Part 1
      "Well Mr. Lucas, I am very impressed with your past school records.  19.5 credits
      in three years with a 3.75 GPA," Principal Dr. Terrance Reynolds looked at the 17
      year old from across his desk.  "Are you by any chance related to the Luthors?"

      Lucas gave him a strange look, "Are they the ones who own that plant I saw coming
     into town?"  The Principal nodded, "I sure hope not," Lucas stated and laughed.
      
      "Why's that?  Luthors get far in life."
        
      "Yeah, but at the expense of the environment, and that's not something anyone 
      should be proud of."

      The principal gave a small smile, "No, you're definitely not a Luthor, you just 
      look like one.  Well Lucas, I was a pleasure meeting you.  I'll see you on the 
      Monday." He extended his hand which the young man took firmly.

      "See you Monday."  Lucas replied as he left the office.  This  is going to 
      be interesting.  He thought to him self as he made his way the parking lot of 
      the school.  He had seen a coffee place called the Talon earlier that day and wanted
      to check it out. It was 4:35 and his foster mother wasn't expecting him home until 
      at least 6:00.  She actually told him he wasn't allowed back until 6:00 so he could 
      hang out and see the town before finishing unpacking his things.

      He pulled up in front of the Talon, the place looked fairly busy and he hadn't had 
      any coffee in two day.  The coffee pot broken during the move.  He combed his hand 
      through his short spiked up black hair and made is way into the place.  Lucas smiled 
      at the woman behind the counter, "Can I please have a medium coffee, cream no sugar."

      "Sure think darling, just passing through?"  She asked while pouring the coffee into 
      the mug.

      "Just moved her with my foster mother.  I'm from New York.  Do I really sick out that 
      bad?" He was wearing a t-shirt that said "What Would Brian Boitano Do?" and black 
      leather pants. He had three silver rings on this right hand and two on his left.  
      Around his neck hung a sliver pentacle from a black cord.  His glasses were lack and 
      of similar styles the ones the lead singer of Weezer wears.

      "Just a little honey.  Here's your coffee, it's on the house.  Welcome to Smallville."

      "Thank you," he took his coffee and moved over towards an empty table.  He pulled out 
      his schedule from his back pocket and sat down.  He only needed a half a credit to 
      graduate, but was disappointed when the school required him to have one study hall a 
      quarter. He had third period off every quarter.  The principal had suggested he join 
      the school paper given his love for writing fiction.  Lucas thought that comment was 
      more that slightly odd, but decided he'd check it out on Monday anyway.

      Lucas stated at the Talon for a little while, taking everything in.  He got weird looks 
      from a few people and assumed it was his clothing, though he had no plans of dressing 
      any differently for school on Monday.  As he got up to leave a cute blonde girl walked
      in and bumped right in to some football jocks.  Her papers went everywhere and the guy 
      didn't even stop to help her out.  Asshole.  Lucas thought and went over to help the
      girl.

      "Some guys have no matters," he stated and picked up a picture of what looked like rocks
      and handed them to the girl, who just stared at him.  Feeling weirded out he smiled and 
      said, "Hi, I'm Lucas Castleton.  I just moved here two days ago."

      The girl continued to stare at him, "Chloe Sullivan, did you just say your name is 
      Lucas?" 
      
      "Yeah, is there something wrong?"

      Chloe smiled and suddenly felt embarrassed for staring, "No, it's just that you look 
      just like my friend Lex, except younger and with hair."

      Lucas nodded, "And that has what to do with my name?"

      "Are you adopted?"

      Lucas froze for a second, "Yes, I am, I just moved here with my foster mother"

      "Foster mother?" 

      "My adoptive parents turn out to be horrible that raise children and I was placed in 
      fostercare three years ago."  He stood up, "Do you want to get a table?"

      Chloe nodded.  They went back to the table Lucas had just vacated.  "Okay, this is 
      really weird.  My friend, Lex Luthor, has a little brother named Lucas who was given up 
     for adoption as a child.  He'd be about 17 now.  You look JUST like him, you sound like 
     him too. Though I can't picture you in Armani."

      Lucas just sat there for a minute trying to process what he had just been told.  "So, 
      I'm probably the brother of a guy who is doing God knows what to the environment?"

      Chloe couldn't help but laugh, "I guess the evil gene skip over you."

      "He's evil?"

      "Not really, but you seem to think he his.  And besides, if it wasn't for Lex, half 
      this town would be out of work.  He really put his ass on the line to stop his father 
      from closing the plant.  He really does seem to care about this town."

      "Okay, so he's not too evil.  Is that why people have been looking at me strangely?"

      Chloe sighed, "Possibly, or it could be the clothes."

      Lucas felt wounded, "You don't like my clothes?"

        "No, I love them, they look great on you!"

      Lucas blushed slightly, he grew up in Greenwich Village and was used to having guys, 
      not girls hitting on him, and he usually preferred it that way.  "So, you still in 
      school?"  He asked trying to change topics.

      "Yup, I work with the school paper, The Torch." Lucas could tell she was proud of 
      herself.

      "Wow, I was going to head over there third period Monday to see if I could do something
      there.  May as well do something constructive in my free time."

      Chloe gave him a big smile, "I have third period off too, and I'll be at the desk.  
      You should stop in.  I think you like it."

      Lucas could help but smile back, "I definitely will now that I know you'll be there." 
      It was Chloe's turn to blush.  Lucas didn't want to make her too uncomfortable and 
      quickly added, "Is there any good pizza places around here?"

      About an hour later Chloe pulled a pizza out of the oven at her house.  "I hope you 
      like it," she said to Lucas.

      "It smells great.  You really didn't have to make a pizza, though."

      "I know, but my roommate Lana says I make the best pizza and I love making it."  Chloe 
      put a couple pieces on a plate and handed it to Lucas and then got some for herself.

      "You have a roommate?" Lucas said before taking a bite of pizza, "This is good!"

      "Her name's Lana, she was living with her aunt Nell but Nell moved to Metropolis and 
      Lana wanted to finish school her so my dad let her move in."

      "You dad sounds pretty cool.  He isn't going to be mad that you have a boy over without 
      anyone else home isn't?"

      Chloe thought about that for a second, "No.  We're fully clothed."  Suddenly Chloe 
      blushed again, not believing that those words came out of her mouth.  She was flirting
      with him! But what surprised her most was that he was flirting back.  She smiled a 
      little at the thought of that.

      "You have a beautiful smile." Lucas said and took another bite of his pizza before his 
      mouth could get him in trouble.

      "So, you're an environmentalist?"

      "Ever since I was seven and my best friend taped a frog to a Frisbee to prove me wrong 
      about frogs being able to fly."  Lucas shook his head.

      Chloe almost choked on her pizza and tried to swallow before laughing.  "Are you okay?"  
      Lucas walked around the table to her.  Chloe nodded and gasped for air.  They both 
      started laughing and a moment later Lucas kissed her.  It would have been a nice kiss 
      except he backed off almost as soon as he started.  "I'm sorry Chloe.  That was out of 
      line."

      Chloe was a little stunned, "No, its okay.  I, its okay."  She though about Clark 
      looked away, "I'm just not used to guys thinking I'm kissing material."

      Her comment surprised him.  "You are kidding right?  You're amazingly beautiful, and 
      your smile.  The guys in this town need a serious kick in the ass if they can't see 
      that."

      Chloe thought she might cry, but before she could even reply Lana walked in the front 
      door.

      "Hey Chloe!  Hi............. are you related to Lex?"

      Chloe and Lucas both started laughing.  "Apparently, if what Ms. Sullivan her says is 
      true, I'm his brother.  My names Lucas."

      "What!  No way.  Did Chloe track you down?" 

      Lucas looked puzzled, "No, I actually just move to town a couple days ago.  I just met 
      Chloe at the Talon a little while ago."

      Lana just stared for a moment, "Talk about fate.  So have you seen him yet?"

      "No, I was planning on giving him a call tomorrow or something, but what do you say?  
      Hey, we've never met but I think I'm your brother?"

      "Why not?" Lana asked, "Is that Chloe's famous pizza?"  She walked around Lucas and got 
      a plate.  "This is amazing.  It must be really strange for you?"

      Lucas nodded and took a seat next to Chloe at the table.  "It is, but nothing I can't 
      handle."

      Chloe felt her heart sink a little, just another guy who will fall for 
      Lana instead. She told herself.  The phone rang and she got up to get it.  "Lana, 
      its Nell."

      Lana got up and Chloe walked back to the table.  "I was thinking," Lucas said, "if 
      you aren't busy tomorrow maybe we could hang out.  You could give me the inside scoop 
      on the paper and this town."

      "Are you sure you won't be busy meeting your family?" Chloe was surprised that Lucas 
      had asked her this and not Lana.

      "I'll call the Lex character tonight and see what happens, but I'll let him know that 
      I have plans to tomorrow if he asks."

      "Are you sure?"

      Lucas laughed a bit, "Hang out with Chloe, who's beautiful, or have a chat with some 
      guy I share some genes with.  Hmmmm, I think Lex will just have to wait."

      Lana came back, "Nell wants me to visit her in Metropolis next week end, I told her 
      I'd think about it."

      "You should go; you haven't seen her in three weeks.  She misses you."  Chloe sighed.

      "I know, but I'm supposed to work."

      "Lana, I'm sure you can find someone to cover for you.  Besides, you'll have fun."

      Lucas looked at his watch quickly, "I would really love to stay, but I still have 
      some unpacking to do tonight.  Chloe, do you might telling me how to get to my house?  
      I'll be driving around for hours looking for it."

      "Sure, I actually have to run back to the school tonight and pick up some stuff I 
      forgot in the Torch room so you can follow me out to the main part of town."

      "That's cool; I know my way from there.  Do you have Lex's number?"

      Chloe jotted it down and they headed for the door.  "It was nice meeting you Lana! 
      I'll see you Monday."

      "Nice meeting you too, good luck with Lex!"

      The air outside was warm and there was a light breeze, "Thank you Chloe."

      "For what?" She looked puzzled.

      "For being you," he placed a soft kiss on her lips.  "Do you want to meet at the 
      Talon tomorrow?"

      Chloe's heart was racing and it took a couple seconds for her to comprehend what he 
      had asked, "Sure, about 10:30?"

      "I'll see you then.  Good night."  Lucas smiled at her then got into his car.  He 
      couldn't believe he was falling in love already, with a female at that!  Lucas thought 
      of his ex-boyfriend.  You're such a breeder!  Mark would have said right now 
      if he could have seen him.  

     Back in New York Lucas had been out of the closet for the past three years.  That was 
     actually the cause of the state taking him away from his family.  After his father found 
     out he flipped and beat the crap out of him.  Lucas took off that night and had been 
     living on the street for just over a week when his current foster mother Laurie had found
     him.  She was disgusted at what his father had done and even more so when she realized 
     that they hadn't even reported him missing.  She made a call to one of her friends who 
     was working in social services and was granted temporary custody of Lucas until they 
     could find a home for him. Laurie and Lucas got all long great from the beginning and 
     Laurie filed a petition to keep Lucas under her care until he turned 18.  For the first 
     time in his life Lucas actually felt as though he had a family member that he could talk 
     to openly.  As he came to find out Laurie had some secrets of her own.
      
      Part Two
      Lucas walked in the front door of his house.  "Laurie?  You home?"  He knew that she was 
      planning on doing some research on the meteor shower and he was eager to see what she had 
      found so far.

      "I'm here," Laurie replied and walked into the kitchen.  She looked not much older that 
      30. She was tall with long blonde hair and green eyes that always seemed to be able to 
      tell what you were thinking.  Her arms looked normal now, but right below the skin there 
      were four bone spikes ready to be used in a fight.  She wasn't from this planet, but was
      stranded her when her ship was damaged by a meteor shower many years earlier.  She was 
      glad that it was her stuck here rather that any of the other people from her nation.  Her 
      bone spikes were retractable, and as far as she knew she was the only Nietzschean with 
      that capability.  This was most likely due to the fact that she was half Nietzschean and 
      half Krypton.  That was the only reason she was able to blend in on earth.

      The name she used on Earth was Laurie Castleton.  She had changed it to sound more 
      American.  Her true name as Lakia Bolivar.  She did miss being called that, but it was 
      a small price to blend in.

      "I haven't found much that I didn't already know.  There was a meteor shower, there was
      a ship, there had to have been for those rocks to have gotten here that quickly, and it
      was from the planet Krypton.  Which was destroyed days before when a nova bomb was 
      launched into their sun."

      "But no leads on where the ship is?" Lucas asked as he poured a glass of orange juice.  
      From what Laurie had told him she needed a piece of the ship's computer to fix the last 
      piece that was broken on hers.  And she seemed certain that the two ships were 
      compatible enough for it to work.

      Laurie frowned, "No.  It could be anywhere, even still in the ground.  Based on the size
      of the meteors, the ship was a small one.  The Kryptons only had one model that would be
      small enough to fit through the rabbit hole of a slip stream that it came through.  It 
      was designed to send emergency medical supplies to ships, but it could have been used to 
     carry a small child out of danger just before the bomb went off."

      Laurie decided it was time for a change of subject, "So, how was your day?"

      Lucas took a seat across the counter from her, "I was great.  I found out that my 
      biological brother lives right her in this town, and I met someone."

      Laurie looked up at him, "Already?  Was his name?"

      "HER name is Chloe, and she's beautiful."

      "Breeder," Laurie teased and Lucas laughed a little.

      "I don't know what it is about her.  She has this really bright personality that just
      sucked me right in.  She's the one who told me about my brother Lex."

      Laurie was a little confused, "How did she know?"

      "I guess I really look like him, and he had a little brother named Lucas who was giving
      up for adoption.  He'd be about my age.  Plus, everyone I've talked to has asked me if 
      I'm related to the Luthors."

      "Of Luthor Corp?  Are you sure?"

      "Not entirely, but Chloe gave me his number so I can meet with him."  Lucas reached 
      into his pocket and retrieved the number.  "I was thinking of calling him tonight."

      "You haven't called him yet?"

      "No, it's still sinking in that I have a brother."  Lucas looked down at the number 
      again. "Well, now's as good a time as ever."  He picked up the phone and dialed the 
      number.

      It rang twice, "Lex Luthor," the voice on the line stated.

      Lucas took a deep breath, "Hello. This is really strange, but apparently I'm your 
      brother.  My name is Lucas Castleton, I just moved to town and your friends Chloe and 
      Lana seem convinced that I'm your brother."  There was a couple seconds of silence on 
      the other end.

      "Your name is Lucas?"

      "Yes.  And according to them I look just like you, except with hair," Lucas paused, 
      "I'm sorry.  This is really strange for me.  I wasn't sure how to go about talking to 
      you."

      "No," Lex jumped in, "It's okay, where are you now?"  Lucas gave him the address.  
      "Would it be okay if I stopped by in about twenty minutes?"

      "Sure.  The place is still kind of a mess, we just moved in."

      "I'll see you in 20," and Lex hung up the phone.

      Meeting Lex was interesting.  He wasn't the type of person Lucas expected.  He had a 
      sense of humor and seemed to care more about having found his brother than about 
      possibly having to share is inheritance with someone.  Though Lex did ask Lucas if he 
      would mind getting a DNA test the following week, just to be sure.  

      "So," Lex smiled, "you like Chloe?"

      Lucas looked at him suspiciously, "Well, yeah.  How'd you know?"

      "Lana called me after you left Chloe's house, she wanted to give me a heads up.  
      Anyway, she saw you kiss Chloe."

      Lucas laughed, "Didn't realize anyone was watching."

      "Someone is always watching in this town," Lex warned.  "What are you doing tomorrow?  
      I have a friend who I want you to meet, unless Chloe already introduced to him.  His 
      name's Clark."

      Lucas shook his head, "No, haven't met him, but Chloe mentioned him.  I'm meeting Chloe
     at the Talon at 10:30 tomorrow morning; she's going to show me around town and stuff. 
     But I'm free before then."

      Lex looked at his watch; it was only 7:30pm.  "Why don't you come with me tonight?  I 
      was going to stop over at the Kent's place anyway.  Plus my, our," Lex corrected 
      himself, "father is in town for the weekend tying up some loose ends here in Smallville 
      before going back to Metropolis for a while.  We don't get along to well."

      "Sure.  Wow, I move to the middle of nowhere and find my brother and my father all in 
      a matter of days."
      "This may be the `middle of nowhere' but it doesn't mean it's not an exciting place to 
      live.  A lot of strange things happen in this town.  Keep hanging out with Chloe and 
      I'm sure will see that."
        
        Part 3
      Lex and Lucas pulled up to the Kent farm and stepped out of the car.  A tall dark hair
      boy came out of the barn to meet them.  "Hey Lex, who's your friend?"

      Lex looked at Lucas and then back at Clark, "Clark, this is my brother, Lucas.  
      Lucas, Clark Kent."

      Clark looked shocked, "Now that you mention it he does look like you."

      "Everyone in town's been giving me strange looks.  At first I thought it was my choice 
     of clothing, but then I ran into your friend Chloe and she clued me in."  Lucas extended 
     his hand and shook Clark's. 

      "Chloe huh?  I'm surprised I didn't hear about this sooner then."

      Mrs. Kent opened the front door of the house, "Clark, Chloe called about a half hour 
      ago.  She said she had some strange news.  Hi Lex, how are you?"

      The three men made their way towards the house, "I'm doing very well today, and you?"

      "I'm doing pretty good."

      "Mrs. Kent, I want you to meet my brother, Lucas."

      Mrs. Kent smile brightly, "Wow!  How long are you in town for?"

      "I just moved here a few days ago, so quiet a while I'd imagine."

      "Well, come on in side guys.  I just made some cookies."  Mrs. Kent went over to the 
      stove and grabbed the plate and brought it over to the living room.  "Can I get you boys
      anything to drink?"

      "No thank you Mrs. Kent," Lex stated.

      "None for me either, but thank you."  Lucas said and reached for a cookie.

      Clark just stared at Lucas for a minute, "So, did you know you had family here before 
      you moved?"

