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Healing

Summary:

After a full week at Dave and Beth's house, we see Jon is finally showing signs of improving. He is eating more and getting his strength back. But he is also keeping secrets from the people around him, like how he has changed, and how the sun suddenly makes him feel so much stronger.

Notes:

Hello all!

Welcome back to the next installment in this series. This one is called Healing, and as the title suggests, after a long journey, Jon is finally ready to start healing. But, who says there can't be a few bumps along the way???

Enjoy! Thanks for reading and leave a comment below :)

P.S. Major shout out to my beta BcuzDylanOBrien23 for all her help on the organization with the first few chapters, I couldn't have done it without you!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: After a Week

Chapter Text

Previously…

 

“Kryptonite is the only known substance that can hurt Superman.”

 

“What does that have to do with Jonathan?”

 

“Kryptonite only affects people from Superman’s home planet, which means Jon is biologically related to Superman or he is also from Krypton.”

 

One week later…

 

Beth was nearly finished preparing supper for herself, Dave and Jonathan. Food wise, Jon had made a lot of improvements. He ate something at every meal and usually finished a majority of his plate. Of course his portions were a bit smaller, since they didn’t want to overwhelm his fragile system, but still, he was definitely growing more consistent with his eating habits.

 

Beth preferred to make balanced meals. So for their Friday night supper, she had whipped up some mashed potatoes, green beans, and grilled chicken breasts. She knew Jon would be okay with the vegetables and the chicken would be a good source of protein.

 

After their initial struggles getting him to eat, seeing Jon partake in such balanced, fulfilling meals was rewarding for both her and her husband Dave, who happened to be Jon’s doctor, who had been diligently taking care of him the past week.

 

The problem was, he hadn’t gained much weight back, only about five pounds. When Dave checked yesterday, he was back up to 108. It was an improvement, but not nearly good enough to be considered healthy for a teenage boy.

 

Jon was also gaining his strength back in other ways. Dave was helping him walk around a little more, trying to build back the muscles that had all but deteriorated. The first few days he could barely walk across the room and had gotten frustrated. But with Dave’s gentle reminders and encouragement, he kept working on it.

 

Things improved once Dave started letting Jon walk outside. Not that they walked further or anything, rather Jon seemed more content, more at peace when they were outside. Also, it seemed that Jon's color improved every time he was in the fresh air, as if the sun was giving him inner strength somehow.

 

Even when he wasn’t walking around, Jon had also taken to just sitting outside on the porch. He would do his homework, listen to music or just relax.

 

Jonathan had even taken a few naps on the porch swing. Beth had been worried that he would get sunburned from being outside so much and tried to encourage sunscreen, but Jon hated the stuff, and avoided putting it on.

 

Yet he never got burned, which was strange.

 

Over the past week, Beth had grown attached to the sensitive, polite Jonathan and wished that he could suddenly get better; unfortunately it didn’t work like that. She tried to be patient and remind herself that it would be a process; he had been pretty sick after all.

 

But they had other problems.

 

After his family had left, the past Sunday, Jon  appeared to have sunk into a depression. He rarely smiled, didn’t laugh, only talked when he had to, and often asked to be left alone. 

 

Secretly, Beth wondered if it had something to do with the fact that his family hadn’t been in to see him all week. Sure, they facetimed most nights and  apologized that they were too busy to make the two hour drive. Jon said he was okay with the distance because he wanted some alone time and didn’t want them hovering.

 

But Beth thought it just sounded like an excuse.

 

There had to be some reason that Jon’s demeanor had changed. But no matter how many time Beth tried to talk Jon, he brushed her off, claiming to be tired and needing to rest. The fact that he didn't want to talk to anyone about what was bothering him worried her more than she would admit.

 

Beth glanced over at her husband, who was carrying supper dishes to the table. She couldn’t voice her fears to Dave anymore, because whenever she did he dismissed her worries, saying Jon had every right to be tired, that he was just healing, which took time. They needed to be patient.

 

Beth had just finished setting the table when Jon shuffled in. 

 

“Hi Jonathan,” Beth said, brightly addressing their young houseguest.

 

“Hey guys. This looks really good Beth, thank you.” Jon sat down and began eating his food. As usual, he ate small bites at a time and didn’t really make direct eye contact with them. If Beth or Dave asked a question, Jon would answer, but he didn’t seem willing to volunteer extra information.

 

“I remembered how you said you liked chicken, so I thought it would be a treat for you,” Beth said. She took a seat at the table, Dave did the same.

 

“How’s your homework coming,” Dave asked, cutting up his chicken.

 

“Got it all done.”

 

Dave looked up in surprise. “Even that big physics project?”

 

Jon shrugged. “It wasn’t that hard. All I was doing was calculating the kinetic and potential energy for an array of different…” Jon trailed off, noticing the way Beth and Dave were staring at him. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter.” He hastily shoved some green beans into his mouth.

 

Dave took a sip of milk. “Actually it does. You showed me the rubric for that research project and I have to say, you are studying really complex stuff. How did you get it done so quickly?”

 

“I’m good at science. It interests me. Ever since…whatever. I just like it.”

 

“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Beth said, placing a hand over Dave’s as a warning to back off since Jon was getting flustered. “Did you have a nice time outside today?”

 

Jon continued avoiding eye contact and nodded.

 

“I thought you might come inside sooner than you did. It got really warm out there this afternoon.”

 

He shrugged again. “It doesn’t really make a difference to me. I haven’t noticed it since I don’t really get hot any more…since you know, I played so much football in the sun over the years.”

 

Jon’s face reddened, as if he was caught in a lie. Beth furrowed her brows. Getting immune to the weather after overexposure was completely plausible, so then why did Jon look so guilty? Realizing he had been under the spotlight long enough, Beth turned the conversation to the antics of some of her coworkers.

 

After a moment she glanced back at Jonathan, who seemed relieved no longer to be talking. For the rest of dinner, Beth kept the conversation between her and Dave, sensing Jon didn’t want to talk.

 

A few minutes later, Jon had finished most of his food and asked to be excused. He slowly shuffled back towards his room. As soon as he was out of earshot, Beth turned to her husband. “See what I mean Dave, it’s just like I was telling you before, something is off with him, I just know it.”

 

“Yes, he’s been through a lot these past few weeks and is trying to gain his strength back. He probably feels a little different because he’s trying to get back to normal.”

 

“Come on, honey, that’s not what I mean and you know it.”

 

“Oh right. Your ‘Jonathan is related to Superman theory’. Sorry, Beth, it just doesn’t make sense.” Dave grabbed a couple of dishes and carried them into the kitchen. Beth picked up a few more and trailed after him.

 

“Why not? You said that Jon was in a lot of pain, and once you removed the material the Kent’s specifically called kryptonite, he improved immediately.” Beth set the two empty plates into the sink and faced her husband. “And like I told you, kryptonite is only dangerous to Superman, or those like him.”

 

“You seem to know an awful lot about this,” Dave commented, walking back into the dining room to get more dishes.

 

The truth was, Beth had always been fascinated by the idea of Superman, of a hero that was from another world and spent his time saving countless human lives, but she didn’t think that admission would help her in this argument. “I have a lot of different patients who have a variety of hobbies. So, I know things, okay?” She continued helping Dave clear the table and tried to remain patient as she explained her theory. “I get that it sounds a bit crazy, but why can’t you even consider the possibility.”

 

Having grabbed all the dishes, they were back in the kitchen now. Dave was loading the dishwasher while Beth put the leftovers in the fridge and tidied up the rest of the kitchen; the way they usually handled dinnertime cleanup. “Well for two reasons,” Dave said, chatting as they worked. “First, we don’t know that it actually was this Kryptonite stuff, or even what it is. That’s just what Lois and Clark called it. Second, that would mean that Jon is…part alien,” Dave said, shuddering.

 

“You’re saying you would feel different about Jon if he was an alien?”

 

“No, I’m saying that I don’t believe in aliens because there is no such thing.”

 

“Dave…”

 

“Yes, I know what the papers say about Superman, being a good alien and all that, but it just seems ridiculous. I’m sure his powers come from some sort of mutation, one that obviously, has nothing to do with Jonathan. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some paperwork to finish up.”

 

Beth looked wistfully after her husband. She had known for years that he didn’t believe in aliens, but figured after all this stuff with Superman lately, that he had changed his tune.

 

Apparently not.

 

Sighing, Beth grabbed a dishrag and wiped down the already fairly clean counter, looking for something to do. He understood her husband’s mindset, really she did, but in this case, the evidence was too overwhelming.

 

The way Jon felt pain from Kryptonite that suddenly disappeared after it was gone…

 

Or the way that Jon was almost inhumanly good at science and was completing his homework in record time…

 

Possibly the most concerning change was the way he could be out in the sun for hours at a time, never getting sunburned or feeling any negative effects from the rays.

 

Most people felt worn down after hours in the sun, but Jon seemed rejuvenated and happy.

 

Beth placed the dishrag back in the sink. Maybe Dave didn’t believe her, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going on with Jon.

 

Something that had to do with Superman.

Chapter 2: Internal Turmoil

Summary:

Jordan and Candice come for a visit and we get Jon's perspective on everything that has happened.

Notes:

Hope you all enjoy this next chapter as things continue to change for Jon. Thanks everybody for reading and commenting as usual. Big shout out to my beta once again for her amazing ideas and motivation!

Chapter Text

Jon Kent stood in front of the bathroom mirror, gripping the sink. He took a deep breath and tried the mental exercise one more time.

 

“I am not a freak. I’m going to be healthy again. I’m normal.” The reflection in the mirror showed the sadness in Jon’s blue eyes was once again more obvious than he wanted it to be.

 

He shook his head, shaking off the feelings from before and tried firmly to repeat the mantra that he had been clinging to. This time with confidence. “I’m not a freak. I’m going to be healthy again. I’m nor…I’m n…” Jon dropped his head against the cool mirror and admitted in a soft whisper. “I’m not normal.”

 

Ever since his migraines had started, Jon had felt weird, mostly because nothing could be done to fix them. Dr. Miller had been amazingly persistent in trying to find just the right medications to handle the painful headaches. But of course, nothing worked long term. They didn’t know it at the time, but the reason why nothing was effective was due to the kryptonite trapped inside of him.

 

Due to the help of his father, Clark, and the AI of his grandmother, Lara, the kryptonite had since been removed. In addition, thanks to some risky medication, they also got his cells reverted back to normal the way they had been before the kryptonite had entered his system which allowed Jon to finally have a normal appetite again. 

 

In the week since, Dr. Miller had been very pleased with the progress Jon had been making in terms of eating more and gaining back his strength. Dr. Miller had also been pressing Jon to allow him to run some tests to check the status of his migraines and talk about what would be the best treatment. Luckily, Jon had managed to hold him off by claiming that he was tired, or wanted to get stronger first. He felt good and hadn’t had any migraines the whole week, so he didn’t think it was important.

 

But it was bigger than that.

 

Even though Dr. Miller had proven himself trustworthy, Jon wasn’t ready for the doctor to study him again.

 

Because if he kept Dr. Miller away, maybe he wouldn’t learn how much of a freak Jon really was.

 

Jon took a deep breath and opened the bathroom door. Maybe he would feel better if he sat outside–

 

No! Damn it. That was part of the problem. 

 

Jon resisted the temptation to go outside and instead, stubbornly sat on the uncomfortable hospital bed that he had grown all too familiar with in the last week. He tried once again to organize his thoughts and to do the one thing he had been attempting to do all week: process what had been happening.

 

The sun was a good place to start. At first Jon pushed his feelings on the matter aside, convincing himself that he had always enjoyed the sun, that it was nothing new. But after a few days, Jon was forced to admit that not only did he like the sun, there was more going on. Every single time he was outside, Jon felt more confident, relaxed, almost at peace, and just physically better overall.

 

And considering his Dad was Superman and was essentially solar powered, Jon had been trying to accept that he might be more like his dad than he originally thought. 

 

There were other clues too.

 

Like the fact that even though he had been claiming all week that he needed rest, in actuality Jon had never been less tired. As long as he got a few hours in the sun, he was totally energized the rest of the day. In fact, he had lain awake for hours at night simply because he wasn’t tired.

 

Then there was the uncomfortable realization that his memory had improved drastically and homework assignments had become a piece of cake. Jon’s textbooks would explain concepts and theories in depth, showing diagrams, graphs and examples. But Jon could look at something once and understand it perfectly.

 

Not that he would admit it. 

 

Actually he wasn’t admitting any of these strange quirks to anyone. Not Dr. Miller, Jordan, or even his parents.

 

Certainly not his parents. Jon had no desire to open up that can of worms.

 

He just wanted some time to deal with the way he had been feeling. But that was another problem: Jon didn’t know exactly how he was feeling. The whole week he had been confused and stressed because he didn’t understand what was happening to him.

 

Jon decided to lay back on his bed. More than anything he needed to relax, and get it together. Jordan and Candice were coming by soon, and Jon did not want them to know anything was up.

 

That was another thing he had been struggling with all week, the fact that he knew he should tell someone how he was feeling, like a freak, a hybrid creature, and a failed alien science experiment.

 

He wasn’t Kryptonian, like his dad and Jordan. He couldn’t fly or shoot fire out of his eyes. But he didn’t seem to be entirely human any more either. After all, no human could finish a week long physics project in just a few hours.

 

So that left him in the middle, feeling like some sort of hybrid mess up. And more than anything, Jon hated feeling like a failure. Earlier that year with the X-K stuff was the worst. The feelings of guilt and disappointing everyone around him was almost too much for Jon.

 

A knock on the door pulled Jon out of his thoughts. Beth slightly pushed open the door and peeked in. “Hey, Jonathan, you’ve got a couple of visitors that want to say hi.”

 

He sat up and tried to look relaxed. “Sure, send them in.”

 

“Jon,” Candice screeched, and practically threw herself in her boyfriend's arms.

 

“Hey babe,” Jon said, gladly returning the hug. He nestled his face into her shoulder, happy for at least a few moments of normalcy. Then she was kissing him, passionately, as she often did after a few days apart.

 

Eventually, Jordan cleared his throat, and Candice and Jon pulled back, slightly embarrassed. “Sorry, Jordan,” Candice said sheepishly. “Guess I lost myself for a second.”

 

“It’s okay.” Jordan sat on the bed as well, so Jon was in the middle. “I get it. You missed him. I did too.” Jordan looked like he wanted to go in for the hug, but Jon wasn’t sure if he was ready for that and backed up, slightly panicked. Noticing the look on Jon’s face, Beth decided it might be a good time to make a reappearance.

 

“Who’s hungry,” she asked, walking into the room. Beth was carrying a plate of grapes and sliced apples. Jordan raised his hand awkwardly, so Beth walked over to the teens. “So how was school this week for you guys,” she asked, trying to break the ice.

 

“Not too bad,” Candice answered, taking an apple slice. “Except we’ve got this killer physics project due soon.”

 

Jordan took a handful of grapes and handed a few to his brother. “Yeah, it’s totally kicking my ass and I’ve barely started.” 

 

“Oh yeah, Jonathan was telling me about the project. He finished it up yesterday.”

 

Both Jonathan and Candice looked at Jon, completely shocked.

 

“You finished it,” Candice asked.

 

“No way, man. That's impossible,” Jordan added.

 

Jon’s face reddened and he kept his eyes glued to the floor. “It's not that big of a deal.” He put a few grapes in his mouth, just to have something to do.

 

“Are you kidding,” Jordan exclaimed, “It’s a monster project. All those details and calculations. I can’t believe you got it done.”

 

“Well it’s not that surprising,” Beth interjected. She had unknowingly gotten Jon into the awkward situation, so she felt responsible to get him out of it. She met Jordan and Candice’s confused glances head on and continued. “I mean honestly, Jon just sits around most of the day doing homework. He has a lot more free time than you guys right now.”

 

“Oh yeah, guess that makes sense. Hey Candice, tell Jon that funny story from lunch the other day.”

 

At the invitation, Candice launched into a story about one of the football players dropping his lunch tray and falling on it. The guy was a jerk so it was pretty funny. Throughout the story Jon tried to nod at the appropriate times, but in reality his mind was racing.

 

Jordan and Candice hadn’t even been there ten minutes and he had almost blown his cover. How was he ever going to go home? Or face his parents?

 

The truth of the matter was that he was going to have to become a better liar.

 

Another question was why did Beth rush to defend him. She had been just as surprised the other night about how quick he finished the assignment.

 

The whole thing struck him as weird. She had been pretty attentive the whole week, almost like she was watching him extra closely. Jon glanced up. There she was, watching him, again.  Like she was studying him. Like he was under a microscope.

 

It was too much.

 

“Excuse me for a second guys. I’m gonna use the restroom,” Jon said, getting up off the bed. He rushed away and didn’t look back. When he got into the bathroom, he quickly shut the door. Then he locked it. Jonathan’s heart was still racing.

 

Why was this happening? It was his girlfriend and his twin brother, the people who knew him better than anyone else in the world? Why was he so nervous around them? And Beth had been nothing but sweet since he arrived, almost motherly and Jon had run away from her. Why would he do that?

 

Because you’re worried if they knew the real you they would freak out.

 

Jon shook his head and began pacing across the room. No, that was ridiculous. Jordan had powers of his own, he wouldn’t judge Jon for have having some strange qualities of his own.

 

But it wasn’t just the no sleeping thing, or being energized by the sun. It was more than that. He was jittery, constantly panicked, and looking over his shoulder, Jon also found that he was unable to relax, or even really calm down. It was like his brain was constantly on overdrive and moving a million miles an hour.

 

He just wasn’t okay, and he didn’t know why.

 

Jon stopped pacing and went back in front of the mirror. Maybe he needed to try that exercise again. After all, he did have to go back out into the room and face everyone. He gripped the side of the sink, much like he had done earlier.

 

Forcing himself to confront the truth, Jon lifted his face and looked at his reflection in the mirror. It was still him of course, but he looked different. More wary, cautious and tense.

 

He took a deep breath. “I am not a freak. I’m going to be healthy again. I’m normal.” 

 

Okay, good. Say it again.

 

“I am…I am not…I…am…”

 

The possibilities echoed through his mind.

 

A freak…a loser…a screwup…broken.

 

Jon didn’t know what was wrong with him. But standing there, in front of the mirror, trying to get a grip on himself, Jon was absolutely sure of one thing. Dr. Miller may have said that he was getting better, stronger even. But as the tears silently fell down Jon’s face, deep down, he knew the truth. 

 

He was still broken.

Chapter 3

Summary:

Jordan and Candice can tell that something is off with Jon. But can Beth get to the root of the problem?

Chapter Text

 

“Thank you guys for stopping by,” Beth said, as she walked Jordan and Candice out the front door. “It was nice for Jon to have some company.”

 

The teens walked down the porch steps, but Jordan turned back, a pensive look on his face.

 

“Is everything alright,” Beth asked.

 

“I’m not sure,” he answered softly. Beth stood there, a patient smile on her face, giving Jordan a moment to gather his thoughts. “It’s just…I saw Jon eating today and you showed us his charts. So I was able to see proof that he is physically improving…but there was something off about him today. I can’t quite explain, but-”

 

“Something’s wrong,” Beth said, finishing Jordan’s sentence. She walked down the porch steps. “I’ve felt the same way.”

 

“What’s going on” Jordan asked in a panicked voice.

 

“I’m not sure,” Beth answered sadly. “I’ve been trying to talk to him, see if I can get any idea of what’s bothering him, but he’s been a closed book.”

 

“Well there’s gotta be something we can do, right,” Candice asked, joining the conversation. “I mean this is Jon. He’s always there for everyone else. Shouldn’t it be our turn to be there for him?”

 

Beth softened. It was so obvious how much these two cared about Jon. “You kids are absolutely right. Which is why I’m not giving up. You both have known Jon longer than I have. What’s the most different thing that you’ve noticed?”

 

Jordan and Candice exchanged looks. “It’s hard to say,” she finally said. “He just didn’t seem comfortable around us.”

 

“Almost scared,” Jordan agreed, quietly. “He’s my twin brother. We’ve been through everything together. So, it doesn’t make any sense.”

 

“I just got the feeling he was hiding something,” added Candice. Jordan had the same feeling, but he didn’t want to admit it. He had hoped Jon was done hiding things from him. Apparently not.

 

“Thank you for the information you guys, that helps a lot. I’ll keep trying to figure out what’s going on. No one’s giving up here,” Beth said, trying to reassure the young kids.

 

Jordan and Candice walked to the bus station, since that’s the form of transportation they would be taking back to Smallville.

 

“You think he’s going to be okay,” Candice asked, breaking the silence.

 

Jordan sighed. “I don’t know. He’s been through stuff before, but I’ve never seen him shut down like this. I just wish I knew what was wrong.”

 

“Exactly. Or that he would talk to someone. Whatever is going on, it can’t get any better if he keeps it to himself,” Candice said. “Even if it’s not me, he needs to confide in another person.”

 

“I agree.” Jordan put an arm around Candice’s shoulders. “We won’t give up on him. I’m not sure what he’s keeping inside, or why, but I can promise you we will figure this out.”

 

Candice nodded and for just a moment laid her head on Jordan’s shoulder. She missed her boyfriend, sure, but as usual, the support Jordan could give to her was nice.

 

She just hoped that somebody could get to the bottom of what was wrong with Jonathan, or she wouldn’t be able to keep it together much longer.

 

As soon as Jordan and Candice left, Beth decided that there was no time like the present to fulfill her promise to the teens. Dave had gone into the office for a few hours, since Jon was out of immediate physical danger.

 

So it was just Beth and Jonathan, and she intended to make the most of her time.

 

She briskly walked towards his room, intent on making him talk using any means necessary. She didn’t believe in being harsh with her patients but maybe it was time for some tough love. Because the kids were right, they needed to get Jon back.

 

Beth pushed open the door, ready to bring the hammer down. But what was going on in the room stopped her in her tracks. Jonathan was sitting on his bed, shaking like a leaf. His head was in his hands and he was crying. No, sobbing was a better word to describe what Jon was doing. He was openly weeping and his tears seemed to have no source. She softened, realizing fire and brimstone was not the approach this poor kid needed.

 

She took a few steps forward, not wanting to spook him. “Jonathan,” she said quietly. His head immediately shot up. Clearly he had expected to be alone and was shocked by having another visitor.

 

“Beth! I…I just…sorry. Give me a second.” Embarrassed, Jonathan turned away trying to wipe away the tears. It was pointless of course, Beth had already seen them, he was just trying to maintain some sense of dignity.

 

“There’s nothing to be sorry for Jonathan,” she said gently. “If you need to cry, then go ahead.”

 

“No, no I’m fine,” he insisted.

 

Beth sat on the bed next to the trembling teen. “Jonathan, you don’t have to put on a brave face in front of me.”

 

“Look I’m fine, I swear.” 

 

“Jonathan-” Beth gently placed a hand on Jon’s shoulder, which he promptly shook off. She tried again. “Jonathan, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.. But, please don’t lie to me. I can’t help you when you’re lying.”

 

This time Jon allowed Beth to keep her hand on his shoulder. He was scared out of his mind, but Beth had never done anything to hurt him. Ever.

 

That didn’t mean he was ready to tell her the truth. Hell, he didn’t even know what the truth was. But maybe she was right. Maybe he did need some help.

 

“I said I’m fine…because that’s what I have to say.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“There’s too much going on for my…problems to get in the way. I just need to move past this so I can be fine.”

 

“Are you saying that any problems you have, you don’t think you need to deal with them.”

 

Jon scoffed. “Trust me, there’s bigger issues than me out there. I just need to suck it up.”

