When the kids got home they found that all of the adults had gone to bed.

Casey checked her watch "It's 10:30 and Dad's asleep. He's becoming more and more like Grandpa everyday." She said.

"Well at least we don't have to tell him you got pulled over, right Ry?" Will said.

"I wouldn't have gotten pulled over if it wasn't for you." Ryan said. He pulled out a piece of paper wrote a note and slipped it under his father's bedroom door. "And by the way, I'm still not talking to you." He said before walking away.

Will sighed and went into the living room, preferring to sleep on the couch than in the room he shared with his brother and Casey went to her room.

The next morning Clark woke up and put his jeans and boots. When he went over to his dresser to get a shirt he found a piece of paper on his floor. The words scribbled on the sheet make his heart skip not one but two beats.

Lana Lang says hi.

Clark crept down the stairs. He didn't know why he was being so careful. He felt like a teenager again, sneaking back in or out of the house. Only this time he found his son sleeping on the couch in the living room. "Will?" he whispered shaking him a little.

"He wont get up, Dad." Ryan entered the room scaring the crap out of Clark. "He sleeps like a rock unless he hears an actual alarm clock."

"And why exactly didn't he hear the alarm clock in your room?"

"Cuz he slept out here." Ryan said pointing to the still sleeping Will.

"And why'd he do that?"

"Well cuz he didn't want to sleep in our room. I don't care where he sleeps." Ryan mumbled as he saw the note in his father's hand. "Oh, you saw the note."

"Erm, yeah I-uh, yeah I got the note." Clark failed at trying to hide his uneasy disposition. "How'd you meet her?"

Now it was time for Ryan to feel uneasy. Luckily he was saved by Casey who waltzed into the room dragging Dave with her. "Dad! Good you're up."

"Mornin' Mr. Kent." Dave waved.

"Dad, can Dave go back to school shopping with us?"

"Sure." Clark agreed. Then he thought about it. "When are we doing his shopping?"

"Today, duh." Casey said flopping herself on the couch and inadvertently waking up Will. "Oh my God I am So Sorry Will." Her brother mumbled something about pickles and went back to sleep.

"Moron." Ryan said as he walked out of the room.

"Today?" Clark asked. "I'm sorry honey, I can't take you today. There's just way too much going on?" Clark wasn't lying. Between the discovery of his long lost love, an obvious fight between his sons, and… where exactly were his parents? "Where are your grandparents?"

"Oh, they're in Metropolis going over some contract thing." Dave said. Damn. Clark did remember them talking about something like that.

"Daddy!" Casey whined "Schools gonna start in two days! You promised! Remember, you let Ry and Will go by themselves when I had soccer practice. And I didn't complain when you said I had to go with you, but…" Casey definitely knew how to lay it on thick.

"Sir, if you wouldn't mind, I could take Casey today… If you don't mind." Dave offered nervously.

"Fine." He was so jumbled. Clark had been awake twenty minutes and already had enough of that day. He went back up to his room and fell onto his bed thinking to himself "It's days like this when I really need Lois by my side again." Then he thought about and wished he could have his wife by his side again all he time.

"Your dad seemed kinda out of it." Dave said driving down the high way. A few minutes earlier he'd realized he left his wallet at home. They were heading to his house. Though she played it off, Casey was really excited. She'd never been to his house.

"You noticed it too?" Casey asked. "I don't know. He's probably just a little tired. Thanks for offering to take me back to school shopping."

"No problem." Dave said. They pulled up to the house.

"Wow." Casey gazed. The house was easily double the size of her own and especially picturesque.

"Lets hurry up." Dave said.

"No way." Casey smiled taking his hand. "I wanna meet EVERYBODY."

"Sorry babe." Dave said "Nobody's home."

Casey pouted "But you've met everybody in my family. I wanted to at least meet your parents." Then a thought hit her "Although this could be fun too."

Dave turned to her "Meaning?"

"Well, you. Me. Alone. Not exactly my least favorite scenario."

Dave looked at Casey. Her long eyelashes that flicked over her warm brown eyes. Her sweet little button nose. Her cute dimples framing her smile. This was the girl he loved and, even though his common sense begged him to say no, she wanted him to say yes. "Okay, but just for five minutes." He caved.

He lead her through the charming house and she took it all in, frequently stopping to ask questions. Finally they got to Dave's room, which was at the end of a long hallway. Dave had barely opened the door, when Casey heard the front door of the house unlock.

"Somebody's here." She whispered.

"Oh my God." Dave panicked. "You gotta hide."

"But I wanna meet your family." She smiled.

"Casey, listen, you… you really have to hide right now okay. Please." Casey didn't know why, but Dave looked desperate. She followed him into his room and he concealed her in a closet.

