Hello and welcome back!
Just returned from Athens! When you work like me in a job where you see everyday people flying to their vacation, you are even happier when you are a passenger by yourself. I spend a lot of time with sightseeing but continued writing on my tablet in the evenings. I want to thank all my loyal readers for their comments and the motivation they give me to write.
Enjoy!
Timmy eyed Tag who surprisingly appeared in front of his door…
Tag, who was wearing casual civilian clothes, told a made-up story of where he knew Jon from…
That Jonathan was an old friend, that he asked for shelter, but Tag's parents were on visit which was why he was not able to accommodate him. And that he later called again and said that he stays with Timmy and that he would call him as soon as he is in Metropolis. But Jonathan never called. With the storm in Smallville, he got worried.
After researching a bit, he figured out Timmy's address and hoped that he knows a bit more. Timmy was not aware that Tag was a 'spy' send by Sam Lane to figure out if Timmy is hiding Jonathan in his house or helped him otherwise to hide.
After a minute, Timmy let him in…
In the living-room, Tag saw the footage of the storm damages in TV. Before he came here, he used his speed to check if his parents were okay. One of the perks of having powers. They were luckily unhurt and Tag returned to Metropolis to continue.
"And you didn't hear anything from Jon, too?" Timmy asked.
"No, I guessed that he is just so mad that he needs a bit time to calm down." Tag said with a shrug. He actually expected him to be here in this house, but that was obviously not true. He texted it to Sam immediately.
"I don't like this! I don't get his voice out of my head when I told him that I… Well… that I know a very delicate thing about his family."
Tag became suspicious…
"Wait, you know 'it'?" Tag asked.
"Do you know about 'it', too?" Timmy asked shocked.
"Are we even talking about the same?"
"If 'it' has to do with a big blue boy scout?"
"Oh, my gosh! 'It-it'?"
"What other 'it', the Kent's would hide?" Timmy shrugged. "WOW… I didn't expect that? Does Jon know that you know 'it', too?"
"Yes, he does!" Tag lied. In truth, both the Kent brothers were unaware that he knew it. And he was surprised that Timmy Tanner knew it, too.
When Timmy turned around and didn't watch, Tag used his speed to text it to Sam. At least Tag had now something to talk about with Timmy and dig a bit deeper.
In Smallville, Sam received the message and was shocked…
But he had no time to deal with it, as much as he wanted to cry it out and get Timmy Tanner arrested and be brought to him for interrogation. He had to explain his absence to General Hardcastle and the rest of the DOD first. He told them about the family-emergency and that he was struck here after the tornado, which gave him some time. Just after he finished the call, he saw Jordan walking up the driveway again. The boy was totally apathic.
"Jordan, where have you been?" Sam asked worried.
"Getting some air!" Jordan moaned. Not telling that he went to the forest again and showed a photo of his missing brother to a TV-camera. When he spotted John-Henry he greeted him and then went into the RV to greet Natalie, too.
Sam wanted to say something, but Jordan avoid any eye contact. His missing brother was now more important than anything else…
Jordan meanwhile sat down next to Natalie and watched her trying to safe as much data as possible from the destroyed laptop. And some of the data was pretty interesting…
Clark meanwhile was in town to see if he figures out more about Jonathan or the high amount of cash they found in his room. All over, the people were busy to tidy up the mess, last nights storm left behind.
He met Kyle in town, who was busy with the other firefighters to free the roads from fallen trees. Kyle confirmed that they start to pay Jonathan a while ago, because he was doing great work, was ambitious, reliable and helpful…
"That was very shabby from you two, Clark!" Kyle moaned after retelling the incident. "He relied on you!"
"I know, Kyle! And I am really sorry for it."
"Tell that to your son you humiliated! Wasn't the first time, wasn't it?"
"No…" Clark confessed. "And it was unnecessary!"