 

Beth tightened her hold on his shoulder. He needed to hear her. “Jonathan, whatever you are going through, we’re not just going to shove it under the rug. And you certainly do not need to ‘suck it up’.”

 

“Yes, I do,” Jon said tearfully. “That’s what always happens. It’s my role in our family. And sometimes it sucks, but I’m used to it. This time is different, though.”

 

Beth let out a sigh. Clearly, this poor kid was very confused about his own self worth, and she was going to file that away as something to talk to him about later. But for the time being, she needed to focus on what she could actually help Jon with.

 

“What’s different about this time,” Beth asked, gently rubbing Jon’s shoulder. She would be patient, knowing that the situation was difficult for him.

 

Jon searched for the words, but considering he had been trying to figure it out all week, he still didn’t know what to call the emotions he had been having. “I just…feel off, anxious, maybe, like I’m going to let everyone down, I guess. And I think I’m trying so hard to be okay, that it’s just backfiring. You saw how bad it was when Candice and…Jordan were here,” Jon said, his voice catching a bit. 

 

“You seemed a bit uncomfortable, yes. But Candice is your girlfriend and I know she loves you. And Jordan… I mean he’s your twin, Jon. He would never turn his back on you.”

 

“I know…it's just…if I tell them…what if they think of me differently,” he said quietly. “What if they think I’m a freak.”

 

“Why would they think that?”

 

“ Because I…nevermind, I…don’t wanna talk about it.” Jon tried to turn away, but Beth pulled him in for a hug anyway.

 

“Well let me say this,” Beth said, holding Jon tightly in her arms. “Whatever you are going through does not make you a freak. And whatever you are feeling or worried about, you don’t have to handle it alone. Your family, Candice, Dave and myself. All of us will be right here. Nothing you can say will turn us away.”

 

Beth’s words were very kind. But Jon wondered if Beth would be so understanding if she knew she was hugging a half alien kid. So he held on tighter, not knowing how much longer she would be willing to offer the affection. 

 

They stayed that way for a few minutes. Jon continued to hold on tightly to the woman who had become a second mother figure. He didn’t even notice when he began to cry again. Beth combed her fingers through his honey curls, whispering words of comfort and support. When Jon finally pulled back, Beth was waiting for him with a sweet, understanding smile on her face. “Would you like to rest for a little while, Jon? I can make you some soup if you like.”

 

“Yeah, that would be great. Thanks,” Jon said, his voice scratchy and hoarse from all the crying.

 

“Okay, I’ll go get that started. Just remember Jon, you can tell me anything.”

 

Beth had just got out the pot and the can of soup when Dave walked in the door.

 

“Hey honey, what do you have there,” he asked, planting a quick kiss on her cheek.

 

“It’s soup for Jon. He’s kind of had a long day. I thought we could let him rest and I could make him some soup, maybe help relax him a little bit.”

 

A look of concern immediately crossed Dave's face. “Why, what’s wrong?”

 

“Well, nothing physically, I don’t think. He just had a hard time when Jordan and Candice came for a visit?”

 

“Why?”

 

"He didn't say exactly, but after they left he admitted to me that he was worried about being thought of as a freak,” Beth answered, giving her husband a knowing look.

 

“Oh geez, you’re still not on the whole alien thing, are you?”

 

Beth set aside the can of soup and walked over to her husband. “I know you think it’s crazy, but you have to at least consider the possibility.”

 

Dave sighed. “Beth…”

 

“I know how it sounds, okay. But think about all the strange things that have happened. like how much time he’s spent outside and that he hasn’t gotten a sunburn or even a tan?”

 

“Okay, but–”

 

“And his insanely good memory or how quickly he finished the physics project. You saw the assignment, there were too many calculations. It should have been impossible to complete that quickly.”

 

“Beth…”

 

“And the Kryptonite!” Beth exclaimed. “Kryptonite only affects people from the planet Krypton, that is proven fact. And you said that was the stuff causing Jon so much pain. You just need to face the facts, Jon is an alien!”

 

Before Dave had a chance to reply, they both heard a noise on the other side of the doorway. There was only one person it could be. They rushed over just in time to see the pale, fear stricken face of Jonathan, before he raced out the front door.

Chapter 4: Discovery

Summary:

Dave and Beth try to find Jon so they can explain that he misunderstood their conversation; a simple task that may not be so easy.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“ Jon is an alien.”

 

As soon as the words left Beth’s mouth, Jon’s instincts took over. He didn’t care that he didn’t have his physical strength back and that he was supposed to be resting.

 

He just ran.

 

There was no plan, no goal. Just running and getting as far away from Beth and Dave as he could.

 

Hearing Beth refer to him as an alien had instantly brought up all his deepest fears of being sent to a government facility to be experimented on.

 

Even when his lungs started to burn and his legs started to ache, he didn’t stop running. His only thought was to keep moving. He may be part alien, but he would not become a government lab rat.

 

~~~~~

 

“Come on, Dave, keep driving. We’ve got to find him.” Beth was frantic, fighting tears, and desperate to find Jonathan.

 

Dave was driving his car, while Beth was in the passenger seat, looking out the window, scanning for any sign of Jon. “Breathe, honey, we’ll find him. Just keep looking.”

 

They had rushed after Jon as soon as he left the kitchen, but he was already gone and out of sight. Immediately, they jumped in the car and began their search. Dave was driving quickly and efficiently, knowing the longer it took, the lower their chances were to find him.

 

The good news was that, unfortunately, Jon was still weak, so they hoped he wouldn’t get too far. But who knew what kind of condition he would be in when they found him?

 

A fresh new wave of tears threatened to fall down Beth’s cheeks. “Keep looking, we gotta find him. He’s all alone out there and– Dave stop, right there!” Beth pointed out the window at the skinny frame of Jonathan, breathing heavily, leaning against a light pole.

 

Dave swerved over to the side of the road. Before he had even put the car in park, Beth had already thrown open the car door and was rushing toward the young boy.

 

“Jonathan, thank God!”

 

As soon as he saw Beth, the look of panic returned to Jon’s eyes and he tried to run the other way. Dave had anticipated the teen might try to escape again. So he positioned himself on the opposite side so Jon couldn’t get away.

 

“Not so fast, son.”

 

Jon’s physical response went from one of fear to that of a caged animal. He looked back and forth between the two of them looking for a way out.

 

“Relax, Jonathan,” Beth said, working to keep her tone calm and soothing. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

 

“Yeah right. I heard you talking. You were just waiting for an opportunity to send me away.”

 

“Wait, what?”

 

“I’m not gonna become some lab rat, okay?”

 

Beth looked confused. “Jonathan, I still don’t–”

 

“You know that I’m a…. you know what I am. And I’m sure you can’t wait to send me to some government lab to be experimented on so you can get a big pay day.” He looked back and forth frantically between Beth and Dave. “Well newsflash, I’m not going.” Jon tried to remain confident and strong. But a few tears escaped. After all, his deepest fears were coming true.

 

Dave spoke up. “Jonathan, I swear to you, the only place we are taking you is back to our house so you can get some rest. We would never send you away.”

 

Jon shook his head in denial. “I don’t believe you. That’s why you brought me to your house in the first place, right? So you can study me?”

 

“Jonathan Kent, you listen to me right now. The day I met you in my doctor’s office I thought you were a bright, kind boy that didn’t deserve to be dealing with such horrible migraines. And as I got to know you, all I wanted was for you to be okay. Not just as your doctor, but because you’ve become like a son to me.”

 

Tears began streaming down Jon’s face once again. “You’re lying.”

 

Dave took a few hesitant steps forward. “No, I’m not. It doesn’t matter to me what you are. You know why Beth said what she did, because she was trying to convince me there was something different about you, because she didn’t think we were helping you enough.”

 

“It’s true, Jonathan,” said Beth. “I was just trying to prove to Dave there was something special about you. Not to study you, to make sure you were getting the best, most effective care possible.”

 

Beth had taken a few steps closer as well and she could see Jon’s resolve weakening. Dave took the lead once again. “Jonathan, it doesn’t matter to me where you are from. I think you are one of the most intelligent, most selfless people I have ever met. You have a smile that lights up the room and you put other people in a good mood just by being around. You’re kind, generous, caring, and a genuinely good person. And if I’m being honest, when we were worried you might die, that about broke me in half. Because at this point, Jonathan, I can’t imagine not knowing you. I just want you to be okay.”

 

“That’s all I want. To be okay,” Jon whispered. Unable to hold back anymore. He threw himself in Dave’s arms and began sobbing once again. The things that Dave had said to him were the kind of comments he had prayed to get from his father, but hadn't. They were qualities he had begun to doubt about himself. It had been the longest week of his life, trying to figure out what was going on with him and keeping all the pain inside.

 

Knowing the affection was what Jon needed more than anything, Dave held on tight, and whispered over and over it would be okay. And when Dave finally let him go, with tears streaming down her face, Beth pulled him in for an embrace as well. “We’re gonna take care of you, Jonathan, okay? Nobody is ever gonna hurt you, I swear.” She combed her fingers through his hair, desperate to show him care, not harm. Beth was horrified that Jon believed she had the potential to hurt him or allow anyone else to hurt him.

 

A minute later, when she let go, Job finally looked somewhat relaxed. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t seem to find the words.

 

So, Dave gently put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Come on, son, let’s go home.”

 

Jon nodded and put his hands around Dave and Beth’s waists. Together, as a unit they walked back to the car.

 

Dave opened the back passenger door for Jon. He slid in, and Beth followed, sitting next to Jon. By the time Dave had got to the front seat, Beth and Jon were settled in. Beth had an arm around Jon and he laid his head on her shoulder.

 

Beth could tell that Jon was physically and emotionally drained, so she had no problem offering him a little extra comfort on the way back home.

 

When they eventually got to the house and reached Jon’s room, it was time to make a plan. “Alright son, why don’t you rest and we will get that soup going and–”

 

“Hold on, Jon, what happened to your knees.”

 

Dave looked down and saw that Beth had a point, Jon’s knees were all scraped up and bleeding.

 

“Oh, yeah, I fell a couple of times while I was running,” Jon admitted sheepishly. He held up his hands, which had cuts on them as well.

 

“Well that settles it then. Dave, honey, why don’t you go get the soup going, and make enough for all three of us. I’ll stay here and get Jon cleaned up.”

 

“I can do it myself–”

 

“You most certainly will not. I told you I’m going to take care of you and I meant it. Dave may be the doctor, but this is my specialty,” she added with a wink. “Have a seat on the bed and I’ll get some supplies.”

 

“Yes ma’am,” Jon said with a smile.

 

“I guess the boss has spoken. I’ll get to work on that soup,” Dave said with a chuckle. He was grateful to Beth for making the whole situation feel normal, even though they had a long night ahead talking about what happened and what the future would look like.

 

Beth grabbed a tray with water, soft cloths, disinfectant spray and bandages. She set the tray on the bed and sat down near Jon.

 

“Really, Beth, I can do it myself.”

 

“Maybe so, but not today.” She dipped the cloth into the bowl of water and gently began dabbing at the scrapes on his knees, clearing away the dirt and rocks, making sure to be gentle on the sensitive skin.

 

“Hey Beth, how did you…I mean when did you…” Jon took a deep breath. “How did you find out…about me?” He finally got the question out, because he needed to know, but couldn’t bear to face her.

 

“I just put it together.” She said, gently tending to Jon’s knees. “I heard what Dave said about the kryptonite, that was probably the biggest clue. But I’ve also been watching you really closely this week and picked up a few things.”

 

“But you…I mean it didn’t freak you out at all?”

 

“Well, I was surprised, I’ll admit. But you’re still Jonathan. You still make me smile and I still want to help you in any way I can.” Beth set down the cloth and took Jon’s hand. “And it doesn’t change the way Dave and I feel about you.”

 

Jon finally met Beth’s gaze. “How can you say that? I’m a freak. Besides, you don’t know everything about the situation and-”

 

“Maybe not.” She gripped his hand tighter. “But it doesn’t matter to me or Dave. We care about you Jonathan for the person you are, not because of your DNA.”

 

Jon squeezed her hand back. “That means a lot. Thanks.”

 

While holding onto Jon’s hand, Beth grabbed some disinfectant and sprayed it on both knees. Jon hissed in surprise. “What did you do that for?”

 

“So it doesn’t get infected. I’ve found that sometimes surprise is the best way to handle these situations. Besides, the hard part is over now, and I can put the bandages on.” She gave Jon’s hand one more quick squeeze, then moved to put the bandages on his scraped knees.

 

“You know, you’re pretty good at this,” Jon commented.

 

“Thanks. Hands please.” Jon shifted so Beth could get a better look at the cuts on his hands. “Wow, you really did a number on yourself, you must have been running pretty hard,” she noted, beginning to clean out the scrapes. 

 

“Yeah, I was pretty scared and wasn’t really looking where I was going.” Beth was holding Jon’s hands gently, making sure to be careful as she cleaned them out. Based on the tender way she was helping him, Jon realized he must have been crazy to think that Beth and Dave would ever betray him and send him away. They were the best thing to happen to him in a while, and even though he still had a lot of questions about himself and the way he was feeling, they had been great.

 

A pained expression crossed Beth’s face, as if she hated to imagine Jon so scared. “I’m just sorry it happened. I would have come to you sooner but I didn’t want to scare you. Looks like I did that anyway. Alright, one more quick spray.”

 

Beth grabbed the disinfectant once more and sprayed it on Jon’s hand. He winced, but didn’t complain, knowing that she was just doing it because she cared. “And I didn’t come to you guys because I didn’t want to scare you away,” said Jon.

 

“Is that what’s been bothering you this week?” Beth grabbed a couple of Band-Aids and gently placed them over the cuts.

 

“One of the things,” Jon admitted. “The whole situation is pretty complicated actually.”

 

“Well, Dave and I certainly have some questions, but we also don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

 

“I’m still a bit nervous to be talking about all this…but I think there’s some things I probably shouldn’t keep inside anymore, if you guys want to listen.”

 

“We would be happy to. So, now that you are all bandaged up how are you feeling?”

 

The look on Beth’s face was so earnest, so concerned, so…innocent, that Jon couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. I’m a bit sore, but that’s not surprising. You did a great job, you always do.”

 

Beth brightened as if the simple comment had just made her day. Because she had been so sweet while fixing up his scraped up knees, and because he hadn’t been mothered like that in a while, Jon couldn’t resist. He pulled her in for one more big hug. “Thanks for taking care of me.”

 

She returned the hug and for a moment everything was perfect. No, they didn’t have all the answers, and Jon still had a long way to go, but he was home, safe, and in her arms.

 

But the moment of perfection was truly that, just a moment.

 

“Ahem.” Beth and Jon pulled back from the hug to find Dave had come back, but he didn’t have any soup. “Jon, you have a couple more visitors,” he said, speaking in a pained tone. Because next to him, looking quite angry, were Lois and Clark.

Notes:

I didn't mean to end on a cliffhanger, I swear I didn't!!!

Chapter 5: The Visitors

Summary:

Lois and Clark have arrived and they have some questions about their son's behavior.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Mom, Dad? What are you doing here,” Jon asked. The surprise was evident in his voice and his face tensed up.

 

“Well, we were just running some errands,” Lois said, quickly making an excuse, “when Jordan called us and said how worried he was about you.” Her voice stiffened as she took in the situation. She knew Jon had grown close to Dave and Beth, but seeing her son hug the other woman, so easily and warmly didn’t sit well with Lois. “What’s going on here?”

 

“Oh, Jonathan has had a bit of a rough day,” Beth said nonchalantly, not intimidated by Lois’ accusatory tone. “But I got him all fixed up and Dave was making him some soup to eat.” Beth tried to keep the situation light and breezy, but Lois didn’t fall for it.

 

“Fixed up? What happened?”

 

“Well, he tripped a little while ago and–”

 

Immediately on alert, Lois noticed Jon's bandages and rushed over. She grabbed Jon’s hands to get a better look, then moved to his knees, shifting them back and forth, making sure he had been patched up okay.

 

Beth tried not to wince at the rough way Jon was being handled. Especially considering just moments before Beth was taking care to be extra cautious with his wounds “Anyway, like I said, it’s handled.”

 

“Jonathan are you okay,” asked Lois, meeting her son’s gaze. 

 

“Yes, Mom, I’m fine. It’s really no big deal. I’m just a klutz.” Was he going to tell her about running away or that Dave and Beth knew about his true heritage? Hell no. He didn’t need another reason for them to freak out. Luckily, his mom seemed to buy it.

 

“Okay, good. So what else is going on?"

 

Jonathan went pale. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

 

“Jordan didn’t think so,” Lois persisted. “Actually, he seemed to think something was really wrong. And based on the way you are avoiding giving me any actual answers, I’m inclined to agree with him.”

 

Jon’s eyes flashed with fear. What did they expect him to say? He couldn’t tell the whole truth. Honestly, he was having trouble knowing what that truth even was. Lois wanted answers, and Jon didn’t have any.

 

“No, I’m…well I’m…”

 

“Jonathan,” Beth said, softly placing a hand on his shoulder. “Do you mind if I say something? Jon nodded gratefully. Beth was still sitting on the bed while his mom was standing nearby, looking very stern as usual.

 

“Based on conversations I’ve had with Jonathan over the past few days, I can tell you, yes, he has been going through some things.”

 

“What kinds of things,” Lois asked, alarmed.

 

“Well, that’s the problem, I think Jon is having trouble understanding exactly what is going on and how he is feeling. Considering everything he has gone through, it isn’t surprising. So I was hoping to have a discussion about scheduling some counseling sessions with Jonathan and myself. I mean, I’ve talked to him a little, but I really would like to have official meetings to see if we can get to the bottom of what’s going on.”

 

“Like therapy sessions,” Clark asked, speaking up for the first time.

 

“Yes, exactly,” Beth replied.

 

“Is that really necessary,” Lois questioned, looking doubtful.

 

“I think it is. Jonathan has made tremendous physical progress, which Dave can show you evidence of on the charts. But I think the mental blocks are what's really holding him back right now.”

 

“I’m not sure there’s really as much of a problem as you seem to think. Jordan’s been going to therapy for years, sure. But Jon’s always been the happy, easy kid. I’m not sure that one tough week needs to result in therapy.”

 

The quick dismissal of Beth’s comments was not appreciated. Beth shifted her expression into one of steel and met Lois’ gaze head on. “Oh really? Jonathan, how many times have you cried today?”

 

He froze, surprised at the question. Beth felt bad about putting him on the spot, but his parents needed to know that Jon wasn’t just having a bad day, or feeling down. There were some real problems here. “Um…a few,” he stammered.

 

“Would you say more than five?”

 

Jon looked down. Shame colored his face. “Yeah, probably.”

 

“Wait, Jonathan are you serious,” Clark asked, looking genuinely surprised.

 

“Yeah. Look, can we talk about something else?”

 

“I don’t think so." Lois said, shaking her head. She took a seat on the bed next to Jon. “Honey, what’s going on?”

 

“Nothing. I’m fine. Like Beth said, I just had a bad day. Can we move on?”

 

Clark moved closer to Jon’s bed and knelt down in front of him so he was eye level. “Son, just talk to us,” he said softly.

 

“There’s nothing to talk about. How many times do I have to say it, I’m fine,” Jon insisted, a bit of anger slipping into his tone. He pushed his way through the adults hovering around him. “How about this, I’m gonna go eat and you guys stay here and keep talking about me and ignoring everything I say,” snarled Jon, as he stormed off.

 

The minute he left, Beth, Lois, and Clark began arguing about who should go talk to Jon. Each of them had good points, but eventually Dave stepped in. “Guys! This arguing isn’t helping Jon. How about I go talk to him?”

 

“Why should you be the one? He’s my son,” Lois said defiantly, crossing her arms.

 

“Well, I’m his doctor. And I think I know what the problem is. Just give me a few minutes, please?”

 

Luckily, the other adults listened to Dave and agreed to give him some time with Jon. Dave made his way into the kitchen. He found Jon sitting at the table, but the soup was still on the counter. Clearly coming to get food was just just an excuse to get out of the tense situation.

 

Worse, once again, Jon was crying.

 

Dave knew he needed to handle this situation very carefully. “Mind if I sit?”

 

“Do whatever you want,” Jon said, barely acknowledging his visitor.

 

Dave pulled out a chair and joined Jon at the table. “Look, Jonathan–”

 

“I don’t want to talk about it, okay. I’m fine. So don’t bother asking, because I’m fine !”

 

“Actually, I was going to ask what you are so scared of.”

 

“What,” Jon asked, taken aback by Dave’s soft voice.

 

“I’ve been a doctor for a long time, so I’ve learned to read people. And to me, it’s not a discussion whether or not you are fine. It’s that you’re scared, terrified, actually, if I had to guess. So I’m going to ask you again,” Dave put a comforting hand on Jon’s shoulder. “What are you scared of?”

 

Jon’s mouth trembled as he tried and failed to speak. Dr. Miller always knew how to get right to the core problem, and this time was no exception.

 

“It’s alright, Jonathan. I’m right here.” Dave rubbed Jon’s shoulder, letting him know he was in a safe place. “What are you so scared of?”

 

Bravely, Jon looked over to meet Dave’s eyes, the man who had been there from the beginning of his journey. And in the quietest whisper he admitted. “Failure.”

 

~~~~~

 

“It’s been fifteen minutes, one of us should go out there.” Lois was pacing back and forth across the room, growing more and more anxious. “I’ll go.”

 

“Lois, we should stay here. If Dave hasn’t come back yet, maybe that means he’s making progress,” Clark suggested from his spot by the window.

 

“But he’s my son. I can’t just sit here doing nothing,” Lois claimed, a frantic edge slipping into her voice.

 

“He’s my son too,” Clark said, moving to his wife. “And right now we need to think about what’s best for Jon and–”

 

The sound of knocking on the door effectively stopped the conversation. Dave slowly pushed open the door to greet the anxious group. They waited for Dave to make the first move, and were pleasantly surprised when Jon followed him in.

 

“Hey guys, Jon would like to share something.” Dave put his hand on the boy’s shoulder, once again showing support.

 

Jon took a deep breath. “I think Beth was right. So, I want to start having…therapy sessions with her.”

 

“Okay.” Clark took his wife’s hand. “Any particular reason?” Lois tried not to let the alarm show on her face, while Beth smiled, because she was relieved Jon was finally taking this step.

 

“Because I’ve been trying to figure myself out. This whole week, I’ve been wrestling with different parts of myself over and over again, that’s why I’ve been so distracted and acting weird. And I’ve kept it all inside, which I now realize didn’t help.” Jon took another deep breath and continued. “This whole situation with my migraines, then the kryptonite poisoning, everything, it just really messed me up. And I’ve been scared to ask for help, because I thought that would be letting everyone down.”

 

A single tear fell down Jon’s cheek, but pushed forward anyway, knowing that he needed to get the words out. “But Dave helped me to see that it’s okay to ask for help. I’ve been saying over and over that I just want to be okay again, that I want to be fine. And I think I’m finally ready to do something about it instead of just saying it. So, Mom, Dad, if you guys are okay with it, I’d like to start meeting with Beth for therapy sessions to get the help I need.”

 

The reaction was instant.

 

“Oh sweetie, of course,” Lois said, rushing over and pulling Jon in for a tight embrace. “Whatever you need, I’ll be there to support you every step of the way.” She combed her fingers through his blonde curls, so thankful to just be holding him in her arms again.

 

“That goes for me too,” said Clark. Jon turned and hugged his father as well, burying his face in Clark’s shoulder. “I love you Jonathan, you’re my son, anything I can do to help, I’m there.”

