Chapter 1

"I'll get that for you, Bart." Martha Kent said, taking the fork off the table and handing it to Bart. He sighed, exasperated. He looked around the table. They were all staring at him as if he would break.

"Are you o.k., Bart?" Jonathon Kent asked for the 200th time.

"Yes," Bart said grumpily, "I'm fine." He picked at chicken parmesan, forcing some past his puffed and swollen lips so that they wouldn't have to worry. Normally, he would be digging in to Martha's delicious cooking, but he wasn't very hungry.

Clark nibbled lightly on his spaghetti and watched his friend carefully. When he had brought Bart in a few hours earlier, Bart had explained to them all how he had been abducted. It seemed a little far fetched. However, despite Bart's smart talking and his bratty attitude, Clark had never really known him to lie. Bart had been abducted by a group of thugs. He had been taken to a Luthor Corp facility and experimented on for about three days. Weak, exhuasted, and bruised, he had managed to escape, but to his shock, without his powers. As he struggled to get away, the thugs had taken him. They had beaten him and taken him to the alley. That's when Clark had stepped in.

Clark looked around the table at his parents. They had barely eaten at all. Bart was like a son to them. They seemed to believe him. Clark believed him too. If this had been a prank, Bart would have exposed himself by now. Clark knew him. Unlike Clark, Bart could never remain at a normal speed for over an hour. Too much adrenaline.

Band-aids covered Bart's face. Though he had not been beaten too badly, He was very nauseous and could barely stand by himself. He ate very little and was the exact opposite of the boy they had met just a few months earlier.

Jonathon sipped at his juice and watched Bart. When Bart looked up, Jonathon looked away hastily. If there was one person who did not at all appreciate pity, it was Bart Allen.

Bart groaned inwardly. It wasn't as if he didn't like the Kents. Hell, they were more like parents to him than his real parents were, but Christ, he couldn't move a muscle without them jumping to attention. He hated the nagging feeling in his heart. Crap, he was starting to love these people! He didn't love anyone. Why did they treat him so nicely? Shoot, if he had found out that somebody had stolen from him, unlike Jonathon, He would have kicked someone's ass.

They sat awkwardly like this, glasses and cutlery clanking. Atlast, Bart stood up. "May I be excused?" He said. He was immediately surprised. He was asking them? They weren't his parents. They weren't his-

"Sure." Martha and Jonathon said at the same time.

"Thanks." He said moodily. He walked out of the house, limping. He glared back at them, silently daring anybody to ask him if he needed help. Nobody said anything. He turned around, satisfied. He limped out.

"How's he doing?" Martha asked Clark as soon as the door slammed shut.

"He's depressed," Clark said quietly, "If I had just gotten there earlier, he would have…"
"What?" Jonathon challenged, a little annoyed. "What? You saved his life son. He even thanked you for goodness sake, but as usual, here you stand, thinking it's all your fault. What else is new, Clark?"

Clark and Martha were shocked out this outburst.

"Jonathon?" Martha asked. He sighed.

"I'm sorry, Clark." Jonathon said breathing deeply. "I'm just tired of you thinking it's all your fault. Not every bad thing in this town happens because of Clark Kent."

"Sorry." Clark said. "It's just that, I don't know, dad. He was just sitting there in that alley. If I hadn't been on my way back from Wichita I…." Clark immediately realized his mistake.

"Wait," Jonathon said, shocked. "You went to Wichita?"
"I'm sorry, dad, it's just that…"

"It's just that nothing. Your mother and I deliberately told you not to go." Clark hung his head down. He pouted silently.

"Clark!" Martha hissed. But she knew that she and Jonathon were already melting. That dang puppy dog look! Jonathon growled softly.

"It's just that, there's really no one to talk to." Clark admitted. "Chloe doesn't know, Lana doesn't know, The only ones who really know are you guys and Pete. It's been hard without him."

Jonathon sighed. "I know son. Just be careful. How are you gonna explain to Ms. Ross how you can make it to Wichita in twenty minutes?"

Clark nodded.

Martha smiled. "Now go check on Bart."

Clark cleared his throat. "Yes, Mom." He got his plates and Bart's and carried them to the sink. He put them in and jogged out at a normal pace. The farm was dark and the stars shone brightly in the sky. He sighed happily. This night wasn't for super speeding. This was a night for a nice, long walk.

He saw Bart in the distance. He jogged slowly to his disgruntled friend. Bart was sitting against a tree, a blanket wrapped around him, and gazing at the stars. He glanced at Clark and continued to watch.

Clark sighed. He sat down next to his friend.