It was true: There was no emergency, no surprising power manifestation, no crisis and no true reason. Clark and Jordan just left and flew around Europe to have fun together. In the wake of their fun-trip, they told Lois to not wait for them so she was not there for Jonathan, too. And Jonathan who relied on them all to come was humiliated and showed up.
When Jonathan stormed out of the house, he yelled loudly that he wishes that he was never born, so Clark could stop pretending and focus one hundred percent on his Kryptonian son. His favorite. His successor. And it hurt to hear this. When Kyle just scolded him for the barn-scene, it hurt even more.
"I swear by god, it was an accident! The barn-scene was an accident, too!"
"For your son, it wasn't!" Kyle respond. "I could see it in his face, Clark!"
"And I take the whole blame for it!"
"Clark… I know, I know your secret just for a few weeks and I don't fully understand your family dynamics or your motives. And will probably never be…" Kyle took a deep breath. "…but let me tell you as someone who knows how it is when your kids distance themselves from you and estrange, that you should talk to Jonathan and focus on him a bit. The boy was so devastated and he is totally upset. I have a real terrible feeling about this."
Kyle didn't tell Clark that he saw this kind of expression before. Only two days before Sarah once tried to take her life, she yelled on him and Lana the same way. Something that never got out of his head and that was a reminder to always listen to your kids. Nobody outside their family knew about Sarah's incident. Except Jordan. And after everything Kyle learned from Jonathan before he vanished, he wouldn't share that with Clark at any cost and no matter what happens. But it should be a warning. The final warning!
Clark thanked Kyle for the input and went to 'Brit and Dun's', where Jonathan was working since he got caught with the X-K. Mr. Olowe and his daughter Denise were there to check it. The sign over the entrance was torn off and the floor was wet. But there were luckily no bigger damages…
"He is making a good job. We gave him an increase long time ago!" Mr. Olowe told.
"Really?" Clark asked,
"Why? Do you have a problem with that?"
"No! It's just… Jonathan never mentioned it!"
"Would you had listened?" now Denise came out of the storage room, with an reproachful glare in her face.
Clark could only sigh.
"About what happened on Friday… I will apologize by myself to everyone! To Jonathan and to everyone else who felt offended. Did you hear from Jonathan, maybe?" Clark asked desperately.
Denise just shacked her head.
"Denise, would you leave me and Mr. Kent alone for a moment, please!" Mr. Olowe said. What follows was not destined for his daughters ears.
Denise just grabbed the broom wordlessly and went outside to clean the parking lot from the trash that the storm had blown over. As soon as he was sure that his daughter was not listening, Mr. Olowe turned back to Clark with a accusing glare.
"Aww… Clark, when you and Lois brought Jon here for the first time, I had this weird feeling. And I was more suspicious when you told me that I shouldn't pay him but give the money to you and Lois instead."
"That was shortly after he got caught with the X-K. We were worried he could do something stupid again. That was before we knew that he was only covering for Candice. He just kept the money for him until we we… you know! Until we knew that we could trust him again!"
They were surprised that Jonathan kept the job after his punishment was over. With his tight schedule. Probably to fill the void, football left? Or to get away from the farm? Away from Clark, Jordan and their training?
"And I honestly never believed that it were his inhalers at all! But I followed your order. And then, a couple of days later, you leave for a month and your son received all this hate from the people. Do you know what cruel things, some customers told him? Or how scared he sometimes was?"
Clark thought about it.
"I heard a rumor about that he got mugged after his first day here!" Mr. Olowe continued.
Jordan told it to Clark after his return from the Bizzaro world. It was the evening he scolded him. And thinking about Jonathan (powerless and defenseless) getting attacked by an X-K fueled thug made his scolding for him being too late even worse. His son was hurt and Clark didn't mention.
"And you left for work for a month? Just to avoid him?" Mr. Olowe continued.
"No… It was a bad timing I know! But it was not to avoid him!"
