in Smallville and had crossed paths with the Kents many times, but never suspected anything.
"Where is Clark, what did you do to him?" Lex asked Lionel angrily.
"Stay out of this, Lex." Lionel matched his anger.
"Hell no! He is my little brother and I'm not going to let you mess with him." Like you did with me, Lex wanted to add, "I never thought you would do anything to Clark though. He was always your favorite, you would do anything for Clark."
"I didn't do anything to Clark!" Lionel shouted.
"Then why is he gone?! He has been missing for 2 days!" Lex countered.
"He is fine, he just needs time." Lionel said turning away from Lex.
"No, Dad! He is just a kid still, he isn't invincible, no matter how much he seems like it. This time you finally got to him. Trust me, I know as well as you how tough Clark is! He has never left before, not for this long." Lex wanted to know, "What did you do!"
"He'll be fine. You don't need to get involved in this." Lionel poured a glass of scotch.
"He is my brother! I have the right to know, to help him!" Lex yelled.
"No! I know how you help, Lex! Always looking for your opportunity to turn him against me!" Lionel snared.
"You've blinded him from the real you! All I've ever told him was the truth, when you wouldn't!" Lex defended himself. He wanted Clark to see who Lionel really was, but he didn't want Clark to hate him, or did he? He knew how it felt to grow up without being loved by any parents, and he didn't want Clark to go threw that.
"You mean YOUR view of me! Don't make him hate me just because you do! Lex, Get out!" Lionel was seriously not in the mood.
"Clark." Lionel was so relieved to see Clark sitting on his bed, "I'm glad you came back." He saw not sure of what else to say.
"I need time to think." Clark said, then standing up, "I'm still pissed off but... I get it..."
Lionel couldn't help but grin, "Clark, you know I would never hurt you on purpose."
"I know... but can't keep secrets like that from me!" Then after a small pause, Clark continued, "Is that is? Is there anything else you haven't told me?"
"No, I swear. You know you can ask me anything, and I would tell you the truth." Lionel said gripping Clark's shoulder.
"Ya..." Clark said, knowing in his mind that he had already completely forgiven his Dad, no matter how much he wanted to stay mad at him. Clark accepted Lionel's hug, it meant a lot to Clark. Luthers didn't show emotion very much.
"Dad, what if they know." Clark needed to relay his idea to his father.
"What?"
"What is the Kents know what I am? Who my real parents are." Clark said feeling a new burst of hope he hadn't had in years.
"Clark..." Lionel said shaking his head.
"Dad, what if they have known all these years!" Clark found himself excited and a little scared.
"Clark, how would they know?" Lionel was trying to let down Clark's hopes easily.
"I donno, maybe I really wasn't abandoned!" Clark suggested.
Lionel just looked at Clark.
"I have to at least see. Dad, I have to know what I am." Clark said.
"Who you are." Lionel hated when Clark referred to himself as a thing. "And Clark, I don't even like the idea of you around those people."
"No, Dad, it's okay. They already know about my abilities, and they haven't told anyone. What is the worse that could happen?" Clark had thought this through.
"Clark, it's not a good idea. You saw Jonathan that night, he was threatening me, saying he would tell people about you."
"He said he would tell me." Clark corrected him. "And I already know."
"Still..." Lionel was desperately reaching for excuses, "Jonathan is unpredictable and-"
"Then I'll asked Martha. Dad, I have to do this. You can't stop me. You should understand why I have to know." Clark had made his mind up.
"Clark, You are back. Lex called me, asking if I had seen you. He sounded really worried. Are you okay?" Lana asked.
"You know about my adoption, or before it. Don't you?" Clark sat down facing her.
"So you know?" Lana said breaking eye contact. "You probably hate me. I'm sorry! I would have told you, but my parents said that you had to hear it from your Father, or else he would..."
Clark took Lana's hands in his, "No. I understand why you couldn't tell me. I'm not mad... at you."
"You're not?" Lana said feeling relieved.
"I never even guessed..." Cark said wanting to share it with her.
"Me either... Its... crazy..."
"And kind of weird..." Clark said laughing to break the tension.
"So if you're not mad at me... are you mad at anyone else?" Lana was hinting at Lionel.
"I was kind of mad at my Dad for not telling me, but I'm kind of over it." Clark confessed.
"Really?" Lana couldn't believe how well Clark was taking the news that his father had practically kidnapped him, so well.
"Ya..."
"Wow, I could never do that..." Lana said as the end of the lunch bell rang.
"Are you going to class?" Lana wondered, because he hadn't been there all morning, he seemed to just come to talk to her.