"David?" She heard from behind the door.

"I'm in my room." Dave answered. She heard the door to Dave's room open.

"David," she heard a man say "what are you doing home?"

"Oh I forgot my wallet. Had to come back and get it."

"Sometimes you just don't think… Your room's a mess." Casey had only briefly seen the room but she thought it was really neat.

"Yes sir." She listened to Dave say. "I'm sorry about that." His voice cracked. She'd never thought of Dave as jittery, but that's how he sounded.

"Dave didn't I tell you to latch the gate to the corral this morning?"

"I don't think so. Didn't you tell one of the other guys?" Dave said.

"No. I distinctly remember asking you David, but when I got home I noticed it was open. One of the horses could have gotten out because you forgot…" The man sounded forceful.

" I'm sorry Dad, I swear I thought you asked one of the Met U. guys." He sounded so nervous. "It won't happen again."

"It'd better not!" The man was screaming. Casey had to hold her breath as she heard the sound of a thrown punch and her boyfriend hit the ground. Then she heard footsteps exiting the room. The man was gone. Casey rushed out of the closet a found Dave holding his bloody nose on the ground.

"Baby!" she whispered.

"I-I'm fine." He said. "We got to get you outta here."

Casey thought the same thing about him.

Casey couldn't speak. She looked out the truck window down at the lines of the road passing by because she couldn't look at Dave. All she wanted to do was hold him in her arms and tell him everything was okay. But it wasn't. The way that man- his father talked to him wasn't okay. The he hit him wasn't okay.

"How often?" she finally asked still unable to look at him.

"Huh?" Dave asked.

"How often does your dad hit you like that?" She asked wiping a tear from her eye.

"Casey, its no big deal. Its only when I deserve it or when I do something stupid."

"Dave its abuse when…" Casey started finally looking at him.

"you don't know what you're talking about Casey, so couldya just shut up!" he snapped. Casey turned back to the window. He could tell from her breathing that she was crying and he couldn't have felt guiltier. He knew she was only trying to help, but he didn't want her to upset herself worrying about him. Now he'd just upset her anyway. Sometimes he could be SO stupid.

He pulled over. "Look, baby, I'm sorry. I really am." He said putting his hand on her shoulder. "I just… I don't want you to fret over me. You're the best thing in my life and I just want you to smile. I swear you, I'm not in any danger, so you can just relax. Believe me baby"

Casey turned to her boyfriend and kissed his hand. "Okay. I believe you" She lied.

Meanwhile, Clark also lied, only to himself. "I'm not nervous." He thought. "Why should I be nervous? I'm just visiting an old friend. Who cares if she was my first love and the woman I lost my virginity to? That's no reason to be nervous?"

"Clark." He whipped around and was face to face with Lana Lang. Boy, was he nervous.

"Lana. Hi." He waved meekly and immediately felt as if he was back in high school. Lana smiled and gave him a hug. Since she'd just gotton off of work they decided to go to the farm. Lana missed it over the years and had been meaning to say hi to Jonathan and Martha since she moved back to Smallville.

"You cut you hair." He said.

"Yeah. About four years ago." She rapped one finger around a strand of hair that just barely reached her shoulder. "Clark I can't believe you're here, what's it been?"

"Sixteen years. Since Will was born." Clark answered. "I never knew you were interested in law enforcement." He said pointing to her badge.

"Yeah well after all those years of being attacked and kidnapped, I decided to try and help put an end to it. And now it's brought me right back here to Smallville. So what about you? What brings you back to our hometown hamlet?" She asked as they pulled onto the farm.

Clark cleared his throat. "Um well… Lois was killed in a car accident right before summer."

Lana looked up in shock. "Oh my God. Oh Clark, I'm so sorry." She said.

"Well I decided it would be best for me and the kids to move back onto the farm with my parents and I think it was the right choice. The kids are really doing well here and my parents have been great."

"They always are."

Clark went around and opened the door for Lana. It was then that Ryan, who was just about to head to the Tallon, noticed who was talking to his father.

"Oh great." He sighed. "Hi Dad." He walked over fretfully. "Look I can explain."

Clark had learned that whenever one of his children spoke this phrase, to never let on if he had no clue what they were talking about. "I'm listening."

"Well, okay so first of all let me say this is ALL Will's fault."

"Really?" He asked, still in the dark.

"Yes sir." Ryan replied. "I was trying to drive home and Will was pestering me! I tried to get him to stop and he made me turn around so I didn't see the red light and that's why I got pulled over."

"You got pulled over for running a red light?" Clark asked.

"You didn't know?" He looked at Lana. "You didn't tell him?" Lana smiled and shook her head. "You didn't know." Ryan repeated to his father mentally kicking himself. He always let his father trick him into telling him things.

