When Jonathan opened his eyes again, he realized that his face didn't hurt anymore. He was laying on a comfy and soft mattress, wrapped in the softest blanket he ever felt with his head resting on the comfiest pillow he ever put his head on…
Looking up, he realized that he was in the fortress again. A colorful mix of floating lights surrounded him and gave him the feeling of being in space right now. The lighting was cozy and relaxing. Like one of those night lights for little kids.
Jon felt so weird. So… relaxed. He wondered what happened. He turned his head to the right, to see that he was in the separate room with his father's old spaceship. He was alone. Well, almost…
"My dear grandson, how are you?"
Jon looked to the left to see Lara smiling on him.
"What happened?" Jon asked confused. "How did I get here? I… I ran away… I… there was a hole in a wall…"
"Everything is okay! Your father told me everything and confessed. You had an accident! You ran into a house with super speed!" Lara explained.
"A house… super speed…" Jon looked up to the ceiling again and the floating stars over him. "So, I am officially not human anymore!"
"Don't say that. Your father confessed me what happened and why you were so mad, again. You are still you! You are just overwhelmed. Your father didn't prepared you properly."
"It's my fault, too." Jon confessed. "Ever since the reveal, I was so stiffen on being human. For me, being Kryptonian was only about having powers. That's why I feel so out of place. Here, at the farm… everywhere. I was not able to get used to that whole being half-alien thing. It always seemed to be more Jordan's and dad's thing. I mean… it is weird…"
"I am so sad to hear that. But your family really cares about you. And ever since I met you, you proved to me that you are just as Kryptonian as your father and brother. You are strong and selfless. You went through a lot. And even the strongest person needs sometimes a helping hand."
Jon smiled.
"May I ask you something?"
"You know you can ask me everything!" Lara said. Believing Jon was still thinking that he is excluded from certain matters. "You are allowed to know everything!"
"When did you figure out about my existence?" Jon needed certainty. "Did my father ever tell you about me before he brought me to you?"
"I knew about you all the time…" Lara began and told him how she briefly was in the body of Lana and how his father told her proudly of their existence. "…ever since that day, I wanted to meet you two. The legacy of our people and the future of the house of El."
"I was always afraid of meeting you. I feared I am too human."
"And that fear was not justified! Your brother might got his powers earlier, but you are of Kryptonian decent, too. You have all the rights and privileges your brother has."
"Thank you, grandmother! For everything! You listened to me! You understand me! I can talk to you without getting a frown." Jonathan said, taking his grandmother's holographic hand. "I was afraid to tell my family about my powers. I thought… that… aww…"
"I understand!" Lara said, allowing Jon to safe his words. "You wanted a proof. A proof that they love you even without powers. I checked you while you were sleeping and your face was healing…"
"My face?" Jon put a hand on his face in reflex. "What about my face?"
"Your face has healed." Lara said. "Don't worry! What I wanted to say is, that I checked you and your powers have indeed kicked in."
Jon finally lift from his bed, looking for a mirror. Right of his bed was a table full with Get-well-soon-cards, a vase with flowers, presents and a Superman-foil-balloon that was wrapped around a 'congratulations-card'. Before looking on the card, Jonathan found his mother's purse on the ground under the table. Knowing that she had a little make-up mirror in it. Jon took the mirror to check his face. Suddenly fearing to see an entirely different person. But what he saw was just himself…
"Aww… What did my face look like?"
"Are you sure you want to know that?" Lara asked worried.
"The way you ask me, I am not sure anymore!" Jon said and put the mirror back into the purse.
Jonathan found a newspaper from Kansas under the purse…
'Superman's son crashes at training! House destroyed.'
Jon looked on the photo of the house he hit and hoped that he didn't hurt anyone. Shocked about the big hole he left. He read the article and figured out that the inhabitants were not at home and that nobody got hurt. But countless of witnesses saw it and a second photo showed his father crying waterfalls over his unconscious body. On another photo, Jon was finally able to see his terribly difigured face.
"Oh my god! Is that me?" Jon said shocked and took the mirror out of his mother's purse again. "Well done with my face! How… how long I was gone?"