 

Jon had more than his fair share of issues with his dad, most of which would probably be discussed in therapy in the coming weeks. But at that moment, he had both his mom and dad, right there, holding him tight. And even though the future wouldn’t be easy, the reminder that he wasn’t alone, was a game changer.

 

Notes:

After two cliffhangers in a row I had to throw in a nice, fluffy ending :) But don't worry, plenty more will be addressed in the coming chapters. If you have any advice, suggestions, or preferences for how Jon should handle the inevitable "my dad is Superman" conversation with Beth and Dave later, please leave me a comment below!

P.S. Thanks to my beta, once again for her incredible ideas and support :)

Chapter 6: A Tricky Situation

Summary:

There is a bit of an impasse: Clark and Lois want Jon to come home, while Dave and Beth want Jon to stay with them for a little while longer. Who will win?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

With arms wrapped tightly around both his parents, it was easy for Jonathan to pretend just for a moment that things could be okay.

 

But reality wasn’t that simple.

 

All too soon, the hug was over.

 

Jon pulled away from his parents and looked over at Dave and Beth. “Okay, now what happens?”

 

“Now,” Lois said, putting her arm possessively around Jon’s shoulders, “we set up a therapy appointment, then get you home.”

 

Beth Dave and both reached forward, though it was Beth who spoke first. “Actually, I think it would be better if Jon stays here a couple more days.”

 

Lois stared down the other woman, her eyes hard and piercing. “Why? You said it yourself, Jon has made a lot of physical progress, and that was the point, right? To keep him here until he is better; which he obviously is.”

 

“To be clear, he’s made improvements, yes, but he is far from one hundred percent,” Dave added.

 

“Then he can finish healing at home, with his family,” Lois said, desperation seeping into her voice.

 

“We don’t want to be hasty,” the doctor cautioned. “ After all, Jon almost died a few days ago.”

 

“You don’t think I know that?” Lois stepped forward, yelling now. “I know that he almost died, why do I think I want him home? Don’t you understand that it’s been hell having him here, away from us. I’m thankful for everything you did, of course, but enough is enough. Come on, Jonathan, let’s go.”

 

Lois reached out to take Jon’s arm, but Clark stopped her. “Babe, just hold on a second.”

 

“No!” Lois yanked her hand away from Clark. “We came here to bring Jon home. And that’s what I intend to do.”

 

Even though Lois’ voice was hard and determined, it was also quivering. Clark also saw that tears were gathering in the corners of her eyes. She may have been acting stubborn and uncooperative, but Clark could see there was something deeper going on.

 

“Lois, just take a breath, okay. Why don’t we go in the hallway for just a second,” Clark said, still running interference on Lois’ temper.

 

“Are you siding with them?”

 

“No, of course not, I’m just saying let’s regroup so we can have a calm discussion. We aren’t going to get anywhere by yelling.”

 

“Fine,” Lois retorted, rolling her eyes.

 

“We’ll be right back,” Clark said, before following Lois out of the room. 

 

As soon as Clark was gone, Beth turned to Jon. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah, I’m fine. I should probably sit down though,” Jon said, realizing how shaky his legs were.

 

“Here Jonathan, let’s get you into bed,” Beth said, placing a protective arm around Jon’s shoulders and guiding him to the bed. She helped him pull back the blankets and get settled in.

 

“Thanks. I didn’t realize how tired I was, and I hadn’t even been standing that long,” Jon noted as leaned back into the surprisingly soft hospital grade pillow.

 

“That’s why I think you could stay a few more days, I just don’t think you’re strong enough yet,” Dave said, grabbing a granola bar for Jonathan in one of the cupboards. They kept snacks in the room for him so he wouldn't have to walk as far.

 

“I agree,” Beth said, sitting on the bed. “But it’s your life, I do think you should have some say so. What do you think?”

 

Jon started playing with the bedsheets, avoiding the question. 

 

Dave sat down on the other side, so both he and his wife were near Jon. “Son, what do you want to do? Don’t worry about what any of us will think. Where do you, Jonathan, want to be?”

 

“I want to stay here,” he whispered, still not meeting their eyes.

 

“Then we will do everything in our power to make that happen,” Dave said.

 

~~~~~

 

Clark followed Lois into the hallway. As soon as they were away from the others, Lois whirled on him. “What the hell, Clark? I shouldn’t be out here taking a breath, we should be in there, helping Jon pack his stuff.”

 

“Lois, I get it, but you need to calm down,” Clark said firmly. “I know you, and I know that something else is going on. So why don’t you just take a breath, and tell me what's bothering you.”

 

“Nothing’s bothering me, I just need to get Jon home.”

 

“Why?"

 

“Because he belongs at home.”

 

“Okay, but why today?”

 

“So he’s not here with her,” Lois said, finally admitting her hidden feelings.

 

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”

 

“Don’t you see, Clark, the way Beth is always hovering and tending to Jonathan. She’s acting like…like she’s…”

 

“Like she's his mom," Clark finished, finally understanding the root of the problem.

 

Lois nodded and couldn’t stop the tears that were streaming down her face. Immediately noticing her distress, Clark pulled Lois in for a big hug.

 

“Babe, you have nothing to worry about, you’re Jon's mom, the connection that you two have, nothing can break that, ever. Beth is just being kind, which is a good thing because it means he feels safe.” Clark said, gently running his fingers through her long hair.

 

Lois pulled back. “But didn’t you see the way she was hugging him earlier and tending to his injuries? That kind of stuff is my job. I’m the one who he’s supposed to come to.”

 

“I know.” Clark sensed Lois’ rare insecurity shining through and knew he needed to tread carefully. “But that’s only because she was here.”

 

“Exactly, she’s here, with Jon. And I know I’m probably overreacting, but I don’t care, I’m ready for Jon to come home.”

 

“Alright.” Clark leaned over to kiss  his wife. “Then let’s make it happen.”

 

~~~~~

 

When Lois and Clark walked back into the room, Jon was nibbling on a granola bar in his bed. Beth and Dave were sitting on either of him.

 

For a split second it seemed as if things would be okay, then Lois noticed that Beth was combing her fingers through Jon’s hair, the way Lois had done since Jon was a child. Once again, the other woman was approaching mother territory.

 

Luckily, Clark grabbed Lois’ hand and quickly shook his head. He too had seen Beth running her fingers through Jon’s curls and knew how defensive Lois would get. But they needed to focus and not get emotional. So, he held her back and took the lead.

 

“Dave, we would like to discuss bringing Jonathan back home.” In the hall they had decided on a more peaceful approach to begin the conversation.

 

“Of course, we can certainly discuss it, but I’m afraid my view won’t change. I’d like for Jon to remain here at least a few more days.”

 

“May I ask why?”

 

“Well, there’s several reasons, actually. The biggest one is that I just don’t think he’s strong enough yet.”

 

“But you said that–”

 

“That Jon had made major improvements,  yes, that is true. Considering he was near death a week ago I would say he is doing much better. But you have to understand, Jonathan is essentially rebuilding much of his muscle. Even getting him to walk across the room is work. He can do it of course, as you saw earlier. But it takes a lot out of him,” Dave explained.

 

“Part of the reason it took us so long to get back in here was because Jon was out of breath and needed to give himself time to rest.”

 

Both Lois and Clark seemed surprised at the comments, but let Dave continue.

 

“There is also the concern of his low weight,” Dave said with a sigh. Even though he was hoping that would be another reason the Kent’s would let Jon stay, Dave was also genuinely worried about it as well.

 

“He’s been floating back and forth between 108 and 109. If somebody Jon’s age came into my office with that weight, I would recommend them for immediate hospitalization. At the bare minimum I would like to see him get to at least 120, simply because that would be within a safe range.”

 

Lois was trying very hard to remain patient. “Okay, but if that’s the issue, can’t we just take him home, make sure he’s getting enough to eat and eventually the weight will come back?”

 

“Possibly,” Dave conceded. “But I’m keeping track of everything Jonathan’s been eating along with the calories, protein, all of it. I’ve recorded everything in the chart if you want to see it. I think keeping up to date will tell us more effectively where he is at and where he needs to be. I just didn’t know if with two full time jobs if you had time for that.”

 

“If it’s important, then we’ll make time,” Lois insisted, trying desperately to keep her temper under control.

 

“And I appreciate it, but what it boils down to is that he’s really not strong enough–”

 

“Then we will help him get stronger,” Clark said, cutting off the doctor. Agitation was slipping through his normally calm demeanor. “Jonathan is our son, we will do whatever we can to help him. If we have to count every single calorie until he gets up to a healthy weight, then we’ll do it.”

 

“We were also thinking if he stays here a few more days he could get in a few therapy sessions with Beth,” Dave said, trying a new tactic. 

 

“That’s another thing we talked about,” said Lois. “We would feel more comfortable taking Jon to the therapist that Jordan goes to. We have known him for years and I think he will do a great job.”

 

Beth wrinkled her eyebrows. “No offense, but Jon should talk to the person he feels most comfortable with, not just someone his brother knows.”

 

“Well I think–”

 

“Would everybody just shut up, please,” Jon said, speaking up for the first time. He tossed the granola bar wrapper on the end table. He was tired of everyone else making decisions about what was best for him. “I think it’s about time you all heard my opinion. First of all, sorry Mom, Dad, I’m not going home today. Dave’s right. I’m really not as strong as I should be. So I think he needs to keep an eye out for a few more days.”

 

Jon took a deep breath and continued. “Also, there's no way I’m going to see Jordan’s therapist, I want to talk to Beth, because knows me and has already helped me a lot. And finally, can you all stop making decisions for me and acting like I’m not here? I may still be a minor, but I think I deserve some say so about everything, considering it's happening to me.”

 

“Yes, that’s true, you do. But we’re also your parents Jon. We want you to be safe and at home. And you’re doing so well that–”

 

“No, I’m not,” Jon interjected. “I’m actually not doing well at all. My brain is all messed up, I have like zero strength and I just feel like crying all the time. So, please, please stop assuming I’m alright.”

 

“Then why do you want to stay?”

 

“Because they’ve been helping! Dave and Beth are the only reason I’m not a drooling mess on the floor right now. And I can’t come home until I’m okay. I just can’t.”

 

The room was silent for a moment as they all took in what Jon said. Finally, Clark looked sadly at the Miller’s. “Dave, Beth, could you give us a second to say goodnight to Jonathan, and then we’ll leave.”

 

“Of course.” Dave placed a hand on his wife’s back to guide her out of the room to give the Kent’s time with their son.

 

“Clark–”

 

“Lois, if he doesn’t want to be home with his family we have to respect his wishes,” Clark said, a somber expression coloring his face.

 

“Oh come on Dad, it’s not like I want to be away from you guys.”

 

“It sure seems that way.”

 

“That’s not it at all, you just don’t get it,” Jon mumbled.

 

“Then explain it to me,” Clark exploded. “Explain how your mother can be begging and pleading for you to come home and you can just ignore her. Don’t you think we’ve missed you? Don’t you understand that Jordan hasn’t been okay since you left?”

 

Jon continued shaking his head and could feel the tears gathering in his eyes once again. “You don’t understand.”

 

This time Clark took a different approach, desperate for some answers. He knelt down by the bed and took one of Jon’s hands. “Then explain it to me,” he whispered softly.

 

“I had kryptonite inside me for over a month. There was poison running through my veins for over thirty days. And what it did to me, giving me migraines, making me not want to eat, physically altering my cells…I don’t know, it’s just been a lot to wrap my head around.”

 

Lois came around to the other side of the bed, sat down and took Jon’s other hand, giving him the strength to continue.

 

“It’s really been messing with me, like a lot, and I’m just worried if I go home before I really processed everything, I’ll just end up shoving it down and not dealing with it.” It was difficult for Jon to be so honest with his parents, after keeping secrets for so long, but he needed them to understand.

 

“Sweetie, we wouldn’t ask you to do that,” Lois said.

 

“I know, I know, I’m just worried that’s what will happen. We’ll get busy and other things will come up and I just won’t deal with it. But I have to. I’m sorry, but I have to.”

 

“Of course, honey, whatever you need, we’re there for you.” Lois insisted, giving his hand a quick squeeze. “But why didn’t you tell us this earlier.”

 

“I was…I was…ashamed…about being so messed up.” Instinctively, Clark and Lois both reached their arms around Jon’s back and shoulders. Feeling their support, Jon took a deep breath and continued. “I thought it would just get better if I gave it time and I didn’t want to admit that I needed help because I thought…I would be letting you down.”

 

Clark pulled away for a second and looked earnestly at Jon. “Why would you think that?”

 

“Come on Dad, with the X-K stuff, I disappointed you so much that you couldn’t even look at me. And I just….I couldn’t fail you again.”

 

With a look of desperation, Clark turned to his son, and placed both hands on Jon’s shoulders. “Jonathan, I need you to hear me. All of that other stuff, it doesn’t matter, it’s in the past. And everything that happened here, with the kryptonite, you didn’t fail me, it was out of your control. I could never be disappointed about that.”

 

“You…” Clark faltered. He hadn’t expected to get so emotional. “You almost died, Jonathan, and if we had lost you…I never would have been the same, ever. Because you are so, so important to me. That’s why we want you home, so we can see you every day, and know that you’re safe.”

 

Clark gently squeezed Jon’s arm. “But we need to do what’s best for you. So if staying here is what’s best, then we will support you 100 percent.”

 

“Really? But you guys were so mad earlier.”

 

“That’s because we didn’t understand. Now that we do, it’s different. And also,” Clark moved his hands to the sides of Jon’s face, willing him to listen, “when you admitted that you needed help, I wasn’t disappointed. I was proud . Jonathan, I’ve never been more proud of you. Because that took courage. And to be able to say that my son has that kind of courage…well that’s pretty damn special.”

 

Jon could no longer hold back the floodgates and embraced his father. With no hesitation, Clark’s arms reached around his son, clutching him as tight as he safely could. Jon had buried his face in his father's shoulder, and was gripping his shirt, much like he used to as a small child.

 

He had been holding it together pretty well, but even Clark started crying. After so much distance between him and his son, it felt like the wall was finally breaking and they could begin to heal. Clank planted a quick kiss on his son’s hair, wanting to show him as much comfort as possible.

 

“You’re my son, Jonathan. I love you so much.”

 

“I love you too, Dad,” he whispered.

 

Because he did. Jonathan truly loved his father, but there had been so much space between them it had been hard to remember at times.

 

Jonathan tried to pull back, but Clark just only held on tighter, repeating how much he loved Jon and how proud he was. Lois wanted to reach over and join in, but this was a moment that needed to happen between Clark and Jon, a moment that was long overdue. So she just sat there, waiting patiently while the two wonderful men before her finished their hug. With a smile on her face, Lois wiped away a few errant tears. Sure, she was emotional too, but it was their time.

 

When the long awaited hug finally broke apart, all Clark could do was stare at his amazing son. Jon had been through something absolutely tragic. He had been suffering for a while, but never wanted to make a big deal about it. Then, when he had almost died, he still just assumed he would be okay because that’s what was expected of him. Meanwhile he was hurting more than any of them knew and had kept it to himself.

 

“Hey Mom, Dad, there’s something else I have to tell you. But I think I need to work through it with Beth first. I hope that’s okay. It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you guys, it’s just…she helps me see things a bit clearer and I just…I mean I…”

 

“Jonathan,” Clark placed one hand on his son’s shoulder and used the other to wipe away a few errant tears on the young boy’s face. “It’s okay. Whenever you want to talk to us, we will be right here, with open arms. If it’s tomorrow, that’s great. But if it’s next month, that’s okay too. Just know that you can always come to us.”

 

“He’s right Jon,” Lois reached over and took her son’s hand again. “We want you home of course, but we also want you to be okay. So whatever you need Jon, you just have to tell us, okay sweetie.”

 

Jon nodded. “Well if that’s the case, I wanted to ask Dad’s permission to talk with Beth about something. I know it’s a big deal, but I think she can help me better if she understands the whole story…”

Notes:

This chapter was a bit long, but I just felt there were some very overdue moments that needed to happen.

Thanks so much for reading, leave a comment below :)

Chapter 7: Moving Forward

Summary:

The next morning, Jon wrestles with the major changes in his life and finally begins a conversation with Beth.

Notes:

Hey all, sorry it's been so long! I had a really busy week. But I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks again for reading and leaving all your wonderful comments :)

Chapter Text

When Jonathan woke up the next morning– at a crisp 6 AM if the pattern from the past few days was any indication– he felt surprisingly content. Breaking down in front of his parents the night before hadn’t been ideal, but it resulted in a more unified relationship than they had had in a while.

 

Clark wasn’t excited about the prospect of revealing his identity to Beth or Dave, but he had finally conceded and could see why it might be beneficial for Jonathan. They had come to an agreement to keep things vague for the time being, only telling Beth what she needed to know. But, if it became necessary to tell her everything, and would truly benefit Jon, Clark would allow it. Of course, Jon knew it would be best if he just told Beth everything right away, but revealing his secret was a pretty new thing for Clark, so Jon understood the hesitancy and decided not to argue.

 

As his eyes adjusted to the dim, early morning light seeping through the window, Jon let his mind wander a bit. Initially he had been surprised that his parents had allowed him to stay with the Miller’s. But after he explained a bit of what he was going through, finally, they seemed to understand the benefits of staying, at least a little bit longer anyway.

 

When they returned to the room, Dave and Beth were surprised to see Clark, Lois, and Jon all wiping away tears. Even more shocking was when Lois explained that they were happy to let Jon stay as long as he could have his first therapy session the next day.

 

Talk about a complete 180.

 

When the Kent’s finally left, after they both gave Jon another hug, of course, Dave and Beth had many questions.

 

Since he was still processing all the emotions from his rollercoaster of a day, Jon didn’t really want to have another discussion. So when they asked about what had prompted the change in his parents, Jon gave a vague but true answer: there was a discussion and Lois and Clark finally listened.

 

That answer wasn’t going to be satisfactory forever, especially for Beth who after spending the past week with him, knew Jon had a long road ahead and that his problems wouldn’t be fixed after one short talk.

 

Luckily, he was able to convince them to postpone the conversation until the next morning.

 

Now, several hours later, laying in his bed in the partial darkness, Jon was reminded of the same unsettling truth that he had learned earlier in the week: he was barely 6 AM and he was fully awake.

 

He also knew from experience that going back to sleep wasn’t an option either. No matter how hard he tried, once the sun started to rise, sleep would become a distant memory. So, Jon figured he should make the best of the situation.

 

Moving sluggishly, since he wasn’t even close to one hundred percent, Jon slowly sat up and got out of the bed. He wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and trudged out the door.

 

After spending the night inside, his half Kryptonian body seemed almost desperate to experience the morning rays of the slowly rising sun. Getting through the house was a bit of a trek, since he wasn’t moving that fast, but once he reached the front door and got a glimpse of the sunrise, he knew it would be worth it.

 

Back when they lived in Metropolis, Jon didn’t often get a good view of the sunrise. But sometimes, over the years when he was at various football camps, they started their days early and Jon had gotten a good view of the sunrise.

 

Even then he had been drawn to it.

 

He settled into one of the wicker chairs on the porch and realized that maybe even as a kid he had Kryptonian tendencies but hadn’t known it.

 

The thought was a bit unsettling, and a good place to start unraveling all the complicated feelings that he had been having. Several months ago he had come to terms with the fact that he was Superman’s son. It took him a bit longer to wrap his head around the idea than he led his family to believe. And realizing that Jordan shared similar powers with his father was even harder to comprehend.

 

Jordan had always been the weaker, more sensitive one that Jon had spent his whole life defending and protecting. He wasn’t upset about it. That’s just the way their relationship worked and Jon had grown accustomed to it at a very early age.

 

Which is why he really struggled when their dynamic began to change.

 

Jon was happy to see that his brother was finally more comfortable with himself and gaining confidence. Actually, considering how much time Jordan spent playing the hero in video games, it only made sense that he would be a natural fit in real life.

 

Jon wasn’t jealous.

 

Okay, maybe he had been for a while, but not anymore. Honestly the hardest thing was that Jon still didn’t know how to handle these new changes in their relationship; especially after Jordan found out he had superspeed and could fly.

 

The sun was slowly rising in the sky, displaying a gorgeous show of pinks and orange. There was still a bit of chill, they were rapidly approaching winter after all. Jon could see the wind gently blowing the blades of grass back and forth. But truthfully, he wasn’t cold. He had brought the blanket more out of comfort than necessity.

 

Just another reminder of the way things were changing.

 

Jon had struggled for a long time with the fact that he wasn’t going to have powers. Sometimes he wished he had them, and other times he was glad he didn’t. But the bottom line was simple: Jordan was the better son. Anyone could see that.

 

Jon had finally started to accept that not only was he the lesser son, he was a failure and an embarrassment too. But then, wham! All the stuff with his headaches and the kryptonite had happened. Suddenly Jon had no trouble completing complicated assignments because his memory was crazy good, he didn’t need much sleep and sitting in the sun gave him the most amazing feeling.

 

But he never got a sunburn.

 

Jon took a deep breath. Okay, now they were getting somewhere. He didn’t have powers…exactly, but based on some of the things he had noticed in the past week, Jon couldn’t qualify himself as completely normal either.

 

The nagging annoying voice in his head (that sounded like Jordan), pointed out that no matter what he felt like or hoped for, he had never been completely human, something Jon had always been able to overlook before. But now…some form of acceptance was definitely on the horizon.

 

Jon looked across the yard. The grass was covered with dew and the sparrows were just beginning their morning song. With the sun fully in the sky now and the birds literally chirping just around the corner, Jon craved to feel some form of peace. 

 

Everything around him was so normal, so human. Yet he was sitting there made up of DNA that was half human and half alien. And not just alien, but from a planet that was light years away and had been destroyed before he was even born.

 

Even though he had known that fact for over a year, it was still a lot to wrap his brain around.

 

He was a child of two worlds, plain and simple. Except, the reality was anything but plain, or simple. How could he possibly expect to fit in on this planet when–

 

“Jonathan, what on earth are you doing out here,” Beth asked. She was wearing her pink bathrobe and matching slippers. Her hair was hastily thrown in a bun and genuine concern filled her face.

 

"Just thinking."

 

“Well, why don’t you think inside where it’s warmer,” Beth said, gesturing to the house.

 

“I’m not that cold actually,” Jon said, meeting Beth’s gaze. He had wanted to get more of a handle of things before they had this conversation, but apparently that wasn’t going to happen.

 

“Are you kidding, it’s freezing out here and–oh,” mumbled Beth, realizing what Jon was hinting at. “You’re saying…that it’s not cold…for you.” Beth made sure to choose her words very carefully.

 

“Nope. It doesn’t seem to be.”

 

“Wait right here,” Beth said, before rushing inside the house. A minute later she had returned wearing a winter coat, gloves and stocking cap. “Is this okay,” she asked, gesturing to the winter clothes; she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

 

“Sure, it’s normal to need all that stuff on a cold morning,” Jon said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his tone.

 

“Well, I’m pretty abnormal, actually,” Beth said, sensing his discomfort. She could feel herself babbling, but was desperate not to make Jon feel out of place. “Dave always says that I have the coldest hands he’s ever felt. And he’s a doctor, so he would know. It seems like no matter how hard I try to warm up, at this time of the year I’m always freezing and–”

 

“Beth,” Jon said with a smile, gently cutting her off. “You don’t have to try and make me feel better.”

 

“But I wasn’t–”

 

“Beth,” Jon said, fairly amused now. “You’ve been taking care of me nonstop for a week now. I think I know you pretty well.”