"Nope." Clark said walking away, not sure of what else to say to Lana. But he also had plans for the afternoon. He needed to pay a visit to Martha Kent.
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"Clark." Martha said surprised as she found him inside her house, as she walked in, "What are you doing here?"
"Getting answers." Clark said, standing up, "I know about how you found me, and kept me."
"Lana told you?" Martha felt nervous and guilty.
"My father told me." Clark said sternly, "How did you really find me?"
"I don't know what you mean." Martha lied.
"Who are my real parents?" Clark asked.
"How would I know?" Martha asked.
"Because, you found me. Was I really abandoned?" Clark asked.
"Clark, I..." Martha couldn't tell him that, "I don't know."
"I think you do. I think you know a lot. Do you know who I am... who I really am?" Clark asked.
Martha knew exactly what he meant, "Clark..."
"You asked me if I was happy." Clark reminded her. "You looked like you really cared, like you really did want me to be happy, but you are lair, just like I thought. If you really cared, you would tell me the truth." Clark super speeded away, leaving Martha in tears, talking to herself.
"Clark, I really do care, I do..." she sobbed.
"Ya." Clark looked down; it still hurt.
"Well, Martha and Jonathan Kent were the ones who found you." Lionel explained.
"What? You never said..." Clark was surprised.
"Because it didn't matter. They found you and apparently they couldn't have children of their own, so they just decided to keep you." Lionel said, sounding disgusted, "They didn't even try and look for your real parents, or notify anyone."
"They kept me?" Clark was confused.
"Yes, apparently they had you for about 6 months, secretly." Lionel face Clark, "They realized that they couldn't continue, so they came to me, they wanted me to forge a fake birth certificate for you."
"What! Why would they even think you would do it?" Clark was so surprised.
"Because... at the meteor show, they helped Lex, after his accident...they assumed I owed them one." Lionel didn't wait for Clark's reaction, "They were so angry with me that I wouldn't do it. Once I knew about you, I couldn't just let them continue on with their sick lies. When I had a social worker try and remove you from their home, into a proper adoption agency, they went crazy. They swore you were really theirs, and that I couldn't take you, screaming that you were special, that no one else would take you. They never told anyone about you, it just proves that they know how sick a thing they did, keeping you like that. You asked earlier... why I adopted you...This was all so recent after Julian's death... and they were right, you were special, I obviously couldn't hand you over to just anyone, so I adopted you. To tell the truth, I was deeply concerned when I heard that they had adopted the Lang girl."
"Dad..." Clark could feel his father's pain, for what he didn't know.
"Clark, I know you have every right to be angry with me, but you most of all must understand keeping things from someone, to protect them." Lionel said in an apologetic tone.
Clark just sat there for a few moments, "You should have told me!"
"Clark..." Lionel sighed. Clark had been gone in less than an instant, using his super speed.
When Clark finally stopped running, he found himself in New York, atop a high building, just sitting there thinking.
How was keeping that from me, protecting me? It all makes sense now. What kind of sick bastards just takes a kid? What if I wasn't abandoned? It's possible; maybe they even know who my real parents are. Lana must have known all this; it only makes sense for her reaction the other day. What had they told her? What kind of monsters has she had to grow up with? Ah, Dad should have told me! Maybe it didn't matter in the past, but he knew the whole time why the Kents hated me. Maybe if I had known... If I'd of known, I probably wouldn't have done anything different, but still. Are you happy? Isn't that what Martha had asked me. This certainly explains the look I saw in her eyes, a look of... history together. She sounded so genuine, like she actually cared. I've grown up in Smallville and had crossed paths with the Kents many times, but never suspected anything.
"Where is Clark, what did you do to him?" Lex asked Lionel angrily.
"Stay out of this, Lex." Lionel matched his anger.
"Hell no! He is my little brother and I'm not going to let you mess with him." Like you did with me, Lex wanted to add, "I never thought you would do anything to Clark though. He was always your favorite, you would do anything for Clark."
"I didn't do anything to Clark!" Lionel shouted.
"Then why is he gone?! He has been missing for 2 days!" Lex countered.
"He is fine, he just needs time." Lionel said turning away from Lex.
"No, Dad! He is just a kid still, he isn't invincible, no matter how much he seems like it. This time you finally got to him. Trust me, I know as well as you how tough Clark is! He has never left before, not for this long." Lex wanted to know, "What did you do!"
"He'll be fine. You don't need to get involved in this." Lionel poured a glass of scotch.
"He is my brother! I have the right to know, to help him!" Lex yelled.
"No! I know how you help, Lex! Always looking for your opportunity to turn him against me!" Lionel snared.