"Three days!"
"Three days!?" Jon yelled. "How did I heal that… awww… powers, right! Forget it! I… I missed the meeting in school. Dammed! And … what the heck is that?"
Jon took the Superman-themed congratulations-card, that was laying on the table. He wasn't surprised that it came from his brother…
"Jon-El my dear brother, I don't care about how much you will dislike this card, or your situation, but congratulations to your very first ocular energy boost. You made it better: You didn't hurt anyone or turned anyone into a metahuman. ;) You helped me through it, so I will help you through it. Your always supporting and loving brother, Jordan."
Jon had to smile. At some point his brother was right: He did everything to support him when his powers were unstable. And even if Jordan was lying to him in the past and Jon was mad, jealous and hurt by Jordan's heroics and for being left out, he knew that he could rely on him and Jordan will always support him.
"Are they here?" Jon asked his grandmother.
Lara let the wall to the main chamber become translucent to show him that his family was indeed present. Lois was sleeping on a blanket, Jordan was sleeping next to her and his father was walking up and down the room in sorrow.
"They haven't left since your father brought you here." Lara explained. "They only left the day after they brought you in here, for a couple of hours. They said, they needed to arrange something in your school."
"Yeah… maybe they couldn't postpone the meeting. I wanted to show everyone on that meeting that I am not accepting the bad way they are treating me."
"Your parents told me that. You will get your chance! And your parents said, everyone is very sorry for the lies and your records are all cleared."
"I wanted to prove myself."
"You needed to recover first!"
"Do they know that I am awake?"
"Not yet! I knew you would want to have a few moments before."
"Did you scan me again?"
"Yes!"
"So, you know about my… ocular outburst?"
"Yes! And about your vision, your hearing and your speed. Don't worry, your body is well suited for those powers. Your friend Timmy told me about how easily you handled your vision by yourself that quickly."
"Timmy? You talked to Timmy?"
"Well, when your father brought you to me, I … how do they call it on Earth? I grilled your father! He told me about your friend you spend the last days with and I called him. He fainted when my holographic appearance appeared over his personal communication device. But when he woke up a few seconds later, we had a long interesting conversation. And he told me about how proud he is on you for handling that power so fast. I like him. He is very interested in Kryptonian matters, too. I am surprised that your father shares nothing about our people and our planet with the people on Earth."
"He always said that he wanted to keep us safe and make it possible for us to have a normal life. But nothing is normal."
"You are confused, right! But I promise to you, my dear grandson that you are normal. You are Kryptonian. But you are also human. You always have been and you always will be."
Lara hugged him while telling him that. And Jon was hugging her back. He was so grateful to finally have someone again he could talk to without that the topic changed to Jordan's powers, or to how wonderful Smallville is. Some might think it is scary that she knew him so well because she scanned and analyzed his whole memory and knew therefor about all his fears, the disappointment and the injustice he went through. But Jon didn't care! For now, he was just glad to have her.
"Let him in! I think I am ready."
"Okay." Lara said and vanished to appear in the other room.
Jon could see her telling something to his father, who was extremely relieved. Then the 'peephole' closed and the wall opened to allow his father to enter the room.
Then he stood in front of him again. Jon, who was sitting on the bed again, saw in his father's face that he cried. His eyes were irritated, he looked extremely tired, and it was evident that he was really sorry for everything. They just looked on each other for a couple of seconds before his father finally approached him to hug him. And this time Jon didn't flinch away…
"Oh, Jonathan…" his father said with tears in his eyes. "…how are you? Does anything hurt? Are you okay?"
"I think so." Jon said.
"Oh, I'm so so sorry! For everything. You were right. Everything you said was right…"
"Are the inhabitants of the house okay?" Jon changed the topic.
"They're fine. But what about you?"
"Tell me how those people are!" Jon insisted.
"Aww, this is typical for you: Always thinking about others first!" Clark said with a warm smile. "They are okay! They were not at home. And the house has no structural damage. They are actually really proud on the fact that their house was the first house ever to get damaged by Superman's son…"
Jon had to laugh at that thought.
"No? Really?"