"Bad timing is an understatement! I met your son as a reliable, hardworking, ambitious boy. He did everything to make up for what happened and to prove that he is more than just a drug-taker. But the people in this awful town are so resentful. But no matter how bad he felt, or how afraid he was to be alone, he always came and always proved me that I can trust him."
"I know this place as an open and friendly place, with a lot of good people." Clark tried to explain.
"We are not in 1995 anymore, Clark!" Mr. Olowe was referring to the year, Clark left Smallville, build his fortress and started training to become Superman. "Times have changed! People have changed! Some people ask till today, why your family moved from Metropolis back here."
"I wanted a fresh start for my family!" Clark said. Jonathan on the other side, was convinced it was only to train Jordan and to destroy his live. "I know, Jonathan loved his live in Metropolis and he had trouble adapting to this place at first. But I had the best intentions."
"What did you do to help him to adapt?"
"I talked with him!" Clark defend himself. But thinking about it, he could had done more.
"Clark, I heard what happened on Friday! The whole town is talking about it. And there is some gossip about a ominous barn-scene…" Clark got pale when he heard that words from Mr. Olowe. Wondering what the people guess what the barn-scene is. "And I am suspicious: What makes Jordan so special, that he is worth all your love, while Jonathan gets ditched on the most important events?"
Clark became pale again. It was right: Jordan got all his attention. Jordan has powers, psychological issues, he is becoming a hero… there was no emergency… they just had fun…
"I mean, Jonathan has two jobs, next to full-time school with AP classes and takes care of his sick mother and doing chores. All while you and your other son leave to do whatever? Sometimes I ask myself if the boy even sleeps regularly."
"I know, it sounds much. But Jonathan is handling everything very well! And I am proud of him how he deals with everything. The past few months have been difficult for all of us. Jonathan is strong, and I am glad to have him as my son." Clark said.
"I would take the time and ask him if it's really true! If he is really handling it so well?"
Clark just lowered his head. He just wanted to know more about the money, only to get a reminder of how he screwed his son up. Full of shame, Clark prepared to leave the shop. Knowing that Mr. Olowe was on Jonathan's side, too. Which was a good sign that he was not totally alone here in Smallville…
"Clark, he came here shortly after he left your place!"
Clark turned around and looked on them man with big eyes. "Really?"
"He wanted to buy a bottle of water for the drive to Metropolis to visit a friend over the weekend!" Mr. Olowe explained. "And… he was crying! Waterfalls! I gave him the water for free and told him that if he needs something he could come to me, or my wife, or Denise… When you find him before we do… Greet him from all of us!"
Clark nodded and left the shop.
Lois meanwhile was crying after she read the letter, Jonathan wrote to Martha. The evening of the day she died. Lois remembered that day very well. Jordan was so devastated, they were barely able to comfort him. Jonathan meanwhile was silent. Just silent. Everyone mourns differently. And obviously, Jonathan used this letter to deal with it.
Lois could see that he cried while writing the letter. The paper was full of dried teardrops. She cried, too…
'Dear grandma, I wanted to apologize. The last time we met in person I was pretty rude and I called your place boring and dull. I said some things, that were pretty hurtful. And even if I know that you were never mad on me and all that, I know that I should have been not like that. I swore to myself to apologize to you as soon as I see you again or talk to you over phone. But now that you are dead, I never have the chance to do so. But I am really sorry! I know you meant well when you told me about your wish to have us all living on the farm with you. And I would love to live closer to you, too! Who knows what the future holds for me, for Jordan or mom and dad? Maybe we will live on the farm one day? I am sorry that I can't tell you in person how sorry I am. And I hope that, wherever you are now, that you are feeling well. I love you so much and I miss you. Jonathan'
Lois felt so sorry for her son. After Martha's death, Jonathan remained strong for his brother. But her death was a big shock for him, too. Something they never really talked about. And she realized that he mainly moved with them to Smallville just because of Martha. Thinking about it even before they decided to move out here.
