A/N: /sigh/ I swore I would be quicker, and I am! A little anyway…

HAPPY BELATED NEW YEARS AND CHRISTMAS! (I got the x-men trilogy)

This one's for Rose (Why don't you get an account?) as she guessed almost everything I'm doing in this chappy or later.

Consciousness – That annoying time between naps.

Disclaimer Haiku:

I do not own this.

I would like not to be sued.

It is owned by others.

Word – Other self's thoughts, dreams, letters

Word – Animals

/Word/ - Telepathy

Word – Emphasis or other human languages

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Chapter 4 – Meet the Parentals…and the Snake

I think you and I need to have a little chat, speaker The boa constrictor uncurled itself from his ankle and leg and slithered up to his shoulder. Clark unconsciously shivered. What are you?

He wanted to kill the vermin! How dare it touch him! But, he was also curious. What did the ground-crawler want?

I…I'm human of course He stuttered.

You're deluding yourself speaker!

Did the boa know? How? Why did it follow him? What did it want? These questions and more ran through Clark head and he was on the verge of a panic attack.

Speaker, calm down! The boa exclaimed loudly. Blimey! Your heart's going that fast! Clark closed his eyes, calming thoughts, breathe.

My name is Clark He hissed (literally).

What? The snake was confused.

My name is Clark He repeated. Not 'Speaker'

Very well Clark, what are you? The snake had decided that this speaker was rather slow.

How is it that you speak my language? Clark countered.

Quid Pro Quo? The snake was amused, no doubt about it.

Huh? Clark didn't have a clue what it was on about.

An exchange of information? A question for a question?

Well, yeah, I guess Clark was having trouble not to kill the know-it-all serpent. Not to mention the trouble he was having comprehending all that had happened today.

You aren't sure? It hissed.

Was that your first question? So Clark was a little annoyed by now.

Was that yours? The snake smirked. (How does a snake smirk?)

Urghh! Okay, what I said before, how is that you speak my language? Clark was sick of messing about. He wondered what a passerby would think of the situation; here he was standing near his barn with a boa constrictor that could probably wrap itself around a car and crush it too, twisted around his neck and body having a rather pointless conversation.

I don't. You speak mine The snake squeezed Clark slightly making him squirm. He hated feeling powerless. My turn, what are you?

Clark sighed, he didn't know why; he just had a strange feeling he could trust this boa. It went against everything he had been taught by his parents to preserve his secret. It was a snake, who could it tell anyway? I'm Kryptonian He closed his eyes, praying it would not understand.

Well why didn't you just say that! The snake glared I thought you were, but with your stalling and the odd smell I thought it must have been something more sinister! Its eyes glinted in the setting sunlight.

I…What?

I thought you smelt familiar, almost like my old master but with a tang. He was the first well known speaker you know! Being from the same place would explain how you can speak our tongue… The snake trailed off into silence, cocking its head thoughtfully at him.

Clark was shocked. Not only did he just tell his greatest secret to a snake of all things, but the snake had had a past owner who was Kryptonian.

Maybe the vermin could be of some use…

My turn Clark said, dragging the serpent from its thoughts What happened to your first master?

He died The snake said simply. I can't fully explain it to you, but he was betrayed by his brother, the same human, It spat the word, who murdered his family. All for riches, greedy as humans are.

What happened to the human? Clark asked tentatively.

I killed him. That waste of space, murderer of innocents.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to dredge up old memories Clark looked down.

Don't be, it is not your fault and it is in your nature to be curious. Now I can finally honour him and pass on his noble works to another speaker. The snake unwrapped its tail from where it was twisted around Clark's leg. I will teach you speaker, and I will protect you.

Thank you, but, does this mean you'll be like my familiar or something? The eagle part of his mind screamed obscenities at the serpent, most not very pleasant.

No! My master is Sal-Syrn, no creature may have more than one master, although many familiars can have the same master. You will find a familiar one day, all Kryptonians do. No, I will be a mentor to you.