"Really! And anyway, many people have Superman-clauses in their insurance contracts these days… After Jordan destroyed the school, the town got the money faster than everyone expected."
"I am sorry!"
"No need to! I am the one who let you feel left out! I am the one who never took you to the fortress! I am the one who didn't introduce you to your grandfather and gave you a feeling of your own heritage. Please tell me… what were you thinking?"
"A lot… but… I don't know!"
"You can tell me! Please!"
"Only if you answer me one question: What happened on May 3rd 1991?"
"Aww... Something I am not proud off. The probably worst day of my life! And something that should have reminded me to listen to you that evening, instead of letting out all my frustration about Anderson, my capture and the death of my inverse doppelganger on you!" Clark said, more tears running down his face.
Jon shrugged. "There were moments I really wished I had powers. Moments I was ashamed of not having them. And moments I was glad to be spared from being Kryptonian."
Clark sighed. "Being Kryptonian is more than having powers! Sorry that I let you feel like being out of place! And… what were does moments, you wished you had powers?"
"Aww… when Jon-El attacked and I was not able to defend myself! When Uncle Tal's subjects attacked, and I wanted to protect mom! When you and Jordan… ehm…" Jon start to struggle.
"When I and Jordan left, right?" Clark asked full of despair.
"I… I was so mad; you can't imagine it! I… never felt so humiliated. So… so unimportant and so useless! I really wished that I would have been able to fly, just that you listen to me! You and Jordan… you always were so happy and so careless together. You had so much fun together, while I was alone… I just wished that I could be so happy and careless, too. You… you were so proud on me when I got to play in that game. I should have never taken it…"
"I should had listened to you better!" Clark said. "I should had never leave you alone that day! I… I made a lot of mistakes. Asking you to forgive me again, is a lot to ask… But… I want you to know… that we all love you! We never meant to let you feel less worth, unwanted, unimportant or what else you must think… We… love you Jonathan! And that will never change! Please forgive me!"
Clark embraced his son in a tight hug…
"Some things need time!" Lara said to break the following silence. "Some things take more, some less time to heal… But I hope you will find a way to handle your issues…"
"I am willing to do everything for it!" Clark said.
"Thank you!" Jon said, a tear running down his face. "Thank you…"
One week later…
"…so, and this is the whole story, regarding our problems!" Clark finished.
"Ehm… wow… I… mean… This is… a very incredible story…" the doctor said.
They were at the DOD again. Sitting there with Dr. Wiles in this office. It's been a while since Lois attended to her the last time. But when Lois called her, over a week ago, asking for an 'emergency-meeting' she didn't hesitate to offer her help again. Just to get a call that something happened to her son, two days later and the meeting is postponed to today.
And now they sat here with Dr. Wiles, after telling her everything. Hoping that she will be able to help them a bit with their issues…
The woman was pale. She looked like she got a heart-attack and looked on the Kent's with big eyes.
"I… have to admit that this is a lot to process." Dr. Wiles said. The first shock seemed to finally set, and she was able to process that it was indeed Superman who was sitting in front of her. Wearing casual normal clothes and glasses. And his wife, her former patient Lois. As well as two teenagers.
"Well… we… had no idea who else we could ask for advice…" Lois confessed.
"I just hope this does not end like my therapy when I had to attend to my final appointments alone!" Jordan said.
"And I am here because I really want to give my family a chance!" Jonathan added before he added a bit awkwardly: "And could you recommend a good therapist for my friend Timmy. I am afraid I broke him worse than expected.
Dr. Wiles, still a bit shocked, leaned forward to grab her phone from the table.
"One second please…" she said while calling someone. "…Norma… please cancel all my appointments for the rest of the day. This is taking a while…"
And so, the Kents began with their long overdue family-therapy…
The End!
I hope you all liked it!
Some might wanted to read more about the Jay-subplot or more Timmy. I planned more chapters. Like the meeting at school, where Jon had proved what a badass he is and proved everyone how great he actually is! Or another scene with the CPS-lady where Clark figures out that she knows it. But maybe in a sequel if I am writing it.
Looking forward to see you all again in my next story! Until then, keep well!