"Jonathan, is everything okay?" Kara asked over the phone after Jonathan called her.
"Not really." Jonathan said.
"What's going on?" Kara asked and Jonathan sighed in relief, since honestly, she was the only person he really felt like he could go to with this.
"Smallville is not working out for me." Jonathan said.
"I thought your dad said that you were settling in?" Kara asked.
"He thinks I am, because I don't have the heart to tell him and mom that I'm miserable here. Especially since they decided to let Jordan use his powers to play football." Jonathan said.
"Okay, I need to have a serious talk with your dad about that." Kara said.
"No, my mom and grandma said that it would help Jordan learn to control his abilities, but at the same time, it's also allowed him to become the star player on the team." Jonathan said.
"So, what's wrong with that?" Kara asked.
"Look, it's just, football was the only thing I had left that was mine. I gave up everything to move here from Metropolis and I've literally gained nothing from it. I lost my friends, my girlfriend, everything." Jonathan said.
"Sounds like you and Jordan have had a bit of a role reversal." Kara said.
"It's more than that. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that Jordan is finally coming out of his shell and is making friends, but at the same time." Jonathan said.
"He already has powers and everything else, it feels like he's taking the only thing you have left that yours." Kara said.
"Yeah, and I don't even feel like I can talk to mom and dad about it without turning into the bad guy, since they'll probably see me as a jealous brother and that Jordan deserves this after living in my shadow for so long." Jonathan said.
"I think that you're not giving them enough credit." Kara said.
"Maybe, but still, even before we moved here, before I knew the truth about you and dad, you were always the one I could turn too, since dad was gone a lot either with reporting or being Superman and mom was busy with work and helping Jordan through everything he was going through." Jonathan said, since this was true. His whole life Kara had been like a second mom to him and in some cases, even been more of a mom to him than Lois had been.
"I know. Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out how you got blonde hair when literally the only other member of your family with that is me." Kara said and Jonathan chuckled.
"Yeah, sometimes I think that's the only way I stand out from my family anymore." Jonathan said.
"Jonathan, you know that your parents and your brother love you right?" Kara asked.
"Yeah I do, but living here in a small town, it's just not me and that trip to National City wasn't enough, since we barely even left the tower. Which is awesome by the way." Jonathan said and Kara chuckled.
"Yes it is. Tell you what. My parents are still here, but once they head back to Argo City, we'll find some time for you to come to National City and get a taste of city life." Kara said.
"Well actually, winter break is coming up, maybe I could just spend it with you." Jonathan said.
"I'm not sure your dad would want you to miss Christmas and New Years." Kara said.
"I'm not talking about all of winter break. I just mean the first few weeks and then I come back here to spend the holidays with my parents." Jonathan said and Kara considered it.
"Talk to your dad about it. If it's okay with him, it's okay with me." Kara said.
"Thanks Aunt Kara." Jonathan said as he hung up, already feeling better than he had when he called her, since honestly, just having someone he felt he could vent this stuff too was a relief.
"Lois, are you okay?" Chrissy asked her partner when she entered their office.
"Not really. I just heard that Morgan Edge is planning on coming to Smallville, which is the last thing people need." Lois said.
"And you're not just saying that because he fired you from the Daily Planet?" Chrissy asked.
"Of course not, but I am saying this because I've been following a trail on him ever since he fired me and it turns out that literally every small town he went too ended up worse off when he left than it was when he arrived and I don't want to see that happen to Smallville. This place is hurting enough as it is." Lois said.
"You're not wrong. And that's why I think that so many people are going to support Edge coming here, because they think he'll save it. But maybe you can write an article to convince them otherwise." Chrissy said.
"No, I can't, because it would look like I'm just retaliating against Edge for firing me. I can't be trusted to stay neutral on this. Besides, unlike everyone else in this town, I wasn't born here, they don't trust me and they won't listen to me." Lois said.
"But what about your husband? After all, Clark isn't just any son of Smallville, he's the son of Martha Kent, who's basically a hero of Smallville. They'll listen to him." Chrissy said.
"Except for the fact that Edge fired him too. Besides, he's busy helping coach the boys' football team and running the Kent family farm, since while his mom is off bedrest, she's still not allowed to do anything too strenuous." Lois said.
"So then who could write that article?" Chrissy asked, only to notice the way Lois was looking at her.
"Wait, me? No, Lois, I can't write that article." Chrissy said.
"Yes you can Chrissy. You're a neutral party and more importantly, you were born and raised here in Smallville, the people here will listen to you. And even though I'm not writing it, I will help you. I'll reach out to my contacts in the other towns that Edge visited, see if there's anyone there willing to go on the record, but Chrissy, something like this, it's not just the article that matters, it's who writes it, since I think that for something like this, the people of Smallville will only listen to someone who's like them. A fellow citizen who understands what they're going through. That's what you can bring to this article that I can't. If we want to stop Edge, we need the public to agree with that and that means they have to be willing to read and actually listen to what we're saying." Lois said.
"You really think I can do it?" Chrissy asked.
"I think that I wouldn't have come here to work with you or brought this place to Kara's attention if I didn't. Chrissy, you have the potential to be a great reporter, you just never had a story big enough to get your name out there. But now you do. This is your story. You have to take it." Lois said and Chrissy smiled.
"Well, if Lois Lane believes in me, how can I say no. Where do we start, because just because I'm writing the story doesn't mean that you're not helping." Chrissy said and Lois smiled.
"Let's get to work." Lois said.