"I'd give anything to be able run again." Bart said. "Even normally."

"You will be." Clark said. "As soon as your leg heals."

"I don't think so." Bart said. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What?" Clark asked, concerned.

Bart sighed wearily. "I didn't just lose my powers Clark. I kinda, gave them away."

"What do you mean?"

"The scientist that studied me, I think he has my powers."

"How could that be?" Clark asked.

"I don't know, man. When they were beating me, I saw him. He was moving as fast as lightning. All around me, taunting me. I don't know, men. It might have been an hallucination. All I know is, now, I couldn't run if my life depended on it."

"Yeah?" Clark asked, shocked.

"Listen," Bart said urgently, "Don't tell your parents. I don't want them to be more worried than they already are."

"But.."

"Bo buts, Clark. Just don't, o.k.?"

Clark nodded reluctantly.

"I guess you finally got your wish, huh?" Bart said.

"What?" Clark asked, absent-mindedly.

"You can finally get to beat me in a race." Bart said bitterly.

"Bart…" Clark started, reaching out for his friend.

Bart waved his hand away. "Don't follow me, Clark." Bart said. He stood up and walked away. Clark sighed dejectedly. He hated seeing Bart in such a depressed state. He stood up, brushing grass off his jeans, and made his way back to the house. Bart would have to deal with his problems by himself for now.

Chloe Sullivan sat in the school newspaper room, The Torch, sipping at her coffee and studying her computer screen. On the monitor, was a report about the effects of meteor rocks. She was searching for what could have happened to Clark. Though she had been searching for months, she hadn't found anything. The meteor rocks that he had been exposed to that had given him his powers most have been really weird ones!

"Hey, Chloe!" Clark said, entering The Torch. He set his book bag down. Chloe hastily exited the program. She smiled up at him. She lost her breath at that beautiful smile. He was so handsome, she thought, and so clueless about her feelings for him. Clueless about her knowing about his powers. So damn clueless, and so damn hot.

"Hi, Clark." She said, nodding at him.

"What are you doing?" He asked. He came around to her desk. On the screen was an article about the Smallville football team. He didn't need to be a genius to know that wasn't what she had been doing.

"Well, what does it look like I'm doing?" She asked, a little edgy.
"Well," Clark said rubbing his fingers, "You certainly aren't in the best of moods. Maybe I should just go."

"No." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I've just been edgy lately. It's this whole amnesia thing. I don't know what happened to me in like, three days of my life. You know, I think I know what Lex feels like now."

"Tell me about it," said Lois Lane, Chloe's cousin, as she entered the office. She stretched out and took a quick drink out of Chloe's coffee. She instantly spit it back out. "What tha hell is that?" She asked, disgusted.

Chloe chuckled. "Hate to break it to you, cuz, but you made it."
"Me?" Lois asked incredulously. "I mean, I'm no Dunkin Donuts, but my coffee is edible." She turned to glare up at Clark. "Right, Smallville?"

Clark looked down, trying not to laugh. Lois glared. Clark held his breath. Lois hit him playfully on the shoulder. "Good way to go, Smallville. You sure helped me out there?" She crossed her arms.

"Got the story?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah. Ummm, it's in my car."

"Yeah? Go get it."

Lois smiled, flustered, and hurried out.

Chloe grinned at Clark. "Ten," she started, "Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and.."

Just as she finished, Lois stalked back in to the office. "Kay, quick confession, little cousin. I kinda, had things to do last night. But I'll make up for it. I swear. Anything else you can print."

Chloe sighed. She opened a drawer in her desk and took out a typed manuscript. "Whenever you ask Lois Lane to do something," she started, "Always have a back up." She slapped it with exaggerated anger on her desk.

"Glad you put so much faith in me, Chloe." Lois said, feigning hurt.

Chloe raised an eyebrow.

The bell rang.

"Got to get to gym." Clark said and waved. "See you too after school." He walked out of the room. Lois watched Chloe appreciating his back view, but not exactly his back.

"Smooth, Chloe. Real smooth. I still can't see what you see in that guy." Lois lied. In fact, she did see what Chloe saw in him. It wasn't just his looks, And those looks made up for anything, but his personality. Lois had dated many guys, The baddest, The goody two shoes, the short, the tall, hell, she'd dated ex-convicts. But Clark. So meek and shy. He wouldn't hurt a fly, literally. He was so damn good, and so damn hot.

Chloe smiled shyly, embarrassed. "Got to get to class." She said. She stalked out.

Lois watched her cousin go, shaking her head. She too, left the office. The three were all oblivious to the man who had been standing outside the torch, listening.