      Lucas had his mouth full so he just shook his head `no'.

      "Are you still in school?" Clark asked.

      Lucas swallowed, "Yes, I'm starting classes on Monday. Chloe's already got me roped into 
      the Torch."

      "I do some work for the Torch too.  Do you like writing?"

      "Mainly fiction, but I like interviews too.  I'm also into photography.  So how did you 
      too become friends?"

      Lex shook his head a little, "I nearly hit him when I drove my car off a bridge a few 
      years back.  He jumped in and saved my life."  Lucas studied Clark for a moment.  
      Suspect One: Clark Kent.  He made a mental note about who could have been in that
      space craft.  If he could find that person, he could help Laurie find the ship.  That 
      was actually why they had moved to Smallville and not Metropolis, so that Lucas could get 
      to know the people in the high school.  Laurie said that if a person was in the ship they
      would be between 14 and 18, so they were probably in school if someone in this town took
      them in.

      "Well thank you for saving his life.  I never would have had the chance to meet him if 
      you hadn't."

      "I was just doing what anyone should have done.  So how do you like Smallville so far?"

      "It's big.  Lots of back roads to get lost on.  But the people have been really nice so
      far."  And Chloe is a babe.   "My foster mother really likes it her too."

      "Foster mother, I thought you were adopted?"  Clark seemed confused.

      "I was, but it's a long story."

      "I was adopted too.  My family took me in when I was three."  After you came 
      crashing to Earth.  Lucas thought to himself.  He was almost positive he had this 
      case solved, but decided to wait a couple weeks before telling Laurie much.  Just to 
      check out other people and make sure he found the most likely person who it could be.

      "That's cool.  Your mother seems really nice, and she makes good cookies."

      "Yes she does," Lex added.  "It was nice seeing you Clark, but I want Lucas to see our 
      father before the nights over." 

      They all stood up, "It was nice meeting you Clark.  I'll see you Monday if not sooner."

      "Good luck with your father tonight.  I'll see you later."  Clark replied and walked 
      them out to the car. As the car pulled out of the Kent's drive way, Lucas turned to Lex, 
      "They were really nice."

      "Yeah, the Kent's are like the model family in this town.  Mr. Kent doesn't like me 
      too much, but that has more to do with my last name then me, and he's a very stubborn 
      man."

      "That's too bad.  Especially with you and Clark being good friends."  Lucas was silent 
      for a moment, "Why don't you and our father get along?"
 
      Lex sighed, "He was never really much of a father to me, and he was more of a business 
      instructor.  As a teen I become frustrated with that and rebelled, did drugs, got a 
      tattoo.  After I grew out of that I just tried to accept it.  But we started butting 
      heads again when he gave me this plant to run and then randomly decided to close it down.
      I moved for an employee buy out and things have just been tense since then."

      "Sorry, that must have been hard."

      "Yeah, but I got over it.  So, why are you living with a foster parent?"

      Lucas really didn't want to talk about that, "My dad became abusive and the state took 
      me away."  It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth.

      Lex looked over at him but Lucas avoided his gaze, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

      "It's okay; I think things worked out better because of it.  Laurie and I get along 
       great.  She's really the best friend I've ever had."

      "And she's really good looking, that never hurts when getting along with women."

      "You think she's attractive?"  Lucas asked.

      "Well I'm not blind.  But don't worry, I'm seeing someone."

      "Good, I'd hate to have to kick your ass for breaking her heart someday," Lucas joked 
      and Lex laughed.

      "Shouldn't she be watching out for you, not the other way around?"

      "We watch each others backs.  It's safer that way."

      The car pulled up to a castle.  "You LIVE here?!"

      "Yup."

      Lucas looked up to the roof, "Is this place haunted?  Cause I would love to stay here 
      if it was."

      Lex gave him a strange look, "No, it's not haunted.  No wonder you and Chloe are getting 
      along so well.  She loves supernatural stuff." 

      They walked into a huge room.  There were a few people backing boxes with files and 
      other office type things.  A man that Lucas actually recognized was sitting at the next 
      talking on the phone.  He remembered the man from when he was younger.  He came to visit
      his family a few times and always took time to play ball with Lucas.  He remembered the 
      last time he saw him because the man had tears coming down his cheeks.  Lucas never 
      understood why he was crying until he was older and thought that the man my have been his
      father, but when he asked his parents they told him that it was just a neighbor that had 
      lost his son, and that's why he couldn't handle playing with Lucas anymore.  Lucas always 
      thought the answer was strange because he never remembered the man's son, but eventually 
      pushed it out of his head.

      Now this very same man was sitting only thirty feet from him.  He was wearing glasses, 
      which was odd because it was night time and they were indoors.  "Is he blind?"  Lucas 
      whispered to Lex.

      "Yes, it happened recently, during the tornadoes that hit last year.  I should have told
      you in the car, but I forgot to mention it."

      Lucas walked up to the man as soon as he put the phone down.  "Mr. Luthor?" 

      Lionel's head looked in the direction of Lucas's voice, "Yes?"

      Lucas pulled a seat next to the man, "It's strange seeing you again.  I was maybe four 
      the last time I saw you."  Lucas let the words sink in for a few moments.

      "Lucas?"  Lionel's voice tried to remain cool, but Lucas could here a little hint of hope
      in it.

      "Yes, it's me."

      Lionel reached out and touched his face, "Did Lex find you?"

      "No, I moved her a couple days ago with my foster mother.  I ran into one of Lex's 
      friends today at the Talon.  Apparently I look a lot like him."

      "Clark?"

      "No, Chloe, but I just came from Clark's.  He seemed pretty cool."

      Lex watched the two for a moment and felt his jealousy rising.  Lionel never showed 
      him that much affection and he was the son he kept.  Lex decided to keep himself busy 
      by helping to pack his father's belongings.

      "Lucas, I want you to know that giving you up was extremely hard for me."

      Lucas nodded, "I remember.  And I was never mad about being given up for adoption; I 
      hold no grudges against you for it."

      "You are very understanding.  Did you say you moved here with a foster mother?  What 
      happened to your parents?"

      "It doesn't matter.  I'm in a good home now with someone I get along with."  Lucas 
      looked over at Lex; he could sense that he was deeply bothered by something.

      "I wish I could see now more than ever.  I don't even know what you look like."  
      Lionel's voice sounded of regret.

      "Well, picture Lex, younger with short black hair.  That's pretty much what I look 
      like."

      Lionel grinned, "You sounded a bit like him too.  How are the two of you getting 
      along?"

      "Okay so far.  He's pretty cool, not what I expected when I heard about the Luthor 
      family." 

      Lionel laughed, "And what do they say about the Luthor family?"

      Lucas really didn't want to answer that question, "That they'll do anything to get to 
      the top.  It's not a bad thing I guess, just not my style."

      "And what is your style if you don't mind me asking?"

      "I like to help people without expecting anything in return.  I feel I get more out of 
      life when I put others before myself.  Having tons of money really isn't in my long term 
      plans."  Lucas was being honest.  Once he was out of high school he was planning on going
      with Laurie to the intergalactic Commonwealth to train to be part of the High Guard.  
      Laurie held a lot of influence in the Commonwealth and was very well respected.  She had 
      told Lucas she could get him in to the academy if that was what he really wanted to do. 
      He liked Earth, but he liked the idea of helping to keep the peace treaties in the known 
      universe in place.  He could help more people then he could ever hope to here on Earth.

      "You know there is nothing wrong with making lots of money Lucas," Lionel told his son.  
      "You should really should think out getting in the family business."

      "I am, but not this one, no offense."  Lucas could stop a slight yawn from escaping. 

      "You've had a long day I'm sure.  We should have dinner this weekend, get caught up."

      "Sure thing dad.  I am taken for tomorrow but I'm free for Sunday."

      "You and Lex spending some quality time?"

      "No, Ms. Chloe Sullivan and I are spending the day together."

      Lionel grinned again, "That cute little blonde reporter from the high school?"

      Lucas laughed, "Yeah, I couldn't resist."

      "Luthors never can.  Well, you should go home and get some rest.  I would be interested 
      in meeting you foster mother as well; you should bring her on Sunday.  How does 4:00 
      sound?"  Lionel motioned for one of his assistants.

      "Sounds great.  I'm looking forward to spending some more time with you."

      A geeky looking assistant can right over, "What can I do for you Mr. Luthor?"

      "My son, his foster mother and I are having dinner at 4:30 Sunday afternoon.  Will you 
      please make sure that there is a suitable dinner for us?"  Lionel turned to Lucas, "What
      is your mother's name?"

      "Laurie Castleton," he replied.

      "Very well, I will see you Sunday."  Lionel touched his son's face again, "It's good to 
      have you home son."

      Lucas could tell that Lionel was being truthful, "It's good to be home dad."
      
      Part 4
      Lucas pulled up to the Talon; Chloe's car was already there.  He made his way inside to 
      find Chloe, Clark Lana and another boy where standing around laughing.  He noticed that 
      Lana had an apron on with and an empty tray in her hands.  This made Lucas smile a 
      little, one less person he would have to worry about tagging along with him and Chloe. 
      He was up half the night just thinking about her, he couldn't get her out of his head.

      "Hey guys," he said as he approached the group.

      They all turned around, Chloe gave him a really big smile, "Lucas, this is Pete he also
      works for the Torch."

      "Hi Pete."

      "Wow, you do look like Lex."

      "So I've heard."  Lucas was trying to think of away to walk out of her with just Chloe,
      not that he didn't like the others, he just really liked her.  He decided to play on his 
      gut feeling that Clark was the one who came down in the ship, "So Chloe was going to 
      show me around.  I am really interested in seeing some of the sites where the meteors hit.
      I'm a big fan of astronomy."

      A disappointed look came across Clark's face, but Chloe seemed all too happy about that 
      suggestion.  "Well, you too have fun."  Clark said.

      Chloe seemed to sense that something was weird but pushed the feeling away.  "Okay, 
      there's this creek that some meteors hit, we could start there!"

      Pete looked at Clark, "He man, I rented Men in Black last night, but didn't get a chance
      to watch it, wanna go back to my house?"

      "Sure, sounds like fun.  We'll see you guys later."  With that Clark and Pete left the 
      Talon.

      One of the other women working at the Talon waved for Lana, "Well, I've got to go back to
      work.  Don't have too much fun!"

      Chloe blushed a little but Lucas just laughed, "Don't worry Lana, we will."

      "I'll see you later," Chloe told Lana and then turned to Lucas, "She saw us kiss last 
      night."

      "I know, she called Lex to give him a heads up and told him."

      "So, how'd it go meeting your brother?"  Chloe asked as they made there way out of the 
      Talon.

      "I went great!  He was pretty cool about everything.  Seeing my father again was strange 
      though," he opened the driver side door for Chloe.

      "Again?"  Chloe was puzzled.

      Lucas got in the other side and shut the door, "When I was three or four he came to the 
      house a few times.  I remembered him pretty vividly; I didn't realize he was my father. 
      When I was 12 I found out I was adopted and for some reason my gut told me that that man 
      was my father, though my parents denied it."

      Chloe looked at place her hand on his, "Well I'm glad you were able to find him again."

      "Me too," Lucas said and squeezed her hand softy.

      "This is strange for me," Chloe admitted.  "Having someone that likes me, without being 
      all over Lana too, or isn't planning on killing me," Chloe looked over at Lucas, "You're 
      not planning on killing me are you?"

      The fact that Chloe sounded serious made Lucas laugh, "Never in a million years."  Lucas 
      took a deep breath, "But there is something we need to talk about."

      Chloe's heart sank a little, "What is it?"

      Lucas waited for a moment, not really sure how he was going to tell her this, and also 
     afraid that she would freak out once he told her, "Chloe, until I move her and met you, 
     I was absolutely sure that I was gay."

     Chloe just looked at him, "And now?"
     "And now, I don't know.  I was up half the night thinking of you, I get butterflies when 
     we're close.  There's just something about you that I am uncontrollably attracted to, 
     and I like it."

     Chloe turn her face away from Lucas as a tear slipped down her cheek, "I really make you 
     feel that way?"

     "Yes Chloe, you do.  I've never even felt close to this with my ex-boyfriends.  I know 
     this is probably freaking you out, but please just give me a chance."  Lucas studied her 
     face and felt his heart break a little when he saw tears rolling down her cheeks.  "Chloe, 
     I'm sorry.  I can't help the way I feel, but I understand if you want me to stay away."

     Chloe wiped her tears away with her hand, turned to him and kissed him.  Lucas touched her
     face and brushed her hair out of the way.  The kiss deepened and Chloe moaned a little. 
     After a few moments Chloe back out of the kiss too breathe.  "I want you to stay."

     Lucas smiled at her, "Then I'll stay."  Lucas looked around; the creek was about 100 yards
     away.  "Chloe, I don't really care if you show me around, I just wanted to spend more time
     with you."

     Chloe smiled, "Does that mean that you don't want to get the scoop on this weird stuff in
     this town?"

     "No, I still do, but I mainly wanted to spend time with you."  Lucas kissed her forehead,
     "So, it that the creek?"

     Chloe nodded, "Yeah, and some pretty strange stuff has happened involving this creek since 
     the meteor shower."

     "Like what?"

     "One football player fell in and got trapped under the ice; after he got out he sucked all
     the heat from what ever he touched.  He needed to do that to survive, and he found it was
     easier to get heat through other people.  He killed a couple times and even came after
     me."

     "How did you get away?"

     Chloe smiled, "Clark saved me, like he always seems to do."

     So, Clark was adopted, he won*'t go near the meteor rocks and 
     he is doing a lot of life saving in this town.  Of yeah, I've
     got this one pegged.  Lucas suppressed a grin.  "I'm glad he your friend then.  If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have met you or Lex."
     "Or Lana, or Pete, or the principal.  There's something strange about him, but I've never
     been able to figure it out, but at least he's not evil, usually."

     "Usually?"

     "Another long weird story," Chloe assured him.  "So, do you want to get out, or do you 
     want to stay here?" Lucas thought about that, Chloe's car was relatively small, not the 
     most comfortable places to fool around in, "Let's go for a walk."

     "Okay, I can show you this spot were there are lots of meteors," Chloe went to open the 
     door when Lucas touched her face lightly, sending shivers down her body.

     "Maybe in a few minutes," he said and kissed.  The kiss started out soft and sweet but 
     soon grew intense with need.  Lucas tried to pull her closer, but Chloe stopped him.

     "Wait, there's a couple big boulders in the woods over there.  I have a picnic blanket in 
     the truck.  It would be more comfortable than the car," she kissed him again.

     Lucas nodded, "Okay."  He wanted so badly to touch every inch of her skin.
        
      Part 5
      They were kissing again almost as soon as the blanket hit the ground.  They were making 
      out for a few minutes before Lucas realized he really had no idea what to do next.  He 
      was used to fooling around with guys, not girls.  "Chloe," Lucas said and kissed her 
      again, "wait, stop."

      Chloe pulled back, "What's wrong?"

      "I'm, I'm kind of lost here.  I'm nor really sure what I should be doing."  He looked 
      away from her.

      "Oh," Chloe said.  "Can I ask you something?"

      Lucas looked back at her, "Anything."

      Chloe took a deep breath, "When you were with guys, did you, you know?"

      Lucas shook his head, "With two of my boyfriends, yes."

      "Oh," Chloe said again.

      "It bothers you doesn't it?" Lucas sighed.

      "A little, I guess I just don't understand why you like me."

      Lucas reached out and placed his hand over hers, "I don't why either, I just do."  Lucas 
      caught a slight movement out of the corner of his eye.  He turned and saw some kind of 
      weird creature, starting at them.

      Chloe saw it too, "Lucas?"  She whispered, the fear in her voice sent chills down his 
      spine.
      "I see it.  Don't move suddenly," Lucas advised as the creature started stalking back 
      and forth but not moving any closer to them.  Lucas looked down at a bracelet he had on 
      his wrist.  It was a protection bracelet that one of his friends in New York gave him.  
      She was a witch and had taught him a few spells.  He wasn't very good at all with them, 
      but he did know how to use the protection bracelet.  He began focusing all his energy in 
      the center of his body, they focused his through the bracelet and outward to surround 
      both him and Chloe.  A very dim white light now surrounded them and the creature began to 
      approach them.

      "Lucas?  What's happening?"

      Lucas looked at Chloe, still focusing his energy on the barrier, "It's a protection 
      bracelet a witch friend gave to me, it look's like its working.  Just don't get up."
      The creature came right to the edge of the barrier and stopped.  Lucas moved so he was 
      between the creature and Chloe if the barrier failed.  Chloe clung tightly to him.  The 
      creature backed up and that ran towards the barrier.  Chloe let out a scream but the 
      creature bounced off the barrier and fell to the ground.  It growled at them and took 
      off into the deeper parts of the woods.

      Lucas nodded, "Are you okay?"

      "I'll be fine.  I didn't know you could do magic."

      "Not really.  I can do that spell, but all the other spells I do back fire or just don't 
      work.  I can't seem to be able to keep my focus on the spells unless I'm scared or angry,
     and that not generally a good time for doing magic."  He stood up and picked the blanket
     off the ground.  "We should go before that thing comes back."

      Chloe leaned over and kissed him, "Good idea."  They quickly made their way to the car. 
      "Lucas, I can't imagine how weird it is for you, but I really like you.  I think it would
      be best if we turned down the heat a little.  Just until you can really figure out how 
      you feel about me."  It sounded like Chloe had been down the `just friends' road before.

      "Chloe, I know how I feel about you.  I think taking it slow for now is a good idea, 
     but I don't want to put it on the back burner.  We could date, and then get more serious
     later, if you want."

      Chloe smiled, "Okay."

      "So, what was up with that thing in the woods?"

      Chloe shook her head, "I don't know.  I looked like it might have been human once, but 
      its skin was more like....."  She trailed off.

      "Scales, and his eyes were green," Lucas added.

      "It probably has something to do with the meteor rocks, seeing as how we found it for 
      close to them.  We should find Clark and Pete and let them know about this.  With any 
      look we'll be able to find it before it hurts someone."

