Jonathan sat alone in his kitchen. He'd been up seen about four, unable to go back to sleep. Today it had been twenty years since he lost his son. JJ had never been found since that day in the park, since they'd taken their eyes off of him for just a minute. The police had been called and they searched as hard as they could, but never found a trace of their little boy.

Jonathan had never forgiven himself for that day. He should have paid better attention. He shouldn't have even put him down. JJ had been safe in his arms. He should've made him stay there. They wouldn't have lost JJ if he'd been more careful.

Jonathan soon heard footsteps. He turned to see Clark come into the room. Clark had been the only thing that kept him and Martha going. Of course, that wasn't to say it made anything better. They loved Clark just as much as JJ. He was their son in every way, but he could never replace JJ, no more than JJ would ever be able to replace Clark if somehow the circumstance had been reversed. However, being parents to Clark gave them a reason to keep going. Jonathan wasn't sure they'd even be functioning without him.

"Hey, Dad. Where's Mom?" Clark asked.

"Still in bed," Jonathan said. Martha wasn't asleep anymore, but she hadn't gotten out of bed yet. Like him, she was missing their boy and didn't want to face the world.

"Is she sick?" Clark asked. Hardly ever was his mother still asleep when he got into the kitchen in the morning. Usually, it only happened if she was sick.

Jonathan shook his head.

"Well, then what's...?" Clark trailed off as he remembered the date. He knew why his mother was still in bed, and why his father looked so somber. JJ. For many years, Clark never knew about his parents first child. He knew something made his parents upset, especially on this day, but he didn't know why. When he was twelve, they finally told him. That had been a hard day for all three of them. It was hard for them to tell him and it was hard for him to learn that he had a brother out there that he would never know, and it was hard for him to accept that there were people out there that were so evil that they would steal a child. "Sorry. I forgot for a second."

"It's alright. Sometimes I wish I could forget," Jonathan said. Most of the time though, he was grateful he'd never forget. Forgetting the pain he felt meant forgetting his son. That was just not something he even wanted to contemplate.

"Do you need me to do anything?" Clark asked. He always asked that on days like this. He knew there wasn't really anything he could do, but he always felt the need to ask, on the off chance there was any way he could lessen his parents' pain.

"No. We just need to get through this day," Jonathan told his son. That wasn't to say that the pain would magically vanish. The pain never went away. It was just that most of the time they could shove it to the back. Once this day was over, hopefully they could do that again.

"Okay. I'm gonna head to school," Clark said before he started walking away. He stopped and turned back after a second. "Do you still have hope, Dad? Do you think he's alive and that he'll come home one day?"

"I can never give up that hope, Clark. That would be like giving up on JJ and I can't do that. I'll never give up on one of my sons," Jonathan said firmly.

"I know," Clark said with a sad smile before heading for the door.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Clark decided to visit Lex after school. He wanted to give his parents some time alone, so he decided to visit a friend. When he got his friend's office, Lex was by the pool table about to start a game.

"Hey, Clark. What brings you by?" Lex asked.

"Uh, just looking to kill a few hours. You don't mind do you?" Clark asked.

"Of course not. You're always welcome. Why do you need to kill time though? Is everything okay at home?" Lex asked concerned. He rarely knew Clark to need to get away from. He and his parents normally had a great relationship. Lex would admit to sometimes wishing he could have a family like that.

"Yeah, my parents just need some time alone," Clark said.

"Oh, I see," Lex said with a chuckle, his mind going a bit to the gutter.

Clark didn't correct his friend's assumption. Lex didn't know about his older brother, and Clark knew his parents wouldn't want him to. Well, his father wouldn't anyway. He wasn't very fond of Lex. Truthfully though, Clark found himself wanting to tell Lex. Lex would understand. He knew what it was like to lose a brother. Of course, Clark hadn't exactly lost anyone. He never knew JJ. He hadn't even been born when it happened. But he still felt affected by what happened. He had a brother out there he never knew and that bothered him a lot. He always wanted a brother. Then he found out he had one and he was taken away from all of them. He often wondered what it would be like if JJ hadn't been stolen.

"You okay, Clark?" Lex asked. His friend seemed lost there for a minute, and maybe even a bit sad.

Clark didn't have a chance to answer because Lex's phone began to ring at that moment.

Lex immediately went over to his desk and picked up the phone. "Yeah? Who? Yeah, okay, let her up."

"Everything okay?" Clark asked.

"Yeah. Apparently I have a visitor," he said.

"Should I go?" Clark asked. Lex handled a lot of business from his home. For all he knew, this was a business associate.

"No. It's not business. I don't even know who this woman is," Lex said.

Just then, a middle-aged woman with long dark hair entered the room. She sized Lex up and down. "Well, you certainly look different, Alexander."

"Do I know you?" Lex asked.

"We met once. You were about six or seven at the time. My name is Melissa Wade."

"I see. And how exactly are you related to my mother?" Lex asked. The woman had his mother's maiden name and claimed to have met him as a child. It only stood reason that they were related.

"Uh, Lex, I'm gonna go," Clark said. He felt very out of place right now. Clearly whatever going on was a private matter.