"No I didn't know. Why did you lie to me?"

"I didn't lie, Dad. I thought it wasn't important and didn't think I HAD to tell you because she only gave me a warning." Ryan said.

"Who?" Clark asked. "Lana?" he looked at her. "You pulled my son over?" he couldn't help but smile a little at the situation. Then he turned back to Ryan. "Where's your brother?" He asked.

"In the loft."

"Did your grandparents get back from Metropolis yet?"

"Yes sir, they're in the kitchen." Ryan said.

Clark turned to Lana and said "Sorry about all of this."

"No problem." Lana shrugged.

"Ryan, take Lana over to your grandparents and then wait for me in your room. I'm going to go get your brother."

"Yes sir." Ryan obeyed.

After he dropped off the cop in the kitchen, Ryan went upstairs and waited for Clark to pass judgment. He was a little confused about who the officer was. The way his grandparents reacted when they saw her, it was almost as if she was family.

Clark walked in and Will sat down next to Ryan. Their father noticed the looks exchanged between the two of them.

"What is going on with you two?" He asked.

"He's mad at me because I hooked up with the girl he likes." Will said.

"That's not why I'm mad at him." Ryan said. "I'm mad at him because he lied to me."

"I didn't lie to him! I changed my mind about her after he asked me if I liked her." Will explained.

"Well then why didn't you tell me?" Ryan asked finally looking at his brother.

"I didn't think you needed to know c-cuz it was over and it already happened and all."

"You're such a liar! He's lying Dad!" Ryan said.

"Ryan calm down." His father said. Then he turned to his younger son. "Will, are you sure that's really the reason you didn't Ryan?" There was no response. "Young man, I asked you a question. Is that really the reason you didn't tell your brother?" "

Will sighed and looked down at his shoes. "No sir." He looked at Ryan. "I-I guess I knew it would make you mad. Even when I was doing it, I knew it would upset you and I did it anyway. And then I just couldn't tell you, cuz there was no excuse, but I am really sorry." Ryan still didn't even look at his brother.

"Will, you can go back to your chores." Clark said.

"Yes sir." Will almost whispered.

Ryan went to stand up. "We're not done yet Ryan." Clark said. "Why didn't you forgive your brother?"

"Because he still lied to me. He didn't tell me the truth until you made him."

"Kinda like the way you didn't tell me about your ticket?" Clark asked.

"But Dad…" "Ryan was stumped. He really had nothing to say. His father was right. He had lied and did feel regretful about. He realized that his brother must have felt the same way. "I guess. Can I go talk to Will for a second?" Clark nodded and Ryan left the room.

Ryan went over to the loft and accepted his brothers apologies. After he helped Will finish the rest of his chores they both needed a drink. When they went in the kitchen they found their father and grandparents still talking with the female cop.

"Boys, I want to formally introduce you to an old friend of mine." Clark said. " This is Lana Lang. We were good friends during high school. Lana, these are my boys, Ryan and Will."

"Nice to meet you Ms. Lang" Will and Ryan shook her hand.

"Please, call me Lana." She smiled.

Ryan opened the refrigerator and got a glass of orange juice. He passed the pitcher to Will.

"I just can't get over how much they look like you." Lana said to Clark.

Will lifted the pitcher to take a sip. "Will," Martha warned when he went to take a swig right from the jug "get a glass please."

"Sorry Grandma, it just taste better this way." Will shrugged and got a glass.

"Lana, I agree that his sons look like him, but I just can't get over how much they ACT like him." The adults in the room laughed.

Lana was invited to stay for dinner. When the boys went to wash up, Ryan heard whimpering coming from somewhere in the house. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" Will said.

"Crying. You don't hear it?"

Will focused and did begin to hear the sound of weeping. "I hear it." He said. They looked around but nobody was crying. Finally the boys made it outside and the crying sound became clearer. "It sounds like it's coming from the loft." Will said. "But there's no way… how can we hear somebody crying all the way in the loft?"

" Let's figure out who's in there first." Ryan said heading for the barn.

When they got there, the boys found Casey crying on the couch.

"Casey? What's wrong?" Ryan asked concerned.

"I-I can't tell you." She sobbed.

"What do you mean you can't tell us? Whats going on Casey." Will demanded.

"Nothing."

"Where's Dave?"

"He just dropped me off"

"What did he do Casey?" Ryan asked.

"Nothing! He didn't do anything" She looked up at her brothers. "He needs help. I'm gonna tell you something, but you cant tell anybody. Not Dad. Not Grandpa or Grandma. Nobody."

"Okay." They agreed.

"Promise me."

"I promise."