Hello and Welcome!
Saw that heartbreaking scene at the end of Episode 7 of Season 2 on YouTube and thougt... Please let Jon and and his father have the father-son-talk that's long overdue.
I read several stories on AO3, about the aftermath of Jon's exposure and this is my personal version.
Jon really messed up. He knew that. He destroyed more than just the trust his parents had on him. Or the good relationship with his brother. His lies were so bad, he didn't feel good. He never did. Lying into his brothers and his parents faces hurt him more than he realized in the beginning. And now it felt like endless pain, chewing him up more and more…
He knew it was dumb. Now he knew the easiest way to stop this mess would have been to 'discreetly' tell the principal or a teacher about his suspicion that Timmy is taking something to be king of the team. Instead, he did everything wrong…
After his fight with Timmy on the field and turning his father mad, he should have told him the truth. Instead of being afraid of the angry flash in his eyes he should have insisted on a 'son-father-talk' instead of asking him how to drive the stupid truck when he asked how he can make up with him.
Instead of asking Candice to sell him some of that stuff, he should had destroyed Timmy's inhaler somehow. He thought he loves her, and he thought that she loves him, too. But when the police figured out that she was the dealer, she backstabbed him coldly. Telling the police that it was his idea and that he was the head of the drug-ring. Of course, it was a matter of minutes for the police to figure out that Jon was 'innocent' and his only crime was to buy two inhalers.
When he was in the principal's office and confirmed it, he was not expelled. After Candice's betrayal he was done with her. Timmy Ryan made a confession, too. Claiming that he feared 'Jonathan could outshine him' with all his 'hard work' and his effort and he wanted to go the easy way. But he exaggerated with the inhales, that's why he had heart problems now. It didn't change anything. Jon knew that. He made a mistake, he worsened it and he have to face the consequences now.
Principal Balcomb just didn't understand why he was covering for Candice. And Jon honestly didn't understand, too anymore. His also present parents didn't eighter. They were just relieved that Jon didn't deal with it, didn't get expelled and seemed to understand that it was wrong. Thinking that Jon was just manipulated by her, more than he realized or something else.
A month of detention, two months of grounding and an unpredictable time of not being trusted now ahead of him. And this was without doubt the worst of all. Worse than grounding, worse than probably never be in the football-team again… and a lot of other things, Jonathan didn't dare to think about, waiting for him.
His whole life was just about pretending to be normal and being in the shadow of his family since the reveal of his own father being a literal alien and the move out here to this town.
All he wanted was the old glory back. The great feeling of winning. Getting attention! Having friends! Being recognized! By others, by his own parents…!
He was happy for his brother, that he overcame his anxiety and became more self-confident. But his own self-confidence was beyond zero right now. All he felt was pain! Pain, anger, desperation…
He knew his parents would be mad on him for a while. He broke their trust so hard, that he didn't deserve better. And that it will take a lot of effort to regain their trust. But soon he had to realize that they used their skills (skills that were unbeatable compared to his normalcy) to overpower him. He was nothing special. He was not outstanding in anything within this family. Only with being normal! And what the hell was that good for in this family? Absolutely nothing!
First, he had to endure an interrogation of his mother, today. And he didn't even leave the house today, so that interrogation was honestly just a waste of time in his eyes! Then, he had to figure out that his brother spied out on him with his super-hearing several times. What made him furious! His brother barely talked to him since he figured out and then that. And he didn't care that it was probably to keep sure that he doesn't get in trouble again. And then, and that was without doubt the worst of all, he caught his father in his room. Reading his notes!
He didn't know why he wrote that journal into this old empty exercise book, he found coincidentally while he was packing up his stuff in his old room in Metropolis. It was not a real diary; he wrote into every night. It was more or less just a collection of thoughts he had over the past year. Thoughts, dreams, his wishes, and some fears. Ever since the reveal and the sudden transformation of his brother into Superman-junior and about what it meant to be 'the other child'.
His brother wrote a diary during the worst periods of his anxciety. As part of his therapy. Jon just wrote down some thoughts about this whole power mess, the move and his position in the family. Without mentioning, he wrote more over the past months and especially during the whole X-K thing. But no matter that this was not a diary, the content was not destined to for anybody to read. And especially not for his father. It was so embarrassing…
Jon saw that this was not a coincidence and not an accident. It was hidden safely in a small box under his bed. And he saw his father using superspeed to read it. He had no problem if his father reads his chats in his phone, or his homework, or anything else. Gosh, he would even allow his father to spy on him with his super hearing or his x-ray-vision. But not this stuff. For heaven's sake: not this journal! Jon only saw red.