      Lucas gave her a strange look, "And what will you do when you find it?"

      Chloe thought for a moment, "I don't know.  We still don't know what it is, so I don't 
      think it should be killed unless it has to be.  I just don't know, but when ever there 
      is a strange problem, we have always worked together to figure it out and things have 
      worked out so far."

      Lucas was sure that that had something to do with the probability of Clark being no of 
      this world.  He wondered if anyone besides his parents knew about him, he wondered if 
      Lex knew.  "Laurie use to work for the government.  She dealt with a lot of strange 
      things, things that the government didn't want people to know where happening.  Maybe 
      she can help."  Lucas was lying about Laurie ever working for the government, but he knew 
      she could help.  He hated having to lie to Chloe.

      Chloe looked surprised, "Wow, I wonder if I can get an interview with her, get her to 
      tell me what's up with the meteors."

      "She won't tell you much, her work was classified.  She wouldn't even tell me which part
      of the government see worked for, it was that top secret," Lucas knew Laurie was going 
      to kill him for this, but how else could he justify getting her involved with this? 
      "But you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone about what she used to do, she 
       would kill me if it got out."

      "I promise I won't tell, but what am I supposed to say if Clark or Pete asks?"

      Lucas sighed, "Just tell them that she was interested and came along, if she feels like 
      telling them more she will."

      "I'll drop you off at the Talon so you can get your car and get Laurie.  I'll go get
      Clark and Pete.  We can meet at the school.  It usually isn't locked on Saturdays so we
      should be able to use the Torch room for research."

      "Sounds like a plan," Lucas said and they pulled up to the Talon.  "You didn't mention 
      Lana."

      "She's working until later tonight, but I am going to let her know what's going on," 
      Chloe parked the car and they got out.  "I'll see you in a little while."  They kissed 
      for a moment and Chloe went inside the Talon to see Lana.

      Lucas got in his car and drove home; he really hoped that Laurie would be there.  He 
      had decided to tell her about Clark tonight before she met him at the school.  Laurie 
      had promised that even if the found the ship early on she would stay until he graduated 
      high school.  Lucas walked in the front door, "Laurie?"

      "Right here, you're home early.  Is everything alright?"  She seemed worried.

      "Sort of, Chloe and I were in the woods near where some of the meteors hit and we saw 
      some really weird creature there, it tried to attack us."

      Laurie walked over to him, "Are you hurt?"

     "No, that protection bracelet Anna gave me worked like a charm, no pun intended.  
     And I'm pretty sure that the guy I met last night Clark is the one who came down with 
     the ship.  I'm going to meet him, Chloe and Pete over at the school to try to find out
     what this thing is, I told them you might come too."

      Laurie gave him a disapproving look, "What did you tell them about me?"

      "Only that you have and interest in the supernatural.  Well, I told Chloe you used to 
      work for the government and used to deal with strange things, but she promised not to 
      spread that message along."  Lucas waited for her to reply.

      "Okay.  So what were you doing in the woods with Chloe anyway?"

      Lucas shook his head, "That's well, none of your business.  Come, let's go."
        
      Part 6
      Lucas and Laurie pulled up to the school.  Chloe, Clark and Pete pulled in right behind 
      them.  After Lucas introduced Laurie to the group they went inside.  Pete showed them 
      the wall of weird that Chloe had put together.  Chloe began pulling up profiles on
      missing people in Smallville recently and Clark gathered information that Chloe had 
      pulled up on the creek a few months back.

      Pete looked at Laurie, "It's nice to a have an adult around who doesn't think all this 
     is crazy, and who, hopefully, isn't crazy."

      Laurie laughed, "Well I don't think I'm crazy.  And I really don't see why this stuff 
      couldn't happen.  People will do practically anything to avoid acknowledging that there
      is stuff that can't be explained out there.  But on the bright side, we aren't burning 
      people at the stake for being witches anymore."  She looked at Lucas how just glared at
      her.  Chloe shook her head.

      "I guess you have a point there," Clark said as Laurie walked over to the table were he
      was going through the files on the creek.  Laurie could tell the moment she saw Clark 
      that he was a Krypton; he looked just like his father who had been working with the 
      commonwealth to prevent the intergalactic slave trade from spreading even more on his 
      planet than it already had.

      Laurie had been born into slavery on that planet but was released due to her being half
      Krypton.  She grew up away from the planet with her mother's family in the Jaguar Pride 
      until she went off the High Guard Academy when she was 15.  Being half Krypton gave her 
      an advantage over the other Nietzschean students there.  By the time she was 18 she was 
      given her first real assignment aboard a High Guard ship.  When the Nietzscheans went to
      war with the Krypton, in an attempt to free all the Nietzschean slaves, Laurie was given 
      her own A.I. war ship.  The other ships in the fleet had made a decision to destroy the 
      system when all efforts to free the slaves had failed.  Laurie dismissed her crew and 
      came to Earth, disgusted with both sides of her heritage.  

      Days later a meteor shower crippled her ship, forcing her to land on the moon and take 
      a small transport ship to Earth. The ship's maintenance robotic workers were able to fix 
      most of the damage, except for the slip stream drive which allowed the ship to cut 
      through the fabric of space making trips in minutes, instead of the thousands of years it
      would take without that capability.  That was why she needed Clark's ship, and she needed
      to get Clark alone to tell him that.

      "So there are still meteor rocks around where you saw this creature?"  She asked, hoping 
      the answer was no.  Like Clark she couldn't get near them without being crippled or 
      turning evil, depending on which form of the rocks she was near.

      Chloe looked up from her computer screen, "Yeah.  They are pretty scattered."

      "That might be why the creature was there," Laurie suggested, "it my need the rocks to 
      survive if the rocks we the reason for whatever happened to it."

      "It makes sense," Clark said trying to think of how he was going to get out of going down
      to the creek tonight.

      Pete came over with a map of that area and put in down on the table.  "Where did where 
      you guys when you saw this thing?"

      Chloe got up and looked at the map, "We were right around here, in the woods."

      Clark looked at Chloe then at Lucas, "What were you doing in the woods?"

      Lucas came up with a lie quickly, "I saw a couple beer cans and went to go pick them up. 
      I hate when people litter."

      "Chloe said you were and environmentalist," Pete added.

      "Yeah, I like the idea of this planet still being here when I'm old and decrepit," he 
      joked.  That answer seemed to relax Clark a bit.  Lucas was glad to see that Chloe's 
      friends were looking out for her.

      Laurie looked at the map, Pete had used a green marker to mark where meteor rocks where,
      which was a big help for bother her and Clark.  Laurie pointed to a spot that the woods 
      started at where there where no meteors.  "I have two tranquilizer guns in the car.  Can
      any of you shoot a gun?"

      "I can, my dad taught me when I was younger," Clark answered.  "Why do you have 
      tranquilizer guns?"

      Laurie smiled, "Have you even been to Sunnydale California?"  They all shook their heads
     `no'.  "The place is crawling with Vampires, Demons, and the occasional werewolf.  You 
     can never have too many ways of defending your self in that town; it's on a Hell Mouth."

      Chloe's eyes light up, "So the stories in the Arcane about Sunnydale are true?"

      "Most of them," Laurie confirmed.  "Okay, Clark and I should enter in here.  If the 
     thing is hanging around the meteor rocks, then we can come from behind and take it down.  
     You guys should work on pinpointing who or what this thing is.  Lucas, I have my cell 
     phone on me so if you find out anything give me a call."

      The plan sounded pretty good to everyone including Clark.  Him and Laurie left the 
      other's to the research.  Laurie waited until they were in the car until confronting 
      Clark about his origins.

      "I know what you are Clark, we actually aren't that different."  Clark just started at 
      her.  "I didn't want to say anything back there; your friends don't seem to know much if 
      anything about it."

      Clark finally found his voice, "What are you talking about," he said trying to play 
      dumb.

      "Clark, I was born on the same planet as you.  Though I'm half Nietzschean and half 
      Krypton, I'm almost positive that you're just Krypton."

      "How did you know?"

      "Lucas knows about me and about what happened between the Nietzscheans and the Kryptons. 
      I knew that a ship had to have come down with those meteors and that if there was anyone 
      in the ship it would have been a child due to the size of the ship that came with the 
      meteors.  When Lucas met you and realized you were adopted and that you have a habit of
      saving people's lives he figured it was you."

      Clark let this sink in a little.  He didn't like the idea of anyone else knowing about 
      him.  "But how did you know that it was me?"

      Laurie looked at him and gave him a soft smile, "Because you look just like your father. 
      He was a good man Clark, and I'm sure he'd be proud of you."

      They sat in silence for the rest of the ride.  Clark couldn't believe this.  He was sitting in the same car as someone who knew his real parents.  When they got to the edge of the woods Laurie parked the car.  "Clark, I know you can't get near those rocks, neither can I.  Put I wasn't going to put anyone else's life in danger.  So as long as we stay away from the rocks we'll be walking out of here alive."
      Clark nodded, "You don't think Lucas told anyone do you?"

      "Never.  He's good at keep a secret, and he knows you're a good person.  He isn't going
      to say anything to anyone."

      "Not even Lex?"

       Laurie shook her head, "Not even Lex."
      
      Part 7
      Clark and Laurie entered the woods with the guns ready to fire.  They were both using 
      their vision so they could see through the trees.  They moved slowly, trying not to 
      make a lot of noise.  Clark and Laurie were both comforted by the fact that they had 
      someone with them that was capable of watching their backs.  They spread out side ways
      and slowly made they're way towards the creek.  Laurie started feeling light headed, but 
      before she could move away from the area the creature attacked her from behind.  Pushing 
      her into a pile of meteor rocks.  She tried to call out to Clark but she could barely 
      breathe.  When she failed to get up the creature began circling her.  Her vision started 
      to fade to black when her phone started ringing.  The creature shrieked and took off. 

      Clark could here the phone ringing and knew there was something wrong when it kept ringing.
      Clark approached the area slowly.  He suddenly saw movement out of the corner of his eye 
      and turned the gun and fired at the creature.  The creature let out a yelp and fell to 
      the ground.  Clark shot it one more time for good measure and walked slowly over to where 
      Laurie was lying.  He could tell there were meteor rocks around, but he managed to get 
      close enough to the leg to pull her away from them with out collapsing himself.  He 
      helped Laurie sit up.

      "It's okay, I got the thing," he assured her and helped her to her feet.  "Are you okay?"

      Laurie brushed her pants off, "I'm fine, thanks."  But what Clark didn't realize is that 
      when Laurie fell, a couple small fragments of red meteor rock had sliced her fingers open.
      Laurie could feel the power rush to her blood.  "Never better," she commented.  "Let's get
      this thing out of here."

      The walked over towards the creature, Clark was a head and Laurie spotted a red meteor 
     rock.  She picked it up quickly and placed it in her pocket.  Her phone started ringing 
     again.  "Hello?"

      "Thank god, are you guys okay?"  It was Lucas.

      "Yeah, we're fine.  We bagged the thing," Laurie told him as she came up to the creature.
      "We are going to need some place to hold it until we can figure out what to do with it.  
      What did you find?"

      "A man disappeared two weeks ago, he wasn't from Smallville but he did pass through here.
      He was bringing a van full of exotic lizards to a show in Metropolis, he never made it 
      there.  His name is George Hamlin."

      "Okay, thanks Lucas.  Clark and I are going to find a place for him until we can find out
      if this is reversible.  I'll call when we figure something out."

      Clark looked a little worried, "Did you bring anything to restrain him with?"

      Laurie shook her head, "One shot should be enough to keep him out for a few hours."

      "I gave him two," Clark admitted and turned the creature over.  They carried him to the 
      car and placed him in the back seat.  "I have a storm cellar that we can hold him in for
       a little while.  That's where the ship is."
        
      "Really?  You wouldn't mind if I took a look at the ship do you?"
        
      Clark smiled, "Not at all.  But it's missing a piece; you might not be able to get it 
      open."

      Laurie tried to picture the ship for a moment, "An octagon shaped piece?"

      "Yeah, you've seen these ships before?"

      "They were mainly used to transport emergency medical supplies to ship that entered the 
      area but were too big for the landing sites on your planet.  But there is actually 
      another way of opening the ship; it's hard, but possible."  Laurie said as they drove 
      off.

      She could feel the power from the meteor rock in her pocket through the fabric of her 
      pants.  Clark seemed to notice something different but then again he only just met her.  
      He brushed off the feeling as being nervous about the unrestrained creature in the 
      back seat.

      They pulled up to the Kent farm and were met but Clark's parents.  "What the hell?"  
      Mr. Kent asked when he saw the creature.

      "Hello Mr. Kent, I'm Laurie, Lucas foster mother."

      "Dad, Laurie was born on the same planet as me," he waited for either of his parent to 
      respond and when neither did he continue, "She knew my biological father."

      Both of them were shocked, "Does Lucas know about this?"

      Laurie tried to smile as she hauled the creature out of the back seat of her car, "Yes,
      he does.  He also knows about Clark, but don't worry.  He won't tell anyone, he knows 
      I'd kill him."

      "What are you planning on doing with that and what is it?"  Mr. Kent asked.

      Clark grabbed the legs, "Some guy that was transporting some lizards to Metropolis and 
      never made it.  Laurie thinks that by keeping it away from the meteor rocks long enough,
      he'll return to normal.  Can we keep him in the storm cellar for a few days?"

      "We promise to feed it," Laurie joked, Mr. Kent wasn't amused.

      "Three days, no more.  Does it have to go in the storm cellar?"

      "We really have no where else to keep him.  I really hope the guy will be alright," 
      Clark said as they moved to the barn.

      Laurie turned to Mr. Kent, "I have more tranquilizers in the car, and they should be 
      enough to keep him out until he changes back.  I'll show you how much to give after we 
      get him all set up."  That made Jonathan feel much better.

      After setting up a cot in the storm cellar and hand cuffing the creature to it, Clark 
      uncovered the ship for Laurie.  Laurie grinned and pressed her fingers at different 
      places in a pattern.  The ship opened, "See, no disk needed."  She bent over the opening
      and pulled out a piece of the ships computer.  "You aren't planning on taking this ship 
      out again are you?"

      Clark laughed, "I'm afraid I've out grown it.  What's that?"

      "Slip stream drive.  It is what allowed you to get to Earth in only a few days time.  
      It's the one piece on my ship that I haven't been able to repair.  Do you mind it I take
      it?  I'll bring you a new one once I get my ship checked out by the inspectors at the 
      Commonwealth High Guard ship yard."

      "Go a head," Clark said and his father glared at him.  He didn't seem too happy about 
      any of this.

      "I should call Lucas, I told him I would once we figured out what to do with this guy," 
      what Laurie really wanted to do was go home and make a necklace from the rock in her 
      pocket.  The four of them went back to the car and Laurie showed them how to put the 
      tranquilizer into the darts and how often to give them.

      "Clark, I would really like to talk with you more about who we are, but I do have some 
      business I need to attend to tonight.  Can I stop by in the morning? "

      "Sure. I'll see you then."

      Laurie turned to Clark's parent, "It was nice meeting you both.  Thank you for doing this,
      I really don't have anywhere to keep him."

      Mrs. Kent looked at her husband then back at Laurie, "It's not big deal.  What time will
     you be here tomorrow, I can make breakfast if you wanted to come over around 8:00?" 

      Laurie smiled, "That sounds lovely.  I will see you at 8:00."
        
      Part 8
      Laurie had called Lucas's cell phone to let him now that everything was settled.  Lucas 
      and Chloe had decided to go into Metropolis for dinner.  Lucas could sense that something 
      was wrong with Laurie, but he didn't press it.  He wondered how things went with Clark 
      and if she had found the ship, but those questions could wait until he got home later.

      Chloe and Lucas went to a small caf that was vegetarian and vegan only; she figured 
     Lucas would like it.  She was surprised that the food actually tasted like food.  "Do 
      you want to go shopping?"  Lucas asked very flamboyantly and Chloe cracked up.

      After she caught her breath she replied, "Sure.  I now of this really cool witch craft 
      store you might like."

      Lucas smile, "Fighting and encouraging the supernatural?"

      "You're supernatural bracelet saved our lives today, besides it's not like you're evil."

      "I do want to get better at it, and I can only do that with practice," Lucas took a sip 
      of his coffee.  "Have you ever tried the craft before?  I think you'd be good with it."

      "Really?  No, I don't think so."

      Lucas reached out and took her hand, "You would be.  You have a level head and you are 
      open to extreme possibilities.  I can show you a couple spells if you want, once I get 
      them right that is."

      Chloe laughed, "Okay, if you think I can do it, I'll give it a try.  I sure wouldn't mind
      being able to protect my self like you did earlier."

      The magic store was mostly for people who liked the idea of witch craft, but weren't 
      planning on actually taking the time to become a witch.  Lucas was able to find the 
      materials he wanted for a spell that he wanted to learn.  He doubled up on the ingredients
      figuring he wouldn't get the spell right the first time around.

      Chloe was having fun looking at all the different stones that the store carried and was 
      slightly disappointed at the lack of meteor rocks.  See as how she knew that those rocks
      had actual power and the other ones there most likely didn't.  She walked over to Lucas, 
      "What are those for?"  She pointed to the materials in his basket.

      "I want to try a location spell.  That way if something happens to you or one of your 
      friends, I can find them.  As long as the spell works that is."

      Chloe kissed him, "That's sweet of you.  Do you know the spell your friend did on your
      bracelet?"

      Lucas shook his head, "No, but I can call Anna up and ask her if you'd like."

      "You don't have to, I was just wondering," Chloe picked up a small copper bell off a 
      table and examined it.

      "No, it's not a problem," Lucas picked his cell phone out of his pocket and held down 
      the number five.  It rang a couple times before a woman picked up.

      "Hello?"

      "Anna?  It's Lucas."

      "Lucas!  How are you?"

      "I'm doing great.  I really like this place.  How have you been?"

      Anna sighed, "Okay, Mark was arrested last night.  The police thought he was a prostitute."