Lois risked a short glimpse on the next pages. That were normal journal or diary entries. With more letters to Martha in-between. Lois closed the book and put it back into the shoe box to the others immediately. She was not going to invade her son's privacy. She could guess that the most entries were about the reveal, the move to Smallville and his life here. She didn't need to read these journals to know that he was unhappy…
Lois went back to her son's clothes to see how wet they still were when suddenly her father came in.
"Lois, there is something on Jonathan's laptop that you should see!"
Clark meanwhile walked across the main-street…
Smallville had a lot of luck. Some surrounding townships were hit harder. A long queue was in front of the Teague's Hardware store. It was Sunday, but the shop was opened to allow the people to get what they need to repair the damages on their houses. Clark ignored the glares of the people. But he couldn't ignore the whispering.
"You think it was him?"
"Why he should do that to his own son?"
"Well, he forced him to move from Metropolis here to this place. If this is not a punishment. And it is no secret that he was very mad about the X-K!"
"For nothing in the world I would change my life in Metropolis with a life here! I grew up here, but Metropolis is thousand times better."
"The half team was on X-K! But nobody else got punished. Don't you think that is a bit suspicious?"
"My son told me that Jonathan Kent became the scapegoat for the X-Kryptonite takers, because he is from Metropolis!"
"It was never proved."
"If Kent really cares for his son, he would not always run away when he has to step in for his son!"
That was enough…
"I CARE!" Clark yelled loud enough to catch everyone's attention.
The people who were gossiping about him looked over to him and watched Clark with big eyes. Wondering how Clark was able to hear their whispering. From the other side of the street.
Clark just crossed the road and approached them.
"Tell me that again!" Clark yelled.
The man who just offended him was just surprised.
"What?"
"Let me tell you one thing: I love my son's both equally! And what happened was a bad circumstance. I know I was not a great father to him! And I don't need a constant reminder of my own failures…" Clark yelled while tears ran down his face. "MY SON IS MISSED! MISSED! AND I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT TO DO NOW!"
Clark turned away from those people and walked away before he burst out in tears. Hoping that Jonathan, was really just somewhere in Metropolis, walking around, sitting with an old friend or anything else. It was a much better thought than Jonathan being in peril…
In Metropolis meanwhile, Timmy Tanner and Tag Harris had a long and interesting conversation about the Kent's family-secret…
They talked a lot about the Kent-brothers, Jordan's powers, the unfairness Jonathan must have endured, and a lot of more things…
"I mean, if I would figure out that my dad is Superman, and that I am the heir of some noble family from a far advanced society, I would expect to get to know anything about it. But obviously got only introduced to his grandmother to appease him. That's what he told me!" Timmy said.
"I admit sounds pretty bad!" Tag added. "Jon never told me that it's so bad!"
Jon never told Tag anything. But he had to keep up the façade.
"Yeah… That's so typical for Jonathan! He thinks too much about others first before he realizes how much he is suffering until it's too late. He was always like that! Modest and kind-hearted. That made him many friends! But also, a lot of enemies. In that Podunk-town, I can imagine that it made him enemy's only!"
"Yeah, Smallville is an awful place!" Tag added. And he was honestly glad that he got away from there.
"Have you ever been there?"
"No!" Tag added quickly. "But I heard enough bad things about it from Jon!"
Timmy seemed to accept that answer. Tag meanwhile could tell for sure that Timmy Tanner had no clue where Jonathan was and texted it to Sam Lane discreetly.
"And I still don't get out of my head that it could be my fault! I mean, why I told him that I know it while he was driving. What if he crashed because of me? Or what if he thinks now that I only remained in touch with him because of his dad… Before I learned about the barn-scene, I was a Superman-fanatic…"
Suddenly Timmy's phone rang…
"Sorry, I have to pick that up!" Timmy said and left the table. "Hello, Jay… really… oh, yes… yes, do that…"
Tag was curious about that call. He couldn't hear everything but was sure that it was important.