How can I trust you ummmm… Clark asked suspiciously.

Master called me Asa, and I haven't strangled or bit you yet have I?

If you know what I am than you know that you couldn't hurt me so it's not much reassurance. Clark hissed just a tad arrogantly.

Without a word, (or should I say hiss?) the glistening coils of the snake started to tighten around Clark's body. When he felt his ribs being squashed he started to struggle against the serpent's fierce grip. Clark couldn't move. He twisted, kicked, wriggled and even flapped. His eagle instincts took control as an intense fear of restraint filled his mind.

Suddenly, he felt the pressure removed and fell to the ground, gasping for breath, all resistance gone from his mind, just the happy knowledge that he was alive filling every pore of his body.

Never underestimate me speaker! The boa hissed as it slithered out from under his shaking form.

You…tried to…kill…me! Clark protested, still panting. He stood up slowly and glared at the offending serpent who had now twisted itself around his torso.

Don't be stupid! I was just proving a point that as my master once said: it doesn't do to assume The snake smirked. It just makes an ass out of you and me

Well definitely you at least Asa gave him an affronted look that he grinned at. He turned around to face the house. Look, I need to speak with my parents, come if you want I guess He paused to sigh dramatically Not that I could stop you – just don't hurt anyone

I feel so grateful to have the permission of an idiotic, mortal-raised, tangy-smelling child The snake hissed sarcastically.

Now it was Clark's turn to look affronted and without a comment he strode off towards the house, deliberately taking unnecessarily heavy steps, jarring his unwanted passenger who hissed unhappily.

---

Ororo gasped as the bike Logan had nicked from Scott (again) went through yet another pothole jarring her back painfully. Logan chuckled from in front of her making her scowl at him. Who knew country roads would have so many holes and bumps?

It was starting to form an odd sort of pattern; bump, swerve, dip, bounce. Bump, swerve, dip, bounce. This trip was taking too long! Never again would she agree to going anywhere with Logan (who was starting to stink considerably) or this blasted bike that went to fast for its own good without thinking things through very thoroughly.

"How much longer!" She yelled over the roaring of the motorbike.

"We'll stop at the next city, Chuck's booked us into a hotel there. We should reach this 'Smallville' place tomorrow morning if we leave early!" He yelled back, revving the bike unnecessarily.

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"Mum? Dad? are you here?" Clark looked around the empty kitchen for a sign that his parents were indeed home.

"Clark? You're home early, is something wrong?" Clark's adopted mother came through the doorway, tea-towel in hand and paused, shocked, as she looked at her son oddly. Martha Kent was a stocky lady with red hair and a face that had had many laughs. Her face at the moment though was frowning worriedly at Clark's attire and 'friend'.

"Mum I need to tell you and Dad something" Clark told his mother seriously. "Could you get Dad please?"

Martha, noting the seriousness of the situation, nodded her head to her son and left back through the kitchen doorway, returning a minute later with her confused husband.

"Son…what?" Jonathan Kent was not an idiot and seeing his usually plaid clad son wearing the trench coat he had worn as Kal-El and a large snake (Obviously not native) wrapped around his torso just told him that something wasn't right.

Clark shifted nervously as his dad stared at him, not willing to break the silence. Thankfully his mother, sensing the need to break the impromptu staring contest, spoke up.

"Clark? Wasn't there something that you were going to tell us?" She reminded her frozen son.

"Mum, Dad, I'd like you to meet Asa" He gestured to the snake wrapped around himself. "At least that's what it said it was called, I think I've found a new ability"

"Clark are you trying to tell us that you can talk to this…thing?" Jonathan waved his hand at Asa who hissed angrily.

"Yes Dad I am" Clark stopped examining his shoelaces and stared his father in the eye.

After all he did not wish to look like a submissive. Was this mortal challenging him?

Jonathan quickly averted his eyes from his son's aggressive stare. Was it always that powerful? Jonathon had certainly never thought so.

