Warning:

Later in this chapter there's a flashback of a spanking. Its not at all sexual AND the actual spanking isn't written about, just the parts before it and after, but I just figured I would cover all of my bases.

With that said:

"His Dad abuses him?" Will asked. Casey nodded.

"Careful Casey," Ryan warned "you can't just throw around words like abuse unless you're absolutely sure. I mean Mom and Dad didn't disapprove of spankings when we needed and I don't think that's abuse."

"Ryan I already told you. I was there. I heard him punch him and…"

"And what?" Ryan said.

"Well, it may sound crazy but… but I thought I saw it too." She explained.

Will sat down next to her. "What? I thought you said you were in the closet."

"I know! I was. Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I think I saw through the door. It was like an x-ray or something."

"It doesn't sound crazy." Ryan said. "We heard you crying from the bathroom in the house."

"Yeah!" Will cut in "X-ray vision, super hearing. Those are both things Dad said he started doing at our age."

Just then Clark began to walk up the stairs.

"Boys," he said ticked off "what's with the disappearing act? I think I've been really patient with you two today but you cant just walk out on dinner especially when I have a guest…" Clark saw Casey. "Baby, what are you doing home? I thought you'd be out late?"

"I… um…" Her brothers could tell she was stuck.

"Dave felt a little sick and decided to bring her home." Ryan stepped in

"Yeah, you know how conscientious that Dave is." Will helped out.

"Um okay… So why are you in here?" Clark asked.

"I… Left a book up here?" Casey lied.

"And we're helping her find it."

"Well hurry up guys, we're waiting for you at the table."

"We'll be right in Daddy." Casey said as Clark left. "God I hate lying to him, especially after we promised we'd be honest. I just… I cant tell Dave's secret." The three looked at each other with worried expressions.

"So, you knew Dad his whole life huh?" Ryan asked Lana as she passed him the peas.

"Yep. We actually started our first day of Smallville Elementary School together in the middle of the year. I'd just moved in with my Aunt Nell and he'd just been adopted by your grandparents." Lana said smiling.

Clark remembered that day, but was surprised that Lana did too. He didn't think he was even a blip on her radar until his freshman year of high school.

"It's so strange to see you kids all grown up." Lana continued. "The last time I saw you boys Will had just been born and Ryan was just about a toddler."

"You were there when I was born?" Will asked.

"Lana even helped name you." Clark said. "it was a choice between my grandfathers or your mothers grandfathers."

"I preferred the name William Hiram Kent." Lana said.

"Weren't mom's grandfathers named Eugene and Heathcliff?" Will asked. Clark nodded. "Good choice." Will said to Lana. The table was full of laughter… all of course except for Casey. Clark was happy to see his boys being so hospitable with Lana. The boys thought their plan to remove Clarks attention from Casey (who couldn't hide her angst if she tried) couldn't have worked out better.

After dinner Clark took Lana home. "Lana, It was so good to see you." He said when they go to her house.

"Well, we live in the same town again, so there's no reason why we have to wait another 16 years to talk to each other again." Lana said.

Clark swallowed "Lana, I don't think distance was the reason we haven't talked in so long."

She sighed. She'd been avoiding this conversation all night. She'd been avoiding this conversation since she gave Ryan that note for Clark. Hell she'd been avoiding this conversation for sixteen years. "Clark, uh, I have to get some sleep. Early shift tomorrow." Sixteen years of evasion had made her the expert avoiding this topic. She gave him a quick hug and ducked into the house before he even knew what happened. "I thought I was the one with the super speed!" he thought to himself.

"This is bad." Ryan said laying on one of the couches in the loft. Both boys had watched and soothed their sister as she cried herself to sleep, then went up to the loft o think. "I mean, what are we going to do?"

"I still say we tell Dad." Will sighed.

"But Casey…"

"I don't care what Casey wants. Well… I mean I do, but right now we gotta think about the right thing to do, even if our little sister hates us for doing it."

"I know." Ryan said. Will looked at him skeptically. "I really do I just…"

"Hate it when she hates you?"

"Exactly!" Ryan said..

"Well you've always been a sucker for Casey." Will explained.

"Huh?"

"She's always had you wrapped around her finger. I mean don't get me wrong, she's my sister and I love Casey, but I wouldn't leave the house five minutes before curfew just to get her favorite ice cream."

"She was sick and she couldn't eat anything else." Ryan defended. "Besides I made it home on time. And its not like I wouldn't do the same for you. In fact I remember a couple of times when I snuck you back into the house after curfew."