"You've blinded him from the real you! All I've ever told him was the truth, when you wouldn't!" Lex defended himself. He wanted Clark to see who Lionel really was, but he didn't want Clark to hate him, or did he? He knew how it felt to grow up without being loved by any parents, and he didn't want Clark to go threw that.
"You mean YOUR view of me! Don't make him hate me just because you do! Lex, Get out!" Lionel was seriously not in the mood.
"Clark." Lionel was so relieved to see Clark sitting on his bed, "I'm glad you came back." He saw not sure of what else to say.
"I need time to think." Clark said, then standing up, "I'm still pissed off but... I get it..."
Lionel couldn't help but grin, "Clark, you know I would never hurt you on purpose."
"I know... but can't keep secrets like that from me!" Then after a small pause, Clark continued, "Is that is? Is there anything else you haven't told me?"
"No, I swear. You know you can ask me anything, and I would tell you the truth." Lionel said gripping Clark's shoulder.
"Ya..." Clark said, knowing in his mind that he had already completely forgiven his Dad, no matter how much he wanted to stay mad at him. Clark accepted Lionel's hug, it meant a lot to Clark. Luthers didn't show emotion very much.
"Dad, what if they know." Clark needed to relay his idea to his father.
"What?"
"What is the Kents know what I am? Who my real parents are." Clark said feeling a new burst of hope he hadn't had in years.
"Clark..." Lionel said shaking his head.
"Dad, what if they have known all these years!" Clark found himself excited and a little scared.
"Clark, how would they know?" Lionel was trying to let down Clark's hopes easily.
"I donno, maybe I really wasn't abandoned!" Clark suggested.
Lionel just looked at Clark.
"I have to at least see. Dad, I have to know what I am." Clark said.
"Who you are." Lionel hated when Clark referred to himself as a thing. "And Clark, I don't even like the idea of you around those people."
"No, Dad, it's okay. They already know about my abilities, and they haven't told anyone. What is the worse that could happen?" Clark had thought this through.
"Clark, it's not a good idea. You saw Jonathan that night, he was threatening me, saying he would tell people about you."
"He said he would tell me." Clark corrected him. "And I already know."
"Still..." Lionel was desperately reaching for excuses, "Jonathan is unpredictable and-"
"Then I'll asked Martha. Dad, I have to do this. You can't stop me. You should understand why I have to know." Clark had made his mind up.
"Clark, You are back. Lex called me, asking if I had seen you. He sounded really worried. Are you okay?" Lana asked.
"You know about my adoption, or before it. Don't you?" Clark sat down facing her.
"So you know?" Lana said breaking eye contact. "You probably hate me. I'm sorry! I would have told you, but my parents said that you had to hear it from your Father, or else he would..."
Clark took Lana's hands in his, "No. I understand why you couldn't tell me. I'm not mad... at you."
"You're not?" Lana said feeling relieved.
"I never even guessed..." Cark said wanting to share it with her.
"Me either... Its... crazy..."
"And kind of weird..." Clark said laughing to break the tension.
"So if you're not mad at me... are you mad at anyone else?" Lana was hinting at Lionel.
"I was kind of mad at my Dad for not telling me, but I'm kind of over it." Clark confessed.
"Really?" Lana couldn't believe how well Clark was taking the news that his father had practically kidnapped him, so well.
"Ya..."
"Wow, I could never do that..." Lana said as the end of the lunch bell rang.
"Are you going to class?" Lana wondered, because he hadn't been there all morning, he seemed to just come to talk to her.
"Nope." Clark said walking away, not sure of what else to say to Lana. But he also had plans for the afternoon. He needed to pay a visit to Martha Kent.
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"Clark." Martha said surprised as she found him inside her house, as she walked in, "What are you doing here?"
"Getting answers." Clark said, standing up, "I know about how you found me, and kept me."
"Lana told you?" Martha felt nervous and guilty.
"My father told me." Clark said sternly, "How did you really find me?"
"I don't know what you mean." Martha lied.
"Who are my real parents?" Clark asked.
"How would I know?" Martha asked.
"Because, you found me. Was I really abandoned?" Clark asked.
"Clark, I..." Martha couldn't tell him that, "I don't know."
"I think you do. I think you know a lot. Do you know who I am... who I really am?" Clark asked.
Martha knew exactly what he meant, "Clark..."
"You asked me if I was happy." Clark reminded her. "You looked like you really cared, like you really did want me to be happy, but you are lair, just like I thought. If you really cared, you would tell me the truth." Clark super speeded away, leaving Martha in tears, talking to herself.
"Clark, I really do care, I do..." she sobbed.