 

She sighed. Jon was one observant kid. He was also kind, sensitive and so incredibly selfless. Suddenly, her resolve strengthened. It was time to get him the help that he so desperately needed.

 

“Oh yeah, what do you know about me,” she asked, extending a challenge, hoping to ease her way into what would undoubtedly be difficult conversation.

 

Pleased to start with what he considered an easy question, Jon dived right in. “Well, when you cook, you like to make sure that everybody likes the meal because you don’t want to leave anyone out. And you absolutely love taking care of people. Whether it’s making sure Dave has work shirts pressed or like last night when you bandaged the cuts on my knees, if there’s somebody to tend to, you’re the first in line. Oh, and when you get really nervous you ramble…like a lot,” Jon said with a smirk, knowing he had nailed several of her characteristics.

 

Beth felt the blush creep up her cheeks. Well, she had known the kid was observant, and his accurate assessment of her only proved that. But would he rise to the next challenge she offered?

 

“Alright, that’s fair. What can you tell me about yourself?”

 

Jon’s smug smile faltered a bit. “What do you wanna know?”

 

“Anything you think is important.” Beth offered a kind smile, knowing that Jon might need a little encouragement to actually get the difficult part of the conversation started.

 

Jon knew he could take the easy way out and offer some random tidbits about himself, but those weren’t the details that Beth was after. “Well…I guess I’ve always been a people pleaser. Even it makes things harder for me, I guess my brain tends to lean towards what others need.”

 

“You’re a caretaker too,” Beth said, widening her smile. “Yes, I’d noticed. What else?”

 

“Jordan is the most important person in the world to me. Like I know how different we are, but we’ve always had each others backs.”

 

Beth nodded. “Okay, good, what else.”

 

Jon took a deep breath. It was now or never. “Well, with Jordan, I always knew where things stood between us, you know? Like I was more of the protector outside of the house and he kept me in check when we were at home. But now…I don’t know, our relationship has changed and it’s been hard to process I guess.”

 

“Hard to process how,” Beth asked, gently feeding him questions.

 

Jon tried to stay calm. It was just Beth. She wasn’t out to hurt him, she just wanted to help. But admitting the things that he had kept buried for so long was proving to be much more difficult.

 

“It’s okay, Jon, relax. Just take your time, okay.”

 

He nodded. “Right. I guess…Jordan has gotten a lot…stronger, you might say, and found more of who he was meant to be and I kind of feel…left behind.”

 

Beth frowned. Realizing that they were probably delving into alien territory, literally, Beth reminded herself to stay calm and be particularly sensitive with her questions.

 

“So Jordan is becoming more of his…true self we might say. And that’s difficult for you…because you… aren’t. Did I get that right?”

 

“Basically,” Jon confirmed.

 

“And so the things that are happening with Jordan make you feel…”

 

“Like I don’t matter,” Jon exploded. “I just get headaches. He’s the good son that does important things and has freaking super powers. ”

 

“Jordan has powers,” Beth asked softly.

 

Crap. Jon hadn’t meant to just blurt that out. Part of him wanted to deny it, but deep down, Jon knew Beth was too smart to believe a comment like that wasn’t true. “Yeah, he does,” Jon admitted with a sigh.

 

“And you don’t?”

 

Jon was silent. Well, technically she was right, he didn’t have powers, not in the same way Jordan did, but there was definitely something going on, that much had become obvious in the past week. Hell, there was evidence right in front of him. Beth was all bundled up in her winter coat and Jon was covered up in a thin blanket; one he probably didn’t even need. That kind of behavior wasn’t exactly normal. But superpowers…

 

“Jon? Are you saying you don’t?”

 

“I…didn’t,” he said quietly. Jon looked over at Beth, utter fear in his eyes. Sure, she had suspicions, but finally admitting things to her was a big step.

 

Beth worked hard to keep her expression neutral, knowing the boy needed her to be steady. “So…you do now then?”

 

“I don’t think so. I mean it’s not exactly powers. Things are just…different I guess.”

 

“Different like the way you aren’t cold right now or the way you don’t get sunburned?”

 

Jon nodded, grateful that she was saying the words, not him.

 

“Okay, so these things that are…different,” Beth said carefully, opting to use the same wording that Jon did, “have your parents been helping you with them?”

 

A guilty expression crossed Jon’s face. “They don’t know.”

 

Beth looked confused. “Wait, so do they know about Jordan?”

 

“Oh yeah,” Jon replied with a scoff. They know all about what my brother can do.”

 

“Then why…”

 

“Because the things that are…different with me,” Jon said, still unable to fully admit what had happened, “I think they just started and I haven’t found a way to tell them yet.”

 

Beth nodded, starting to get a handle on Jon’s line of thinking. “But they are accepting of Jordan. If you told them, wouldn’t they accept you too?”

 

“I just…I mean…this wasn’t supposed to happen for me, okay. I always thought I would be the hu…the hu…”

 

“The human one,” Beth finished softly. Jon nodded, clearly fighting back tears. “Okay, Jon I have to ask you a couple of difficult questions now, but please remember that I am only trying to help. I will never hurt you.” Jon nodded again, giving Beth permission to ask the next question. “The things that make you and Jordan different, can you tell me how that happened?”

 

“We were born this way, we just didn’t know it for a while.”

 

Beth furrowed her brows. Clearly that was not the answer she expected. “So…does anyone know why you were born this way.”

 

Jon scoffed. “Oh yeah. They always knew exactly why.” Jon turned and looked Beth straight in the eyes. “It’s because of my dad, Clark. Everything different about us is genetically passed down from him.”

 

Beth paused to collect her thoughts. Okay, so there went one theory. For a while she thought maybe Jon was adopted. But if certain traits were genetically passed down from Clark, adoption was out of the question.

 

“So your dad…he wasn’t born here, was he.” Beth had come up with another theory. It had seemed crazy before, but the longer Jon talked, the more sense it made. So, she just went for it.

 

“No,” Jon admitted. “He wasn’t born anywhere on earth. He…” Beth nodded, giving Jon the support he needed to finish the sentence. “He was born on Krypton.”

 

“So when the kryptonite in your body was acting like a poison it’s because…”

 

“It’s poison for him too, yeah.”

 

“Wow,” Beth said, running a hand through her hair. “I have to be honest, I didn’t realize there were other Kryptonians on earth. So does your dad know Superman?”

 

Jon’s breath caught in his throat. He had an easy way out. Beth didn’t suspect who his dad really was. He could just go along with it and she would never know. That’s what his parents had encouraged him to do. But suddenly, Jon realized he didn’t want to tell another lie. This was Beth for crying out loud. She was the one that put everything together in the first place. Why should he lie to her? Clark got to tell Lana the big secret, Jordan got to tell Sarah. Why shouldn’t he get to talk about it with someone outside the family? Jon knew his parents wouldn’t be happy and claim that it wasn’t really necessary, but at that moment, Jon really didn’t care. He sat up, and with a determined look on his face, turned back towards Beth.


“My dad is Superman.”

Chapter 8: The Reveal

Summary:

Jon finally tells Beth the truth about his family and she is left with more questions than answers.

Notes:

Hey all! sorry it's been so long! I've had a super busy holiday week and this chapter was just really slow going, but I finally got it to a place where I am satisfied. Thanks for being patient and I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Text

 

“Excuse me?”

 

Jon took a deep breath and said the words again, making sure to look Beth directly in the eyes so she would know he was serious. “My dad is Superman.”

 

“Your dad…like–”

 

“Like Clark Kent–my dad–is Superman.”

 

“But that’s crazy,” Beth said, so completely in shock that she seemed unable to say more than a few words at a time.

 

“I know how it sounds, believe me. But it’s true.”

 

“But, Clark…he’s so…”

 

“Boring,” Jon added helpfully. “Dorky? A typical lame dad? Trust me he’s all those things too, so it’s not entirely an act. He likes to think it helps him blend in, but honestly I think that’s who he is.”

 

Beth took a deep breath, trying desperately to wrap her mind about the impossible things Jon was saying. “And…your mom?”

 

Jon nodded, not surprised Beth was curious about Lois and how she played into everything. “My mom is still Lois Lane and she gave birth to Jordan and I almost sixteen years ago.”

 

“And she’s…”

 

“Human. My mom is one hundred percent human,” Jon answered, trying not to be bitter about how lucky Lois was to just be human. “When she married my dad, they didn’t even know it was possible for humans and Kryptonians to have kids together. But apparently the two species were more… compatible than they thought,” Jon said, shuddering a bit. Giving a thorough explanation was necessary for Beth to understand everything, but talking about his parents in that…way would always be weird.

 

“So, let me get this straight, you are half…human and half…like your dad,” asked Beth, pleased that she was finally able to form a full sentence.

 

“Yep. Exactly.”

 

“Okay,” Beth said. She stood up and began pacing across the porch. “And a little bit ago you said that Jordan has powers too? Jordan? Like your twin brother, shaggy hair, shy, awkward, that Jordan, has powers?”

 

Jon chuckled. “Kind of hard to believe, I know. But it’s true. I’ve seen them on several occasions.”

 

“Which powers does he have?”

 

“Most of the same ones as my dad. There are a few he doesn’t have yet, but the theory is that he will have all of them sooner or later. He’s been working on flying the past few months.”

 

“Flying? How…I mean…” Beth stammered, trying to grasp what Jon was saying. She walked over to the side of the porch and grabbed onto the railing. “How can any of this be real,” she asked more to herself than anything.

 

Jon got up from his chair and walked to the railing to join her. “I promise. Jordan and I asked ourselves the same questions after we found out.”

 

“You didn’t always know?”

 

Jon chuckled. “Definitely not. We found out when we were fourteen, after Jordan and I went snooping around the storm cellar in the barn and found my dad’s spaceship.”

 

“His spaceship? I completely forgot that he…I think I need to sit back down.” Jon helped Beth back to her seat, then sat next to her. He wrapped the blanket tighter around himself.

 

“Do you have any more questions or do you just need some time to process,” Jon asked, trying to be sensitive. After all, it was only too easy to remember when he found out all this and how overwhelming it was.

 

“I need a month to process and I have about a thousand questions,” Beth said, giving Jon a tiny smile. “But for now, I guess I want to go back to what you mentioned earlier. You said you didn’t have powers, and that things were different for you. Maybe you could explain that a little more.”

 

Jon took a deep breath. He hadn’t really wanted to get into this, but he knew admitting it to Beth would be easier than telling his family. “Okay, so, part of the reason that Jordan wanted to go looking for the spaceship was because about a day before we found it, a whole bunch of metal poles fell on us, but we were completely fine. So then–”

 

“What! Back up. Metal poles fell on you? Are you okay? Should I go get Dave, have him check you over? Do you need to lie down,” Beth asked, the concern evident in her voice as she grabbed Jon’s hand.

 

He chuckled at her overprotective response. “Yes I’m fine. Jordan took the brunt of the weight, so we weren’t hurt,” Jon answered, squeezing Beth’s hand in return, knowing she could use the reassurance. “Plus, it was over a year ago,” Jon politely reminded her. “And I’m sitting right in front of you, so yeah, obviously I’m fine.” Jon gave her a little smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

 

It worked. Beth laughed and realized that she had gone a bit overboard. “Oh my goodness, of course, you’re right. I’m sorry, I guess my brain is a bit frazzled.”

 

“It’s no problem,” Jon answered with a shrug. “Honestly, I’d be worried if you weren’t freaking out. It is pretty crazy. Do you want me to answer the question or do you need a minute?”

 

“I’ll be fine. Keep going, please.”

 

Jon nodded. “Okay so after…the poles, and we found the spaceship, my parents came clean about everything. Also, my brother started developing powers like my dad, which is one of the main reasons we stayed in Smallville.” Once again, Jon worked to keep the bitterness out of his fault. It wasn’t Jordan's fault that he developed powers and the course of Jon’s life was changed forever. “Jordan’s not as powerful as my dad yet, but like I said it will probably come with time.”

 

“And…what about you?”

 

Jon took a deep breath. Beth couldn’t help but notice the pain in Jon’s eyes as he answered. “Before this week, I’ve never had any powers and there was never anything strange about me. That was always Jordan’s territory.” He paused, since the next words were still difficult for him to admit. “I guess I kind of figured he was the Kryptonian one and I was the human one. But now…I don’t think that’s completely the case.”

 

“Neither do I,” Beth said softly. “Can you tell me exactly what’s been going on?”

 

“Well, mostly I’ve just noticed some strange quirks in myself that I haven’t had before, like obviously, how I can’t seem to get cold,” Jon said, gesturing to the blanket that had fallen off his shoulders. “It’s the same way with heat except I can’t get enough, like I’m craving to be in the sun, if that were even possible.”

 

“Doesn’t Sup– I mean your dad have some connection with the sun?”

 

Jon nodded, unaware that he had just proved his own point by shifting his position in the chair so he was closer to the sun. “It’s where he gets all his power, yeah.”

 

Beth processed the new information. “Anything else going on with you?”

 

“Well, my memory has gotten crazy good and I don’t need a lot of sleep. Oh yeah, and I’ve always been good at science, but this week, when I was doing my homework, my brain was kind of on another level. All the concepts were so easy to understand. I guess that’s probably generations of Kryptonian heritage finally making itself known.”

 

Beth had suspected the lack of sleep and good memory, but she didn’t know what to make of his last comment. Catching her look of confusion, Jon clarified.

 

“Krypton was known for having a very advanced technological culture and my family specifically was descended from a long line of scientists.”

 

“I…I didn’t know that,” said Beth, impressed that Jon had managed to surprise her yet again. She ran a hand through her hair, trying once again to get a grasp on any part of this conversation. “So you said all of these…changes started recently then?”

 

He nodded again. “Yeah, when I woke up after being unconscious, I immediately felt different. It took a couple of days for me to really figure out what exactly was going on, which is probably why I was a little distant I guess.” Realizing how much he had just opened up made Jon feel vulnerable, so he was quick to jump back on the defense. “But I have a good handle on it now.”

 

Beth nodded in agreement, giving Jon a patient and understanding look that convinced him she didn’t really believe he had a handle on things. “I mean I wasn’t born this way, like Jordan, so it’s been easier to process,” Jon said, lying through his teeth. “ And I think…all that kryptonite in my body did this to me.”

 

“And how are you feeling about these changes, what the kryptonite did,” Beth asked, softening her voice. As crazy as parts of the conversation were, she could tell they were approaching sensitive territory, which meant she needed to switch to counseling mode.

 

“Pretty freaked out,” Jon answered honestly. “I mean I kind of assumed I wouldn’t have to deal with that stuff, that it would always be Jordan’s thing. And knowing that…that poison was inside me, changing my cells, it’s just kinda creepy I guess. And I haven’t really known how to talk about it. So, I just kept it to myself.”

 

“Well, I can help you figure out how to tell your parents if you–”

 

“No,” Jon said, instantly cutting her off, a look of fear crossing his face. “You can’t tell my parents.”

 

Confusion clouded Beth’s face. “But you said your parents know all about this stuff, obviously they can help.”

 

“No, way, I can’t admit to my parents that I’m..that I’m…" Jon shook his head. “I can’t admit that I failed again. I just can’t.”

 

“Failed…Jon, I don’t understand what you mean.”

 

“I only started showing signs of powers after I was infected with Kryptonite, which means that without it, none of this would have happened, and that I failed as a Kryptonian son.” Jon had started to raise his voice and the hard look on his face was surprising to Beth. “Also, I just have some weird quirks, not even real powers. Again failure. Besides, I already explained to my parents yesterday how I didn’t want to fail them again. So I don’t need to revisit it.”

 

“What did they say,” Beth asked, a little awestruck by Jon’s confession and his intense look on his face.

 

Jon rolled his eyes. “They said I didn’t fail them, that they were proud of me and all that crap.”

 

“You don’t believe them?”

 

“Of course not, they were just trying to make me feel better because I was crying my eyes out.” His voice was more snarky and sarcastic now, which Beth believed was just another defense mechanism.

 

“But you still told them how you were feeling just yesterday,” she insisted, not sure where Jon was going with this.

 

“Well yeah, only because if I didn’t tell them something they were going to make me go home and there’s no way I’m comfortable enough hiding my not-quite-powers from them yet. Staying here was the only option.”

 

Beth realized she needed to proceed very carefully. Jon was on the verge of getting too emotional and shutting down which would stop any progress from this impromptu counseling session they were having. Beth also noticed that Jon’s opinions of himself were much more negative and deep-seated than she originally thought, which was rather troubling.

 

“Are you saying when you do go home you are intending to hide the powers from them?”

 

“Of course.” Jon’s tone made it sound like he thought it was a dumb question. “And I don’t even have real powers,” he insisted once again. “I’m just a little different now. There’s no reason to worry them about something that’s not a problem.” He didn’t meet Beth’s eyes and his hands were shaking a little.

 

“But Jonathan–”

 

“Look can we just not talk about this right now,” Jon said, cutting her off. “I don’t want to tell them and you can’t change my mind. Actually, I’m kind of tired, I think I’m going back to my room.” Jon got up off the porch chair and opened the front door, much to Beth’s dismay. “Also, can you guys leave me alone for a while.”

 

“Of course,” Beth replied, understanding that the boy needed some time. “Hey, Jonathan.” He turned back. “I’d like to tell Dave everything we talked about, if that’s alright.”

 

Jon paused a moment, considering. “Fine,” he agreed tersely, before going into the house and letting the door slam behind him.

 

Throughout the whole conversation Beth had endured the cold air since Jon had seemed more comfortable outside. But now, the chills going through her body had nothing to do with the temperature, but rather from processing the harsh truths of what Jon had told her.

 

A big part of Beth was still in disbelief that Clark Kent was Superman and that Jon had extraterrestrial DNA. But as weird as the whole situation was, it also made sense and explained a lot of strange things that had happened. Mostly though, Beth was concerned about Jonathan. He had finally admitted all the odd things she had noticed in the past week.

 

More than that, he seemed particularly fixated on keeping his ‘powers’ a secret from his parents because he didn’t want to fail them.

 

Beth was stumped. How could Jon think he was a failure? It’s not like he made the Kryptonite enter his system and he couldn’t control his reaction to the stuff. He didn’t intentionally do anything wrong. Yet he still thought he was a failure. She suspected that there were some deeper issues there that were the cause, possibly stemming from his relationship with his father or his feelings of inferiority to Jordan.

 

But she had promised she would leave him alone for a little while, and Beth intended to keep that promise. She also knew that there was a lot more at stake than what she could handle.

 

It was time to tell Dave.

Chapter 9: Shifting

Summary:

Dave and do their best to take care of Jonathan after some uncomfortable truths come to light.

Notes:

This is a bit of a long one, but I couldn't seem to stop writing :) Their were so many moments between Jon, Dave and Beth that I couldn't help but draw out :) #sorrynotsorry

Please enjoy and leave a comment below!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“You’re serious about this, Beth, aren’t you?”

 

“Yes, Dave, for the tenth time, Clark Kent is actually Superman, and he really is from another planet.”

 

Dave was sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands, trying to comprehend what Beth had been trying to explain for the past ten minutes. “And Jon is…”

 

“Half human and half Kryptonian,” Beth said impatiently from where she was standing by the counter. “Please keep up Dave, I don’t have time to keep explaining this over and over. Jon needs our help.”

 

“And he has…not-quite-powers?”

 

“Yes, that’s what Jon called it at one point. But the problem is, I don’t think he is coping very well and he doesn’t think he should tell his parents. Isn’t that just ridiculous?”

 

Dave looked up, pleased to finally have a productive comment. “Well you would think so, but this isn’t the first time that Jon has wanted to keep news about his health from his parents. First with his migraines, then with the weight loss, he was keeping those things from his parents too. I didn’t agree with it then and I don’t agree with it now, but it seems to be a habit of his.”

 

Instantly concerned with the news Dave was sharing, Beth made her way back to the table and sat down next to her husband. “Well we have to do something, right? Shouldn’t we call Lois and Clark, tell them what’s going on?”

 

Dave reached over and placed a hand over Beth’s. “I would like nothing more than to call the Kent’s and get them over here so we can tell them everything. But I said it from day one, and I’m saying it now. My top priority has to be Jon, his health and his wellbeing. And if we go running to his parents, he might see it as a kind of betrayal and never trust us again. No, what Jon needs now is to feel like he’s got allies, people he can trust.”

 

“You don’t think he completely trusts us?”

 

“I think he’s been through so much that he’s easily spooked. I’m sure it wasn’t easy admitting the truth about his family to you, and being worried how you would react. But then when you suggested telling his parents about the way he’s changed, I’m guessing he felt overwhelmed.”

 

Beth squeezed Dave’s hand. “Well now I feel awful. I never meant to push him like that. It was obvious how uncomfortable he felt during the whole conversation and should have backed off and been more sensitive to his feelings. Oh God, he must hate me.”

 

“No, honey, that’s not true.” Dave scooted his chair closer to Beth and pulled her in for a hug. “Like I said, he probably just got overwhelmed, Jon knows you didn’t mean to hurt him.”

 

Beth laid her head on Dave’s shoulder, fighting back tears. “But he said he didn’t want to tell his parents. Over and over again he said that and I just kept pushing.”

 

Dave ran a hand through Beth’s soft, brown hair. “Look, honey, I’ve known Jon for a while now, and he’s got a thick skin. He’s as tough as they come and I know he’ll be okay.”

 

Beth lifted her head, and turned to Dave with fire in her eyes. “But he shouldn’t have to be. What, just because he’s a guy he can shake it off and be fine?”

 

“No, of course not. That’s not what I’m trying to say.”

 

“Then what–”

 

“I’m trying to say that Jon is strong and he’s been pushed before.” Dave put his hands on Beth’s shoulders. “He’s allowed to have feelings and emotions, obviously, but he’s stronger than he looks right now, and I know he can handle it. He’s been through worse. And knowing Jon, I’m sure he feels just as bad about the argument as you do.”

 

“I hope you’re right,” Beth said, her shoulders sagging in defeat. “I’m just not sure what I would do if I made him angry or he didn’t trust me. I just…”

 

“You love him,” Dave finished, looking once again into his wife’s beautiful shining eyes. 

 

She nodded. “I do. He’s like a son to me. I’m not sure exactly when it happened. But all I want to do is take away his pain so he can be happy.”

 

“I feel the same way, which is why we need to have a different discussion.”

 

“Okay.” Beth didn’t like the serious tone that Dave’s voice had taken, especially if it was something to do with Jonathan.

 

“Yesterday, when the Kent’s were asking if they could take Jon home and I said that his weight still concerned me, that wasn’t just a line to convince them to let Jon stay, it was completely true.”

 

“Well, that’s what I assumed,” Beth said, a look of sadness crossing her face.

 

“But it’s more than that. Jon gained a few pounds back within 48 hours of waking up, but since then, his weight has stayed the same. And I know for a fact that he’s been eating his meals because I’ve been watching him. Maybe he isn’t eating quite enough for my liking, but still, he should be gaining weight back.”

 

“So you’re saying that something’s wrong, that there is a reason he still weighs so little.”

 

Dave shrugged. “There must be. I haven’t been able to figure it out. But if what you say is true, if he really has alien DNA, maybe that’s why my methods haven’t been as effective. As stupid as I feel saying it, maybe there is some extraterrestrial reason that Jon isn’t getting better. And as much as it pains me, I don’t think I have the skills to help him.”

 

Beth put an arm around her husband’s shoulders. “No, honey, you can’t think that way. You and me, we’ll figure something out and–”

 

“Noooooooo!”