      Lucas laughed, "What?  Was he in drag?"

      "Yes, and when some guy came up to him Mark thought it would be funny to play with his 
      head and act like a prostitute.  Turns out the guy's a cop."  Anna took a drag of a 
      cigarette.

      "Now you see why I left him?"  Lucas looked at Chloe who was almost laughing.  "Anyway, 
      that protection bracelet you gave me worked great and I was wondering if I could get the 
      spell you used to make it."

      "You already had to use it?  What happened?"

      "My friend and I were attacked by some strange creature in the woods."

      "So, does this friend of yours have a name?"

      Lucas paused for a moment, "Chloe."

      "Breeder!  I can't wait to tell Mark, he's gonna love this.  Hold on, let me get my 
      spell book."  Lucas took a piece of paper out of his pocket and wrote down what Anna was
      reading to him.  "It was great talking to you Lucas, but I'm going out to the movies with
      a couple of girls from the coven.  I'll call you later next week though."

      "Okay.  Thanks Anna.  Have fun!"

      Chloe looked at the list, "That looks complicated," she noted.

      "Not really.  The main part is setting the circle up, and it know how to do that."  
      Lucas walked over to a glass case that had a row of bracelets in it.  He turned to Chloe, 
     "Pick one out."

      Chloe looked at him, "Lucas, I can't afford one.  It's okay, I have one at home that we 
      can use."
      Lucas kissed her, "But I really want to get one for you.  Besides, I worked all summer 
      and didn't spend barely any of what I earned, so you don't have to worry about the cost."

      Chloe smiled and looked at the case.  There was one that jumped out at her right away. 
      It was silver with a dark blue stone in the middle and a figure of a woman on either side 
      that made it look like they were holding the stone up.  "I like that one."

      Lucas looked up for someone who worked there, "Hello, I was wondering if we could get 
      one of these bracelets?"  He had to a woman who was walking over to them. 

      "Sure thing," the woman said and unlocked the case.  She pulled out the one that Chloe
      pointed to.  "This would be an excellent bracelet for a protection charm," she stated 
      and handed the bracelet over to Chloe.

      "Really?" Lucas was a little surprised that Chloe happened to pick that one, "That's what 
      we were going to use it for."

      "Well, I'm sure it will work just fine then," she turned to Chloe who had just put the 
      bracelet around her wrist.  "How do you like it?"

      Chloe's eyes lit up, "I love it."

      "Then we'll take it," Lucas told the woman.  "We just need to get few more things; do 
      you want to hold on to it until we're ready?"  Most stores that he was use to shopping 
      at did that.

      "No, it's okay.  I trust people until they give me reason not to."

      "Okay, thank you."  Chloe said and she and Lucas went to find the other things needed for
      the spell.

      After they left the store Chloe looked at Lucas, "You really didn't need to do that."

      "I know, but I wanted to," Lucas took her hand and they walked a couple stores down.  
      They spent the next hour and a half checking out different stores.  One of the stores 
     asked them to leave after a sales guy caught Lucas modeling women's clothes for Chloe.
  
      "At least you weren't trying on the intimate clothing," Chloe remarked as they left the 
     store.  "So, do you really think that the creature will turn back to its human state once
     it stopped being around meteor rocks?"

      Lucas sighed, "I don't know, but it's really all we can do for now.  I just really hope 
     that it works.  Poor guy.  I don't know what's going to happen to him if he doesn't.  
     It's not like we can just let him loose."

      Chloe agreed, "Maybe Laurie can talk to some of the people she used to work for and they 
      can try to help him."

      Damnit, why did I have to tell her that? Lucas thought, "Laurie left 
      on bad terms, I doubt she'll call them."

      "Oh, that's too bad," Chloe lead Lucas over to an ice cream shop.  "So the Kents were 
      actually okay with watching this thing?"  That had really surprised Chloe.

      "I guess.  I'm not really sure what Laurie or Clark told them to get them to agree to 
      it, but at least they didn't freak out."

      Chloe got the feeling that there was something Lucas was leaving out of the story, it 
      really bothered her now.  "Lucas, is there something you aren't telling me?"

      Lucas looked at her and sighed, "There's a lot I'm not telling you.  Mainly because 
      Laurie would kill me, and for your safety as well."

      "Lucas, I swear, you can tell me anything and I promise to keep my lips sealed," she 
      got to the counter and ordered a root beer float.

      Lucas hugged her from behind and kissed her shoulder.  "I'll tell you what I can on the
      way home.  Okay?"  He ordered a smoothie and they went to the end of the counter to wait
      for their order.

      Chloe smiled at Lucas, "As long as it's the truth," she warned.
        
        Part 9
        Laurie had just finished chipping away at the red meteor rock so it would be suitable 
       for a necklace that she could were under her shirt.  She had told Lucas about the 
       affects of the different meteors rocks have on her, and if he saw the necklace he would 
       know.  She normally wouldn't have care, but Lucas was a smart kid, he would figure out 
       a way to get the necklace away from her if he knew it was there.  She looked down at the
       red dust that was on the counter and remembered a drug that was made on Krypton that was 
       made with the red rocks.  I she could easily have some fun with it here.  The first person
       who came to mind was Lex.

        Laurie picked up the phone and dialed his number.

        "Lex."

        Laurie smiled, "Hello Lex, this is Laurie."

        "Hello Laurie, what can I do for you?"

        "I was doing a little research on these meteors rocks and found that you had your own 
        investigation on them."

        This got Lex's attention, "And what have you found?"

        "I think it would be better if we talked about this in person, may I come over?"

        "Of course, I will let the door man know you are coming."

        "Then I'll see you in ten," she hung up the phone and gathered the red dust into a 
        small plastic pouch.  All she would need to do it slip the powder into his drink.

        She arrived at the Lex's castle in black leather pants and a red blouse.  There was a 
       man waiting at the door who showed her into Lex's office.  Lex got up to great her, 
       "Hello Ms. Castleton."

        "Please, call me Laurie."

        Lex shut the door behind her, "Can I get you a drink?"

        "Sure, whatever you're drinking."

        He made his way over to a mini fridge and took out a bottle of Scotch, "Is this okay?"

        "Prefect." She said in a slightly seductive way and Lex noticed this.

        He handed her a glass and motioned for her to have a seat, "Now, what have you found 
        about the meteor rocks."

        Laurie smiled, "What do you want to know?"

        Lex blinked, "How much do you know?"

        "They are from a planet that was destroyed in an intergalactic war 14 years ago,
        but my people."

        Lex sat straight up, "You're people?"

        "I'll be honest with you Lex, I'm not human.  My ancestor were from this planet, they 
        were taken and used as slaves.  They evolved and fought back."  Laurie did have some 
        powers that she suspected Clark hadn't grown into yet.  One of them was being able to 
        act like a magnet.  She focused her energy on the door handle just enough for it to 
        turn and open.

        Lex got up to see who was there and while his back was turned Laurie slipped some 
        powder into his drink.  It changed colors to blend in with the scotch; that was one of
        the nice things about the drug.

        Lex can back, "I must not have closed it tightly.  Go on."  He reached for his glass 
        and took a fairly large sip.  It would take a minute for too for the powder to start 
        taking affect.

        "I was alone on my ship, doing a routine patrol of the area, looking for slavers when
        my ship was crippled by a meteor shower.  These rocks that landed here were only found
        on one planet in the known galaxy.  I was also aware of plans to destroy the entire 
       system that they were in."  Laurie watched as Lex took another sip, this time a small 
       one.

        "So, you came to this town looking for what?"  Lex could feel a sense of power coming 
        over him.

        "Nothing really," Laurie lied.

        Lex gave her a devilish smile, "My girlfriend left town yesterday morning.  She's at 
        some medical conference in Chicago until Thursday.  You want to go up to my room?"

        Laurie smiled, the drug was working.  "I'd love to."

        Lex got up, took her hand and lead her out of the room.
        
        An hour and a half later Lex propped himself on his elbow and looked at Laurie who lay
        beside him wrapped in the sheets of his bed.  "What was it that you put in my drink?"

        Laurie laughed, "Why, do you like it?"

        "I've never felt better in my life.  How long do I have until it wears off?"

        "I didn't give you a lot, I'd say 12-16 hours at the most."  Laurie sat up, "We could
        make a killing selling this in Metropolis."

        "What is it and where do you get it?"  If Lex could find out where she was getting it
        he could cut her out and have more profit for himself.

        "It's not of this world, and my contacts would be very upset if I were to let a human
        deal with them.  They would find it insulting, no offense."

        "But you need me to set you up with contacts here to sell it to, don't you?"

        Laurie ran the back of her hand down his cheek, "Exactly.  I figure we could be 
        partners, it's only fair.  We split the profit and have all of it that we need for our
        own personal use."

        "I know just a place we could start too.  There's this club in Metropolis that I used 
        to go to a lot.  These people will try anything new.  How much do you have?"

        "Not much at the moment, but I'll be getting more in three hours.  You could pick me up
        at my house and go from there?"  Laurie figured that three hours would be enough for 
        her to gather more rocks and crush them.  And since she didn't really getting them from 
        outer space she needed to get away from Lex so she could collect them with out him 
        knowing that they were right in his back yard.

        "Can I at least come with you to meet these people?"

        "No, Lex.  They are very picky about who the deal with.  If you show up with me tonight
        they may not come back next time and it will all be for nothing."

        Lex thought about this for a moment, "Okay.  I'll be at your house in three hours."  He 
        leaned in and kissed her hard before letting her out of bed.

        Once she was dressed she turned to Lex and pulled the small plastic bad from her pocket
        and tossed it on the bed, there was still enough powder in there for another full dose.

        Laurie had a bit of trouble getting the rocks without having problems with the green 
        ones.  But within an hour she had collected enough to make powder that could keep the 
        entire city of Metropolis on a high for at least a day.  Now that she had the slip 
        stream drive she could easily take her ship back to the system where Krypton used to 
        be and collect more.  A trip like that would take two days at most. She could tell 
        Lucas she was going back over to Sunnydale for a couple days.

        When she got home with the rocks she went out to the garage and placed a large piece 
       of cardboard on the floor and started pounding the rocks with a sledge hammer on the 
       cardboard.  With in twenty minutes there wasn't anything more then red dust left of the
       rocks.  She began scooping the powder into small plastic bags that she had bought years
       ago when she had a business making earrings.  (Aliens have to make a living somehow.)  
       She was now very pleased that she hadn't thrown them out.
       She half filed over 100 bags with the powder and then poured the rest into an old cookie
       jar and placed it in the bottom of a deep freezer that the previous owners of the house
       had left behind.
       In the house she found a leather brief case in which she placed the bags of meteor dust 
       in.  She changed into a sexy maroon dress and black knee high boots.  Her necklace 
       wasn't coved by the low neck line of the dress and she didn't want Lex to get suspicious.
       She decided to take some of the powder herself before removing the necklace.  She took 
       twice as much as she had given Lex, but he knew she would need it to get through the 
       night.

        Part 10
        Chloe listen to Lucas as he told her that Laurie wasn't human and about what happened 
        to the planet she was born on.  He left out any mention of Clark.  "But she's not 
        evil?"

        Lucas laughed, he had hoped she would understand, "No, she not evil.  She cares a lot 
        about this planet and the people living on it.  She would never do anything to harm us."

        Chloe seemed to be handling the news fairly well, "So she's been trying to live a normal
        life her on Earth because her ship is broken."

        "It's almost completely fixed now.  She's leaving after I graduate," Lucas suddenly 
        realized that he might not be going with her.

        Chloe looked at him, "Is she taking you too?"

        Lucas sighed, "That was the plan.  She can get me into the High Guard Academy.  I could 
        help so many people in all different worlds.  I could eventually have my own ship with 
        my own crew.  It's what I wanted even since she told me about it."

        Chloe focused on the road, "Oh," was all she could manage.

        Lucas looked at her and felt horrible.  He still wanted to leave with her after 
        graduation, but he wanted to be with Chloe too, "I'm not actually sure that I'm going 
        to do that though.  I might stay behind, help people here on Earth."  She didn't look 
        at him or say anything.  "If I do go, you can come too.  You could get a job working as
        a reporter for the Commonwealth news."

        Chloe couldn't help but laugh, "Yeah right."

        "I'm serious Chloe, you could.  I completely understand if you don't want to, but you 
        could."

        "First I can be a witch, and then I can be part of an alien news team," Chloe said 
        sarcastically.  

        Lucas felt his heart break, she was really upset.  "Chloe, I'm sorry."  The rest of 
        the ride was silent until the reached Smallville.  Lucas felt tears welling up in his 
        eyes and he cursed himself for telling her so much.   He was in love with her and she 
        probably wouldn't want anything to do with him now.

        Chloe broke the silence, "Lucas?"

        Lucas looked at her, "Yes?"

        "I love you.  School is only started last week.  We have nine months to figure out want 
        we are going to do with the rest of our lives.  Let's just see what happens."

        Lucas brushed a stray hair out of her face, "I love you too Chloe."

        Chloe pulled up to Lucas's house.  They walked inside to find a note Laurie left saying
        that she went to Metropolis and wouldn't be back until after midnight.  "Looks like we
        have the house to ourselves."  Lucas said and smiled.

        "I want to see your room," Chloe stated.

        Lucas let her through the house and into his bed room.  Most of his boxes were still
        pack but there was a sexy poster of George Michael on his wall.  "No, you're definitely
        not gay," she joked and poked Lucas's side.  To her surprise, he was extremely ticklish.
        She started tickling his some more and he begged her to stop.  Finally he managed to pin
        her down on the bed to stop her from tickling him further.

        They both stopped laughing and Lucas let go of her hands and started kissing her.  
        Chloe's hands started roaming his body and he did the same to her.  Lucas was about to 
        stop again when Chloe whispered, "Don't stop, I can show you want to do."

        Lucas never imagined he could have that much fun sexually with a female.  Chloe seemed 
        just as nervous as he did and Lucas realized that it was her first time too.  He took
        it slower than he would have with a guy, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.  
        He looked into Chloe's eyes and knew that she trusted him.  Suddenly he couldn't help 
        tears from flowing down his face.

        "What's wrong?"  Chloe asked, thinking it was her.

        Lucas kissed her, "Nothings wrong.  I love so much.  I love you Chloe."

        "I love you," she replied and kissed him back.

        After a while of lying together the phone rang.  Lucas groaned he really didn't want 
        to move, "I really have to get that."

        Chloe sat up, "It's okay.  I did promise my dad I'd be home by ten tonight."

        Lucas picked up the phone, "Hi Clark.  What's wrong?"

        "I just went down to the storm cellar and the creature is dead.  I gave it two shots 
        out in the woods and I think I may have killed him."  Lucas could hear the pain in 
        Clark's voice.

        "I really doubt that's what killed it.  It probably really did need those rocks to 
        survive."

        "So it's still my fault."

        Lucas shook his head, "No, it's not.  No one knew what was going to happen.  We could
        just let him stay loose, sooner or later someone would have seen seriously hurt by it, 
        or worse."  He looked over at Chloe who looked about as sad as Clark sounded.

        "I'm going to burry him tonight.  I just feel so bad for the guy.  Anyway, I'll see 
        you later."  Clark hung up.

        "He's dead isn't he?"  Chloe asked and walked over to Lucas.

        "Yeah, Clark went to give him another shot and he was dead.  Clark feels responsible 
        for it."

        Chloe wrapped her arms around him, "So do I."

        "Me too," Lucas admitted and placed a kiss on her forehead.  They stayed like that for
        a few minutes.

        "What are you doing tomorrow?"
        Lucas had to think for a minute, the day had been so eventful that it felt like it was 
        a couple days long.  "I'm having dinner with my father at 4:30."

        Chloe looked at the boxes stacked up by the closet, "You should unpack too."

        "I can do that tonight.  Do you want to work on that protection spell with me tomorrow 
        morning?"

        Chloe looked up at him, "That would be nice.  What time should I come over?"

        "How does ten sound?"

        "Great."  She leaned up and kissed him.  "I'll see you tomorrow."

        After Chloe left Lucas went into the bathroom to shower.  He notice a necklace on the 
        sink that he had never seen before.  He picked it up and his blood ran cold.

        Part 11
        The music was turned up in Lex's Porsche as it zipped down the freeway towards 
        Metropolis.  His phone rang and he turned the music off and put the head set on.  He 
        had invested in a hand free set for his car after his first day in Smallville.  "Lex."

        "Hi Lex, it's me.  I just wanted to call and let you know that I miss you.  This 
        conference is such a bore."

        "I miss you too sweet heart," Lex said and looked over to Laurie.

        Laurie flashed an evil smile and her hands moved to his pants.  She undid the clasp 
        and zipper and lowered her head.

        Lex kept his cool, "I wish you here now," he told his girl friend.

        "Are you in the car?"

        "Yes, I'm going to Metropolis on a business meeting.  Some people just can't wait until
        morning to do business."

        She laughed, "People like you?"

        "Maybe," He ran his fingers through Laurie's hair.

        "Well good luck.  Hopefully you'll have more fun then I've been having."

        Already am.  Lex thought, "I'll try not to."

        She paused, "I love you Lex."  They hadn't spoken those words to each other yet, and 
        she picked one hell of a time to start.

        "I love you too," he said and suppressed a moan.

        "Well, I'll let you go.  You know ho much I hate it when people drive and talk on the 
        phone at the same time.  Good night."

        "Good night."

        Lex's car pulled up at Club Zero a half hour later.  The two stepped out of the car 
        and Lex took the brief case in one hand and Laurie hooked her arm around the other.  
        The walked confidently into the Club and it made them look deadly.

        A man sitting a table in the back of the VIP room stood up and waited for them to
        approach.  "Hello Mr. Luthor and Misses?"

        "Castleton," Laurie replied as she took a she.

        The man looked at the two of them, and then at the brief case, "Let's see what you've 
        got.  Lex placed the brief case on the table and undid the lock.  He pulled one of the 
        bags out and tossed it across the table.  "What is it?"