"Ryan, I'm not saying you're a bad brother to me. Not at all. I'm just saying this isn't the time to cater to Casey." They thought for a second before simultaneously getting up to go to bed. Will stopped. "Hey Ry?"

"Yep"

"You remember that day when Dave come into to work with those huge bruises on his back and arms?"

"Said he was playing football with some friends the day before. Took him twice the time to finish his chores that day." Ryan remembered. "I can't believe his father would hurt him like that. I mean I can't even imagine Dad beating us up. Case said he hadn't even done anything wrong." Ryan said sadly. He thought about the times when his father had to give him a spanking or two. But the crime always fit the punishment. And Clark always made sure that he knew exactly what he was being punished for.

Flashback

Clark was already upset that he had to leave work early to go to pick up his twelve year old son. But when he had to wait forty-five minutes to see the principal, just to find out that Ryan was suspended for smoking, he really saw red.

Clark couldn't even find the words for how he felt as he drove back home. When they got back, Ryan was sent to his room and Clark called Lois. She too was livid with their son. Clark went to Ryan's room. The boy, who had been laying on the bed, immediately sat up to face his father.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, young man." Clark asked.

"Well..." His eyes were cast down "I'm really sorry Dad. And I want you to know that I'm not a smoker. We were just trying it. I really am sorry."

"Is that all?" Clark asked.

"Yes sir." Ryan said still burning a whole in the floor with his eyes (A/N not really, although I can totally see that happening).

"Ryan, I'm very disappointed in you." Clark sighed. "I think you know what has to happen."

"Yes sir." Ryan said.

"Go on." Clark said

Ryan couldn't help but shake a bit. He always hated this part, almost as much as the actual spanking. His father waited patiently for his son to continue with what he knew he had to do. Ryan finally gathered up his courage. With a quivering voice he said. "Dad, I need to be spanked. I've earned this spanking for smoking and being suspended for three days." Clark always had his children say this before they were punished, in order to ensure that they clear on why they were being disciplined. Having heard it, he led his son over to his lap and began to spank him.

By the time he was finished, Ryan was crying and begging uncontrollably. Clark sat him up, kissed the top of his head and just let him cry for a little while. When he'd calmed down a bit, Clark led him over to a corner of the room. "I want you to stay here until I say so Ryan."

"Y-yes sir." Ryan said. Although his bottom burned and he felt very embarrassed, Ryan knew his father only did it because he loved him.

"Ry!" Will said.

"Huh." Ryan turned around and saw that he was back in the loft. His brother looking at him confusedly.

"Are you alright man?" Will asked.

"Yeah. Just thinking. Come on man lets go to bed."

Casey didn't know if it was Ryan rubbing her back that put her to sleep. He'd done it when she was younger to put her to bed. Maybe it was Will singing softly. (something he NEVER did unless it was absolutely necessary). He had such a soothing voice. Or maybe it was the fact that she'd been crying to the point of coughing and gagging for an hour straight that tired her out.

What ever "it" was, all she knew was that by one in the morning "it" was gone. Casey couldn't sleep. She tried laying to the right. Laying on her stomach. She got an extra pillow from the linen closet. She got another. She tried sleeping with no pillows at all. She just could not sleep. Suddenly a thought popped into her mind. She quickly dismissed it as nonsensical. But the more she thought about it, the better it sounded. She crept out of her room and down the hallway. Before she could talk herself out of it, Casey was in her father's room. He, along with the rest of the house was sleeping.

"Daddy?" She poked him a little.

"Case?" Clark mumbled. "What time is it?"

She glanced at his alarm clock."1:17… Umm, Daddy?"

"Yah baby?"

"Can I…Can I sleep in here with you?" His youngest child asked.

Clark sat up. "What's wrong honey? Did you have a nightmare or something?" He moved over on the bed and gestured for her to lay down.

"Or something." Casey said to herself as Clark wrapped his arm around her. She needed to feel safe. That's what was missing from her room. But now that she was safe, her thoughts moved to Dave.

"Casey, are you sure you're okay?" Clark asked concerned. Not only was this the first time in years that she'd needed to sleep in her parent's bed, but he'd noticed her red, puffy, bloodshot eyes. Something was wrong. "Casey?" he repeated.

"I-I'm fine Daddy… I just couldn't sleep before." She was lying. He knew it. She knew it. But neither one of them said anything.