 

Jon’s scream from the other room instantly had Dave and Beth out of their chairs and sprinting over to the spare room. Once again, Jon was caught in a nightmare, thrashing back and forth on the bed. Beads of sweat were dripping down his face and his hands were clenching the sheets.

 

Dave rushed over and immediately took action. “Jonathan, wake up. Come on son, it’s just a nightmare. You need to open your eyes.” Dave placed a hand on Jon’s shoulder and gently tried to shake him from the nightmare. “Come on, wake up, Jon. You can do it.”

 

When Jonathan’s pure blue eyes finally opened they were filled with terror. On instinct he backed up, and scanned the room as if he was still caught in the nightmare. A few seconds later he recognized the doctor. “Dave?”

 

“That’s it son, you’re all right. You’re safe I promise. You’re at my house and you were having a nightmare. But you’re safe.”

 

“I know, I’m always safe with you.”

 

“Come here son,” Dave had never hugged Jon before, but the moment seemed to call for it. Jon happily returned the hug, as he had felt like the older man was a second father for a while. They pulled back, but Dave kept a hand on Jon’s shoulder. “You had me worried.”

 

“Yeah, sorry about that,” he answered with an impish smile. “My nightmares can get a little intense sometimes, but I’ll be okay.” Then he noticed Beth was standing awkwardly by the door. Happy to change the subject, he called out to her. “Hey what are you doing all the way over there?”

 

Beth took a few hesitant steps forward. “I wasn’t sure if you would want to see me. After all, I was kind of harsh earlier, trying to convince you to talk to your parents. And I wouldn’t let up, even though you made it clear I needed to back off. I’m just so sorry Jonathan and I really hope you can forgive me.”

 

He let her ramble on, mostly because he couldn’t quite believe she actually thought an apology was necessary. “Beth, there’s nothing to forgive. You didn’t do anything wrong. I was the one that needed to apologize to you.”

 

Beth’s eyebrows raised in shock. “What on earth could you need to apologize for. I the one who keep pushing–”

 

“No,” Jon said, gently cutting her off. “You were the one who was just doing her job. I got overly sensitive and freaked out.”

 

“So you’re really not mad at me,” she asked, taking a few more steps forward.

 

“Definitely not,” Jon said confidently. He saw the pure hope on Beth’s face and realized just how worried she’d been. So he held his arms open and gleefully, she ran over for a big hug.

 

“Oh I’m so glad. You have no idea how worried I was,” she said, with Jon still in her arms.

 

“Maybe not, but I can guess.”

 

Beth pulled back. “What is that supposed to mean?”

 

“I just know how protective you get over me. Like earlier today when you wanted Dave to check me over after I told you about an accident that happened over a year ago.” Jon directed the words at Dave, so the two could share the private joke, since they both knew how Beth could be.

 

“Okay, so maybe I get a little over enthusiastic,” she conceded as she took a seat next to Jon on the bed. She didn’t miss the grins Dave and Jon exchanged.

 

“Speaking of your health,” Dave said, taking advantage of the opening in the conversation,  “Jon, there’s some things I wanted to talk to you about.”

 

“Okay,” Jon said, immediately distrusting the change in Dave’s tone and the way his smile faltered. “What’s up?”

 

“I’m still a little worried about the fact that you haven’t gained much weight back.”

 

Jon’s heart dropped. “I thought you said it would take time.”

 

“It will, yes, but I’m concerned because you have stayed at 108 since Monday, which is about 12 pounds later than the minimum weight a kid like you should be at. It’s been almost a week. If you were really getting better, the number would have gone up at least a little more by now.” Dave was compassionate and sensitive as he talked to Jon, but there was a seriousness about his words that couldn’t be ignored.

 

“Okay, so what are you saying exactly,” Jon asked, trying not to freak out as he leaned a little closer to Beth for support.

 

“I’m saying that maybe this has something to do with the other side of your biology, the Kryptonian side.”

 

There it was. Jon had known Beth was going to tell Dave, but still, the news hit him like a brick. “So Beth told you everything?”

 

“She did. And even though it is a little hard to believe, it does explain a lot of the things that have happened.”

 

“Aren’t you freaked out,” Jon asked, needing to know the truth. 

 

Dave realized the way he answered this question could affect how Jon responded to him going forward. They had worked too hard to create a strong, trusting relationship to screw it up now.

 

“Initially, yes I was surprised. I never really believed there is life on other planets,” he answered, deciding to go with honesty first.  “But as I said, it does explain a lot of things. I’m still wrapping my head around it, for sure, but I’ll get there.” He noticed Jon’s downtrodden look and quickly amended his statement. “But it doesn’t change my opinion of you. And I mean that, Jon. Sure, I still have some questions. But I don’t think any differently about you.”

 

“That’s good,” Jon replied, the relief obvious on his face. “It’s kind of a big secret, so you never know.”

 

“Well, I swear that you won’t have to worry about any kind of judgment from me. The only thing that has changed is that I’m worried I may not be able to help you now. I just don’t know much about the Kryptonian side of your biology.”

 

“But what if it has nothing to do with that,” Jon asked, in a panicked voice. “Maybe I’m a slow healer, I mean a lot has happened over the past few weeks. Maybe you’re right, maybe it will just take more time. Maybe–”

 

“Jonathan,” Dave gently put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Given that you have displayed some pretty distinct changes from what Beth has told me, and that you still haven’t gained a lot of weight back, the only logical conclusion is that the two are connected. Not only did the Kryptonite alter your body so you were drawn sunlight, and things like that, I’m afraid it changed some of your basic human functions as well.”

 

Jon looked like he wanted to protest again so Dave continued. “I will do everything I can to help you, son, believe me, but you may need more help than I can give you. Perhaps another doctor or specialist would be better.”

 

“But I don’t want another doctor,” Jonathan whispered, close to tears.

 

“I know buddy, I know,” he pulled Jon in for a quick side hug. “But what do I always say is my number one priority with you?”

 

“Whatever is best for me.”

 

“Exactly. So as much as I want to be the one to solve all your problems, I can’t be selfish right now, I have to think of what you need.”

 

“But, I’m…I’m scared.”

 

“I understand that, son, but after all this time, the fact that you still weigh only 108 pounds scares me.” Finally, due to Dave’s intense tone and the fear in his eyes, the words began to sink in. As much as Jon didn’t want to leave, Dave was right, Jon wasn’t improving the way he should be, another reason he had instinctively kept his distance all week. He thought that if he didn’t get too close to anyone, they wouldn’t see how weak he actually was; obviously that plan backfired.

 

“So what now,” Jon whispered, unable to hold back a few of the errant tears that had escaped.

 

“Now we call your dad,” Beth said softly, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Maybe he will have some idea of what to do.”

 

“Do we have to tell him about how… I’ve changed?”

 

Dave considered the question for a moment. “I won’t lead with it, but if he asks, I won’t lie.”

 

“That’s fair,” Jon said, leaning into Beth. Sensing how overwhelmed the boy had become, she began rubbing small circles on his shoulder and upper back.

 

“How about you stay here with Beth, and I’ll go call your dad.”

 

Jon nodded. “Tell him you know everything and that he can just fly over. It’ll be faster.”

 

“Right,” Dave faltered a bit. “I keep forgetting that he’s…Anyway, yes, I can tell him that. You guys stay here and I’ll be back in a bit.”

 

Jon had been trying so hard to keep it together, but the minute Dave left, Jon began crying uncontrollably.

 

“Oh Jonathan, come here,” Beth said softly, pulling Jon close again. He didn’t want to cry into Beth’s shoulder, but he couldn’t help it. 

 

“I just want to be okay again,” Jonathan sobbed. “Why is that so damn hard?”

 

“Oh I don’t know, honey,” Beth held him close, wishing desperately that she could take the pain away. “But we’re going to figure it out, I promise.”

 

“And if we don’t?”

 

“Jonathan–”

 

“I’m serious,” he pulled back and met her gaze straight on. “I’ve been having these problems for over a month now, first with the migraines, then ending up in the hospital, and finding out I had freakin’ kryptonite inside of me. And on top of all that, the stuff literally poisoned me and has changed my cellular makeup. So, tell me, after everything that has happened, what could possibly make you think that things would be okay?”

 

Beth didn’t get deterred by the way Jon had raised his voice, or the hopeless look in his eyes. Instead, she took a page out of her husband’s book: what was best for Jonathan. She studied the boy, trying to figure out what he needed most at that moment. After a second, it was easy to tell exactly what that was. Simply put, he just needed some comfort and attention.

 

Jon was surprised when Beth didn’t answer his question, but instead walked over to the counter and began getting some supplies out of the drawers. When she came back a minute later, he was still confused.

 

“You wanna know why I think things will be okay?” She began by dipping a soft washcloth into the bowl of warm water that was resting on the tray. “Actually, I know things will be okay. Here’s why.” Beth gently took the cloth and began wiping the sweat off Jon’s face from his intense nightmare. “You are a fighter, Jonathan. As crazy as things have gotten, you’ve never complained or wanted to give up. You just always ask what is the next step.”

 

Beth dipped the cloth into the warm water once again, this time, dragging the cloth across his damp cheekbones. “Most people wouldn’t have the strength to keep going. But you have handled everything that has been thrown at you with ease and selflessness.” She softly ran the cloth over Jon’s face one more time. Then she took a dry towel and gently dabbed away the extra water. Somewhere along the way, Jon had begun to relax and enjoy letting Beth take care of him.

 

“I know it must seem scary, and I can’t imagine what you are going through.” Beth had moved onto Jon’s knees, intent on redressing his scrapes from the day before. “But you have a whole group of people that really love you and are going to be right by your side, no matter what happens. Lois, Clark, Natalie, Candice, and Jordan. Oh, of course, Dave and myself will also be right here. Now let me see those hands.” Beth tended to Jon’s hands, which were healing a little better in his knees.

 

“You know, you really don’t have to do this,” Jon said, finally finding the words.

 

“Do what?”

 

“Say all those nice things, take care of me like this.”

 

Beth replaced one last bandage. “Maybe not, but I want to.”

 

With Jon fully tended to, she encouraged him to lean back on his bed, comfortably resting against his pillow while Beth returned her supplies to the cupboards. “Mind if we come in,” Dave said, a minute later with a knock on the door. Jon didn’t miss the fact that Dave mentioned ‘we’. Sure enough, Clark followed the doctor into the room. The elder Kent’s expression was hard to read, almost as if it was a mix of sadness and disappointment. Jon knew he should lift his head and face whatever news the two men had to share. But the look of shame on his father’s face was just a little too much for him to handle, so he glanced away, wishing they had never walked in.

 

“Jonathan, I’ve been talking with Dave, and although I wasn’t pleased to find out that you revealed everything, we have to focus on the bigger issues here. I agree with him that if your cells were altered by the kryptonite, he may not be able to help, that we need to consult another source.”

 

“So what are you saying, I have to go to the Fortress?”

 

“Actually, no, I’m taking you to see a specialist at the DOD.”

 

“What? Dad, are you serious? You can’t–”

 

“Jonathan, I’m sorry. This is the only thing that makes sense,” Clark insisted firmly. “Dr. Hamilton specializes in Kryptonian and metahuman physiology. But he also knows a lot about human biology and cellular structure as well. Believe me, if anyone can figure this out, he can.”

 

Terrified, Jon backed up further on the bed. “Dad, no way, I’m not going to become some lab rat.”

 

“Son, I’m sorry. But your mom and I have been talking about this for a while. As soon as we realized that your cells had been altered by the kryptonite we began discussing this. She’s not crazy about it either, but the truth is, we are out of options.”

 

“But what about Grandma, the Fortress?”

 

“She can only recognize the Kryptonian elements and Dave, here, can only understand the human side, but Dr. Hamilton, at the DOD, can effectively look at both.” Nothing Jonathan could say seemed to be changing his mind. Clark pulled out his phone, sending a quick text to update Lois.

 

“Alright son, let’s go,” Clark said, taking a few steps toward the bed.

 

“Hold on,” Beth said, stepping in front of the trembling, terrified young boy. “Jon has made it clear that he doesn’t want to go see this other doctor. Look at how scared he is, you can’t just ignore that.” Maybe it was the fact that she had just been so carefully tending to him that her protective instincts were in overdrive, but it didn’t matter. Beth had meant it when she said she would be there for Jonathan.

 

“Jon is my son, and I’m going to do what is best for him.” Clark took another step forward, but Beth put her hands out. She had meant to just encourage him to stop, but what actually happened was that she shoved him backwards. And since she was so focused on Jon, she didn’t see the way Clark’s face hardened and his body tensed up.

 

“Clearly, you don’t know what is best for him otherwise you and Lois would have handled this entire situation differently. I’m beginning to think that you don’t have two sons. There’s Jordan, obviously, who gets all your love and attention and Jonathan is just, what, the leftover boy that happens to live in your house who’s expected to shoulder everyone else’s problems and keep his own issues to himself?”

 

“You done?” Clark’s voice was deadly calm.

 

“Not by a long shot. You have no idea how to parent this boy, do you? I mean, my God, it takes him practically breaking down for you to even give him a second glance. Don’t you think he could have benefited from time and attention when he isn’t crying? Don’t you understand how much it upsets him to be vulnerable in front of you like that? Don’t you see how broken he is? Maybe it’s time that someone told you that the reason for all of Jonathan's problems is because you’re a terrible father.”

 

“You have no idea what you’re talking about. We’re done here,” said Clark in the same dangerously calm voice.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

Using his superspeed, Clark raced around the room and gathered all of Jon’s things into the bags that he brought and draped the straps over his shoulder. A second later he had picked Jonathan up and was carrying him as well. As shocked as Dave and Beth were to witness Clark’s superspeed in person, nothing could have prepared them for what happened next.

 

“I’ll be taking Jonathan now, because he is my son, and I know what’s best for him. He will not be returning here and we will not be needing your services again.”

 

And in the blink of an eye, Clark had effectively carried the bags and Jonathan out of the room and out of their lives.

Notes:

Alright, now I know some of you are probably freaking out and that it was a bit of a controversial ending. But rest assured I have a plan! I will take care of Jonathan, but this is something I've been planning for a long time actually. So bear with me, and I'll try to update soon.

Would love to know your thoughts!

-Rose

Chapter 10: Dr. Hamilton: Days 1-5

Summary:

Jon arrives with Clark at the new doctor's. Although it is a much different set up than he is used to, some interesting truths are revealed.

Notes:

Well. That last chapter had quite the ending didn't it? I know you all have many questions and I hope this chapter will answer several of them, most notably about Clark's behavior.

I ended up going into more detail and getting a little wordy (no surprise there) so the next chapter will be a continuation of this. Make sure to let me know in the comments if you have any questions and hopefully I can clarify those things in the next chapter.

Once again, sorry it's so long, the story just kind of flowed and there were some details I really wanted to focus on.

Thanks so much for reading and sticking with me, leave me a comment below, and enjoy!!!

-Rose

Chapter Text

Before Jon could blink, Clark had flown him to the roof of a building on the outskirts of a city. It wasn’t clear exactly where they were. He set Jon down and instantly jetted off again. A second later he was back in full Superman regalia. 

 

Of course. If they were meeting someone from the DOD, he couldn’t show up as Clark Kent, concerned father. He would be arriving as Superman…role yet to be determined.

 

“Okay, Dad, seriously–”

 

“Jonathan, I’m sorry. We’ll talk about this later. Dr. Hamilton is expecting us.”

 

Day 1: 

 

The first thing Jon noticed about Dr. Hamilton’s lab was that it was in fact a lab and not the comfortable set up Dave had. The space was clearly used for testing and research, and not meant for long term patient care. It was filled with machines, test tubes, and several objects Jon had no name for.

 

When they arrived Clark quickly identified his son as Jon, the “one they had been discussing.” He knew that his dad was going to have to remain impersonal to avoid suspicion, but still, the words felt cold and harsh. More than anything, Jon wished he could be back with Beth and Dave. At least there he felt well cared for, not a test subject.

 

Dr. Hamilton wasn’t mean…necessarily… he was just very matter of fact with everything he said, as if he didn’t have time to be personal. Jon also learned that he wasn’t exactly military, he just worked for the DOD and usually dealt with cases that were confidential, which was why he had his own lab, separate from the rest of the department. Apparently metahumans and Kryptonians were his specialty, though he knew a lot about human biology as well.

 

He had Jon lay on a padded table, which was like, the least comfortable surface in the entire universe. First, he gave Jon a basic examination, which was utterly humiliating with his dad standing nearby in his full Superman costume. After that, he took several blood samples for testing. At that moment, Jon officially felt like the freak that he had been terrified of becoming.

 

~~~~~

 

Meanwhile, Jordan was furious. His brother had been taken to a government specialist without his knowledge. Okay, yes, he was the brother, not the parent, so it wasn’t his call. But sitting there in, in the room that they had shared together not so long ago made Jonathan’s absence more noticeable than ever. It didn’t help that Jon had been at the Miller’s the past week and that they had barely talked in that time. 

 

He knew they were trying to get Jon healthy, which was obviously very important. But the truth was, he missed Jonathan. Even though he hadn’t technically been gone that many days, Jordan had never been away from his brother so long before. Even when Jon used to go away to football camps, his parents made sure to pick camps that only lasted a couple days so the brothers wouldn’t be separated for too long.

 

And to make matters worse, Jon was sick, and Jordan couldn’t do anything to help him. It was one thing when Jon was away at football camp or hanging with friends and having a good time. But Jordan knew Jon had to be miserable. He tried texting a few times, but hadn’t gotten any response.

 

“Sweetie,” Lois said with a knock on the door. “How’s it going?”

 

“Just thinking about Jon,” he answered, unable to hold back the honesty.

 

“I know, me too.” She sat down on the bed next to her brooding son. 

 

“Really? Do you even miss him? You guys were pretty quick to send him away yet again.”

 

“Yes Jordan, of course I miss your brother. But sometimes being a parent is about making the tough choice. Jon wasn’t making enough progress where he was, so it was time to try something else.”

 

Jordan wanted to argue, but his mom made a good point. “Do you think he’s okay? He hasn’t answered my texts. 

 

“I'm sure he's fine.” Lois said, trying to remain positive. “Your dad is there, and he will let me know if something changes.”

 

“I miss him, Mom. It’s like I’m not complete when Jon’s away. I just want him to come home.”

 

Lois pulled Jordan in for a side hug. “I know sweetie, I want him home too.” She kissed her son’s messy brunette curls, hoping that one day soon she could hold Jon in her arms too.

 

Day 2: 

 

Apparently the blood tests had revealed something because Dr. Hamilton had plans to run a course of what Jon assumed to be experimental drugs, which was terrifying to say the least. So when Jon made it clear he was adverse to the treatment, Superman offered to talk to the boy and help calm him down. Dr. Hamilton agreed and promised to be back in five minutes. The minute the doctor was out of the room, Clark whirled on his father. “Okay, Dad, seriously, get me out of here.”

 

“Jonathan, I’m sorry, I can’t do that. You need to let him help you.”

 

“Are you insane? He’s going to inject me with experimental drugs. Just take me back to Dave and Beth’s.”

 

Clark understood his son’s rage, but they didn’t have a lot of time, the specialist would be back soon. “Look son, I know this place isn’t as cozy and cushy as the Miller’s, but what's going on here, it's not what you think.”

 

“He said experimental drugs, Dad, how can you be so chill about this?”

 

“Because he’s talking about supplements, Jonathan.”

 

“What?”

 

“When Dr. Hamilton looked at your bloodwork, he found that you were missing some essential vitamins and minerals in your body, so he wants to try and replenish them see what kind of impact they make on your overall health.”

 

Jon sat there in shock. “Vitamins?”

 

“Yes, vitamins and minerals. He specifically noticed a clear absence of iron and protein in your blood. Why? What did you think we were talking about?”

 

“I…I don’t know. He said drugs and I kind of freaked out.”

 

“Jonathan, I’m not just going to let some doctor inject you with drugs I know nothing about. We’ve been preparing for this for a while.”

 

Jon turned to look at his father. “Wait, what do you mean for a while?”

 

Clark sighed and took a few steps closer to where his son was sitting on the padded exam table. “When you woke up from being sedated, I began talking to Dr. Hamilton.”

 

“But that was–”

 

“Over a week ago, I know. With everything that happened I was pretty sure there wasn’t going to be a quick fix. So I’ve been describing your situation to him, like the way you haven’t gotten a lot stronger, despite a fairly balanced diet. He theorized that the kryptonite changed the way your body absorbs nutrients. Time will tell exactly what those changes are, but that’s the theory right now.”

 

“What else did you guys talk about?”

 

“Basically anything from the file that Dave Miller had prepared. I’ve been going over the information with Dr. Hamilton.”

 

Jon couldn’t hold back his surprise. “You broke into the Miller’s house and read my file? That’s gotta be illegal.”

 

“Please don’t be dramatic, Jon. I had to do whatever I could to help get you better. Besides, I didn’t just go to the Miller’s to look at your file. I was there anyway.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“Because I've been stopping by every night after you guys were asleep.”

 

“Huh? You were there every night?”

 

“Of course,” Clark answered matter of factly. “I’m not just going to let you go stay at some strange place without checking on you regularly.”

 

Jon’s mind was reeling. “So what did you do then? Just read my file and invade my privacy,” Jon accused.

 

“I only did that as I got more worried and that it was clear you weren’t making progress. Most of the time I just sat with you.” At Jon’s look of confusion Clark clarified. “I would pull up a chair and just sit by your bed. Some nights I would talk to you, sometimes not. A few times I even held your hand,” Clark admitted softly. “But I was there every night for as long as I could be.”

 

“Why didn’t you ever say anything,” Jon whispered, unable to believe that story was true.

 

“Because I knew you wouldn’t want me there,” Clark said sadly. “I knew you would think I was hovering, being overprotective, and invading your privacy as you said earlier.”

 

He was right. If Clark had asked to come Jon wouldn’t have allowed it. So even though it was underhanded, a part of Jon was secretly glad that his dad had cared enough to be there.

 

“Maybe I shouldn’t have been looking at your file,” Clark continued, “and maybe I should have told you that I was there, but keeping quiet seemed like the right call at the time.”

 

“Okay but you–”

 

“Alright Jon,” Dr. Hamilton said, breezing into the room. Clark quickly moved away from Jon, since he couldn’t show much of a personal connection, effectively ending their conversation. “Let’s get this first course of medication started.” Dr. Hamilton prepared the needle.

 

~~~~~

 

Candice was so tired of being in the dark. She thought Jon was getting better. But then suddenly Jordan says that Jon had to be taken to a health facility because he wasn’t healing correctly. She knew something had been off, but a health facility? What did that even mean?

 

She had tried texting him several times but he only replied occasionally. Candice would ask him how he was doing and when he would be home, simple questions like that. He always claimed he was getting better and hoped to be home soon. His vague answers were extremely frustrating. And weirdly, Jordan didn’t seem to have any more answers than she did.

 

The whole thing was strange and just made her want to hold Jon in her arms again. Unfortunately, no one seemed to have a real answer for when that would actually be.

 

Day 3:

 

When Jon woke up on Wednesday morning, he couldn’t deny that he felt different. Not quite good, but certainly stronger in some ways. It was hard to identify exactly what had changed, but whatever Dr. Hamilton had done, the effect was noticeable, which Jon described to the best of his ability when the doctor questioned him later.

 

He took more blood samples, needing to collect some data and more than just Jon’s opinion of how he felt. Later that afternoon after studying the blood, Dr. Hamilton gave him another course of supplements, since the larger quantities seemed to be making an impact.