        Laurie spoke, "It's called Cherry.  It does no physical harm to the body and it gives 
        anyone a nice high for 12-16 hours, depending on how much the take."

        The man examined the package, "You snort it?"

        Lex shook his head, "No, you mix it in your drink.  It's tasteless and it takes the 
        color of whatever it's mixed with.  Try some."

        The man didn't seem to be buying it, "You first," he tossed the package pack and called
        a waitress over.  The waitress took Lex's and Laurie order and came back a minute later
        with their drinks.  A woman came off the dance floor and plopped herself down next to 
        the man.  Her eyes lit up as she saw Lex mixing the powder into his drink.

        "What's that?"  She asked wanting to try it.

        "It's a new drug, here," Laurie handed her the bag and she put a pinch of the powder 
        into her drink.  She took downed the drink.

        "I don't feel anything," the girl was clearly disappointed.

        Lex took a sip of his drink, "It takes a minute of two, but you'll know when it starts
        working."

        The man still wasn't sure he bought the story, "So, where'd you get it?"

        Laurie had told up a story while they were on there way here.  "I used to be a work 
        for the government.  I was assigned to create a drug that would make our solders 
        fearless.  I created something better, covered my tracks and disappeared.  I only 
        brought a small amount of what I have, and I know how to make lots more if we can find 
        a worthy buyer."

        "Wow," the girl said and grinned.  "This stuff is something else.  I feel so free."  
        She turned to Laurie, "Would you like to come out and dance with me?"

        Both the man and Lex watched as the young woman and Laurie made their way out to the 
        dance floor and started getting close.  "How much of that do you have?"

        "115 packets, each of them contain a half week's worth of the drug, if used right."

        The man thought this over, "I'll give you five thousand for the case.  I won't be able 
        to get much more than $75 for a packet at until word of this stuff gets out in a week 
        or so.  We can renegotiate the price again after."

        Lex knew he hadn't made a mistake in calling this guy; he was a fair business man.  
       "Okay, that sounds good to me."  Lex looked back to where the girl and Laurie were no 
       making out on the dance floor.  "I'm sure word of this stuff will get out quicker than 
       you think."

        Laurie came back over and took her see next to Lex, "So, do we have a deal?"

        The man smiled and pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket tossed it over to Lex 
        and Lex passed over the brief case a long with the combination, "Yes.  We have a deal."
 
        Laurie and Lex stood up, "Call me when you need more," Lex told him and they walked out 
        to the dance floor.  They noticed that there were already people making their way to 
        the table to get some of the drug.  They laughed and danced awhile before leaving.

        Once in the car Lex took the envelope and counted the money.  It was $5,000 exactly.  
        He handed Laurie $2,500, "Not bad for starters."  He said and pulled out of the parking 
        lot.  "We may need more as soon as Monday.  Do you think you can get 500 more bags set 
        up before then?"

        Laurie thought about what she had left.  She figured she could be at least that many, 
        but she knew she was going to have to get more rocks soon.  "Yeah, but after that I'll
        be tapped.  I took the guys who brought it here that I was setting up a market for it. 
        They said they might me able to get another shipment as soon as Thursday but that was 
        pushing it.  I can put a little less in each bag though, that could get us another
        50-75 bags."

        Lex nodded, "Well just have to take it as it comes."
        
        Part 12
        The first thing Lucas did after finding the necklace was to call Clark.  He told Clark 
        what he had found and Clark agreed that they all might be in a lot of trouble if Lucas 
        was right.  Lucas also told him about the drug that could be made from the red rocks 
        and that Laurie might try to slip it to others.  He figured that was why Laurie took 
        the necklace off, she didn't need it.

        Lucas headed over to the Kent farm.  Lucas called Chloe on his cell phone on his way 
        over to fill her tell her that Laurie wasn't her self and to be careful.  Lucas tried
        calling Lex, to see if he had seen Laurie and felt sick when the maid told him that Lex
        left for Metropolis with Laurie.  Clark wasn't going to like that at all.

        He pulled up to the barn and was met by Clark and his parents.  "Hello Lucas," Mr. Kent
        said.  "So you think your mother has turned evil?"

        "I think she may have taken Lex with her too.  They left for Metropolis together 
       shortly before Chloe and I got back to Smallville.  She could have slipped him the drug
       easily.  And who knows what she told him."

        "Shit," Jonathan cursed.  "What are they doing in Metropolis?"

        "When I found the necklace I searched the house, in the garage there was red dusk on a 
        card board box in the trash.  It looked like Laurie was making a lot of this stuff.  
        They could have gone to Metropolis to get this stuff on the streets."  Lucas felt a 
        stress headache coming on.

        Clark looked at his parents, "Well, when I go in contact with that stuff, Pete and Dad
       used the green rocks to stop me.  I saw how the green ones affected her out in the woods,
       the same as me."

        "But you weren't taking it like a drug.  It was in a ring on your finger, not in your 
        blood," Mr. Kent reminded him.

        "Clark may be on to something though.  We could use the green ones to keep her subdued 
        long enough for the drug to wear off.  Clark, you are going to have to restrain Lex, 
        the green meteor rocks won't have much if any affect on him."

        Martha spoke up, "What if they are selling this stuff to people, Clark can't restrain
        all of those people."

        "As long as they are cut off from the suppliers, Laurie and Lex, they will have no 
        choice but to stop taking the drug.  Though I think they are going to end up doing a 
        lot of damage before they run out."  Lucas was trying to think of another way.  He knew 
        that if Laurie was exposed to those rocks long enough she could die and that was the 
        last thing he wanted.

        Mr. Kent looked at his son and then at Lucas, "I'll take Lucas to the creek, we'll get 
       some rocks.  If they show up here, be careful.  Don't let them know that you know about
        this."

        Clark and Martha nodded their heads.  Jonathan and Lucas got into the truck and drove 
        off.  "Mr. Kent?"

        "Yeah?"  He sounded annoyed.

        "How much of the tranquilizer did Laurie have you give that guy?"

        "A full shot, why?"

        "Shit, that was enough to take down an elephant.  She knew that would kill him."

        Jonathan looked at him, "Why would she do that?"

        Lucas shook his head, "I'm guessing that it was after she came in contact with the 
        rocks, so who knows why she did it.  Did she see the ship?"

        "Yeah, she took a piece of it."

        "Damnit!  That means she can take off and get more of those rocks and bring them back
        here."  Lucas sighed, "Or she could just take off, and never come back."

        Jonathan patted him on the shoulder, "Well, let's hope we can stop her before that 
        happens.  I'd hate for you to lose another parent."

        "Me too," he wanted to cry.  Laurie wasn't just a parent, she was his best friend.  
        The one person he could tell absolutely anything to without judgment.  To make matters 
        worse, the way he was about to go keeping her here could kill her.

        They pulled up to the creek and stared looking for rocks, which didn't take long.  Once
        they were back I the truck Lucas asked Mr. Kent, "How did you find Clark?"

        Jonathan smiled, "When his ship came down the impact caused out truck to flip over.  He
        walked right over to us.  Martha had always wanted a child, but we couldn't have one. 
        She saw it as a sign.  We found another truck right down the road; the driver had been 
        killed by a meteor going through the windshield.  That's when I met your father.  He 
        asked us to help his son, Lex.  We brought them to the hospital and told us that if we 
        ever needed anything, to let him know."

        Jonathan turned onto the road where Lucas lived, "We called him the next day and he 
        forged Clark's adoption for us."

        "So my father did do at least one good thing in this town," Lucas let out a small laugh
        and Jonathan laughed too.

        Lex's car was parked outside the house when they got there.  Lex looked like he was 
        leaving.  They seemed very close.  "Hey Lucas, Mr. Kent.  How are you today?"

        "Just fine Lex, what are you doing?"  Lucas asked.

        "I just came by to talk to your mother about taking you to Metropolis next weekend. 
        What do you? You up for it?"

        Lucas could tell that he was lying, "Sure.  That sounds like fun.  Why don't you stay 
        for a little while?"

        Lex looked at Mr. Kent and then back to Lucas, "I really can't.  I have some business 
        I need to take care of.  But I'll see you tomorrow at dinner.  Good night Mr. Kent."

        "Good night Lex," Jonathan replied.  Lucas grabbed his bag out of the car and headed 
        inside with it after Lex drove off.  The two men made there way into the house.  Laurie
       was in the kitchen.  By the time she realized what was happening it was too late.  She 
        tried to back away from them but collapsed on the floor.

        "I'm sorry Laurie, but you'd do the same if the tables were turned," Lucas bent down to
        her.  "We should move her to her bed."

        Jonathan lifted her off the floor and Lucas led him into her bed room.  Lucas took the 
        bag of rocks with him and placed it close to the bed.  He didn't want to put to them
        too close for a long period of time.  Laurie's eyes opened slightly.  Lucas took her 
       hand, "Laurie, it's going to be alright, it's just going to take a while."

        Jonathan spoke up, "Maybe we should tie her up, so she can't move herself away from 
        the rocks.  That way they don't need to be too close to her."

        "That's a good idea, I'll be right back," Lucas stood up but Jonathan stopped him.

        "You should stay with her.  Just tell me where there's rope, I'll get it."

        Lucas thought for a moment, "My room is at the end of the hall.  There's a box on the 
        trunk in there.  I think there's rope in it."  Jonathan nodded and left the room.  He 
        had an odd expression on his face when he returned.

        "So, you're a George Michael fan?"

        Lucas quickly thought up a lie, "Not really, it's more of an inside joke with my 
        friends in New York."  Jonathan Kent didn't seem like the type who would welcome a 
        gay guy to town.  Not that Lucas thought Jonathan would hurt him.  He just might 
        encourage Clark not to hang out with him.  Lucas tied Laurie's wrist to the bed post 
        tightly.  She looked at him with pain in her eyes.  "I'm sorry, but you really left us
        with no other option."  After she was tied up Jonathan moved the meteor rocks a little 
        further from the bed.

        "Lucas?"  She whispered.

        "Yes?"

        "You can stop us.  It's already on the streets."

        Lucas took a deep breath, "I figured as much."  He looked over at Jonathan and then at
        the meteor rocks.  Laurie was talking and she was more alert than Lucas had wanted, 
        "Can you move those a little closer?  I have a feeling she's stronger than she's 
        acting."  Laurie just laugh, he had called her on that one.  Once the rocks were closer
        Laurie became silent.  Her breaths steadied and she appeared to be asleep.

        "Thanks for your help Mr. Kent."

        "It's no problem Lucas.  I remember when Clark got his hands on this stuff.  Martha and
        I were scared we'd never get him back."  Jonathan looked at his watch.  "Do you want 
        me to stay?"

        Lucas shook his head, "No, that's okay.  I think I'll be fine.  Go home and get some
        sleep."

        Jonathan nodded, "It was nice meeting you Lucas."  Jonathan was surprised that he liked
        Lucas, considering his biological past.

        "It was nice meeting you too.  Thanks again for your help."

        Lucas brushed some hair out of Laurie's face.  She stirred a bit, but didn't open her
        eyes.  After Lucas hear Jonathan's truck start up and drive off Lucas let out some 
        tears that he had worked hard to suppress.  "Damnit Laurie, why did you have to do 
        this to your self?  I love you.  I don't want to lose you."

        Part 13
        Chloe went over to Lucas's first thing in the morning, with coffee.  She let her self 
        in and found Lucas as sleep in a chair by Laurie's bed.  "Lucas?"

        His head shot up, "Chloe.  Hi."

        "How is she?"

        Lucas looked over to Laurie, "Still breathing.  I have no idea if the stuff has worn 
        off yet.  I figure I should keep her like this until tonight.  Hopefully that will be 
        enough time for it to wear off."  He smiled as Chloe handed him the thermos with coffee 
        in it.  "Thank you."

        Chloe took a seat on the edge of the bed, "I thought you could use it."  Lucas placed 
        his hand on hers.  "I can't stay long.  I'm going to the Torch to see if anything 
        strange is in the News from Metropolis from last night.  Does Clark know she's an 
        alien?"  Chloe's thoughts seemed scattered.

        Lucas laughed, "Yeah, his parents know too.  Mr. Kent helped me take her down last 
       night."  He paused, "Lex has this stuff too.  Clark said he'd go over to his place this
       morning to see if he's actually been taking the stuff.  I'm sure he has."

        "I'm sorry.  This must be hard for you."

        "It is.  These rocks could kill her if she's around them for too long, but it's the 
        only way to stop her.  I can't help think that I'm killing her."  Tears slipped down 
        his cheeks.

        Chloe wiped his tears with her hand, "You aren't killing her, you're saving her.  I was
        infected with something like this once, Pete too.  We almost got our selves killed.  
        It was a real nightmare."

        Lucas was a little surprised by this, "Then I guess you know what she's going through.
       You should go.  Call me if you find anything."  He stood up and gave Chloe a big, much 
       needed, hug.

        "I will," she replied.  They kissed for a moment.  "Can I come by later?"

        "Of course, we can work on that spell together if you'd like." 

        Chloe nodded her head, "I'll come by later then."

        Chloe left the house and got into her car.  She felt like something was wrong but she 
        couldn't tell what it was.  When she turned off Lucas's road and on to the main road she
        saw Lex's car.  She kept driving and he gave her a friendly wave as they passed.  Chloe
        noticed him turn on to Lucas's road in her rear view mirror.  She pulled over to the 
        side of the road once his car was out of sight. She waited about a minute before 
        turning around.  She wanted to make it look like she had forgotten something, not that 
        she was following Lex.  As turned back on to the road she could see Lex's car coming 
        back out.  Laurie was in the passenger seat, but she still looked passed out.  Chloe's 
        heart felt like it stopped.  She pulled up to the house and ran inside.

        In Laurie's room she found Lucas on the floor.  His shirt was covered in blood.  
        "Lucas!"  She rushed to his side.  "Lucas?!"

        Lucas opened his eyes and looked at her, "Chloe?"  He managed.

        "Shhh, I'm here.  Oh God!"  She grabbed a sheet from the bed and placed it over the 
        wound.  "Hold this here Lucas.  I'm going to call for an ambulance."  She darted out 
        of the room.  Her vision was blurred by her tears.  She picked up the kitchen phone and 
        dialed 911.

        "911, please state your emergency."

        "My name is Chloe Sullivan.  My boyfriend's been shot.  I found him on the floor.  I 
        need help."

        "Please calm down.  We have your address on the screen.  I am sending an ambulance out 
        there.  What his you boyfriend's name?"

        "Lucas Castleton," Chloe choked.  "I have to go back to him," she hung up and ran back 
        to him.  "They're on there way.  Oh God Lucas, please don't leave me."

        Lucas was still awake.  He lifted his hand slowly and touched her face.  "You're so 
        beautiful.  I love you."

        "No, no Lucas.  Don't say goodbye.  Please, you have to fight.  I'm not going to let 
        you die.  Please, please fight for me."  Her words turned to sobs as the top of the 
        bed sheet turned red with blood.

        Lucas couldn't stay awake any longer.  The pain was too much.  He slipped into darkness.
        Chloe placed her hand on his chest to make sure he was still breathing.  After what 
        seemed like a life time the ambulance arrived and took her from the room as they got 
        Lucas onto a stretcher.  Some one fro the sheriff's department showed up.  The moved 
        towards Chloe but she felt numb.  She sat down.  She could tell that people were
        talking to her, but she couldn't hear them.  She was in shock.

        She looked down at her hands; they were covered in Lucas's blood.  She looked around
        and realized she had streaked his blood across the wall and onto the phone when she 
        had gotten up to call for help.  That sight was enough for her to pass out.

        Part 14
        Laurie was still sick from being near the rocks for so along.  She came in and out 
        during the ride to the mansion.  Lex helped her inside to his office.  "What happened?" 
        She asked him.

        "Lucas had you tied up.  He was using the green meteor rocks to keep you there."

        Laurie shook her head.  She remembered hearing a loud bang and the Lex picker her up.
        "How did you get me out of there?"

        Lex laughed, "Well, put it this way.  I won't have to worry about splitting my 
        inheritance with anyone now."

        Laurie looked at him in shock.  The drug had worn off completely and a wave of guilt
        hit her, followed by a wave of anger. She stood up, grabbed Lex and slammed him hard 
        into a wall.  "If he dies so will you."  She spat and released him.  He felt to the 
        floor as she ran out of the room.  His whole body hurt from that assault.  There was
        even a crack in the wall from where she had pinned him.

        One of the things Laurie didn't have that Clark had was speed.  When it came to 
        running she was just like any other person. So she decided to steel Lex's car.  As 
        she got in her phone rang.  It was the hospital letting her know that Lucas had been 
        shot and had just arrived at the hospital.

        She sped all the way to the hospital.  When she arrived she was directed to the waiting
        room.  She was met by the Kents, Chloe's father, Pete and Lana.  "How is he?"  She 
        managed.  She felt responsible for what had happened and it hurt worse than anything 
        she had ever felt before.

        Jonathan looked at her angrily, "He's in surgery.  They don't he'll make it."

        Laurie nodded as tear rolled down her cheeks.  "Did anyone call Lionel Luthor?"  She 
        said numbly.

        Martha spoke up, "I did.  He is on his way here."

        A doctor walked out of one of the rooms with Chloe.  She looked about how Laurie felt. 
        There was a small blood spot on her jeans.  The hospital had given her a sweat shirt to
        wear.  The sheriff's office had wanted the shirt she had been wearing for evidence.  
        Chloe's father gave her a hug, "Are you okay sweet heart?"

        Chloe shook her head and looked at Laurie briefly.  "How is he?"  Martha filled her in
        and she started crying again.

        Laurie turned to Jonathan, "Can we walk for a minute?"

        "Sure, I was going down to the vending machine for coffee anyway.  Does anyone else
        want something?"  No one replied.

        The walked down the hall, Laurie was silent for a moment, "Thank you for stopping me 
        last night.  How did this happen?"

        Jonathan didn't look at her, "You turned evil and roped Lex and god knows how many 
        others into it.  That's how this happened."  He put a dollar in the machine and 
        pressed a couple buttons.  "So, did the drug wear off before or after you shot your 
        son?"