He screamed. He was mad. He tried to grab the exercise book… but his father prevents it.
"Jonathan, what is that?"
Seriously? He just read it from the start to the beginning and his father dares to ask that question.
"THAT'S MINE! GIVE IT BACK!" Jonathan yelled embarrassed.
"Is that true?" now his father's voice became louder. The question was about the content and not the book itself.
Jonathan, embarrassed and full of shame, grabbed the exercise book to pull it out of his father's hand. But his father was holding it so strong, that it tore in two. Some pages spilling over the ground
"Aww… you… I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I KNOW YOU DON'T TRUST ME ANYMORE, BUT THIS WENT TO FAR!" Jonathan yelled, pressed the leftovers of his book against his body and turned to leave the room. He gave his parents his phone and his computer voluntarily. That his father read this stuff was so humiliating…
His father super-speeded into the doorframe to prevent him from leaving. "Jonathan… I…"
"THAT'S UNFAIR…" Jonathan said, trying to push his father away, to get out of the room.
What followed was another proof of how weak Jonathan was compared to everyone else in this family.
His father, with superspeed, grabbled his arm, to pull him back in front of him.
"We talk about this…"
Jonathan roared in pain. When he saw his father's glowing eyes and felt that superhuman grip around his upper arm he saw his life passing in his mind. Fear! Yeah, he was never ever so much afraid of his father than now!
Suddenly Clark realized that his eyes were glowing and that he was holding his son's arm way too strong. Full of fear he let off his son and latter dropped on the ground. The sleeve of his shirt tore up while he falls. Crying and wailing about that terrible pain in his arm, that felt like his father crumbled the bones.
Clark was terrified. He did it. He used his powers against him. Just because Jonathan didn't want him to read his secret thoughts, he used his powers against him.
"Oh my gosh… Jonathan I…"
"AGGHHH… THAT HURT!" Jonathan screamed. His arm felt not like an arm anymore. "YOU KNOW THAT I AM NOT A KRYPTONIAN, DON'T YOU!"
After that sentence Jon stormed out. Out of the house and away from the farm. His mother left a couple of minutes ago to go to the Gazette and his brother was meeting Sarah. So, there was nobody who could stop him, aside from his father. He didn't care for still being grounded or for being in trouble more than he already was if he leaves. He was just hurt… Not only his arm, but also his heart…
Now Jon, found himself somewhere out in the fields. The adrenaline still racing through his body. His clouthes soaked in tears. His shirt was damaged. His arm felt weird. He wouldn't be able to lift it for a while but Jon was still too terrified and shocked to care about his stupid arm now. Two times it got broken by a Kryptonian, so a third time was just a matter of time, he guessed.
He had no clue where he was. Or how much time had passed. He just found himself somewhere out in the nowhere. Far away from any people… he was alone. All alone. No friends and no relative he could go to…
He wondered if his father is already behind him. There was no way he could outrun someone who was able to move at the speed of light. Probably just waiting for catching him and locking him up in his room. If he is not already throwing all his stuff out… gosh, he can never ever look into his father's eyes again without seeing these red flashes.
He continued running and reached some sort of small forest. A bunch of trees between the fields. Here it was so quiet… so peaceful…
Jonathan fell on his knees and hold himself on the tree next to him. When his body start to relax, he starts to feel the terrible pain in his arm again. It was a terrible throbbing, going from his shoulder down to his elbow. He didn't dare to look on his arm. He just used his other arm to press the leftovers of the exercise book against his body and allowed his tears to break free again…
He had no clue how long he spent in this position. Every second felt like an eternity. But suddenly he heard that swoosh and felt that weak wind gust. His father appeared behind him. But he purpously kept some distance, to not upset him.
Clark followed him all the time. But he didn't stop him because he wanted Jonathan to calm down before he talks to him. He knew that he made a terrible mistake. Not just one, several at once!
"Jonathan!" his father said. His voice was calm, low, and full of shame.
Jonathan looked on his father full of rejection, disapproval, and disappointment. Clark could feel it. And he knew that he deserved this angry and disappointed glare. And Clark knew that there was a lot to do to make up for it. Not only for the big bruise on his son's arm, but also for a lot of other things. He used his x-ray-vision to check his son and to keep sure that he didn't shatter the bone.