"You don't have to leave the house, Clark. Feel free to roam the mansion if you want," Lex said.

"Thanks," Clark said before making a hasty retreat.

"Lillian was my sister," Melissa told Lex.

"I find that hard to believe given that from your own acknowledgment we've only met once. And clearly it wasn't a very loving union given that I can't remember it. You didn't even attend my mother's funeral. In fact, I didn't know you existed," Lex said before taking a seat behind his desk.

"Lillian and I had a falling out. She was no longer my sister."

"It's not a good idea to disparage my mother in front of me," Lex said in a cool tone.

"Believe me, I didn't. As I was saying, Lillian and I drifted after her marriage to that despicable waste of human life she married," Melissa said.

This time, Lex didn't say a word. His mother he'd defend, but there was much worth defending about his father. In fact, calling him a despicable waste of human life was being excessively kind.

"My sister refused to listen when I told her marrying Lionel Luthor would be the worst mistake she ever made, that he would ruin her. When I met her again when you were a child, she seemed to realize that. It was a bit hard to deny at that point, however, it was too late to do anything about it," she explained.

"Ms. Wade, I find it heard to believe you came here to express your hatred of my father after all these years. What is is that you want?" Lex asked. He had a feeling that whatever she wanted involved cash. It usually did.

Melissa laughed. "You assume I want money. A typical reaction to someone who grew up in wealth, but I don't want Lionel's money, Alexander. I would feel dirty just touching it, and once you've heard what I have to say, you may just feel the same."

If Lex was supposed to feel impressed or even intrigued by what this woman said, he would have to say she failed. "I assure you, there's nothing you could say about my father that would make me think less of him."

"He's not your father," Melissa said.

"If only you were right. Unfortunately, I'm not that lucky," Lex joked without missing a beat.

"I didn't expect you to believe right away. I don't even expect you to believe what I'm about to say. Lionel couldn't have children," she said.

Lex laughed. "Ms. Wade, the door's that way, and a little advice. When you lie about something, you should know what you're talking about first. I promise you, my father can conceive. It may be a tragedy, but it can and has happened, twice actually."

"I assume you're referring to Lillian's son, Julian. Yes, I may not have been in contact with her, but I heard about her child. I guarantee that child wasn't Lionel's anymore than you are. Lillian must have had a lover," Melissa said.

Lex glared at her. He was beginning to get angry. "You know, this has been entertaining so far, but now you're questioning my mother's honor. I suggest you leave."

"I'm not questioning anything regarding your mother because I don't know your mother."

"So now you claim I'm adopted," Lex said. This got more ridiculous with every word that came out of this woman's mouth. There was no way he was adopted. His father would never adopt, especially if he truly couldn't have children. He would never allow it to come out that there was anything wrong with him, and if it was true, he would've made sure to throw it in Lex's face by now. No, this woman was a liar. In fact, he wasn't even convinced she was his aunt. She was playing some sort of game.

"No. Adoption leaves a paper trail. Lionel would never do that. He wouldn't want it getting out that he couldn't conceive. I was still in contact with Lillian at that time and she told me Lionel refused adoption for just that reason. Not long after that, the two of them disappeared. Several years later, they come back with you in tow, claiming to the press that they kept it a secret to protect you from having to be in the public eye all the time," Melissa explained.

Lex knew at least part of that was true. He wasn't in the public eye for several years. They'd lived in England until he was around six and then moved back to Metropolis. That was when the press started to be in his face all the time. "What are you saying?"

"Lionel wouldn't have given a damn about protecting you from the press. He would, however, go to great lengths to protect himself. He couldn't have you in the public eye because someone would've recognized you. When children go missing, their faces are plastered all over the country," she said.

"You're trying to tell me I was abducted?" Lex asked. This was getting crazy, television type crazy. It couldn't be true. There were some bounds even Lionel Luthor wouldn't be stupid enough to leap.

Melissa nodded. "Lillian told me that day she came to see me with you that Lionel had someone grab you from a park. It was why I didn't speak with her after that. As I said, Lionel Luthor ruined her. I couldn't be a part of something like that."

Lex stood up from his chair. "I'll say this much, you've come up with a lie that I've never heard or even considered the possibility of hearing. I don't know what you want. If it's money, I don't know how you think you'll get it this way. Maybe you want to hurt my father by creating such a scandal. I don't really care what the reason is. I won't be used like this, nor will I allow such awful lies to be told about my mother."

"I don't expect you to believe me without proof. There is a way to prove it," she said before picking up a pair of scissors that were sitting on Lex's desk. She cut off a lock of her hair and dropped it on the desk right in front of him. "DNA for Lillian. I'm sure you can manage to get some from Lionel as well."

Lex watched as she turned and started to leave. "If this is true, why wait over twenty years to tell someone." He didn't believe her, but he was curious as to what she would say to his question.

Melissa stopped and turned back. "No one wants to be on the bad side of Lionel Luthor. I may hate him, but I know his power. However, a secret like this eats at your conscience. I could no longer live with the knowledge. So now you know. It's up to you what to do with it, Alexander," she said before heading for the door.

Lex just stood there for several moments, not entirely sure what he was gonna do next.