        Those words were like a slap I the face, and she felt she deserved it.  "I didn't 
        shoot him.  I remember hearing a loud blast, and then being put into a car.  I woke 
        up outside the mansion.  Then Lex told me what had happened.  I might have killed 
        him."

        Jonathan looked surprised, "You killed Lex?"

        "I slammed him as hard as I could into a wall, the wall cracked.  I can imagine his 
        organs didn't do much better, though the drug does make people stronger so who knows."
        Laurie wiped some tears away, "I shouldn't have done it, but when he told me what he 
        did to Lucas I lost it."

        "Well, I'll send Clark over there to see if he's still there and if he's okay."

        "No, Lex knows that the green rocks hurt me.  After I attacked him I doubt he won't 
        have some lying around incase I come back to finish him off."

        "Did you tell him about Clark?"

        Laurie shook her head, "No.  I didn't tell much.  Only that I was from a different 
        planet and my ship was crippled in the meteor shower.  He doesn't even know where the
        drug comes from."  Laurie suddenly remembered the cookie jar in the deep freezer with 
        the powder in it.  "Mr. Kent, there is more of this stuff at the house.  I hid it in a 
        cookie jar in the freezer in the garage.  If Lex goes to the house looking for more he 
        could find it.  I need you to go there and get it.  Do something with the jar, bury it 
        or something."

        "And if Lex shows up?"
        "I stole his car.  But you still have the tranquilizers, right?"

        "And how much can I give him without killing him?"

        Laurie though for a moment, "Not more than a quarter of a dart.  But I really doubt Lex
        will return to the scene of the crime so soon.  Does Clark have super speed yet?"

        "Yes, why?"

        Laurie sighed, "If there are still detectives at the house, they will want to know what
        you are doing there.  But Clark and get in and out before they even realize he's 
        there.  Plus he can use his vision to," she paused, "never mind.  That's a bad plan. 
       Clark shouldn't get close to that powder."

        Jonathan agreed with her there, "I'll go check things out.  If I can get it I will."

        "Thank you."

        "So how much of this stuff did you too put on the streets last night?"

        Laurie shook her head, "About 1,000 doses in 115 small bags.  Metropolis is screwed 
        for the next few days."

        "I'll say.  What the hell were you thinking?!"  He tried not to raise his voice too 
        high.

        "You don't understand.  When you're on the drug you don't care.  You get your way or 
        you make your way.  Anyone who is in the way is disposable.  That's what it does to 
        you.  It locks your soul so deep inside you mind that it can't be heard."  That's when 
        Laurie started thinking of a workable plan.  "Like you don't have a soul.  Like a 
        vampire."

        Jonathan gave her a strange look, "Vampires don't exist."

        "Neither do aliens.  I have to make a phone call.  There may be another way of
        stopping Lex."  She picked up her cell phone and dialed the number for The Magic Box 
        in Sunnydale.

        Anya picked up the phone, "Magic Box!"

        "Is this Anya?  This is Laurie Castleton.  Remember I helped out with patrol until 
        the new slayer was trained after Buffy died?"

        "Yeah, of course I remembered you.  The alien."

        "Yeah, the alien.  Is Willow or Spike there?"

        "They're both here, which one do you need to talk to first?"

        "Spike."  She waited.

        "Hello?" the British voice spoke.

        "Spike, it's Laurie.  Are you busy tonight?"

        "No, why?  You find a new nest of vamps?"

        "No, something worse, but I think you can help.  Considering you used to be a super 
        villain your self that is."  Jonathan gave her a strange look, "Vampire."  Laurie 
        mouthed.

        "And what's that?"  She filled him in on the situation and he agreed to help.  "How 
       and I going to get there?"  He asked.

        "When I was there Willow was working on a long distance teleportation spell, did she
        ever finish it?"

        "I am not being teleported!"  Spike protested.  "I'll take the next flight out to 
        Metropolis.  Thankfully it's a cloudy day."

        Laurie was puzzled, "Why would that matter, you're not a vampire anymore."
        Spike sighed, "Yeah, Dru got wind of that and sired me, again.  Except this time 
        around I got to keep my soul."

        "I'm sorry Spike.  I know how much being human meant to you."

        "Yeah, well it just wasn't meant to be.  I'll call you when I get to Metropolis. You 
         still have the same cell phone number?"

        "Yes, it'll be on.  Thank you so much."

        "I'll see you then," he hung up.

        Jonathan was ready to kill her, "You just got a vampire into this?!"

        "He's not evil anymore.  He actually kills vampire now, and saves the world from the 
        occasional looming apocalypse."  Jonathan decided he didn't want to know anymore than 
        he had already been told.

        "Look, I know you must being going through hell right now.  So along you don't make a 
        habit of turning evil on us, you're okay with me."

        They walked back to the waiting area.  Lionel approached from the other side.  "I heard 
        what happened.  Have they caught the bastard who did this to my son?"  Lionel was pissed.
        Jonathan looked at him, "Not yet.  Lucas was alone in the house; by the time Chloe go there who ever did this was gone."
        Martha walked over to Lionel, "Would you like to sit down?"

        "No, that's okay.  Where was his mother when this happened?"

        Laurie looked at the blind man, "I was with Lex at the mansion.  We were discussing some
        business.  Mr. Luthor I am so sorry.  I should have been there."  She was on the verge 
        of crying again.

        Lionel looked in her direction, "And what business were you and Lex discussing?"

        "It's not really important now," she lied.  Before Lionel could hound her further one of the operating doctors came over to them.
        
        Part 15
        "Ms. Castleton?"

        "Yes?  Is he alright?" but Laurie could tell by the look on his face that it wasn't good
        news.

        "We should talk privately," he advised.

        Laurie shook her head, "You can say whatever it is here."

        "I'm afraid Lucas is in a coma.  He lost a lot of blood and I'm not sure that he'll be 
        waking up."  He avoided looking into her eyes.

        "Does he need blood?"

        The doctor nodded, "Yes, but he is Type O, and we only have one pint of it in the 
        hospital.  We have to wait for a few hours to get some from Metropolis."
        Lionel nodded, "I'm Lucas's biological father.  I'm also Type O.  I would be more than 
        willing to give if it would improve his chances."

        The doctor looked shocked, "Mr. Luthor.  I had no idea you have more than one child.  
        Come with me."

        The doctor wasn't the only one surprised by Lionel, giving when all he normally did 
        was take.  Lionel requested that Martha escort him, which she was more than willing to
        do due to the circumstance.

        A nurse came over to Laurie with a clip board, "I am going to need you to fill out 
        these papers so we can get Lucas registered.  Is he allergic to any medications?"

        "No, he's not."  She took the clip board and sat down across from Chloe.

        Chloe's father looked at his daughter, "Come one Chloe.  You should get some sleep. We 
        can come back later to see him."

        Chloe looked up at him, "No.  I'm not leaving.  But you can go.  I know hospitals give
        you the creeps."

        "I'm not just going to leave you here Chloe, and you need rest."

        "Mr. Sullivan," Jonathan came to Chloe's defense.  "Martha and I are going to stay 
        here.  And I'm sure that Laurie isn't going anywhere either.  If she wants to go home 
        later, one of us can give her a ride."  He didn't look too happy about it but agreed, 
        gave Chloe another hug and left.

        Lana didn't really like sticking around either.  Plus she was already late for work.  
        "I should go, I'm late for work.  And I doubt they'd let me see Lucas today anyway.  

        It's probably immediate family and girlfriend only, for now."

        After she left Clark turned to Laurie, "So who shot him anyway?"

        Laurie hated having to tell Clark this because him and Lex were such good friends, 
        "Lex did.  I was passed out."  Laurie suddenly realized that Pete was still there.  She
        had no idea that he was in on the loop.

        "Wow, this stuff powerful.  I remember when Chloe and I were affected with it, well 
        not really, but Lex had an evil spark in him to start with.  I can't imagine what he's
        like now."  Pete said.

        "So I guess you were told that I'm an alien?"  Laurie asked.

        Pete just looked at her, "You are?"  He looked at Clark, "Why didn't you tell me?"

        Chloe looked puzzled, "How did you know Clark?  Did Lucas tell you?"

        Jonathan didn't want Clark to say anything that would revile him self to Chloe, 
        "Lucas came to us last night after he realized what was happening.  He explained it 
        to us."

        "That explains why you were at the house with Lucas last night," Laurie said going a
        long with the lie.  She couldn't understand what the point in keeping Clark's identity
        from Chloe was now, but it was Clark's choice to make, not hers.

        "Look, I'd love to help stop Lex, but the green meteor rocks pretty much cripple me, 
        and he knows that.  And I'm sure he's pissed at me for what I did to him earlier."

        Clark looked over at her, "What did you do to him?"

        "I made a crack in the wall with this body, it was after he admitted to shooting 
        Lucas," she assured him.  "I have a horrible temper when it comes to people I care about
        getting hurt."

        "I guess I can understand that.  Did you leave him alive?"  Clark seemed really 
        concerned about his friend.

        "I'm almost sure she fine.  He took enough of that drug last night to make him stronger
        than usual."   Laurie let out a curse, "His girlfriend is going to kill me."

        "Why would she want to," Clark started and then stopped, "Oh.  Oh."

        Laurie nodded her head and looked away.  "But on the bright side help is coming from 
        Sunnydale.  This guy should be able to get close enough to Lex and restrain him so we 
        can tie him up until the drug wears off."

        Chloe spoke up, "What kind of friend?"  She remembered what Laurie had said about 
        Sunnydale the night before.

        "He's not evil, well, not anymore anyway."

        "Who is he?"  She asked.

        "His name's Spike he's a,"

        "Vampire," Chloe butted in.  "As in William the Bloody `I torture my victim with
        railroad spikes' Spike?"

        Laurie let out a small laugh, "Yeah, that one.  How'd you know about him?"

        "I've done my share of super natural research.  He's apparently more feared that 
         Dracula."

        "Dracula is a putts.  Let the fame go to his head.  So I've heard anyway."

        "But this Spike guy isn't evil anymore?"  Clark didn't seem to buy it.

        "No, he fell in love with the slayer and got his soul back for her.  He's strange 
        like that."  The doctor came back to the waiting area.

        "Lucas is in the recovery unit.  I can let two of you in to see him."
        Laurie looked at Chloe and shook her head.  The two got up and followed the doctor 
        through double doors.  They were led into a room where they found Lucas.  He was on 
        a ventilator.  The doctor left then alone with him.  They moved to opposite sides of 
        the bed and broke down in tears.  Laurie wanted so badly to tell him she was sorry and
        to fight, but she couldn't talk she held his hand and hoped he would sense that she was
        there with him.

        Chloe could, but barely, "Lucas?  It's Chloe."  She choked a little.  "I love you Lucas.
        Please don't leave me.  I love you."  She sobbed for a moment.  Laurie reached her hand
        towards Chloe and Chloe took it.  "He can't die.  He was going to help so many people.
        It wouldn't be right."

        "I know," Laurie managed.  "Chloe I'm so sorry you have to go through this.  This is 
        all my fault.  I'm so sorry Lucas.  I'm sorry.  I'm sorry."  The doctor came back into
        the room.

        "Mr. Luthor has requested to see his son, and I am only aloud to have two visitors in 
        here at once."

        Chloe started getting up, "No, Chloe.  You stay with him.  I have to finish filling
        out those forms the nurse gave me.  I'll come back after Lionel has left."  Chloe gave
        her a small smiled and nodded.

        Laurie left and Lionel entered.  Chloe helped him into the car that Laurie had been 
        sitting in, "Thank you Ms. Sullivan."

        "No problem," she sniffled.  "Do you want to be alone with him?"

        Lionel thought about that for a moment, "No dear, that's okay.  Lucas really liked you,
        I'm sure he'd want you here."  Chloe went back to her seat and held Lucas's left hand.
        She watched as Lionel stroked Lucas's face.  She watched his face and saw a tear slip down
        his cheek, which he tried to discretely wipe away.

        "It was hard for you to give him up, wasn't it?"

        Lionel nodded, "One of the hardest things I've had to do besides watching my wife die."  Lionel wasn't even trying to keep his game face on.  He had wanted so long to find Lucas and take him back, but he never did.  Giving up Lucas was part of the reason he was so hard on Lex.  He was afraid to get too emotionally attached to him, though he would never admit that to anyone. Luthors aren't afraid of anything.  He remembered drilling into Lex's head when he was only nine.  He and Chloe just sat there, silently.

        Part 16
        Laurie was busy filling out the papers when she felt someone standing over her.  She 
        looked up to see at a slightly brassed of Spike. "I filled Willow in on what was 
        happening and the fucking witch teleported me here."  He took seat next to Laurie and 
        took a pack of cigarettes from his duster pocket.

        "Thanks for coming Spike, but you really can't smoke in the hospital."

        "Oh yeah," he snorted and put them back.  "You know the one good thing about me being 
        a vampire again is that I won't die of lung cancer."  He joked.

        Laurie looked at the Kents who seemed uneasy, "Spike, this is Martha and Jonathan Kent.
        They know what's going on."

        "Hey," he said and extended his hand to them, which neither of them took.  "Tough crowd.
        So where is this guy who you want me to kill?"

        Laurie shot him an not so nice look, "I didn't say anything about killing him, so 
        don't."

        "But he's evil."

        Laurie shook her head, "That' my fault and it's completely curable.  It just takes a 
        half say or so.  Don't kill him, and don't bite him either.  I don't want to have to 
        stake you."

        "You won't do that to me," Spike seemed confidant about this.

        "Try me.  This stuff is in his blood stream.  If you bite him I'll be infected to.  I 
        don't think anyone wants to see that."

        Spike sighed, "Don't worry; I'm not going to bite or kill him, okay?"

        "Okay," she said and signed the last paper the nurse had given her.

        Spike slouched in the chair a little, "How are you holding up?"  Spike knew what it was 
        like to be evil, and then suddenly have the realization of what you've done hit you.

        Laurie sighed, "I just want to die.  This whole thing is my fault.  Lucas is probably 
        going to die because of me."

        "It sucks, believe me I know, but you were only evil for one day.  I was evil for 122 
        years, not that what I did doesn't still eat away at me, but you'll learn to cope. 
        You're a good person, that's what counts."  She was surprised by just how comforted by
       his words she was.

        "I just hope no one else gets hurt because of this."  She closed her eyes for a moment.
        "I don't know what I'll do if he dies."

        "When I lost Buffy," Spike paused.  It was still hard for him to talk about her, "I 
        have never felt pain like that before.  I still feel it, clear as day.  The only way 
        I can handle going on is knowing that I am helping people and that she would be happy 
        about that.  Not that I could ever do enough good to balance out the horrible things I
        did, but the least I can do is try."

        "How many people did you kill?"  Jonathan asked.

        Spike shook his head, looked at the floor for a moment, and then back up at him,
        "A few thousand maybe, I never counted."  Jonathan fell silent again.

        Laurie felt the tension in the air, "Come on Spike.  Let's go find Lex."  She jotted 
        down her cell phone number on subscription card from a magazine on the table next to 
        her and handed it to Jonathan.  "If Lucas wakes up, or something changes please call 
        me."

        "We will," Martha assured her.

        Spike stood up and looked at the Kents, "See you later."  They started walking away 
        from the waiting room when a couple detectives stopped them.

        "Ms. Castleton?  We need to talk to you.  I'm Detective Marshal and this is my partner 
        Detective Peterson."  The flashed there badges.  Marshal gave a strange look to Spike.

        "I'll just go back to the waiting from and wait for you," he said and walked back to 
       where he had been sitting.  "Police need to talk with her," he stated to the Kents.

        The detectives lead her into an empty room, "Where were you when your son what shot?"

        Laurie took a deep breath, "I was with his brother, Lex Luthor."

        The detectives looked at each other, "Lucas is Lex Luthor's brother?"

        "Yes, Lionel Luthor put him up for adoption as a child.  He's in with Lucas now."

        Detective Peterson jotted that down in his note pad, "Okay, what were you doing with 
        Lex Luthor at the time."

        Shit.  Laurie thought, "We had gone to Metropolis the night before.  He had offered to 
        show me around, considering we're practically family now.  We had a couple drinks at 
        some bar, I don't remember the name of it," she lied.  "I started feeling sick and 
        light headed.  Lex said someone must have slipped something into my drink and he took 
        me back to his mansion."

        "Did you he rape you?"  Detective Marshal asked, truly concerned for her.

        "No, no he didn't do anything to me.  He just wanted to make sure I was okay.  I woke
        up in the morning on a couch in his office.  I got a call on my cell phone letting me 
        know what had happened to Lucas and Lex let me take his car here. He said he'd be here
        as soon as he could."  Wow, that almost sounds believable. 
 
        Peterson finished taking notes, "Okay.  We are looking at every possible angle to find
        the person who did this to Lucas.  We haven't been able to find a weapon yet though. 
        Ms. Sullivan did remember if there was another car on the road when she was on her way 
        to see Lucas, so it's possible the person took off on foot.  We have people combing the
        woods near your house.  Do you have any idea who could have done this?"

        Laurie shook her head, "We jut moved here.  Hardly enough time to make enemies.  Lucas 
        didn't mention having a problem with anyone."

        "Ma'am, if you don't mind us asking.  We were in your son's room and found quite a few
         things to suggest that he may he homosexual."

        Laurie closed her eyes, she didn't want these guys outing Lucas in the local paper.  
        "He and Ms. Sullivan are dating.  Did she mention that?"

        Detective Marshal gave her a soft smile, "Yes, she did.  We just wanted to rule out 
        that as a motive for the shooting."

        "So, who's your friend?"  Peterson asked.

        Laurie really didn't want to answer that, "He's an old friend.  He was in Metropolis 
        this morning.  He came right away when I told him about Lucas."
        "And what's his name?"

       Laurie had to think about that for a moment, the answers `Spike' and `William the 
       Bloody' wouldn't have gone over well with them.  "William Summers."  She really had 
       no clue what his real last name was.

