Author's note - don't worry, ya'll the chapters will eventually lengthen out. I'm working on it. Thanks for reading my smallville fic too. I wasn't sure if it was too out there. Maybe I introduce Clark into the next chapter. He kinda has to be there.

"Stay here, Cody," Rodney ordered, tugging on Jackson's arm to stop him. "I want this girly here to dig." Rodney nodded to one of his guys and he took off towards the forest, leading Melissa by her arm.

"How do you know where it's at?" Jackson asked, uncomfortably shifting his weight from foot to foot. They say the majority of children can't sit still - not because there's something wrong with them but just because. Jackson had always slowly grown uncomfortable when he'd go longer than five minutes without moving. Even in this pained state he hated the feeling that standing still gave him.

"Do you think we just randomly showed up on this island, lil' bro?" Rodney laughed. "sit down," he commanded, gesturing to a tree stump next to them. Jackson ignored the gesture. "I've been watching you for a week or so. I've seen you eyeing this peculiar little patch of sand in front of that tree right over there." Jackson glanced over and saw Melissa kneeling infront of the tree, digging with her hands. He grimaced when he noticed how close Rodney's back up - Creu was to her. Creu had always been a pervert, completely relentless. He was capable of far more than Rodney ever would be. But Jackson understood the message his brother was trying to send. "Sit down, Cody."

"No, Rodney," Jackson said through gritted teeth.

"I never noticed how stubborn you were before, C.J," Rodney said, sounding a little off hand. "Everybody thought you were so wise beyond your years, when you would copy some stupid show or ma. But you're really beginning to become petty. Must be the island life, right?"

"You're a resentful old man, Rodney," Jackson murmured. "I'm not the petty one."

Rodney chuckled quietly. Jackson couldn't recall the last time Rodney had been this light hearted. Jackson glanced over at Melissa again. Creu had inched closer, but Melissa was having difficulty finding the money. "I've never seen you look at somebody like that before."

Jackson's head snapped up. "Don't you love talk me. You don't know shit about compassion."

Rodney shook his head. "When did you turn so hostile, Cody?"

"When my own brother took a whip to my back," Jackson snapped.

Rodney tutted. "Well maybe if you had just a little bit of respect for this said brother, then he wouldn't have been forced to resort to such barbaric methods of institutionalizing."

"What the fuck?"

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"Do you hear that?" Lex asked pausing in stride. "That low hum?"

Eric cocked his head to the side. "No."

"Yeah," Daley countered. "I think I do."

Nathan had begun nodding too. "Like a computer, when you turn it on."

"That's the first thing that came to mind when I heard it too," Lex admitted.

"A computer?" Taylor nearly shouted.

"Can you imagine what we can do with a computer?" Eric asked, suddenly excited.

"I never said it was a computer," Lex said quickly. "I just said it sounded like one. It could be anything."

"Anything that's a machine, right?" Taylor asked. "Like a car, or - or a microwave."

"There's no electricity out here, Taylor," Daley reminded her. "Microwaves would be kinda useless."

"Ohhh," Taylor moaned.

"Wait," Nathan said suddenly. "Do you hear voices?"

"Yeah," Daley said after a pause. "It sounds like -"

"That's Jackson."

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Rodney had suddenly attempted to take the comfort route and went to touch Jackson. Their mother had once told them both that sometimes all you needed was human companionship, just a little hug or a pat on the back. But Jackson rose quickly to his feet, stumbling away and hissing in pain.

"Don't touch me," he said loudly. Rodney made another movement closer to him. "No, back the fuck up."

"Shhh," Rodney murmured. "Is that anyway to talk to your brother?"

Jackson glanced over at the tree where he had buried the money but Melissa was gone. He turned quickly to Rodney. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked loudly.

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"The voice came from over here," Daley said, jogging in the direction of Jackson's voice.

"He couldn't have escaped without us," Lex reminded.

Daley pulled up short as soon as she had entered the clearing. "No kidding."