Clark was terrified about what he did. He couldn't believe that he hurt Jonathan. That he was able to do so. He was always afraid that he could hurt one of his kids with his powers. But Jon? Jon, who was struggling enough. And he felt bad, that he had to read his son's private thoughts to realize how bad his son was struggling for so long now.
"What?... Wanna ground me for another month for not being home…" Jonathan cried out.
"No!" Clark cried out now. "No… Jonathan, I am so… so sorry!"
"BACK OFF!" Jonathan screamed when Clark came a step closer.
Clark felt the fear inside his son. And he was so ashamed for it. But now he couldn't wait with it. Not after what he just figured out. And not after almost breaking his son's arm for the third time this year.
"Jonathan, please… I… didn't want to hurt you! I… we should let a doctor check your arm…"
"And tell him what?" Jon yelled.
Clark moaned, lowered his head, and kneeled to talk to his son at eye level. "Jonathan… I know it was not right from me to read your… diary…"
"That's not a diary!" Jon cut him off, his face turning deeply red while he tried to hide the remnants of his notes under his shirt. Clark saw that his son was more embarrassed than mad. "What? Are you mad that I wrote about your secret? I never planned to… publish it if you believe that!"
"Why… why you didn't tell me?" Clark asked. But Jon turned his face away ashamed. "Jonathan, please… I want to talk to you…"
"Oh, YEAH! All that sudden!" Jon yelled, tears shooting in his eyes.
Jon breathed harder. Trying to not to explode… Clark could swear that he saw this kind of behavior in Jordan, too in the past. He heard his son's heart beating faster and faster with every second. Every time Jordan had a panic-attack, it was similar. But Jonathan didn't have a panic attack. Suddenly it blurted out of him…
"I know I fucked up! And I know that I ruined everything! The team, the image of our family. It doesn't matter that Candice was the dealer, or that Timmy took it first: I took it! I covered for her! I used it in the game! So, it is right that everyone blames me for the disaster! It's right that I am a pariah now! I am just the immigrated big-city brat, everyone can blame now. And just because I so desperately tried to be excellent in anything… like anyone else in this house…"
"Jonathan…" Clark wanted to tell his son to breath and to calm down. But Jonathan continued with his outburst.
"I disappointed everyone: You, mom, Jordan, grandpa, Coach Gaines, the team, everyone… Jordan was so happy when he saw my eyes glow and he thought that I got powers. And I worsened it by lying to him. He was so glad that we can share it and that I can join him and grandpa in their superhero-training…"
"In their what?" Clark had no clue that Sam was secretly training Jordan for weeks now.
"…and now he does not even talk to me anymore! My own brother! I thought you said, this move out here was to grow closer. Instead, I think that you, mom and Jordan grew closer. BUT I… Tell me…" now Jon's voice starts to tremble. Tears filled his eyes again. He feared that question, but he knew his father read all his notes, so he obviously already knew that he has this suspicion. "… Do… do… you love Jordan, more than me?"
Clark's face became pale. He read it, yeah. But he couldn't believe that Jon really thinks so. "Why you…?"
"IS IT BECAUSE HE IS YOUR SUPERBOY?" Jon screamed. "IS IT BECAUSE HE CAN DO WHAT YOU CAN? WHILE I ONLY CAN REACH HIS LEVEL BY TAKING SOMETHING?"
"No, Jonathan I…"
"TELL ME THE TRUTH!" his voice was trembling much more. "I know I disappointed you with the X-K! But am I a disappointment for you, as well?"
Clark would never dare to think about that. He never dared to think about his sons as Kryptonians. Sure, he was happy to have something in common with Jordan. But was his father, his mother and Tal right?
Jor-El mentioned something 'indirectly' during one of his visits to the fortress. His mother in Tal's fortress doesn't seem to know about Jonathan and might guess that Jordan is his only son! And Tal-Rho said, during one of Clark's previous visits, that he didn't kidnap Jonathan, too because the boy is too human, and he saw him as a 'failure' to carry on the Kryptonian legacy. At least that was his opinion on Jonathan while he was detained for the first time and before he escaped and kidnapped Jordan. Did he accidentally the same?