 

Once again, Dr. Hamilton agreed to give Jon some time alone with Superman, since he had some lab work to do anyway. Besides, it gave Jon time to eat the latest meal Superman had fetched for him. Dr. Hamilton didn’t care what kind of food it was, as long as they had access to the nutritional facts and kept track of how much Jon ate.

 

For a late lunch, Jon was having a slice of pizza and a side salad. He ate about half of both before going over to sit on the bed that he had slept in the past few days. It wasn’t as comfortable as the one at Dave’s house, but it was better that that stupid table he always had to sit on when Dr. Hamilton examined him. And it gave him a place to catch up on his homework, since he still had his laptop.

 

“Hey, Dad,” Jon said, breaking the silence. There were only a few times out of the day that Dr. Hamilton left them alone, so Jon knew he needed to make the most of the opportunity. “Could we talk for a minute?”

 

Clark was by his side instantly. “Of course son, what do you need? More water or something?”

 

“No. I’m fine. I meant like can we…talk.”

 

“Oh,” Clark raised his eyebrows, surprised at the request. “Absolutely, What do you want to talk about?” He tried to keep his expression calm.

 

“Why did you bring me to Dr. Hamilton and how did you know if he could be trusted?” That was certainly not the question that Clark had been expecting, but in retrospect, it did make sense that Jon would be curious. They hadn’t really had time to get into all of that yet.

 

“Because he has helped me before. The first time I was rather nervous, myself, but over time I have come to trust his judgement and expertise.”

 

“But how do you know you can trust him,” Jon pressed, still not quite convinced.

 

“He’s saved my life on more than one occasion,” Clark replied quietly. Noticing Jon’s concerned look he delved further into the story. “When you and Jordan were younger, I was subjected to kryptonite poisoning on multiple occasions. Back then it was a lot easier for my enemies to get their hands on the stuff and I ended up in some pretty sticky situations. You guys were so little back then, I couldn’t just come home all messed up. Emil helped me out several times back then. He never asked any questions, never tried to study me or anything like that. He just did what needed to be done, every single time.”

 

“Wow, I didn’t know that,” Jon said quietly.

 

“That was one of the reasons I wanted to bring you here. I knew he could be trusted. This place seems a little intimidating, I know, but he can help.”

 

“Okay, Dad.”

 

~~~~~

 

Lois had tried so hard to keep it together the past few days, but it was getting harder and harder every day. Clark updated her as often as he could, saying they were on the right track, but still had a long way to go.

 

That was the sort of good news. She also had to deal with everything else, including the dozens of calls from the Miller’s. At first she just ignored them, hoping they would stop calling. But they didn’t. Eventually she had no choice but to answer and explain that she had no idea where the specialist was located, but that she trusted Clark. Of course, Dave and Beth didn’t like that answer, but it was the truth. 

 

Then there was Jordan. Moody, surly Jordan who refused to cheer up because he couldn’t think about anything but Jon and how he wasn’t there. She knew the separation was getting hard for him, but they didn’t have any choice.

 

She was in the kitchen putting some dishes away when her phone rang. When she looked over to see who was calling, a pleasant surprise was waiting on the screen: Jonathan.

 

Could it be?

 

Quickly she swiped across the screen and uttered a breathless, “Hello?”

 

“Hey Mom.”

 

“Jonathan, is that really you?”

 

“Yeah, it’s really me,” he answered with a slight chuckle.

 

Lois was so relieved not just to get another update, but to actually hear her son’s voice. “How are you, baby? Are you feeling any better?”

 

“I think so. Dr. Hamilton says there’s still a ways to go, but we seem to be on the right track.”

 

Lois sagged against the counter in relief. “Oh that’s great to hear. I’ve been so worried, you have no idea.”

 

“I’m sorry for all the secrecy, but Dad says it will keep me safer.”

 

“Don't worry, honey, it’s okay,” Lois said, quick to reassure her son. “Clark told me how it had to be. I understand.”

 

“What about Jordan?” The question was hesitant, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer.

 

“Oh he’s fine,” Lois answered quickly.

 

“You really think I’m gonna buy that,” Jon said sadly. He knew his brother too well to believe even for a second that he was okay.

 

Lois sighed. “No, I guess not. But I’m keeping an eye on him. I just think the separation is hard. Do you want me to give the phone to him and you guys can talk–”

 

“No! No, I don’t want to talk to him. It will just make it harder on both of us.”

 

"Well, if you're sure."

 

Jon didn’t know how to respond. He wanted more than anything to talk to Jordan. But at the same time, he had no idea how to be honest with Jordan about the way he was changing. It shouldn’t be that hard, yet his instincts were just to stay closed off. Obviously, it wasn’t healthy which is why Dave and Beth had encouraged him to be honest. But they weren’t there. So Jon simply said, “Yeah. I’m sure.”

 

Day 4:

 

Thursday morning was a little different. Dr. Hamilton wanted to do another physical exam as soon as Jon had eaten his breakfast. This time around, Jon wasn’t quite as embarrassed. After all, he had been around his dad nonstop for over 72 hours by then. And even though things weren’t necessarily good between them, Jon was used to his hovering presence.

 

Some good news came when Dr. Hamilton had Jon step on the scale to get his current weight. “This is a pleasant surprise. You’re up to 112, Jon,” he said, making a note in the chart.

 

“Wait, really? That’s like four pounds more than when I got here,” Jon said, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.

 

“It is. Which is good news.” Dr. Hamilton was always very formal, but Jon could see that even he was pleased, since he couldn’t quite contain his smile either. “I’d want to finish the exam, and then I have some physical exercises I’d like you to complete. It’s one thing if you are getting stronger just sitting around, it’s another to see if these supplements are actually making enough of a difference for you to handle the rigors and challenges of everyday life.”

 

Jon nodded. After finding out that he was actually making progress, he was determined to do whatever was needed to be done to get home. The lab wasn’t as bad as he originally expected, a little boring maybe, but not scary. Dr. Hamilton was a bit closed off, yes, but he was efficient and knew what he was talking about. 

 

~~~~~

 

Jon was in the middle of his ten minute walk on the treadmill, so Dr. Hamilton decided to use the time to study the boy’s bloodwork.

 

“I’d like to update his family today,” Superman said, glancing over at the boy, diligently completing his exercise. “What have you come up with?”

 

“Several things. My original hypothesis was correct. The reason he was so weak was because the kryptonite completely wiped out his immune system and he has been unable to contain many of the nutrients that a human body needs to function long term. Now, he is Kryptonian as well, which must be factored in, but he is obviously human enough that the lack of nutrients is causing damage.”

 

Noticing Superman’s slightly confused look. The doctor clarified. “Basically, we humans get nutrients from the foods we eat. Those nutrients give us energy, strength, things like that. When the kryptonite was in Jon’s system, it damaged his cells so they were unable to sustain those nutrients as long as a human normally can. Think of Jon as a phone with a battery that won’t charge. You can plug it in, which works for a while, but the minute you unplug it all the charge goes away.”

 

“So that’s what’s happening with Jon,” Superman said, finally understanding. “He eats food, and it gets him through, but the nutrients aren’t staying long enough to give him the strength he needs long term?”

 

“Precisely. The nutrients are keeping him alive, but aren’t doing much else. Normally, each nutrient has a different job, that’s why parents always want their kids to eat balanced meals, so those different nutrients can do their jobs. But with Jon, that’s not happening. I've never seen anything like this with human patients before, but as we said, he isn't human, so much of this is theory at this point.”

 

“So what can we do about it?”

 

“Well, some more testing for sure to find out what he needs the most and how fast his body is using the nutrients it’s given each day. But ultimately, if I can get the calculations precise, hopefully he would just have to take a few pills every day.”

 

“You really think something that simple will work?”

 

“Well it won’t be simple to figure out, but if my theory is correct, yes, that should work.”

 

Day 5:

 

The next morning Jon was much more tired than he had been the day before. The exercise had clearly taken a lot out of him. Dr. Hamilton didn't push too hard, actually Jon was the one pushing himself, desperate to prove he was getting stronger.

 

Dr. Hamilton explained his theories to Jon. At first it was a little scary to think about all the basic nutrients he had been living without. He had taken science and health classes before, learning all out vitamins, carbohydrates, and proteins. But to learn that he had essentially been living without all of things was pretty intense. 

 

Jon tried to listen as he explained the different theories he had and how he was hoping the solution would be just taking additional supplements. But meanwhile, Jon’s brain was racing a thousand miles an hour. Because he knew exactly how he had made it through the past week without all the nutrients: all the time he had spent in the sun.