Martha frowned thoughtfully. "Honey, what does the trench coat have to do with anything? And why did you run off this morning?" The snake turned its head to face her. She barely refrained from shuddering. Its eyes were intelligent, too intelligent for a mere animal.

He fiddled idly with a loose thread on the coat in question. "I didn't want to scare you" Martha resisted the urge to cuddle her son, he had a guilty look like he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Asa I need you to get off Martha gasped audibly and her husband's jaw dropped at the hissing sounds Clark was making.

Well fine then It hissed haughtily. It unwrapped itself with slow precision and slithered over to the corner of the room where it stared creepily at them from the shadows.

Jonathon forced himself to tear his eyes from the staring serpent and back to his adopted son. "Clark?" He prompted.

With a sigh and much aplomb, Clark shrugged off the black coat onto the ground where it landed in a heap.

"Clark?" Martha bit her lip worriedly and Jonathon looked shaken.

"I woke up this morning and they were just…there" Clark said timidly, flapping the wings a bit for emphasis. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I thought that you would freak and not let me leave the house."

"Your damn right we wouldn't have let you leave the house!" Jonathon exploded. (Not in the literal sense)

"Jonathon!" Martha exclaimed at her husband's rudeness. Clark flinched back, looking hurt.

Humans sure are loud! Asa exclaimed from the shadows Although what more can you expect from savages? It added nastily.

Asa this is my conversation, kindly butt out of it Clark snapped at the serpent angrily. And humans are less like savages then you are

"Clark kindly speak in a language we all understand" Clark's father said annoyed that his son was obviously not listening to anything he had just said. "I don't want you to spend anymore time around that thing" He looked at Asa pointedly.

Alright I think I've heard enough

He completely agreed with the worm, for this thing anyway.

It had seemed that the Kent mother agreed with the statements as she shooed Clark from the room ("Why don't you go do your chores now then?") and rounded upon her husband.

"Jonathon Jerome Kent, What do you think you were doing?"

Jonathon took a step back from the irate figure of his wife. "Martha he came home holding a snake and telling us he can talk to it and you expect me to be happy or something?"

"I expect you to be his father"

---

Dinner in the Kent household was a solemn affair that night. Jonathon, still fuming, was the main perpetrator of the tension buildup in the normally cheery atmosphere.

Another contributing factor was Asa, who was annoyed at having been forgotten by Clark. The snake was hissing in the corner enjoying Jonathan's reactions to its sounds.

Martha was upset at the cold treatment her two boys were giving each other but she knew that this was something they had to work out themselves.

Clark (Couldn't forget about him) was torn between being mad at his father and laughing at the random nonsensical things Asa was amusing itself by saying. Instead he settled for a brooding silence, with occasional twitches.

Lobster in a pot Jonathon wriggled a bit. Frozen banana on a stick His head twitched as if he was going to turn around. hippopotamus Now Clark twitched. Flying rodents Jonathon went red and Martha shuffled uncomfortably. I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts

Jonathon exhaled dramatically. "I'm going to bed. I need to be up early as we should have some calves soon and I need to watch the mothers." He turned and walked stiffly up the stairs without waiting for a reply.

Clark stood as well shaking slightly from suppressed laughter. "Thanks for dinner Mum, it was lovely" He gave her are thin-lipped smile and went up the staircase to his room. After he grabbed Asa of course.

The young Kryptonian set the snake down on the edge of his bed and climbed into it himself before cracking up. He lay there for a minute staring at the ceiling before thinking of an important question.

Asa, are you male or female?

Female of course! Do you even realise how rude that question is? She twitched a bit from her curled up position. If I wasn't so damn comfy I'd…

Clark never heard what she would do. He was already to far gone into his dreams, and who knew what tomorrow would bring?

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Done! Finally!

Read, Review and suggest a few! Suggestions are always welcome! I need ideas...and reviews. Thanx for putting up with me guys!