"You are not a disappointment! Jonathan… please tell me…"
"You… you never ever, told me anything!" Jonathan said. "You… only talk about Jordan, about Superman… you… you not even told me to repair the truck I crashed. You asked your Superson…"
"I thought you…"
"YOU ONLY BECAME ASSISTANT COACH, BECAUSE OF JORDAN AND BECAUSE HE HAS POWERS! DO YOU EVER CARED WHAT I DO? EVEN BEFORE YOU TURNED OUT TO BE AN ALIEN, AND I AM AS JUST A HUMAN, YOU CARED MORE ABOUT BEING SUPERMAN!" Jonathan was out of breath briefly. He had to take some breaths of air before he was able to continue. But with more tears, he was barely able to talk.
Clark remembered some of the sentences he read in his son's journal…
I wonder what the fortress looks like?... Why he only took Jordan there?... They are so happy together!... Jordan is so happy now!... I thought he wanted to spend more time with both of us?... My brother almost killed me!... Coach Gaines does not even dare to give me a chance!... I think Timmy is taking something?... Candice, sells X-K. I should call the police… I am a human, so it can't hurt me!... Dad never talks about Kryptonian things with me!... Are powers the only way to get their attention?... Jordan is so happy!... I lied to him; I have nightmares about it!... I can't go on with it!... I will dump Candice! I am done with X-K, that was a bad idea!... Got busted… My life is over…
"TELL ME!" Jonathan yelled. "YOU ARE LITTERALY THE MOST POWERFUL BEEING IN UNIVERSE! JORDAN IS YOUR SUCESSOR! AND MOM THE WORLDS MOST FAMOUS JOURNALIST! WHAT… AM… I!"
Clark thought about everything. He never told the boys about X-K. He had no clue how the boys would react? He feared it could hurt them like Kryptonite! Should he have included Jonathan more in it. Should he have insisted on learning about Krypton, too? Maybe Jonathan wouldn't had taken it, if he talked with his son about his Kryptonian-side, too because he would had known better about the possibility of it being dangerous for him. It was really unfair to only show Jordan the fortress! Clark tried to say something… but he didn't find the right words. His mouth was open, but no words came out.
"TELL ME!" Jonathan repeated. His heart beating so fast, that Clark feared his son gets an heart attack. "OR JUST SEND ME TO MILITARY SCHOOL SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO CARE ABOUT YOUR PROBLEM CHILD ANYMORE!"
Jon closed his eyes, that filled with tears again. His young and always fit body collapsing under the exhaustion of the run, the breakdown, and the outburst. He just couldn't anymore. Clark catches his son, before he hits the ground, to hug him. Bursting out in tears too. Jon's journal (wet from the sweat) falling out of Jon's shirt and on the ground.
"Oh, Jonathan…" Clark fought with his own feelings. "…I am so so sorry… I love you! I love you so much, my son!"
Jon's heartbeat became slower. His body relaxed…
Clark only watched that he does not touch the injured arm when he put his son into a tight hug. Tears running down his face. Thinking about what he read and what he just heard. His son now totally devastated and wasted, in his arms. Carefully, Clark lifts his son to carry him home. Like when he was a little boy. A father carrying his child.
Clark knew that Jon was a good boy. A good boy who understood what was right and what was wrong. What Jon did was wrong, but he knew it and would learn from this mistake. And Clark knew that Jonathan knew it. And that was why Clark couldn't be mad on him for eternity.
He only went into his room, because Coach Gaines insisted on Jon giving the playbook back and Jon haven't bringing it back, yet. He had no clue that it was a 'kind-of-diary'. And he felt bad for reading it. But most of all he felt bad for his son feeling like just being 'the other child'.
Jon was out of action. Too tired and too exhausted to resist. But when his father carried him home, he felt cared. He laid his head on his father's chest
"All I wanted…" Jon began to cry.
"Schhhh… I know, my son!" Clark said and gave his son a kiss on his forehead. Another tear running down his face. "I know!"
He knew what his son wanted to say. He read it a few minutes ago. It was the last sentence in his son's journal…
All I wanted was that they love me, too!
THE END
I hope in the next episode, Jon tells his parents the truth and does not get expelled. He made a mistake, no doubt. But there is no need to cover for a girl that obviously don't cares for Jon.
Wonder if that spoiler-photo's of Jonathan beeing Superboy could be some kind of 'reconcile-father-son-fight' together for the season finale.
I hope you enjoyed! Can't await what happens in the next episode and hope the Kent's find a way to solve their issues.