The Double K Farm for At Risk Youth - How it Starts

[stands_for_hope]

It had been a hard year for the Kents.

The loss of a father, a husband, had hollowed out mother and son, though thankfully they'd managed to make due on the farm between the both of them. But that was just the financial parts. The farm felt empty without Jonathon Kent, their home felt empty, and Clark...

Clark was so angry with everyone, with everything. It wasn't fair.

He could do so many things, so many things, but he hadn't been able to do anything when his father's heart had given out. He hadn't been able to do anything when Jonathon Kent had dropped dead in a field while Clark was at school. He'd just been there to get pulled into the office, take the phonecall from his mother.

It was doubly hard to go through his days now. Before, there'd been a bit of a barrier between the people who liked to tease him; Jonathon Kent had been respected and folks had looked out for Clark because of it. They still looked for him, but now it was more about sympathy and less of a willingness to put themselves between him and trouble.

That's why he was here. Twelve years old, pushed against a chain link fence, holding onto the fence pole for their sake as much as his own. Anger boiled up inside him, anger enough to make his eyes start to lighten to red, anger enough to make him want to do things he couldn't do, shouldn't do. Because people were mean and cruel and they picked on weakness like a pack of jackals, even if the weakness was feigned.

I can't do it. I can't hurt anyone.

It was like a screen door trying to hold back a tidal wave. He was shaking and his eyes were so hot. He just hoped he could hold on long enough for them to get bored. Long enough for someone to wander by. He just had to hold on.

Comments

[stands_for_hope]

She almost reached over and ruffled his hair. Instead, she gave a brief little chuckle and leaned up to kiss Michael's cheek.

"You two take care of yourselves and make sure you've got room in your bellies for a good meal. For now, I've got some grocery shopping to do and a bit of cooking to get done."

She pulled back and tilted her head towards the truck.

"You remember the way, don't you?"

[longdaysknight]

His smile became a grin. "If I don't, you-know-who does. We'll see you later, Martha."

Mike gave her a wave, having finally loosened up, and, after Michael patted his shoulder, giving permission, he ran off to head upstairs again.

Michael was more slow to get back to work, full of good feelings at knowing he was going to have someone to talk to. Someone in the same situation. But he did make up his mind to pick up a nice, casual bouquet before they went. Something that said friendship.

[stands_for_hope]

When the boys got home from school, they'd find Martha busy in the kitchen, looking a little bit like a chicken with it's head cut off. There were several blouses laid out on the couch that she kept glancing between and the amount of food that she was making was clearly more than even Steve or Sarah would account for.

"Mom?"

Martha leaned out of the kitchen and gave her boys a smile.

"Hey! We're going to have some extra company tonight. An old friend just moved in with his son and the boys even your age. Mike seems like a sweet boy so I hope you get along with him. His father's an old friend who helped your grandpa out a few years back."

[kolodnoykovki]

Bucky looked confused for a few seconds, but then he looked over at the blouses and some of the things Martha was cooking - and it struck. He knew just what was going on. Biting his lower lip, stifling a grin, he carefully put aside his backpack. "Steve, do you think you can help Aunt Martha in the kitchen while Clark and I get our chores done? We'll hurry, then we'll wash up and help, too."

And he was sure Clark would want to know what he'd noticed. Because he was pretty sure Steve already had.

[stands_for_hope]

Steve smiled just a little and gave Bucky a firm nod before glancing at the blouses and scooping up two of them. He brought them up to Martha's room and laid them on the bed before heading back down and going to the kitchen to offer his help.

Clark looked over at Bucky as they trotted out the door to start doing their chores.

"We don't usually have guests," Clark said as they trotted out towards the barn. And if the kid was new, associating with their little crew was... less social suicide than it'd been a few months ago, but still not good. Bucky had done something of a number on his social status, though there was no such thing as miracles when it came to the Smallville social cliques. He was just less of a pariah.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Yeah," Bucky said, "but I think this is important." If Clark had been at speed, Bucky couldn't have kept up, but jogging like this, it was easy for him to stay alongside him and say, in something of a stage whisper, "I think Aunt Martha met her Steve."

He hoped he was right. He hoped that this was someone who could bring the same kind of happiness and light to her that Steve had to him. And he hoped that it wasn't too soon for anyone. That could shoot it down.

[stands_for_hope]

Clark looked utterly baffled for a moment before his eyes went wide and he breathed out a sigh with enough force to leave a faint chill in the air.

"You think she's... she's interested in the guy comin' over?"

A little part of him was upset about that. After all, what about his father? What about Jonathan Kent? But the bigger part, the more important part, saw how she'd been lit up inside while she was cooking... and he hadn't seen that for almost two years. If someone made his mother happy, then... he'd be happy for her. He loved her too much to want her to be lonely.

...the guy had just better be amazing or he'd snap him in half and make him sorry he'd ever looked at his mother.

[kolodnoykovki]

Bucky nodded. "Yeah, I do - but you know we need to take care of her like she takes care of us." He looked over at his brother seriously. "We'll make sure he's a good guy. If he's not, we'll make sure nothing happens to her. But..."

And his expression eased to something... cautiously hopeful.

"Your mom knew I wasn't as bad as everybody else thought I was right off. I think she's pretty good at seeing how people are."

[stands_for_hope]

He considered it for a moment before nodding slowly.

"And... hey. Maybe we'll... get a new friend. If he's nice, maybe his son'll be nice."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Yeah," Bucky agreed, nodding firmly. "We'll bet he is - that way we keep our hopes up, right?" Better not to decide the worst when it could be better. "Let's get everything done and wash up, and then we'll find out."