 

~~~~~

 

Jordan tried to be patient as his dad explained the latest update from Dr. Hamilton. Lois of course thought it was all great news and was feeling optimistic. But all Jordan could think about was that Jon was alone in some government lab.

 

“And he really thinks that’s going to work,” Lois asked, a smile beaming across her face.

 

“Yes, Emil was pretty confident that once he does a few more tests he can determine–”

 

“How about you tell this guy to stop treating my brother like a freakin’ lab right and bring him home,” Jordan asked, angrily cutting Clark off.

 

“Look, it’s not what you think.”

 

“Yeah, you keep saying that but Jon still isn’t here.”

 

“This is just going to take some time, Jordan, but things are getting better, I promise.”

 

“Then why haven’t I heard from him? Did you take his phone away and tie him to a chair?”

 

Jordan tended to get a little over dramatic when he got worried so Clark knew he needed to calm his son’s fears before he spiraled any more.

 

“Look at me,” Clark said firmly, placing his hands on Jordan’s shoulders. “Jonathan is getting better every single day. Nothing is happening over there without his consent, okay. I promise you, he knows everything that is going on and we are taking good care of him. I don’t know why he hasn’t tried to text you, but we certainly didn’t take his phone away. He’s not being held hostage or anything like that. The main thing that is going on is that he’s in a safe environment while we try to figure out how to get him back to normal.”

 

For a second Jordan looked like he might believe his dad, but then emotions took over and Jordan used his superspeed to get away. At first he didn’t have a destination in mind. But then he realized he needed help to get Jon home, somebody that would believe him.

 

A few seconds later he was standing on the front porch of Dave and Beth’s house.

Chapter 11: Finally

Summary:

As questions are asked and answered, Jon finally gets some exciting news!

Notes:

Sorry for the long wait! The days have just been flying by. I am very curious to see what you all think of the reveals in this chapter. Thanks for reading and commenting!

-Rose

Chapter Text

Day 5…Part 2

 

Jordan stood on the Miller’s front porch with his finger poised over the doorbell. Was he really going to do this? Lois and Clark had specifically said they didn’t need Dave and Beth’s help anymore, which, in Jordan’s opinion, was a load of bull.

 

Maybe they didn’t have all the answers, but Jon had been happy there, anyone could see that. It was obvious they cared and with everything that had happened the past few months, maybe Jon really needed someone who could be on his side.

 

Even though Jordan wasn’t sure if he was doing the right thing, the fact of the matter was, Jon hadn’t answered any of his text messages. Jon had never ignored his twin like this before, not even during their worst fights, which had to mean something.

 

Taking a deep breath, Jordan pushed the doorbell. A few seconds later, the door opened and Dave was there, shocked at the visitor. “Jordan? What are you doing here?”

 

“I’m sorry. I know this must be a surprise, but I didn’t know where else to go.”

 

“Is this about Jon?”

 

Jordan nodded. The surprised look on Dave’s face changed to one of determination as he gestured for Jordan to come inside. As he led the visitor to the living room, he also called out for Beth, knowing that whatever the news was, she would want to hear it too.

 

“Jordan, what are you doing here? Is everything okay,” Beth asked, strolling into the room.

 

“I don’t think so,” he answered sadly.

 

Dave led them all to sit on the couches, then Jordan explained everything he learned from his dad over the past few days. The brunette twin explained Dr. Hamilton’s theories, how Clark claimed that Jon was fine and that he was making progress.

 

“But you don’t believe him,” Beth asked.

 

“How can I? Jon’s never gone this long without texting me back before. Every time I bring it up to my parents they just brush it off saying Jon’s going through a lot and he needs some space. But we’re twins, even when we’ve been mad or apart we’ve still communicated. This radio silence just isn’t like him,” Jordan explained, his worry and frustration obvious to the Miller’s.

 

“That does seem a bit strange,” Dave admitted. “But your dad says that Jon is well cared for?”

 

“Yeah he loves coming home and telling my mom all the good news every couple of days, but I can’t shake the feeling that something else is wrong.”

 

“What kind of good news?”

 

“He made a big deal about how Jon gained back four pounds.” Jordan rolled his eyes.

 

“But Jordan, that is good news,” Dave insisted. “I was trying to get him to gain weight back all last week and barely made any progress. It doesn’t seem like much, I know, but for Jon, right now, four pounds is a big deal. Clearly this other doctor is doing something right. What else did he say?” There was notable excitement in Dave’s voice. Jordan had been hoping for an ally who would agree that things were wrong, but Dave didn’t seem inclined to do that.

 

“Just that the kryptonite did something to Jon in terms of storing nutrients. So they’ve been giving him supplements to kind of make up for it, I think. I don’t know a lot about it. Honestly–”

 

“And that’s working,” Dave asked, his face as animated as before. “I suppose giving him nutrient supplements does kind of make sense, given everything that’s happened.”

 

“Dave! Look, I know it seems like everything is okay, but I don’t think it is.”

 

The doctor softened his expression and turned to Beth for support. She took the lead in calming the annoyed teenager. “Jordan, look, I’m sure it must be difficult not hearing from your brother, but if everything you are saying is true, and he really is improving, that’s a major win.”

 

Jordan was growing agitated. This meeting was not going the way he planned. “Okay, so what are you saying?”

 

“I’m saying let’s give it a few more days and if you haven’t heard from him, maybe then we can try something.” At Jordan’s downtrodden expression she quickly added, “This isn’t what any of us expected, but if he really is improving, maybe the space is good for him. We have to think about what Jon needs.”

 

“And what Jon needs is his brother.” Jordan retorted, before using his superspeed to rush off.

 

Day 6

 

Dr. Hamilton had been hard at work preparing pills for Jon. They had a few days of trial and error ahead, but quite frankly, Jon was just happy to get away from the daily injections.

 

He had also been forced to admit to himself that being in the sun was also making a difference. It didn’t affect him in the same way as his dad and Jordan, but it was definitely doing something. Jon still hadn’t found a way to tell his dad or Dr. Hamilton about his suspicions. 

 

Things between Jon and his dad had been…okay actually. They couldn’t really talk because Dr. Hamilton was always there. But nevertheless, father and son seemed to have settled into an alliance of sorts. It wasn’t clear exactly what their relationship would be like outside of the lab, but Clark had proven that he could be there for Jon, which was a big deal. Jon had also called and texted his mom a few times, who was very worried but ecstatic about the progress.

 

Jordan, on the other hand, was a different story. Jon couldn’t say exactly why he was ignoring the dozens of calls from his brother. He knew Jordan was worried and hoped that the reassurances from their parents would be enough to satisfy him for the time being. Every time he talked to Lois she asked if he would talk to Jordan, but Jon held off, claiming that it was easier if he kept his distance

 

It wasn’t like he wanted to avoid his twin, but because of all the secrets Jon felt disconnected. Obviously, the easy answer was just to tell his brother how he had been changing. But for some strange reason, Jon couldn't allow himself to admit it to Jordan, or anyone else.

 

Day 7

 

Even after a day, the pills had made an impact. Jon's blood work showed a lot more stability (well, as stable as the blood of a hybrid Kryptonian could be) and Dr. Hamilton was pleased. There was more work to do, like getting the measurements exactly right and figuring how often Jon needed to take the different supplements. But Dr. Hamilton was happy to report that there was a good chance Jon could leave within the week.

 

Lois was ecstatic when Clark told her and immediately brought up the subject of a welcome home party, which they both agreed was a good idea. Jordan had been moodier than usual, but even he cheered up at the prospect of Jon coming home.

 

Lois was making a list of things to do for the party when the doorbell rang. When Lois opened the door, she was shocked to find Dave and Beth Miller standing there.

 

“What are you doing here,” Lois asked, unable to keep the venom out of her voice.

 

“We’re here to apologize, mostly, and to talk, if that’s okay,” Beth said. Lois recognized the sincerity in the woman’s face and the idea of an apology was intriguing.

 

“What do you want to apologize for,” Lois asked, standing her ground.

 

“For how I treated Clark the last time we spoke. I don’t know if he mentioned it.”

 

“He did.”

 

“Right. Well, I was over the line and my emotions got the better of me. I’d like to explain,” Beth said hesitantly.

 

“He’s not here. Also, if you know you were wrong, why did it take you a week to apologize.”

 

Beth took a deep breath. “I’ve been meeting with my therapist. Issues that I thought were long resolved seemed to have popped up again. I have a better handle on things now, and I think I’m in a good enough place that I can explain my actions. I believe I owe you that much.”

 

Lois was surprised to say the least. The fact that not only did Beth admit to seeing her own therapist, but knowing that she owed the Kent’s an explanation was a big step. Lois didn’t fully trust them, but was curious where this was going. She led the Miller’s into the living room so they could have a conversation. When they were seated, Lois gestured for Beth to begin talking. 

 

“I’m not sure if Jon mentioned this to you, but Dave and I are licensed foster parents. We’ve fostered dozens of kids over the years and have found the process very rewarding. It’s always hard to let the kids go, but watching them get adopted and finding their forever families was always special. It seemed like a meaningful way to make a difference in kids’ lives…considering I can’t have my own children.”

 

Lois’ jaw dropped. She vividly remembered the pain of losing their daughter Natalie, but to be told that she would never be able to conceive a child of her own would have been heartbreaking. For the first time, Lois felt sympathy toward the other woman.

 

“Beth I’m so sorry, I can’t imagine what that must have been like.”

 

Dave took his wife’s hand and they exchanged sad glances. “It’s been hard over the years,” she admitted, squeezing her husband’s hand. “But we’ve learned to deal with it and becoming foster parents helped.” She took another deep breath and continued. “A little while back we had this boy stay with us. The situation with his family was complicated, but he was happy with us. We had decided we wanted to adopt him. His family seemed out of the picture and we knew we could give him a good home. He was with us for two years, and was the happiest little boy despite his past.”

 

Beth smiled, as she always did when she thought about Ryan. But as usual, the tears came too, since the story didn’t have a happy ending. “Anyway, right before we were going to adopt him, his father came back into the picture, convinced the courts that he was a changed man and that his son belonged with him. To this day I still don’t know how they ruled in that man’s favor, but they did.”

 

She didn’t often retell the story so the emotions took over. “They took Ryan from us so fast…we didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye…”

 

As the tears streamed down her face Dave pulled her in for a hug, knowing how hard it was for both of them to lose the boy who was going to be their son. Lois also brought over a box of Kleenexes and made sure to give them a few minutes. When Beth was more composed, she continued the story.

 

“So even though the situations were completely different, when Clark wanted to take Jon, all I could think about was that I couldn’t just stand there and let a man barge in and take away another child.”

 

Lois wanted to be sensitive, but some lines had to be established. “I understand that, but Jon was never your child. There’s a difference.”

 

“Of course there is! But at that moment the situations were just so similar that I reacted without thinking.”

 

“Jon was never going to be your child.”

 

“Right, but the love I feel for him–”

 

“Love? Okay listen here–”

 

“Wait, wait, please, I need to explain, it’s not what you think,” Beth interrupted, recognizing the fighting look on Lois’ face. “After Ryan, I didn’t think we could ever foster another child, simply because I didn’t think I had any more love to give. Being a foster parent requires a special kind of love. You try not to get attached, and you aren’t their blood relatives, but at the end of the day, the kids still need someone to guide them and be supportive. When the father took Ryan from us, it was like he took away any desire I had to care for another child.”

 

Beth took a breath and looked over at Dave, he nodded for her to continue the next part of the story. “When my husband first mentioned bringing Jonathan to stay with us, I was very against it. Having another kid in the house when I was convinced I didn’t have the capacity to care seemed like a recipe for disaster. But Dave kept saying there was something special about Jon, that he just needed some help. Eventually, I gave in, thinking I would just be civilized and get through it. But after meeting Jon, I couldn’t just stand by. Even when he was really sick he was so endearing and charming.”

 

Lois finally allowed herself to smile. “Yeah that sounds like Jon.”

 

“And I didn’t fully realize what happened until I started talking with my therapist, who showed me that I was wrong. I do have the capacity to be a foster parent and Jonathan was the one who helped me to see that. So as much as I am here to apologize, I also want to say thank you for raising a son that could be so giving and so selfless. He was always so concerned about not being too much trouble or in the way. His kind spirit broke down the walls I had put up. I never thought that would happen.”

 

Lois was speechless. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined this is how the conversation would go, but it was finally nice to get some answers about Beth’s behavior.

 

“I guess I’m not sure what to say.”

 

“Well then if you don’t mind, I would like to share some more good news. Dave and I have decided to foster again. It’s been six months since Ryan, and I know there’s some more good for us to do. After taking care of Jon, both of us are convinced that this is the right thing. And I’m going to continue to meet with my own therapist to help me deal with unresolved feelings about Ryan and making sure I can be the best foster mother I can be.”

 

Lois recognized the genuine smile in the other woman’s face and was honestly happy for her.

 

“We understand if you don’t want to see us again, but we couldn’t just leave things the way they were. Jon is a very special young man and we were happy to have him in our home. We wish you all the best going forward.”

 

Dave took his wife’s hand and led her towards the door. Lois was still a bit shell shocked about everything that had happened. She and Clark had only seen one side of the story and it had blinded them from being open to the truth. When they had first shown up she had every intention of severing ties with them. But now…

 

“Hey wait!” Lois rushed over to the door and caught the Miller’s before they left. “Listen, I’m really sorry too, about the way we treated you guys, how we didn’t handle the situation well. Everything that happened…it was all so crazy and we didn’t know how to deal with it.”

 

“It’s okay,” Dave said with a smile.

 

“And Beth,” Lois said, turning to the other woman. “I know what it’s like to lose a child and it’s something you never really get over. So I’m sorry about Ryan.”

 

“Thank you,” Beth whispered, taking the hand that Lois had extended. A moment later the two women were hugging, bonding over the indescribable loss of a child and forever changing their relationship.

 

When they parted, Lois knew there was something else that needed to be said. “I’ll have to talk to Clark, but I don’t see any reason the two of you can’t be in Jon’s life.” The bright smiles on the Miller’s faces let her know it was the right call to make. “Maybe give us some time to get things back to normal around here, but after that, I think you two could be good for Jon. After all, I don’t think Jon is ever going to want another doctor,” Lois said, giving Dave a playful glance.

 

“But what about this new guy?”

 

“Clark says he’s more of a scientist. He’s doing a good job, but when this is all done, Jon is going to need a real physician to keep him on track. That is if you don’t mind learning a little more about Kryptonian biology?”

 

“It would be an honor.”

 

“And Beth,” Lois said, turning to the other woman. “I think Jon could really benefit from therapy sessions. Maybe Clark and I could even come with him a couple times. Jon is still going through some things and if you can help him through, we would all appreciate it.”

 

“I would be happy to talk with him. I’ve learned that Jon has a tendency to hold a lot of things inside, but he also has a lot to give, too. So anything I can do to help, I’m there.”

 

“We’ll be in touch.”

 

As the Miller’s walked outside, Lois realized there was one more thing she needed to ask. “By the way, when Jon comes home, hopefully in a few days, we are going to throw him a surprise party…"

 

Day…10

 

The last couple of days had been…interesting for Jon Kent, to say the least. Dr. Hamilton had explained what he had discovered about how Jon’s body was storing and handling nutrients after the kryptonite poisoning. It was a little confusing, but considering that Jon had nothing but time and a newfound aptitude for science, he was getting a decent handle on it.

 

He still hadn’t found a way to admit to either one of his parents the effects the sun seemed to have on his system. Logically, he knew keeping it to himself wasn’t smart, but the only ones that knew were Dave and Beth, and he hadn’t heard from them. Of course, when he talked to his mom the other day, she mentioned that the Miller’s had come over and they had sorted some things out, so anything was possible.

 

Jon had been pretty busy keeping up with his homework and learning about the different types of nutrients and their effect on the body. The more he knew, the better he would be able to take care of himself without asking for help.

 

Jon was adding to his list of foods that were a good source of protein when Dr. Hamilton and Superman walked into the room. “Well, Jon, I’m pleased to say that you can go home today.”

 

The look of excitement on the boy’s face was obvious. “Really, I can?”

 

The doctor permitted himself a small smile. Of course this kid was happy. He had been through hell the past week and had to be ecstatic to be going home. And it wasn’t Emil’s business to know exactly what “home” meant for the young half-Kryptonian.

 

“Yes. I’ve determined that you are well enough to get out of here,” he said, answering the boy’s question. “You have been eating well, your endurance has improved, and the daily nutrient pills have been doing their job allowing you to function normally. And I’m especially happy to report that you weighed 119 pounds this morning.”

 

“Seriously,” Jon asked, unable to contain his shocked expression. “The last time I weighed that much was…well it’s been a while,” he said, his emotion shifting slightly to one of apparent sadness.

 

“Well, the good news is, now we have the knowledge to keep you at a healthy weight. Hopefully, you will continue to improve at home and gain even more.”

 

Jon nodded. This was a good thing. Gaining weight back had been one of his main goals. So why did hearing the high number disappoint him so much? 

 

“Emil, if you could put all your findings and documents in some sort of binder or something so I can take it back to his family.”

 

“Of course, I’ll return shortly.” The doctor left the room, giving Jon a few minutes to gather his belongings. He had been fairly tidy, but after ten days in the same room, it was only natural that he had a few things to pick up.

 

“How are you feeling, Jon,” asked Clark, visibly relaxing when Dr. Hamilton left the room.

 

“A lot better honestly, more like myself, I guess. I think I’ve been feeling like crap for so long it’s a little weird to say I actually feel okay, but I think I do.” Jon threw a sweatshirt into his duffle bag and picked up a couple of notebooks as well.

 

“That’s good to hear, son. We’ve all been really worried.”

 

“Honestly, me too,” Jon confessed. He sat on the bed and put on his sneakers, since he had been wearing socks the past few days. “I kind of felt like this day would never come. You know, I can’t decide what I’m going to do first, put on a different shirt or take a shower longer than five minutes,” Jon said, referring to the fact that warm water in the lab didn’t last long. He also only had a few sets of clothes with him and had been wearing the same ones over and over. They had been washed of course, but still, wearing the same clothes had gotten old.

 

“No, the first thing you’re going to do is hug your mom,” Clark said, with a joking smile on his face. It was a well known fact that Lois had been dying for Jon to come home. “She’s going to be so happy to see you. And believe me, she is more than ready to help keep track of the pills and nutrients and everything.”

 

Jon looked up from tying his shoe. “Wait, what?”

 

“Sure,” Clark said with a smile. “We’re both just so happy that we finally have some answers with your health. As soon as we found out you would be coming home soon, Lois got the kitchen stocked up with plenty of nutritious foods. She is really looking forward to helping you out with all this.”

 

“But Dad,” Jon said hesitantly, unsure how to proceed. “I don’t…I don’t need your help. I’ve been working hard trying to understand all this stuff so you guys don’t have to worry about it.”

 

“Not worry about it?” Clark sat down on the bed next to Jon and placed a firm hand on his son’s shoulder. “Jonathan, of course we’ve been worried, and of course we are going to continue to help you through this. Nobody expects you to deal with this on your own.”

 

“But…I mean there’s so much else going on. Jordan’s powers, you starting at the Gazette, and all the other bad things going on in the world, you’ve got enough on your plate. I can handle this.”

 

“Yes, you can.” Clark squeezed his son’s shoulder. “But you won’t have to. I promise you that Lois, Jordan and I will be right here. You’re not alone, Jonathan.”

 

Jon was speechless. Although his dad had been around for the past week and a half, they hadn’t actually talked one on one very much. Jon just assumed he would be dealing with things on his own, the way that he had for a while now. The idea that his family actually intended to be involved…was a pleasant surprise; one he wasn’t quite sure how to respond to.

 

“Dad, you guys don’t have to–”

 

“Well, we want to. I want to.”

 

Jon didn’t really know what to say after that, so he finished packing the rest of his stuff. Dr. Hamilton returned with the manila folder of information for ‘Jon’s family’ to explain what he had discovered and how they needed to take care of him going forward. Before long, Superman and and Jon had made their way up to the roof.

 

“Well bud, are you ready to go home?”

 

“Yeah I think so. It’s just crazy to think after everything this is all over. I get to go home, sleep in my own bed, hang out with Candice again. It’s like I’m finally waking up from this nightmare.”

 

“I feel the same way,” Clark said with a smile. “But we actually have one quick stop to make first.” Noticing Jon’s apprehensive look, Clark quickly answered the unspoken question. “Before we go home, I want to take you to meet Lara.”

Chapter 12: The Meeting

Summary:

Jon finally meets Lara! But does the meeting go as smoothly as he expects?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The trip to the arctic fortress didn’t take long. Before they left Clark had changed into normal clothes and explained how he was taking Lara's crystal to his old fortress since both he and Jordan preferred it compared to Tal’s fortress in the desert.

 

Jon’s initial reaction was troubling. While he thought it was one of the most beautiful, impressive structures he had ever seen, Jon also came to an uncomfortable realization. For being in the arctic, he wasn’t nearly as cold as he should have been. It was one thing when he was sitting on the porch at Dave and Beth’s house, and it was just a chilly morning, but now they were in the freaking arctic, and Jon only felt a mild chill.

 

“So what do you think?”

 

“It’s…unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Jon said, giving his dad a vague but honest answer.

 

Clark nodded and put his arms around Jon’s shoulder to give him a quick side hug. “Come on, let’s go see your grandmother.”

 

Together, they began the short trip to the entrance of the Fortress. Once inside, Jon couldn’t deny he was impressed by the interior as well. The crystallized structure was massive. Clark walked a few steps and took the amber crystal out of his pocket. Jon stayed behind, watching his father complete the action he had obviously done multiple times.

 

As Clark was inserting the crystal Jon felt a wave of panic wash over him. He was really about to meet Lara, the woman he had heard so much about from both his dad and brother. His grandmother.

 

His Krytonian grandmother.

 

Would she really want to meet her powerless grandson? Well, he wasn’t exactly powerless anymore…but he wasn’t a normal Kryptonian either. Did that mean she would be just as disappointed in him as everyone else in his life?

 

Suddenly, Jon realized he couldn’t handle meeting another person who thought he was a screw up. So he rushed outside, desperate to get out of the situation.

 

A moment later, the luminous AI of Lara Lor-Van appeared in the room.

 

“Kal-El, my son. What a pleasure to see you.”

 

“It’s wonderful to see you as well. Mother, I’d like you to–Oh no!”

 

The moment Clark noticed Jon was missing he sped out of the cave. Stopping at the entrance, he looked out over vast, arctic wasteland. Where could Jon be? Could he have gotten very far?

 

Just as he was about to superspeed off to look for his son, Clark heard a sniffling sound nearby. He took a few hesitant steps toward the sound and was surprised to find his son sitting down near the wall of the fortress.

 

Jon had pulled his knees up and laid his crossed arms on top of them. His head was buried in his arms and he was obviously crying.

 

“Jonathan. Buddy, are you okay?”

 

Startled, Jon looked up, his eyes wide as he took in his dad’s presence.

 

“Dad!” He tried subtly to wipe away the tears on his face. “I thought you would be a few more minutes.”

 

“What’s wrong,” Clark asked, taking a few hesitant steps toward his son. He didn’t know what was going on, but clearly he needed to tread carefully.

 

“Nothing. I’m fine. Sorry for disappearing.”

 

Realizing that was about as far as possible from the truth, Clark sat down next to Jon. “Son, it’s okay if everything isn’t fine.”

 

“Well it is.”

 

Clark gently put a hand on Jon’s knee. “You were crying. That means something is going on. Are you feeling sick,” Clark asked, suddenly alarmed that something might once again be wrong with Jon’s health.

 

“No, no. It’s nothing like that.”

 

Even though Jon’s instincts were to keep denying that anything was wrong, he had made a lot of progress with his dad in the last few days. Clark left a couple of times, of course, but a majority of the time he was right there next to Jon, watching and supervising. He had to be fairly subtle so that Dr. Hamilton wouldn’t get suspicious, but still, Jon felt his dad’s eyes on him almost 24/7.

 

“Just thinking about finally meeting Lara got me a little overwhelmed, I guess.”

 

“Why is that,” Clark asked, his voice patient and steady.

 

“I wasn’t sure she would actually want to meet me. I thought maybe…she would be disappointed.”

 

This time Clark had to work to keep his voice even. “Why would you think that?”

 

“I’ve already disappointed so many people. I don’t think I could handle it if I let down someone else,” Jon confessed quietly.

 

“Jon, there’s no way that she would be–”

 

“Come on Dad, I failed the entire football team. I let down you and Mom. I was a bad brother to Jordan. Hell, I’m not even a normal Kryptonian. If we told her all that she wouldn’t want anything to do with me.”

 

“Son, I promise you, Lara's not like that. She’s not going to care about any of those things. Besides, if Lara is disappointed in anyone it’s me, not you.”

 

“You? Get real Dad, you’re like the perfect son.”

 

“Perfect? Me? You must be thinking of someone else,” Clark said, with a shake of his head. “I promise you, I have always been far from perfect, especially when I was your age. After my dad died, I was so confused about myself and who I was meant to be. I was often out of control and my mom could only do so much, especially because until that point my d ad was the one I mostly talked about my powers with.”

 

“Okay, so you acted out because your dad died. I think that’s a little more understandable than taking…than what I did,” Jon finished softly.

 

“Jon, we’re not talking about who screwed up more, that’s not the point. Besides, there’s really no comparison.”

 

The boy looked down in shame, thinking his dad had once again made it clear how he truly felt about Jon’s actions from earlier in the fall. But just when Jon thought he couldn’t have any lower of an opinion of himself, Clark surprised him once again.

 

“It’s me, Jonathan, me. I’m the one who has screwed up way more times. How could you even think I’m talking about you?”

 

“Because you’re Superman,” Jon mumbled, not daring to believe his dad. “And I’m the kid who took drugs.”

 

“That’s the thing, Jon, you made one mistake. A mistake that you have apologized and been making up for since it happened. That doesn’t mean you’re a screw-up for life.”

 

Jon finally looked over at his father with a shred of hope in his eyes. “But you…you were so disappointed…I thought…”

 

“Go on,” Clark gently encouraged when Jon paused.

 

“I thought you hated me,” he whispered, tears gathering again in the corners of his eyes. “I thought I wasn’t good enough to be your son anymore, that you didn’t love me the same as Jordan.”

 

At Jon’s admission, Clark’s eyes turned from shock and surprise to burning intensity. A second later he was pulling Jon to his feet, leaving the boy terrified, wondering what his father was going to do next.

 

To his surprise, Clark pulled him in for a bone crushing hug (after all, he was Superman, he could do that). Jon wasn’t exactly sure what brought the hug on, but wasn’t going to turn it away and found himself enjoying his father’s warm and comforting embrace.

 

When they pulled back, Jon was surprised to see tears in his dad’s eyes. “Jonathan,” he whispered, his voice laced with emotion. “I could never ever hate you. You’re my son. We haven’t talked much about the X-K, and that’s my fault. But my love and affection isn’t something you have to be good enough for, or earn. It was there the moment you were born. If I had to choose between saving the whole world or you, I would choose you in a second.” He placed his hands on the side of Jon’s face. “Because I love you Jonathan. I love you so much.”

 

“I love you too, Dad.” This time Jon initiated the hug. He buried his face in Clark’s shoulders, feeling like a little kid again who just wanted his dad. Jon had felt like a disappointment for so long, but hearing how much Clark loved him basically erased the heavy burden he had been carrying around.

 

When they finally pulled back, Clark just looked at his son, heartbroken that Jon had such a low opinion of himself but thankful that his health had significantly improved and that they had a chance to make things right. Neither one quite knew what to say.

 

Jon finally broke the silence. “Is it true Dad? Would you really ignore the needs of the rest of the world just for me?”

 

“Absolutely. Without question,” Clark answered confidently, knowing his son needed the reassurance.

 

“I don’t know Dad, that’s kind of irresponsible.” A look of confusion crossed Clark’s face, so Jon finished his thought. “That’s a lot of other people you would be leaving alone, including Mom and Jordan. Mom would probably be pretty pissed and can you really afford to get on her bad side again?”

 

Clark’s face broke out into a smile as he realized Jon was joking. “First of all, watch your language. And second, maybe we don’t tell your mom that part,” Clark answered, continuing the joke.

 

Jon pretended to consider for a moment then he nodded. “Deal.”

 

“Great. So what do you think, you want to go meet Lara?”

 

“You really think she wants to meet me?”

 

Clark put his arm around his son’s shoulder. “I know she does.”

 

“Then let’s do it.”

 

When they walked back into the arctic cavern, Jon was still nervous, but he knew his dad was by his side, which made it more bearable.  As they entered, Jon’s eyes were immediately drawn to the beautiful, glowing woman slightly hovering, but looking anxious.

 

“Kal! You ran off so suddenly, is everything all right?”

 

“Yes, Mother, everything is just fine.” Clark’s voice was steady and calm. He also kept an arm around Jon as if he knew his son was a little uncomfortable. “I wanted to introduce my son Jonathan to you.”

 

Lara looked over and registered that her son had an arm around a boy she had never seen before. Even though she was just an AI, Jon still shrank back under her stern eyes. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe she didn’t really want to meet him. Maybe she really was disappointed that he wasn’t more like his dad and Jordan. 

 

Just when Jon thought he would burst from the tension, Lara smiled and simply said, “Finally.”

 

Jon looked over at his Dad in confusion. “I told you she’s been wanting to meet you for a while, son. Every time I stopped by, it didn’t matter what I came to talk about, she always asked about you.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Every single time,” Lara said, confirming Clark’s earlier statement. “Kal, could you bring him closer so I could have a better look?”

 

Clark kept his hand supportively on his son’s shoulder and guided him further into the chamber until they were standing right in front of Lara.

 

She studied him for a few moments before smiling once again. “He looks exactly like Jor-El when he was a boy.”

 

“I do?” Jon was surprised. He had always felt like the odd one out in that he didn’t look like the rest of his family. But apparently he was the spitting image of his Kryptonian grandfather.

 

Well, that was a lot to process.

 

“You really do. It brings me such joy to see our family genetics carried on so strongly. You are truly a gift, Jonathan.”

 

“Um, th-thanks, Grandma,” Jon said, blushing and feeling a little awkward about the formal woman’s strong praises.

 

“Kal told me you were unwell, but you seem to have improved vastly from the way he was describing. Are you feeling better?”

 

Jon blushed again. “Yes, I’m doing much better now.”

 

“He was so ill, Kal, what exactly was the problem?”

 

For the next few minutes Clark explained to Lara about the Kryptonite and how it altered Jon’s cells, leaving him very sick and weak. She asked questions at the right time and Clark answered them as best as he could.

 

Jon knew he should be polite, and pay attention to the conversation between the adults. But instead, he found that he could only stare at Lara. She had claimed that he looked just like Jor-El, but Jon was struck by the resemblance between Lara and himself.

 

Her strong cheekbones were nearly identical to his own. Their eyes and mouths were the same shape. And when she smiled again, for Jon, it was almost like looking in a mirror. The more he watched her, he also noticed similarities in their mannerisms too, like the way she raised her eyebrows or tilted her head.

 

After weeks of feeling like he didn’t belong and that he was a freak Jonathan had finally found himself in the holographic version of the grandmother he would never actually meet.

 

How crazy was that?

 

“Jonathan, it brings me such joy to see you looking well and strong. I must confess the way your father had been talking I was worried our first interaction would be Kal bringing your unconscious body to me. I am simply thrilled that was not the case.”

 

“It almost happened a couple of times,” Clark said with a slight chuckle, trying to make light of the situation. “But Jon is very strong and fought really hard to get where he is now.”

 

“Has this ordeal been challenging for you, Jonathan?” Lara asked, turning back to her grandson. Jon was taken aback. After everything that happened, no one had ever actually asked him that before.

 

“Yeah, honestly it has been pretty tough, but I’ve had a lot of great people around me.”

 

“I know we’ve just met, but I think I would like to be one of those people for you Jonathan, if that’s alright.”

 

Jon allowed himself a small smile. “Yeah, actually I think I would like that.”

 

“That is excellent news. I only wish I could have helped earlier. But Kal didn’t bring you to visit, which we will be discussing later,” Lara said, looking at Clark, her expression icy. “But now that you are both here, perhaps I can offer some assistance. If you would step forward Jonathan, I can run a scan to–”

 

“No,” Jon said, the alarm obvious in his voice. “It’s okay, I’m fine.”

 

“But you’re my grandson, I have been waiting to help you.”

 

“Really, I don’t need it.”

 

“Jon, listen I know it seems scary, but I promise it will be fine and it won’t hurt at all. This is something we should have done a long time ago,” Clark said, trying to comfort Jon.

 

The nervous teen looked back and forth between his father and the AI of his grandmother who he looked surprisingly similar to. They both had looks of concern on their faces and it was obvious they wanted to help. But Jon had a pretty good idea of what the scans would show. Was he ready to show his family the truth about his physiology and everything he had been hiding from them?

 

It appeared he might not have a choice.

Notes:

Well there you have it! After all this time, Jon finally met Lara. Now we just have the epilogue left where Jon finally comes home :)

Thanks for reading and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Chapter 13: Epilogue...Part 1

Summary:

After being at the Miller's, then a lab, Jon is finally ready to come back home to Smallville.

Notes:

Hey all! Sorry about the massive break in between posts, life has gotten a bit insane over the past week and I've been working on the story, I swear, it's just been a lot.

But enough about that! I'm so excited to present you the conclusion of this story. I worked a long time trying to figure out how best to convey my ideas and I hope you all enjoy it.

Thanks so much for being patient, you all are the best :)

Enjoy!!!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Clark and Jon were driving back to the farmhouse in Clark’s old truck. Lois had dropped it off on the outskirts of Smallville and gotten a ride back to the farm with John Henry and Natalie. They all thought it would be easier for Jon to ride in a vehicle for a while instead of flying the whole way.

 

The ride was quiet and…awkward. It was obvious they were both thinking about what had been revealed from the scans at the Fortress. Neither one quite knew what to say, so silence ensued. 

 

Jon wished more than anything that they would hurry up and get to the farm so he could finally get back to his own room for some peace and quiet. The past few weeks had been pretty insane. Things weren’t getting better, necessarily, but they appeared to be moving in the right direction at least, which was good. Jon could deal with everything that came next, if he could just have a little time alone without anybody hovering over his shoulder. It seemed like everyone in his life had been so worried about him these days, which was understandable but it could still be a lot.

 

Especially after the last week in the lab.

 

The place hadn’t been bad, but either his dad, Dr. Hamilton, or both were always there, leaving him with absolutely no privacy. It’s not that Jon had stuff to hide necessarily, he just needed some time to think through things. And having to constantly act like he was okay had been exhausting.

 

When Jon saw the familiar driveway, he finally relaxed; home was within his grasp. Clark looked over and saw the longing in Jon’s eyes as he stared out the window. “Glad to be home?”

 

“You have no idea,” Jon said softly. He had never really appreciated the quaint farmhouse until that moment. It wasn’t going to win any awards in housing magazines, and people wouldn’t be rushing to visit, but at that moment Jon wanted more than anything to be able to just walk through the front door. “Hey, could you drive a little faster?”

 

Clark chuckled. “Sure, bud.” They were already in the driveway, so he couldn’t actually go a lot faster, but knowing how eager his son was, Clark did in fact increase his speed. He hadn’t even stopped the truck when Jon pushed the passenger door open. Jon was so anxious to get inside that he didn’t attempt to get his bags. It was no problem for Clark to carry them and he was pleased to see just how ready Jon was to come home. He may have moved a little faster than humanly possible so he could be right behind Jon when he opened the front door.

 

Clark wanted to see this.

 

Jonathan had barely pushed open the door when he was greeted by a loud chorus of, “Welcome home, Jon!” He jumped back slightly, completely surprised by all the guests standing there in the entryway. Lois and Jordan were right at the front, obviously. Grandpa Lane and Aunt Lucy were next, which was a nice surprise because Jon hadn’t seen them in weeks. Candice was standing next to Natalie and John Henry, all with big smiles on their faces. Surprisingly, Dave and Beth were there too, looking completely at ease in the Kent home.

 

Overwhelmed, Jon turned back to his dad for some sort of explanation. Clark affectionately put his hand on Jon’s shoulder. “We thought it would be a nice surprise for you,” he explained. A second later, Lois had completely enveloped her son in the world’s biggest hug.

 

“Welcome home, baby,” she whispered. “I missed you so much.”

 

Jon returned the hug and buried his face in his mom’s chocolate brown hair. “Missed you too, Mom.” He knew Lois would be emotional, but Jon hadn’t expected those same feelings from himself.

 

Clark had been surprisingly great at the lab, being supportive and available if Jon had needed anything. But sometimes, a person just needed a hug from their mom.

 

Jon had been so focused on himself and doing what needed to be done to get home that he kind of forgot just how much he missed his mom. Sure, they had talked over the phone and texted a few times, but it just wasn’t the same as seeing her in person.

 

She finally pulled back and took his face in her hands, staring at him, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Jon was actually home. She ran her fingers through his honey curls and attempted to hold back the building tears.

 

Knowing she needed to keep her emotions in check, Lois stepped aside so Jordan could have a chance to greet his brother. He had just started to open his arms for a hug when Jon abruptly made the statement, “Good to see you bro,” and moved on to Candice and Natalie. Jon didn’t have to see his brother’s face to know how hurt he was by the cold shoulder.

 

 It’s not that Jon wanted to avoid his brother, he just needed time to wrap his head around some things. Being around Jordan would just make it harder.

 

Jon moved his way around the room, getting lots of hugs and kisses from his family and friends. Eventually he got around to Dave and Beth. “Wow, it’s so great to see you guys. But honestly, I’m kind of surprised to see you here.”

 

“We had a really good talk with your mom a few days ago,” Dave explained. “And now we’re all on the same page. She’s actually the one who invited us.”

 

“And, even though you probably want some space from doctors for a while,” Lois interjected, “I officially asked Dave to be your personal physician going forward.”

 

“Really,” Jon asked, unable to keep the pleasure out of his voice. He had grown to care about both Beth and Dave and was glad that they would still be in his life. Lois was totally right though, Jon could use a break from doctors. But the next time his parents undoubtedly made him go in for a checkup, he definitely wanted Dave to be the one he saw.

 

“Yep,” Beth said, taking a few steps forward. “And your parents are totally okay if we…chat sometimes,” she said carefully. Based on some of the people in the room, Beth didn’t know if Jon wanted all of them to know he would be going to therapy so she chose her words carefully so as not to embarrass the boy.

 

A big smile filled Jon’s face. “That would be awesome. It’s so great to see you guys.” Jon moved forward and pulled Beth in for a big hug. The woman had helped him so much in the past weeks and apparently was going to continue to do so. While Jon wasn’t crazy about the idea of going to therapy, if he was going to talk to anyone, he wanted it to be Beth.

 

Over the last few days the strange circumstances had forced Jon to be honest with himself about a lot of things, one of which was that was going to need some help with his mental health. He had told his parents earlier that he wanted to talk with Beth, but he hadn’t fully accepted it until the past few days.

 

Jon knew his family members were going to want him to open up to them eventually, but talking things over with Beth first seemed like a good idea. She had this great way of getting to the root of the problem without going around in circles. Plus, she never pressured him to give answers about things, but allowed him to take the time that he needed to organize his thoughts.

 

He hugged Dave next, pleased that both the Miller’s had been invited to this gathering. They had been such a big part of his journey of healing that it only seemed right.

 

“So what now,” Jon asked his mom, after that last hug.

 

“Now, we eat,” she answered. “There’s plenty of snacks and drinks in the living room.”

 

“Come on, Kent, I’ve been waiting for a long time to beat you at Madden, and I’m not going to wait any longer,” Natalie said, tossing an arm around Jon’s shoulders, leading him into the living room where, coincidentally, the game console was all set up.

 

“Don’t worry, babe, I’m sure you will do great,” Candice said, being the supportive girlfriend as always. She kissed Jon’s cheek and took his hand. Like many of the others in the room, she had really missed him in the last couple weeks and was jumping at the opportunity to be close to him.

 

Overall, it was a nice afternoon. The kids ate snacks and played video games while the adults talked about various topics in the kitchen and dining room. Lois and Clark tried to give the teenagers their space, knowing it was necessary.

 

When it was obvious that Jon would be coming home Lois had called Beth on the phone, asking what they could do to make Jon’s transition back home as easy as possible. Beth’s advice was simple: be affectionate, let him know how much you missed him but give him space the first few days. Jon had probably felt like he was kind of under a microscope the past few weeks, so the best thing for him was to feel normal. And he couldn’t do that if his parents were watching every move he made.

 

So for the most part, they left the kids to themselves in the living room. Naturally, Lois and Clark both checked in on Jon a few times, just to make sure that everything was fine, and it always was. After a while they began checking in simply to enjoy watching the scene play out. Their house had gone too long without laughter and Jon’s presence really brought light back into their home.

 