        "You said he was in Metropolis when this happened?"

        "Yes," she lied.

        "Okay.  Thank you for time."

        Part 17
        Laurie and Spiked got into Lex's car and headed over to the mansion.  Laurie was going 
        to try to play Lex.  She was going to apologize for the earlier assault and tell him 
        that she told the police that they were together at the time of the shooting.  If she 
        could get him to believe that she was still on the drug it would be easier for her.  
        She would introduce him to Spike, which would make it easier for Lex to believe her.
 
        The pulled up to the mansion and thankfully it was raining.  The made there way inside.
        There was no one at the door so they let them selves in.  Spike stopped her, "Hit me, 
        but not too hard.  I need to vamp out."  She did and his face went from looking 
        perfectly human to demon.  "Thanks."

        Laurie led him into Lex's office where Lex was sitting behind his desk.  A couple green 
        meteor rocks had been placed on the desk.  "Lex, I can to apologize for what I did 
        earlier.  The drug was starting to wear off.  This is my friend Spike."

        Lex looked at him, "And you're here because?"

        Spike, trying to remember how to act evil wouldn't towards the book case in the 
        office, "Because you guys really hit on something here.  This drug that you have turns
        people into evil vampires without the blood lust.  More evil in the world is always a 
        good thing Mr. Luthor, don't you agree?  Besides, this way the blood supply for us 
        vampires stays up."

        Lex called his bluff, "If my sources are correct, you're not evil anyone, Spike.  I've
        heard about you, looked into your background a little a few months back."  Lex pulled 
        out a gun from his desk and turned to Laurie, "So how is my brother doing?"  He picked 
       up a meteor rock and advanced towards her.  Spike moved to stop him and Lex pointed 
        the gun at him.  "Spike, why don't you take a sip out of the glass on the desk there."
 
        Spike looked at Laurie who shook her head `no'.  Lex moved closer to Laurie who leaded 
        on the wall for support.  "If you don't, I'll kill you both," Lex warned, the gun still
        pointed at Spike.

        Laurie acted fast.  She rushed at Lex and knocked him down.  The gun went off and Spike
        felt pain rip through his arm.  Laurie lay next to Lex, unable to move because of the
        rock.  Lex pushed himself to his feet but Spike was faster.  He pinned Lex down and 
        took out the handcuffs Laurie had given him to restrain Lex with and snapped the metal 
        around his wrists.    His arm was killing him but he tried to block the pain out.  He 
        turned Lex over, who was still struggling, and  punch him a few times.  Lex passed out. 
        He dragged Lex to the couch then moved back to Laurie and kicked the rock away from her.
        He helped her up but before she could turn to look at Lex the drug dealer from the 
        night before walked in the door with seven armed men.

        "Bloody hell," Spike hissed.

        "Well, well, well.  Fighting with each other so soon into the partnership?  Not a very
        smart move."  The dealer motioned for his men to surround the three.  "Now, Ms. 
        Castleton, you are going to tell me what this drug is made of and how to make it.  You 
        give me any lip and I'll kill your friends."

        Laurie was getting good at lying at this point, "It's a modified version of cocaine.  
        The equipment and the formula were at my house.  Lex here came by this morning and 
        demanded that it be moved her,  we got into a fight, he shot my son and took off with
        the stuff while I was trying to stop my son from bleeding to death.  I just came from 
        the hospital to get my stuff back.  He was refusing to tell me where it is so we got 
        rough with him."   

        "That's bullshit!"  The dealer spat.

        "Actually it isn't, Cugo." Spike shot back, "If you don't believe her just call the 
        hospital, ask is if a Lucas Castleton was brought in this morning?" 
 
        Another gun man entered the room, "A sheriff's car just pulled up."

        The dealer walked over to Laurie and grabbed her by the hair, pointing a gun at her 
        temple, "You're coming with me bitch."  He and two gum men left the room and headed 
        towards the entrance.  Once outside he used Laurie as a shield, "Back off!"  He shouted
        to the advancing officers.  Laurie didn't need to act scared, she was scared.  If the
        deal decided to pull the trigger, her alien biology wouldn't be enough to save her.

        "Ms. Castleton, are you hurt?" an officer asked as he took a couple steps back.

        "Not yet."

        "How many are in the house?"

        "I'm not sure,  but at least 12 including me and these guys here."

        "How many hostages?"

        "Three," she gasped as the dealer yanked on her hair hard.

        "That's enough.  I want you and your men to see that we get three helicopters here to 
        provide safe ride for me and my boys.  You have three hours, after that we start 
        killing the hostages every two hours until you bastards give us those helicopters.  Is
        that fucking clear?!"

        "Of course it is," the officer told the dealer.

        "Good, we'll talk," the dealer stated and he backed Laurie in to the house, followed 
        by his men.  They went back to Lex's office and the dealer pushed Laurie to the floor. 
        "Is Mr. Luthor awake yet?  I would really like to talk with him."

        "No sir," one of the men replied.

        The dealer paced a little.  "Joseph, Kyle and Russell I want you to search west side of
        this house for any lab equipment.  Henry, Brent and Jim, search the east part.  Stay
        together and do hesitate to kill anyone who tries to sneak in."  The men moved out. 
        Laurie pushed her self into sitting position and put her back against the couch next 
        to where Spike was sitting.  His hands had been tied with rope.

        "You okay love?"  He asked. He didn't mean `love' in an intimate sense, only that he 
       cared for her.  When she had came to Sunnydale shortly after the Buffy the slayer had 
       died.  She wasn't only planning on staying for a few days, but ended up staying almost
       the entire summer when she learned that the new slayer hadn't been fully trained yet.
       She helped the Scooby gang out with training the new chosen one and with patrol until 
       the new slayer was ready to go out on her own.  Her and Spike became friends and 
       regularly did patrols together.  He was an emotional wreck for a good portion of her 
       stay, but he was slowly getting better.  Something about Sunnydale made her very 
       homesick for the Jaguar Pride and after a couple weeks of being back in New York she 
       and Lucas agreed to start actively looking for the ship that Clark came down in so she 
       could get back home.  

        "I'm fine, you?"

        "Just peachy.  Thanks for getting me into this.  I couldn't picture a  better way to 
       spend my day."  He got a small laugh out of Laurie.  

        "Any time," she replied and tilted her head back to look at Spike.  "Here I was hoping
        that no one else got hurt because of me.  Now no matter what happens some one will. 
        Either through getting shot or living the next couple decades in prison."

        "Life really does suck sometimes," Spike stated.

        Part 18
        Chloe sat alone with Lucas.  She wanted him to know that he wasn't alone.  She told him
        about all the strange things she had been involved here in Smallville.  As she mentioned
        all the times Clark had not only saved her life, but others and the similarities between
        him and Laurie she began to put the pieces together.  "Lucas, I probably sound crazy, but
        I think Clark is an alien too.  I mean think about it.  He was adopted right after the
        meteor shower.  He is always there when ever people need saving.  For years he couldn't
       get around Lana, and then she stopped wearing that necklace and suddenly they're close.
       No, I'm just crazy."

        Clark had come into the room to see how Lucas was doing when she started rambling on 
       about him.  "No, Chloe, you're not crazy," he sighed and walked over to her.

        She jumped and spun around, "Clark!  How long have you been standing there?"

        "I just came."

        "What do you mean I'm not crazy?"  She stood up.

        "Chloe, I have wanted to tell you since I found out.  I really did, I was just afraid
        that you'd hate me.  Pete did for a while after he found out."

        She was in shock for a moment, "Pete knows?!  Who else?  Am I the only one out of the
        loop here?"  She seemed offended.

        "No.  My parents know, they found me with the ship I came in and took me in.  Laurie 
        and Lucas both know, but for obvious reasons.  Ryan knew too, but that's it.  Well, 
        possibly Lionel Luthor, but if he does he hasn't come out and said it."  Clark could 
        feel the tension building, "How's he doing?"

        Chloe looked at Lucas, "The doctors said he's improving.  They think he'll survive."

        "How are you?"

        Chloe shook her head, "I've had better bad days."

        "Still friends?"  Clark asked.

        Chloe looked up at him, then elbowed his side playfully, "No, were not."  She was 
       being sarcastic.  

        Clark but his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.  "Good, I was 
        getting kind of sick of you anyway," he joked back.

        Just then Lucas squeezed Chloe's hand. She looked down at him, "Lucas?"  He squeezed 
        her hand again and opened his eyes slightly.  

        "I'll get a doctor," Clark said and left the room.

        Chloe touched Lucas face, "I knew you were going to make it.  God Lucas, scared me." 
        She let tears of happiness fall from her eyes.  "Can you hear me Lucas?

        He opened his eyes a little more and looked at her.  He tried to talk but the tubing 
        in his throat prevented him for making any noise, so he squeezed her hand again.

        Lucas turned his head slightly, as if looking for someone else.  Chloe assumed he was
        looking for Laurie.  "Laurie was here earlier.  She and her friend Spike went to go 
        stop Lex."  He looked back at her and blinked slowly.

        The doctor came into the room with a nurse.  They moved to the other side of Lucas's 
        bed.  "Well, Lucas.  It's good to see that you're awake.  It's a really good sign.  
        I want to ask you a couple yes or no questions.  If the answer is yes, just raise 
        you're hand a little.  Do you understand?"

        Lucas lifted his hand slightly.  "Good.  Now, are you in pain?"  Lucas lifted his 
        hand again.  "That is actually a good thing for now, it means your nervous system 
        probably wasn't damaged too badly or at all.  The nurse will give you some morphine to 
        help with the pain."  Lucas raised his hand again and the doctor laughed, "And your 
        sense of humor seems to be fully intact as well."  The nurse pressed a few buttons on 
        the machine that was attached to the IV line.  "Do you remember what happened to you?"
        Lucas again lifted his hand.  "Do you know the person who shot you?"  Lucas knew, but
        he let his hand lay still on the bed.  The doctor nodded his head.  "It's okay.  You 
        should get some rest now.  You need to save your strength."

        The doctor turned to Chloe, "You should get some rest too my dear, you have been 
        through a lot.  You can come back later tonight to see him."

        "Am I being kicked out?"  She really didn't want to leave.

        The doctor shook his head, "No, but if you keep Lucas from resting I will have to.  
        Besides, you really should get some rest."

        "Then if it's okay I'd like to stay.  I promise I'll let him sleep."  The doctor 
        agreed and he and the nurse left the room.  Chloe sat back down in her chair and 
        looked at Lucas, his eyes were closed again.  "I love you," she told him and leaned 
        back in her chair.  A few minutes later she drifted off to sleep.

        Clark came back into the room about ten minutes later.  He really didn't want to wake
        Chloe up, but she'd kill him if he didn't.  He shook her slightly and she sat up. 
        "I need to talk to you, outside."

        They left the room, "What is it Clark?"

        Clark took a deep breath, "There is a hostage situation at Lex's place.  Three hostages
       and ten gunmen."

        Chloe looked away briefly, "This just isn't going to stop is it?"

        "To make matters worse, Metropolis broke out in a city wide riot about an hour ago.  The news caster said that the people who started it were on some new street drug.  Ten guess where it came from."
        Chloe sighed, "I should get back.  I don't want Lucas to be alone if he wakes up."

        Clark didn't really like how close she and Lucas had become in just a few days, given her history of men, he had reason to feel uneasy.  "So I take it you two weren't really picking up empty cans in the woods?"
        Chloe blushed, "Do I have to answer that?"

        Clark shook his head, "No, please don't.  Go on.  I'll see you later."

        Clark went back to the waiting area and told his parents the good news.  He turned to 
        his mother, "You should call Lionel Luthor, let him know that Lucas is going to be 
        okay."

        Martha smiled at her son, "I will.  He seemed very upset about this, I can't really 
        blame him either.  Jonathan, you should at least try to call Laurie.  If they don't let 
        her talk they might at least give her the message."

        Chloe walked back to the room to find a woman with long blonde hair standing over Lucas,
        "Can I help you?"  She was sure that no one had entered the room.

        The woman looked up, she couldn't have been more that 20.  "You must be Chloe?  How 
        does it feel to turn a gay man straight?"  She smiled.  "I'm Lucas's friend Anna.  I 
        came as soon as I could."

        "You teleport here?"

        "With much help from my coven, yes.  I knew something as really wrong, but I didn't 
        expect it to be this bad.  I just that protection spell I gave him didn't work too 
        well."

        Chloe walked over to her, "He never got a chance to try it.  He was planning on doing 
        it later today."

        Anna smiled, "I doubt he could have pulled it off.  He only seems to be able to use 
        magic when his emotions are all high, that's not generally a good thing.  He still has a
       lot to learn."  She gave Chloe a hug, "Thank you for being here for him."

        Chloe hugged her back, "I could think of doing anything else."  She looked down at the
        bed.  There were white flower petal one Lucas's chest, were he had been shot.
  
        "You doing some kind of healing spell on him?"  She was a little weary of it.

        "Yes, the whole coven is actually.  They allowed me to borrow some of their magic so I 
        would be able to come alone.  I doubt the doctors would be pleased if a whole coven 
        showed up and started doing a spell around one of their patients."

        Chloe laughed, "No, but knowing this town, they may not notice."

        Part 19
        The dealer and the remaining three gunmen paced around the room.  They jumped slightly 
        at the sound of Laurie's phone ringing.  The deal walked over and took her phone out
        of her jacket pocket.  "Who's this?"  He demanded.

        "My name is Jonathan Kent, I just called to tell Laurie that her son has woken up.  
        The doctors think he'll be okay.  Could you please let her know that?"

        The deal was irritated, "Yeah, I'll tell her."  Laurie looked up at him as he hung her
        phone up, "You're son's dead. Sorry."

        Laurie felt her heart stop.  She trying to breathe but she could barely pull any air
        into her lungs.  She tucked her knees up to her chest and lowered her head to them. 
        Her whole body shook as she cried.

        Spike knew that there was nothing he could do to make her feel any better, but just 
        sitting there doing nothing was killing him.  He raised his arms that were still tied
        together and then pointed at Laurie.  The dealer thought for a moment then motioned 
        for one of the gunmen to untie him.  "If he tries anything, kill him."  Spike had 
        unvamped before the men had entered the room.  They had no idea that he wasn't human. 
        Bullets would stop him for a while, but they wouldn't kill him.

        He lowered himself to the floor and put pulled Laurie closer to him.  She leaned into 
        him and let him hold her as she sobbed.  "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."  He was close to
        tears himself.  "This bastard could be lying to you though," he whispered in her ear 
        so that no one else could hear him.  Though his words didn't seem to bring her comfort,
        they did.

        Just then, Lex began to stir.  It took him a minute to understand what was happening.  
        He looked down at Laurie who was nearly hysterical and his heart sank.  Seeing her 
        like that made him sure that his brother was dead.  He wanted to cry, he wanted to 
        scream.  He wanted to find a way to take it all back.

        "Well, well, well," the dealer said and walked over towards Lex.  "Looks who's awake."
        Lex's eyes stayed cool as the dealer pressed the gun to his lower jaw.  "Now, where's
        the stuff."

        Lex gave him a confused look, "What stuff would that be?"

        "Don't play me Luthor.  The equipment used to make the drug.  You took it from her
        house.  Now tell me where it is before I blow you're fucking head off."

        Lex really didn't want this guy getting his hands on more of the drug, but he knew 
        he was dead if he lied, "I didn't take anything from her house.  It must still be
        there."  He had no idea that his place was surrounded by police and that the dealer
        couldn't just go to her house and look for it, or that there were six other gun men
        searching his place.

        The dealer stepped around Spike, "Get up," he spat and motioned for Spike to get 
        back on the couch.

        Spike didn't like this at all, the dealer was on drug, really pissed off and he had
        a gun, never a good combination.  He slowly let go of Laurie and lifted himself onto
        the couch next to Lex.

        The deal pointed the gun at Laurie's head and grabbed her hair, "Okay bitch, if he
        didn't take your stuff, where is it?"

        Laurie eyes burned from the tears, "I don't know.  All I know is that it isn't at 
        my place any more.  The police must have found it when they got there, but they never
        said anything about it to me."

        The dealer took a deep breath, "Okay bitch.  I've had enough of this.  Time to die."

        "NO!" Spike protested and began to stand up.  The other gunmen in the room pointed
        there weapons at him.  "If you really need to kill someone, then kill me.  If you 
        kill the only woman hostage the police may decide to storm the place and more will
        die."  He didn't know if that was true, but he knew that as strong as Laurie was, 
        she couldn't take a bullet to the head, or heart, and survive.  He on the other hand,
        could.

        The dealer smiled, "You've got some balls there.  Fine," he said and pointed his gun 
        at Spikes heart and pulled the trigger.  Laurie didn't have to try to act really upset
        about this because she was already upset about Lucas.  

        Spike's body slumped back to the couch.  One of the gunmen walked over and checked his
        pulse.  "He's dead."

        The deal pushed Laurie back to the floor, "Push his body out the front door, tell the
        police that that's what happens when you try to be a hero," he sighed.  "And tell them
        that as an act of good faith I'll extend the deadline by one hour.  Get him out of 
        here."

        The other men who had been searching the house came back when they heard the shot. 
        They made way for the men who were dragging Spike's body out of the room.  "We found
        nothing.  If the stuff is here it's hidden pretty damn well."

        The deal looked over to them, "The police have it.  Shit!  This is not how I planned
        things!"  He went to the hallway to check on the men who had taken Spike out.

        Lex bent down to Laurie, "He really wasn't evil anymore was he?"  Laurie could tell 
        by the tone in his voice that he wasn't either.

        "No, he really isn't."

        Lex closed his eyes, "I can't believe I shot my brother.  I mean, I know that I did
        it, and I didn't even care when it happened."  Lex couldn't find words to finish his
        thoughts.

        "That's what the drug does to you.  It makes you not care anymore," she said numbly.

        "Then why did you take it in the first place?"  He whispered, he sounded annoyed.

        "I didn't mean too.  By the time I realized there was any around it was already in 
        my system."