"No, Jay… take the photo I send to you yesterday! And post it immediately! With all the information I gave to you… yeah, trust me with this… No, I don't believe what the Kent's say. You can't trust eighter the Kent's nor anyone else in Smallville… I know Jay… Yeah… Yes, I will take the full responsibility if something backfires! But trust me, it won't… Okay, bye!" Timmy said and returned to the table. "Sorry, that was a friend of mine! He has this well known online-blog and he help me with the search!"
"What is he posting?"
"He is posting what Jonathan tried to reveal by himself before everything got ruined by his own family!" Timmy told. "Do you know about the barn-scene?"
"No! What is the barn-scene?" Tag asked.
While Timmy told Tag everything about the barn-scene and shocked the young metahuman with this story, Clark was terrified about the gossip he could hear while walking threw Smallville…
That their move was to punish Jonathan for early drug-use; that Jonathan is living like a slave on the farm; that Jonathan is an unwanted step-child; that Jonathan was send away by themselves to work, to pay their mortgage; that Jonathan gets abused by them; that Jordan once took X-K, too to get in the team and to destroy his brother's life; that nobody will ever miss Jonathan; that Jonathan should have left Smallville long ago; that Jonathan's disappearance is just a hoax to hush up that they killed him…
Clark didn't endure it anymore. Without really thinking he departed into the air, flew high into the Earth's atmosphere to listen for a sign of him again… not getting that picture out of his head, some people in town obviously head…
Clark listened to the world, looking for Jonathan's voice. His heartbeat, his breath, his ringtone… anything… he just heard the ELT from the farm.
"Clark, come back home! You must see what we found on his laptop!" Lois said.
Clark speed back to Smallville and entered the Irons' RV just a few seconds later. Natalie was there, together with John-Henry, Lois, Jordan and Sam. Sam just received a message from Tag, that latter was stopping to investigate, as he believes Jon could be suicidal.
"What did you find?" Clark asked.
"Okay… I was able to safe everything Jon saved on the hard drive and all data on the laptop. Every movement and every website he visited since he got that thing…"
"That was when he came into high school! Shortly before our move!" Lois remembered. "Most of it was just normal stuff. Working for assignments and school-projects, teenager-stuff, chatting with friends… but some of his research was interesting!"
"What research?" Clark went closer to get a better look on the screen.
"Obviously, he tried to find a prove for the X-K abuse of the other players before he took that stuff by himself! He took photos of the open lockers of his teammates! He was looking for proves! And later he tried to find a way to help Candice out of the dealing! He always tried to do the right thing! Before he got caught with her inhalers, he tried to find a way to help her without causing her any more trouble."
"Clark…" now Sam interfered. "…I send someone to Timmy Tanner's house to observe it. Jonathan is really not there!"
"What about the rest of the DOD?" Jordan asked upset.
"I can't send them! I wouldn't be able to explain it! When you got kidnapped by Tal-Rho, it was different, as everyone knew he is Kryptonian. When I send the DOD after Jonathan it would raise too much suspicion!"
"What else did you find?" Clark asked.
"A lot, Clark… a lot!" Lois responded. "Jonathan… is not an as easy child as we believed!"
"You mean…?"
"Clark…" now Lois starts to cry. "…I think Jonathan is suicidal…"
Some notes about this chapter: This plays around the end of season 3! My expectation is that Kyle sooner or later figures out. By now he is the only main-character (exept Bruno Mannheim) who doesn't know. And I think it could happen! Another expectation I have, is that Jonathan's feeling of being left out will rise this season. I saw the scene of him talking to Sophie about it on YouTube and I hope that this is the beginning of some more. Jordan comming in, right when he presents his new shirt to his mother, and raving about his (supposed) immunity to Kryptonite was awful. In my eyes, the scene with Jonathan talking to Sophie, was the best scene in the latest episode.
Stay tuned! Update follows as soon as possible!