~~~~~

 

Candice rarely left Jon’s side, as if she was worried he would disappear if she wasn’t right there. She was definitely holding his hand and kissing his cheek a lot more than she usually did around other people, but nobody really said anything. It made sense, considering she was more in the dark than anyone, that she would be especially attached to her boyfriend. She had been talking to Jon over the past ten days over text, but he hadn’t been able to reveal much. So for Candice, finally being with Jon and seeing for herself that he was okay was a big deal.

 

The first thing she had done when he walked in was really look at him. From the way he had been talking, she expected him to appear just as sick as before. But the truth was, he looked better than she could have imagined, better than he had in a couple of months. Right away, Candice noticed her boyfriend’s face was fuller, healthier, and had lost that sunken sallow look that had been present for so long. And when she hugged him, Candice was pleased that she could no longer feel his ribs or his collar bone protruding against his skin.

 

Which meant he had gained weight!

 

After all the weeks of being worried about how skinny he was, Jon had finally gained weight back. And it was more than just a pound or two, at least ten if her prediction was correct. Maybe she didn’t have all the answers about where he had been or what happened, but being able to see for herself how much he had physically improved was more than enough to keep Candice going.

 

~~~~~

 

Overall, Jon had enjoyed the afternoon. It was a lot of work acting like things were normal, but it made the situation easier all around and less awkward for everyone. He was especially grateful to Natalie. Her casual attitude about beating him at Madden made him feel like it was any other day. Candice was affectionate as usual and he was pleased to see that her feelings for him hadn’t wavered at all.

 

The only real downside was that he didn’t know what to say to Jordan. He had quite obviously avoided his brother for the past few weeks without giving him a real reason why. Jordan was certainly hurting and Jon wasn't sure how to fix it. The truth was, he really just needed some space to himself to work through some things. He had tried telling Jordan that, but his brother wasn’t convinced.

 

Jon tried to put the trouble with his brother out of his mind and focus on the intriguing situation that had come up. A few minutes ago Dave had asked to see Jon on the front porch, alone. It took a little while to break away, but he was finally making his way to the porch, beyond curious what his friend wanted to talk about.

 

When he pushed open the front door, Jon was pleased to see not just Dave, but Beth waiting for him on the porch as well. “Hey guys, what’s– wait Beth, are you crying?”

 

“No, I’m fine, really,” she said, wiping the way the tears Jon had immediately noticed.

 

“You are crying. Beth, are you okay? What happened?” Jon shut the door behind him and walked over the visibly upset woman.

 

“Really, it’s okay. These are happy tears.”

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

“Jonathan…you look wonderful. I mean, to see you laughing with your friends and eating snacks so casually…it’s more than I could have hoped for this soon after you left us.”

 

Jon wanted to make sure he heard her correctly. “So, you’re happy?”

 

“It’s more like, overjoyed. I hoped that you would be able to get to this place, but to actually witness it for myself…well I’m really not sure I have the words.”

 

“Wow, Beth. I forgot how much of a sap you are,” Jon said with a joking twinkle in his eye. Then he opened his arms and gave Beth a big hug, sensing that she needed one. 

 

She eventually pulled back and Jon turned to Dave. “So what did you want to talk to me about?”

 

Dave’s smile faltered a bit as he decided how best to answer the question. “This is obviously a big day for you, and I don’t want to bring things down. But I have to ask, how are you really?”

 

“Better than I was,” Jon said, opting to start with the vague but honest truth. “There’s still a lot of unknowns, but physically I’m a lot better than I was.”

 

“And how was it being in that lab?”

 

Jon stiffened. Much like Beth, Dave was really good at getting right to the root of the problem. “It’s not a process that I care to repeat,” Jon answered, a bit hesitant. “But it was definitely what I needed at the time and it gave me a lot of answers.”

 

“Your dad gave me the file with all of Dr. Hamilton’s research and findings.” Dave made sure to proceed cautiously, knowing the issue was undoubtedly sensitive for Jon. “I’ve only glanced through it and I will need to look into it more in depth, but based on what I’ve seen so far…things are quite a bit different and maybe more complicated than we expected.”

 

“Yeah, you could say that,” Jon muttered, leaning against the railing of the porch.

 

“Which means we have some things to work through, going forward, but Jon, we will get through this.” He put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I have no doubt in my mind that things will be just fine and that you can handle anything.”

 

Jon nodded. “It’s just kinda…kinda hard I guess, you know, not being sure of the future and not really understanding myself anymore.”

 

“Of course it’s hard,” Beth said, taking a few steps closer, putting an arm around Jonathan as well. “It would be difficult for anyone, but especially being as young as you are, I can’t imagine the emotional and physical toll it’s taken on you. But you have a group of people who love you and are going to be by your side through everything that comes next. We can’t necessarily take the pain away, but we won’t leave you alone either.”

 

Jon didn’t quite have the words to express how he was feeling, so he just leaned his head on Beth’s shoulder. After a few moments, she pulled him in for a full hug, sensing that this time around he needed it.

 

At that moment, Jon knew things would be okay. Maybe he didn’t have all the answers, and the future was scary as hell. But Beth’s words finally resonated with him. He had a group of people around him that were going to be there whether he tried to shut them out or not.

 

He was on the road to healing.

 

Things weren’t perfect yet, but they were getting there, slowly but surely.

Notes:

I know, I know, you're probably thinking, Rose, what the hell? Where is the Jon and Jordan reunion moment you promised us? Never fear, that is the entire focus of the epilogue part 2, coming very soon!

The scene between the twins was just too good that I had to give it its own chapter.

Thanks again for reading, and I would love to read your comments below :)

Chapter 14: Epilogue...Part 2

Summary:

After a day of catching up with his family, Jordan and Jon finally have a talk.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

When Jon had opened the front door to find all those people waiting for him, he had been quite shocked. He had wanted to take a shower and lay down in his own bed for the next several hours. Instead, he had spent the entire afternoon playing video games, eating snacks and laughing with his family and friends as if nothing had changed. But the whole time, he was acting. Everything had changed, and he had been internally freaking out for a couple of weeks straight.

 

Of course he couldn’t outwardly show how he was feeling about everything because it would have freaked his dad out and possibly made Dr. Hamilton keep him at the lab longer.

 

Nope, as usual, Jonathan Kent needed to keep his opinions to himself.

 

In between all the video games and snacks, Jon had some good conversations with his parents as well as Dave and Beth. None of them seemed to expect him to keep up the charade, which was appreciated.

 

There would obviously be important discussions in the future, but the adults seemed content to just give him the rest of the day to get readjusted to being back at home, which he very much appreciated.

 

Lois was quite concerned about the fact that the scans at the Fortress had were unclear whether or not Jon would ever develop powers. She was a journalist and liked clear, distinct answers. Of course, Jon knew he should have mentioned that he had already felt energized by the sun, but he decided that was a conversation that could wait until the next day.

 

Eventually Jon had pulled the “I’m tired” card and said that he wanted to shower and get to bed. There were the initial worried looks, but Jon claimed that he really was fine, just a little tired and didn’t want to overdo it.

 

Saying goodbye took a little longer than he might have wanted. Everyone wanted a hug and to tell him how happy they were that he was home. It was understandable, but Jon really wanted some time alone.

 

Dave and Beth promised to get in touch soon and Candice made it clear that she would be visiting often until Jon was back in school. He gave both his parents a hug goodnight and finally managed to get away and up to his room. 

 

The first thing he did was grab some pajamas and head straight for the shower in the bathroom that he and Jordan shared. The shower at the lab had been okay, but it always ran out of hot water way too fast. Meanwhile the boys’ bathroom had hot water that ran for days. Granted, maybe the paisley shower curtain was a little girly and fixtures on the sink were pretty outdated, but it was home.

 

~~~~~

 

There really was nothing like a warm shower to make you relaxed and forget about all your problems. Even though he had a lot to figure out, Jon didn’t want to worry about any big picture things that night. His game plan for the evening was simple: get under all the blankets on his bed, and watch an action movie on his phone until he fell asleep.

 

Jon had just laid down on his soft bed when there was a knock at the door. He had to resist the urge to groan or complain. He had a plan damn it. “Yeah, who is it,” he asked instead, doing his best to sound polite even though he was quite annoyed.

 

The door slowly opened, and Jordan peeked his head in. “Hey man, can we talk for a bit?”

 

Jon knew the polite thing would be to say yes, but the truth was, after being a lab rat for almost two weeks, entertaining company and acting like everything was alright through all of it, he really, really , just needed some alone time.

 

“Actually, can we do this tomorrow? I’m super tired.”

 

"This won’t take long, then you can sleep.” Jordan fully entered the room and shut the door.

 

Okay, two could be stubborn, Jon thought, before answering Jordan. “I believe you, but really, I just need some sleep, I can barely function. We can talk tomorrow.”

 

“Yeah, except that we won’t,” Jordan said, taking a few more steps into the room. “You’ll just find some other excuse to continue avoiding me.”

 

“What? No, come on, I’m not–”

 

“Yes, you are. Don’t treat me like an idiot, Jon, okay? When you were gone you texted and called everyone but me, you didn’t play video games with me today, every time I tried to talk to you, you walked away, and when you got home today, you hugged everyone but me. So what the hell, man? Did I piss you off or something?”

 

Jon sat up. “No, it’s not–”

 

“Then what? What could possibly be the reason that at one of the most difficult times in your life you confided in everyone but me.”

 

Jon shook his head, slightly. “You don’t understand…it’s just easier, okay?”

 

“I’m your twin brother, dumbass, how could staying away from me possibly be easier?” Jordan was starting to get pretty fired up. His brother had been avoiding him for a while now, and he was determined to get answers one way or another.

 

“Because it just is. Now leave me alone,” Jon instructed, clenching his teeth, trying his best to stay in control.

 

“No way,” Jordan said defiantly, shaking his shaggy mop of curls. “Everyone’s been telling me to give you space, but I think you’ve had enough damn space. And I’m not going anywhere until we talk about this.”

 

“Jordan, I’m not asking, or telling you anymore, I’m begging, please just leave me alone.”

 

Jon’s sincere words had the opposite effect he wanted on his brother. “Well that might be the stupidest thing you’ve ever said. I know you better than anyone–”

 

“No you don’t,” Jon insisted. “You don’t know me, not anymore, we’re basically not even twins now.”

 

“Okay, I take it back, that is officially the stupidest thing you’ve ever said. How could you say that we aren’t twins?”

 

“Because I’m a freak,” Jon yelled. His brother had finally pushed his buttons enough that Jon exploded in anger. “I’m literally a genetic freak and you’re so perfect that I can’t even stand to be around you right now.”

 

Jordan was shell-shocked. “What?”

 

“You’re like this example of a perfect Kryptonian and I’m like a science experiment gone wrong.”

 

Jon could see Jordan was going to try and protest so he kept talking.

 

“You have all these powers. I mean, you can fly and shoot freaking lasers out of your eyes. And I was okay with that, you know, I was okay being the powerless sibling, but I never thought I would be the freak,” Jon said bitterly.

 

“You’re not–”

 

“Yes, I am,” Jon exclaimed, interrupting his brother again. “The kryptonite mutated my damn cells so now I have headaches and I have to take nutrient supplements and I’m this weird hybrid creature that’s not fully human and not fully Kryptonian. I’ve been a lab rat for the past two weeks. And, if that wasn’t enough, my cells are so messed up now that there’s no way to know anything about my future.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Before we came home, Dad took me to the Fortress so Lara could scan me.”

 

“What did she find out,” Jordan asked. The whisper in his voice contrasted with the erratic beating of his heart.

 

“That I have both human and Kryptonian genetics, obviously, but because of the Kryptonite that poisoned my system, my cells were completely mutated and so messed up that she had never seen anything like it. That also means she can’t predict anything about my future or whether or not I’ll ever have powers. That’s how messed up I am, Jordan. The AI of our alien grandmother has never seen anything like me before and didn’t have any concrete answers.”

 

“Are you–”

 

“No, Jordan, I’m obviously not okay,” Jon said, finishing his brother’s thought before he could speak it out loud. “I told you, I just want some space.”

 

Jordan’s heart was breaking for his twin because he remembered what it was like to learn you weren’t the person you always thought you were and feeling like a freak. Even after they found out their dad was Superman last year, Jon was the one who took it in stride and comforted Jordan. Somehow the roles had gotten reversed and now Jon was the one that needed the comforting. 

 

He needed concern, care, and compassion, not space.

 

Jonathan needed his twin.

 

So without a second thought, Jordan crossed over to the bed, sat down and pulled Jon in for a big hug. The fair-haired twin was certainly surprised by the gesture and tried to push Jordan away. Using his elevated strength, Jordan kept Jon in his embrace.

 

“Dude, let me go,” Jon said, trying unsuccessfully to push back against Jordan’s arms and shoulders.

 

“No,” Jordan said simply, tightening his arms around his brother. “I’m never leaving you.”

 

Jon fought back harder. “Just let me go!”

 

“Don’t you see, Jon, it doesn’t matter what the kryptonite did or how different you think you are, I’m always going to be right here by your side.” Jordan’s voice quivered because he was getting emotional.

 

“I don’t need you,” Jon yelled, fighting hard against his brother. Of course, his efforts were pointless. Jordan was too strong and easily kept a hold on Jonathan.

 

“I don’t care,” Jordan whispered quietly.

 

“We’re so different now and I don’t… I don’t want to be different from you.”

 

Jordan finally let Jon go, but kept a firm grip on his shoulders. He stared directly into Jon’s eyes with the intention of speaking plainly and directly.

 

“Jonathan Kent. Listen to me. I love you more than anyone or anything in this world…but you’re a dumbass.”

 

Jon’s anger quickly rose again. “What-”

 

“You’re a dumbass if you think we haven’t been physically and mentally different our whole lives. We’re fraternal twins. We’ve always looked different.”

 

Jon finally settled down as he took in his brother’s logic. 

 

“Besides that, we’ve always acted differently and had totally opposite interests. I like Star Trek, video games, and alternative music. You like sports, being social, and action movies.”

 

“That’s true,” Jon agreed, considering his brother’s words. Jordan was relieved to see his twin might finally be listening to reason and worked to hold back his mischievous smirk as he got another idea.

 

“And there’s so many other ways we’re different, like the way I’m good looking and you aren’t.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Yeah, kinda sucks you got the ugly genes. Or the way that I’m good at school and you’re not.”

 

“I had a 4.0 grade average last year,” Jon protested.

 

“Yeah, but everybody knows I’m smarter. Or how the way I dress is really cool and you have no sense of style.”

 

Jon had been pretty sure his brother was joking with him, but now he knew for sure. Even though Jordan had been totally wrong with his assessments, which was probably the point, Jon appreciated the attempt at lightening the situation. “Woah, woah, woah, now you’re just taking things too far. If you think you are better looking and smarter than me, we might have a major problem.”

 

“Alright fine, maybe that’s up for debate. But Jon,” the brunette twin said, his tone growing more serious again, “it doesn’t matter what things have changed in the past few months. We’re still just us.”

 

Jon’s smile faltered, but he didn’t answer.

 

“You don’t believe me,” Jordan stated, basically reading his brother’s mind.

 

“Everything has changed, Jor. I’m a completely different person these days, physically and mentally. We’re not the same people we used to be,” a look of sadness was evident on his face.

 

“Maybe we aren’t exactly the same people we were when we were ten, or twelve, or even fourteen,” Jordan agreed with a shrug. “But that’s called growing up, man. You change and mature; it’s part of life. Now, it’s true that we both have changed a bit more than other kids our age. But it’s still going to be okay.”

 

Jon turned to his brother. “How can you say that knowing how messed up I am?”

 

“Because you have a family that loves and supports you no matter what. And you have me. I always have your back.”

 

“Sorry I said that I didn’t want you around. It isn’t true.”

 

Jordan chuckled. “I know. Relax, man, it’s forgotten.” He casually clapped his brother on the back; a familiar gesture. “There’s still one thing I don’t quite get though.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Why did you try to shut me out for so long?”

 

Jon stiffened. “I told you. I didn’t like the idea of being so different from you and just needed some space to deal with that,” he answered quickly.

 

“I don’t believe that,” Jordan said, immediately calling his brother out. Despite their radical differences they had always been able to be completely honest with each other, which is why Jon’s hesitancy was so strange. “Come on, man, you can tell me anything.”

 

Jon bit his lip as he often did when he was nervous. “Yeah, I know, it’s just…”

 

Jordan could see his brother was struggling to find the words, so he gently squeezed Jon’s shoulder. He didn’t say anything, recognizing not to push him; Jon would talk when he was ready. Jon opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, not quite sure how to verbalize his thoughts.

 

Jordan was patient, giving Jon the time he needed. After a few minutes the blonde haired twin uttered the quiet words, “I didn’t want to drag you down.”

 

Of all the things Jordan thought Jon might say, that certainly wasn’t it. “Why would you think that,” Jordan whispered, completely shocked at his brother’s confession.

 

“It’s like I told you earlier,” Jon said, trying to ignore the tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. “You have all these amazing Kryptonian powers and a bright future ahead. Everything with me is so complicated right now. And I just thought you didn’t deserve to deal with all that,” he mumbled quietly.

 

“Deal with? Jon, no, it’s not like that. I wanna be there and help you.” Jordan shook his head in disbelief. “You aren’t some inconvenience or a burden. You’re my twin brother.”

 

“Exactly, which makes letting you down so much worse.”

 

Jordan had wanted more than anything to really talk to Jon these past few weeks and get into his head. But now that Jon had finally been open and honest, Jordan couldn’t believe how much Jon had been keeping inside.

 

“How could you possibly let me down?”

 

“Because I’m not a good brother. I’ve failed so many times. You deserve to have a twin brother that you can go flying with and be real Kryptonians together. I’m such a screw up and a failed science experiment that–”

 

“Jon. No, stop it. Stop talking about yourself this way.” He shook Jon’s shoulder slightly, wishing his brother would get the message through his thick skull. “That’s not how I see you, that’s not how anyone sees you.”

 

“But I’ve fai–”

 

“No! Damn it, you’re not a failure. I know you’ve had a tough few weeks, but you didn’t fail or mess up. Your headaches, the kryptonite, these are things that happened to you. It isn’t your fault.”

 

“But if I was stronger–”

 

“You are strong! You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. You are the glue of this family. Things completely fell apart when you were gone. I know you don’t have powers but that has nothing to do with your worth. Please tell me you know that.”

 

Jon looked over to see the earnest expression in his twin’s eyes. “I’ve…been working on it.” Jordan didn’t look satisfied so Jon added a bit more. “When I was still at the Miller’s, Beth had been helping me.”

 

“But Jon–”

 

“Jordan. Just let it go, okay. Talking to Beth is helping me heal, but it’s gonna take time.”

 

“I know, it’s just,” Jordan deflated a bit, knowing that his brother was experiencing so much self doubt. “I’ve been worried about you…and…I’ve really missed you,” he confessed.

 

“Same here.” Jon agreed. “And I really am sorry for the distance. I knew it would be hard for you but I couldn’t seem to get myself to reach out.”

 

Jordan put his arm around his brother’s shoulders. “It’s okay. Not knowing anything was hard for me, but I just wanna help.”

 

Jon took a deep breath. “I know you do. I just got really overwhelmed and I haven’t been handling it well and I didn’t know how to ask for help. I’m sorry.”

 

“Hey, man, it’s okay.” Jordan pulled his brother in closer so Jon’s head laid on his shoulder. “This is a really crazy situation. But you gotta let us be there for you, you can’t take this on alone, you just can’t.”

 

“Even though my instinct is to keep everything inside?”

 

“Even then,” Jordan agreed, tightening his hold around his brother. 

 

For a few minutes Jon just enjoyed being in his brother’s arms. He had been so focused on keeping his distance and just getting through, that he had forgotten what he actually needed. It was really annoying that Jordan was right, but he was.

 

“I’m scared,” Jon whispered.

 

Jordan leaned his head against Jon’s. “I’m here.”

 

Surprisingly it was the simple statement that set Jon over the edge. He had been doing a good job of keeping the tears in, but at Jordan’s simple proclamation, the tears spilled over and Jon was sobbing. He cried for everything he had lost, all the pain he had suffered and his uncertain future. Jordan immediately grabbed him and pulled his shaking brother in for a hug. They rocked back and forth while Jon cried and cried. Meanwhile, Jordan was there with unwavering support, holding Jon tight and making him feel safe.

 

When the tears eventually stopped, Jon pulled back. Jordan looked over in concern, knowing how vulnerable Jon had been.

 

“I can’t do this without you.”

 

Jordan looked back with a determined expression. “You’ll never have to.”

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

Jonathan needed his parents around him because he couldn’t handle things on his own. He needed Candice and her unfailing support. He needed Dave and Beth because they would be able to guide and take care of his physical and mental needs the way no one else could.

 

But most of all, he needed Jordan.

 

The bond between the two brothers was unmatched and they now knew that as long as they had each other, they could get through anything.

 

And since the brothers were making up for lost time, they hugged again.

Notes:

There we go! You have finally seen the end of the story. But since we all have a lot of questions about Jon still, join me in the coming installment next week, Finding Strength.

Thanks for reading!

-Rose

Notes:

Things certainly are looking a bit different in this part aren't they ;)

Thoughts? Comments?

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