        Lex thought for a moment, "You weren't getting this stuff from some friends in space
        were you?"

        Laurie looked at him, "No.  But it did come here from space."

        "The meteor shower?"

        She nodded, "Most of the rocks are green, but there are some red ones too, not many
        thankfully."  She looked out at the rain pouring down outside.  "If Spike was right,
        and this guy was lying about Lucas being dead, I want him to come and live with you.
        I don't belong here.  I was a fool to think I ever did.  It's too much of a risk for
        me to stay here after this is over, assuming I don't end up in prison."

        Lex nodded his head, "I think that would be best for everyone."

        Laurie didn't really want Lex to agree with her, she didn't want to leave Lucas, but
        she couldn't justify staying in Smallville knowing that those rocks were here.  "Then
        consider me gone."
        
        Part 20
        Clark heard the news about a body being handed over to police.  The police said his 
        name was William Summer, though he had no ID on him.  Clark remembered Chloe calling 
        Spike `William the Bloody' and assumed it was him.  Clark when entered Lucas's room to
        let Chloe know he was stopped dead.  Chloe and some girl were doing was appeared to be
        a spell over Lucas.  Since when does Chloe practice magic? He thought, but
        instead of interrupting he just watched.  Clark knew nothing about magic and was afraid
        he would cause Lucas harm if he stopped whatever was happening.

        Chloe and Anna were facing each other.  Chloe's left hand was intertwined with Anna's 
        right hand.  Their other hands held Lucas's in between them and there seemed to be a
        soft white glow around the bed.  Anna was chanting something, and Chloe was repeating
        what she was saying.

        After about a minute Chloe began to feel faint and pulled away, "I'm sorry.  I feel
        light headed."

        Anna helped her into a chair, "New at this huh?  It took about a month for spells not
        to do that to me."  She looked up to see Clark standing in the door way.

        "What the hell is going on here?"  Clark was more concerned for Chloe's safety then he
        was angry at Anna for using magic.

        "Clark," Chloe said, "this is Lucas's friend Anna.  She came right here when she heard
        was happening."

        "Are you okay Chloe?"  He didn't move any closer.

        Chloe nodded, "Yeah, it was amazing!   Anna was doing a healing spell for Lucas and 
        she told me I could help."

        "It's nice to meet you Clark," Anna spoke as she gathered the petals from Lucas's bed.
         Lucas stirred and opened his eyes, "Hey there breeder!"

        Clark gave her a weird look and noticed that the phrase didn't seem to faze Chloe in 
        the slightest.

        Anna had the ability of picking up people's thoughts who were think were thinking 
        loudly. Lucas knew this.  Hey Anna!  Did you do a spell on me?

        She projected her thoughts back to him.  Just a small healing spell, to 
        help you along.

        Thanks babe.  I do feel better.  He looked at Chloe and touched her hand.
        Please tell me you aren't hitting on my girlfriend while I 
        lay helpless to stop you.

        It's very tempting, but no.  I wouldn't do that to you, at 
        least not until you're out of this bed.

        Thanks.  Is Laurie back yet?

        Anna turned to Chloe and Clark, "Is Laurie around?"

        They looked at each other, "She's over at Lucas's brother's place.  Trying to get this
        problem cleared up."  Clark told Anna.

        Both Anna and Lucas knew that something was really wrong.  Clark wasn't very good at
        hiding it.  I'm sure she'll* * be* fine Lucas.  She's a tough cookie.

        I know, but I'm still worried.

        Chloe looked at Anna, "Are you going to be staying for a while?"

        "Yes, I was planning on it."

        Chloe smiled, "I really didn't want to leave you alone Lucas, but I'm exhausted.  Do
        you mind if I leave to get some rest?  I'll be back later tonight."

        Lucas rubbed Chloe's hand in a reassuring way.  Chloe kissed his forehead.  "I'll be
        back later then."

        She left the room and Clark said his goodbyes and followed her.  "So what's up?"  She
        asked him wanting to know if anything at Lex's had changed. 

        "Spike was shot.  They pushed his body out of the house.  I'm guessing the coroner will
        be bringing him here shortly.  I was thinking we should get him out of the morgue,
        ASAP.  He'll be able to tell us what's going on in there."

        Chloe nodded her head, "Good plan."

        "I didn't realize you were into witch craft.  When did that start?"

        Chloe sighed, "About ten minutes ago.  Lucas said he thought I'd be good at it anyway
        and wanted to teach me the one spell he knows how to do."

        "Lucas is a witch?"

        "Yeah, but Anna said that he has a lot to learn before getting better at controlling it."

        Clark and Chloe hit in a maintenance closet down by the morgue until they hear the
        Coroner coming close.  "Ms. Castleton said his name is William Summers.  He was 
        apparently in Metropolis this morning, but she didn't tell us where he was living. 
        There is no listing for a William Summers anywhere in Metropolis.  I'm afraid we will 
        just have to wait until this is over to contact any family."

        The door to the morgue opened and after a few minutes the men left.  Clark used his
        vision to check for anyone in the hall.  It was clear.  They stepped out of the closet
        and slipped into the morgue.  There was a body on the table in a body bag.   Clark 
        unzipped it hoping it was Spike.  It was.

        "He looks dead," Clark stated.

        "He is dead, he's a vampire."  Chloe reminded him.

        "This is creepy.  Come one man, wake up," Clark shook him.  Spike opened his eyes
        slowly.

        "Please stake me," he said quietly.

        "You in pain?" Chloe asked

        "Bugger off," he snorted.  He wasn't trying to be rude, but he really was in pain.
        He was just very glad that the deal hadn't shot him in the head.  Clark helped him 
        out of the body bag.  "That dealer has a very bad temper."

        "Dealer?"

        Spike looked at Chloe, "Some drug dealer.  He wanted to know where the rest of the
       drugs where.  Laurie and Lex ran him in circles, he got pissed, I got shot."  He 
       pulled out the pack of smokes from his jacket and lit up a cigarette.  Clark and Chloe
       didn't dare say anything against it to him.  They left the morgue and then the hospital.
       They headed over to Clark's house.  The rain was coming down so hard that Clark resorted
       to his vision to make it home safely.

        They ran up to the house and Clark and Chloe rushed inside.  "Um, Clark?  I need an 
        invitation before I can come in.  It's a vampire thing."

        Clark was uneasy about this, "Okay Spike, come in."

        Spike felt the threshold part as he moved through the door way.  "Thanks.  Can I use
        you're phone for a minute?"

        "Sure."
        Spike picked up the phone and dialed information, "Sunnydale, California.  Magic Box."
        The operator connected him. 

        "Magic box, Anya speaking."

        "Anya, It's Spike."

        "Did you just get shot?"

        Spike stopped for a minute, "Yeah.  How'd you find out?"

        "It was on the news.  Some unidentified man was shot in some hostage situation at 
        that guy's house."

        Spike shook his head, "Yeah, hurts like hell too.  Is Willow around?"

        Anya paused, "She should be here any minute.  Where'd you get shot?"

         "In the heart, thankfully bullets aren't made of wood."

        Anya sighed, "I don't get why Laurie doesn't just kick all of there asses."

        Spike laughed, "She would, but they are all carrying guns.  She may heal fast but that
        won't stop bullets from killing her."  In the back ground he heard the bell above the
        door at the Magic Box ring and Willow saying hi to Anya.

        "Here she is!"  Anya handed the phone over to Willow.

        "Hey Willow.  This situation just keeps getting worse, I was wondering if you could 
        try that teleportation spell out on your self and gives us a hand?"

        Willow paused, "What exactly did you have in mind?"

        "Well, remember when you flipped out and tried to destroy the world?"  Clark and Chloe
         just looked at him.

        "I'd rather not, why?"

        "Anya mentioned some spell you did on her that stopped her in her tracks so she 
        couldn't stop you."

        "Oh, the freeze spell!  I can do that."

        Spike nodded his head, "Okay, no remember when you made us all forget who we were?"

        "Again, I'd rather not.  That's a horrible spell, I'm not using it on anyone again," 
        she protested.

        "Listen Will, these guys are on drugs and they are carrying weapons.  If they are 
        allowed to remember this drug then more will start looking for it and more will get
        hurt.  Just this once?"

        Willow sighed, he was making sense and she hated it, "I'll see what I can do.  It 
        may take a while for me to gather everything and get over there though."

        "Good luck and be careful," Spike said and hung the phone up.

        "Tried to destroy the world?"  Chloe asked.

        Spike shook his head, "Someone murdered her girlfriend in front of her.  She flipped
        out and decided that she needed to end everyone's pain.  Damn near succeeded too.  
        I'm really glad I wasn't in town to see it go down."  He looked out the window, "I 
        just hope she can pull this off."

        Part 21
        The gunmen were getting very edgy, a sign that the drugs where starting to wear off.
        The dealer seemed to notice it too.  "Why don't you guys have a drink, relax a bit? 
        We may be here for a while."

        One of the men took the bottle of scotch that was on the counter and poured a whole 
        pouch of powder into it. He took a swig and passed it to the guy next to him.  Just as
        all the men had taken a drink the dealer passed the bottle to Lex, "Go on, have some."

        Lex really didn't want to but felt he had no choice.  He raised the bottle and was 
        about to take a drink when a small lightning storm occurred right in the middle of
        the room.  When it stopped, a tall demon with horns and a beard stood before them. 
        The men all backed away from him. 

        "Ah, Ms. Lakia Bolivar, of the Jaguar Pride."

        The fact that this guy never not only her true name, but where she was from sent 
        shivers down her spine.  "Yes?"

        The demon approached her; touched her face and suddenly they both disappeared.  The 
        only thing left was a burn spot on the floor.  Lex was horrified, thinking that the
        demon had caused Laurie to become a burn spot on the floor, when in fact she was merely
        in a demon dimension.

        "What the hell was that?!"  The dealer shouted.  Lex shook his head; he was equally
        as freak out.

        Laurie wasn't freaked out, she was pissed.  "Who the hell are you?"  After living in
        Sunnydale for a summer most demons didn't intimidate her.

        The demon gave her a scolding look, "You should have better manners.  My name is 
        D'hofrin."

        Laurie suddenly realized who she was talking to, "Anya's former boss?"

        He nodded his head.  "I have taken notice to the mayhem you have caused in Metropolis.
        I think you would make an excellent vengeance demon."  He held out a black and blue 
        speckled stone on a sliver chain.

        Laurie though he was joking for a moment.  She realized that if she took that necklace
        she would have to work with granted vengeance wishes, which she wasn't too keen on. 
        On the other hand, this was a change to have what was going on in Metropolis and 
        Smallville reversed.  "Okay, I'll take it."

        He smiled, "I'm sure you will be very good at your job."

        Back on Earth the dealer was growing increasingly angry.  Lex was sure that this guy
        was just going to snap and kill him any minute.  Suddenly, like before a small 
        lightning storm started in the center of the room.  But this time what emerged was not
        a demon.  A woman with long red hair stood there.  She glanced around the room,
        "Freeze!  She shouted and all the gunmen froze in their spots.

        Lex was impressed, and if it hadn't been from the pain he was feeling from Spike's
        beating, he would have been slightly turned on.

        Willow turned to him, "Are you Lex Luthor?"

        "I am," he stated trying not to show that he was nervous.

        She looked at the handcuffs around his wrists.  "Release."  The handcuffs came undone. 

        Lex stared down at the cuffs, "Thanks."

        "Where's Laurie?"  Willow looked around.

        Lex looked down at the burn spot on the floor, "Some demon showed up, touched her and
        suddenly all that was left of either of them was this burn spot."

        Willow glanced at the flood and rolled her eyes, "D'hofrin," she sighed.  "She'll be
        back, hopefully in mortal form but who knows."  Lex just looked at her.  "Never mind,
        it's complicated," Willow assured him.  "Spike said he's sorry about your face if 
        you're not evil anymore."

        Lex laughed a bit, "Is he okay?"

        Willow nodded her head, "He's sore, but he'll survive.  I'm Willow by the way."

        Just then Laurie reappeared in the room.  "Willow!" she said and looked around the
        room at the gunmen.  "Nice work."

        Willow noticed the necklace, "I wish you had never been infected with this stuff in the
        first place," she made her self sound angry.

        Laurie smiled.  She didn't think it was going to be that easy, "Done."

        Pete looked at Laurie, "It's nice to a have an adult around who doesn't think all this
        is crazy, and who, hopefully, isn't crazy."

        They were all back in the Torch room.  Laurie smiled, "Well I don't think I'm crazy. 
        And I really don't see why this stuff couldn't happen.  People will do practically 
        anything to avoid acknowledging that there is stuff that can't be explained out there.
        But on the bright side, we aren't burning people at the stake for being witches 
        anymore."  She looked at Lucas how just glared at her.  Chloe shook her head.

        Just moments ago she believed that Lucas was dead, now that moment hadn't even happened
        yet.  The wish hadn't made everything back to the way it was.  She still had the 
        necklace that D'hofrin gave her and she still had the memories of what had happened. 
        She wondered if anyone else remembered.

        As Pete placed the map down on the table and showed them where the site was Laurie 
        thought up a plan that didn't involve her or Clark from entering the woods.  She 
        looked over at Lucas who had noticed the necklace.  He made a small motion to it and 
        she mouthed, "Later," to him.  She knew he wasn't going to be thrilled about her 
        being a demon, but it was better than what would have happened. 

        "Okay," Laurie started after Pete outlined where the meteor rocks were, "I'll go with
        someone to the edge of the woods here."  She pointed to the same spot on the map that
        she and Clark had entered.  "I think we should try to lure it out without having to go
        into the woods.  It will be safer that way.  Does anyone know how to shoot a gun? I
        have two tranquilizer guns in the car."

        "I can, my dad taught me when I was younger," Clark answered.  "Why do you have
        tranquilizer guns?"

        "It's a long story."

        "Well it sounds like a plan," Clark said.

        Laurie looked at the others, "You guys keep working on finding out who this guy could
        possibly be.  Lucas, I'll have my cell phone on, call me when you find something."

        Laurie and Clark left.  Laurie told Clark about where she was from and that she knew
        that he was from the same planet.  After that things ran smoothly.  They brought the
        creature back to Clark's house, talked to the Kent's.  This time around she showed them
        the correct does to give the creature, and again she was invited to breakfast the 
        following morning. 

        Shortly after arriving home her phone rang.  It was Lex.

        "Hello Lex."

        He seemed irritated, "We need to talk.  Can you come over?"

        She thought for moment that Lex may have remembered, but dismissed the idea, "Sure,
        how do I get there?"  She was playing dumb.  He gave her directions.
        
        Par 22
        Laurie arrived at Lex's place and the door man showed her to his office.  She could
        feel the tension in the room the moment she walked in.  "It's nice to see you again
        Lex.  What did you want to talk to me about?"

        He motioned for her to take a seat across from his desk.  "Don't play dumb Laurie. 
        I don't know what you did, but I remember what happened.  I asked you here to talk
        about you leaving town."

        Laurie's heart sank.  He paused for moment, "That's understandable."

        "I want custody of Lucas, tonight.  I can have a team of movers at your place at the
         morning to help you pack you're things."  He was pissed.

        Laurie repressed the tears that were welling up in her eyes.  "And if I say no?"

        Lex glared at her, "I know what hurts you know.  And don't think that I won't take 
        care of you if you stand in my way."  Lex saw a tear slipped down her cheek as Laurie
        turned her head to wipe it away without him seeing.  He remembered how she was when 
        she had been told that Lucas was dead.  He knew that she really cared about him, but 
        Lex couldn't be sure that this whole thing wouldn't happen again.

        "Okay," she managed, refusing to look him in the eyes.

        "I didn't want to have to take him from you.  But you said that you were didn't even
         mean to infect your self with this stuff.   How do you know that it won't happen
         again?"

        "I don't, but I know now where in town these rocks are.  It should be easy to avoid."
        She took a deep breath, "But you're right.  I'm too much of a risk to keep around."
        Lex thought for a minute, "I just wish there was some way that you could never be
        infected again."  He didn't mean to use the term, "I wish", it just slipped.

        "Done."  Laurie spoke.

        Lex looked at her, "What?"  He thought for a minute, "You granted Willow's wish, didn't
        you?"
      
        Laurie nodded her head, "I never wanted this job, but it made things better." She 
        wasn't sure if t would work, but hoped that she would never have to find out.

        Lex smiled, "I like this, I make a wish, and you grant it."

        Laurie looked him in the eyes, "If you abuse this power that I have I promise that
        you will live a very long life regretting it."  Lex realized that she serious. 
        "This power isn't some neat little toy, it can be deadly.  I would like to use it as
        little as possible."

        Lex nodded with understanding, "Okay."

        "So does this mean I can stay?"

        Lex sighed, "Yes, as long as you don't become evil again."  He gave her a strange 
       look, "You look so human, so how do I know you aren't lying about being an alien?"

        Laurie laughed and pulled her sleeves up to her elbows.  She knew that letting her
       bone spikes out while not in the middle of an adrenaline rush was going to hurt like
       hell, but Lex deserved to know.  Slowly the bone spikes broke through her skin and
       curved slight up towards her elbows.  The spikes were about six inches long each.

        Lex was amazed, "Holy shit!  Those were in your arms the entire time?"

        Laurie grinned, she was in pain, but she was good at blocking it out.  "My whole life.
        I'm just glad that they are retractable.  Makes it easier to blend in."

        "I can imagine."  Lex wanted her.  Not because she was an alien, but because she was
       strong and powerful, and sexy.  For a small moment he wished he didn't have a 
       girlfriend.

        Laurie retracted her spikes and the skin healed around the openings.  "Lex, thank you.
        I owe you big time."

        "Just don't be evil again," he warned her.  "So, do you want to go into Metropolis?
        I can show you around if you'd like?"

        Laurie smiled and looked down at her clothing, not exactly close to wear while out
        on the town.  "Can I go home and change first?"

        "Of course.  I'll pick you up in about an hour?"

        Laurie smiled, "Sure," and left his place.