[stands_for_hope]

Clark nodded... then disappeared in a gust of air as he went to go attend to the farm.

Inside, Steve was helping to chop vegetables with great intensity before tossing them into the tray for the pair of chickens they'd be roasting. Martha had already done up a tray of mac and cheese for Clark and everyone else to enjoy with their chicken so it was just a matter of handling the bird for the moment. Once Steve got that done with her, he gestured to the blouse and nodded firmly before heading out to join Bucky.

"...dinner's gonna be really good. She's super excited. This guy better not be a jerk."

[kolodnoykovki]

Bucky nodded, motioning for Steve to come with him on the way to get his own work done. "Me and Clark just talked about that. It's only fair to give him a chance, you know? He might be great. Aunt Martha gave me a chance."

And not a lot of people did. Like Miss Sullivan. He didn't really blame her, but as soon as people found out he was from the Saint Mary's Home for Boys in the Arms of God, he tended to be immediately discounted. He'd gotten used to it.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Apparently he's a widower too," Steve noted as he rearranged the tools on the workshop counter, "so hopefully he won't be too fast on the draw."

He leaned away to avoid Bucky's dusting since it'd send him into a coughing fit.

"It sounds like his son might have been in trouble too. She mentioned the guy stopped his ex from sending him off to military school, so..." Steve shrugged. "Apparently way back, he helped save Mrs. Kent's father's farm due to some water thieves."

He tipped his head towards the fields.

"How's Clark about it?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"About the same as you," he answered. "And me. He frosted up a little bit, but I think I talked him into giving the guy a chance - and it's worth a try, right? I mean, if they can give me a chance..."

But he understood the hesitance across the board. Aunt Martha had become important to all of their lives - and he was just as protective as Clark. If anything happened to Aunt Martha, he was back to the barn.

"We'll keep our hopes up. Expect the good stuff, but keep an eye out for the bad."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Only way to be," Steve agreed, "though I don't think we need to worry too much. Sometimes when I help her in the kitchen, I ask her about the farm stuff. She's like... super smart. I can't imagine anyone getting the best of her."

[kolodnoykovki]

Bucky nodded enthusiastically. "I know. She's smart and she's tough, so I figure it's all going to be okay - at worst, they'll be friends, but..."

But he wasn't going to write off the idea that Aunt Martha might decide that this guy was worth more than that. And that was her choice. Bucky just hoped they all liked him.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"We can't really get too upset about anything till we meet him," Steve said with a shrug. "We're probably all worrying for nothing. I don't think she'd even let the guy meet you and Clark if she didn't trust him."

[kolodnoykovki]

"You're right. I hadn't even thought of that." But that was what he and Steve did - what one didn't see, the other did. "I guess I just don't... tend to look at it like that."

No, he was the kind of person who looked at it all like it was up to him to take care of everyone. He always had been. To think of someone taking care of him was still new.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve grinned.

"That's cause you always think you have to take care of everything," he pointed out with a smirk before tucking in for a quick hug and skittering off to start sweeping another portion of the barn.

There wasn't much more said about it until Martha's voice rang outside the back kitchen door around 5:30, calling the boys in to wash up.

[kolodnoykovki]

The hug helped, but Steve's hugs always did. When Martha called them in, Bucky jogged to the door, keeping an eye out for Clark and Steve on the way. They did have company coming, and thankfully enough bathrooms for everybody to wash up.

Bucky took the chance to change clothes. Clean pants, a clean shirt - he wanted to make a good impression. And when he'd done that, he started dusting Steve off along with him. "We're gonna have to start keeping some spare clothes for you here."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"You say that like I have spare clothes," Steve noted with a huff as he straightened up his hair. Clark made an effort to spiff himself up, straightening his hair a little and wearing one of his nicer shirts. Standing straight with his hair and his clothes fitted nicely, it was hard to believe that anyone would even try to bully him at school. He was taller and a little broader than Bucky when he actually kept good posture and his eyes, somewhat prepared for conflict, glowed with purpose. He'd tried not to, but his hackles were up just a bit at the idea of a new gentleman and another boy at the house.

Steve tilted his head towards Clark and gave Bucky a definite look. All words aside, it seemed like Clark was still nervous.

[kolodnoykovki]

Bucky's answer was a swift hug around Clark's shoulders. "Everything's going to be okay," he promised. "No matter what. We all want the best for Aunt Martha, so we'll make sure everything goes all right."

He squeezed Clark's shoulders - right as a car was pulling up at the end of the driveway. A car that didn't look to be suited to a farm in the least.

[stands_for_hope]

Both Bucky and Martha could soften him up when his rare temper rose, and it worked the same as it had the last few months. He breathed in, settled down a little, and gave Bucky a quick hug in return. Then he disappeared to go downstairs and get the door so his mother could finish dinner.

Steve sighed over at Bucky.

"Just let him get his bearings. He's still pretty touchy about his dad."

[kolodnoykovki]

"I know, and I don't blame him. I would be, too, if it was me." He tightened his arm around Steve's shoulders. "But I think everything will be okay."

The car coming up the driveway had a very unique-sounding engine, probably unlike anything they'd ever heard before, with its low, powerful V8 rumble and a higher pitched whine. Even though it was a low-slung black car, it handled the driveway fine, and none of the gravel dust seemed to settle on it, despite how it always kicked up.

It was backed carefully into the garage, and at last, out climbed two people. One was tall and lanky, and the other was well on the way to being the same. Both of them leaned into the car's back floorboard to pick up a few things - it looked like they hadn't come empty-handed.

[stands_for_hope]

Clark waited at the door until they arrived before opening it a moment before they'd knock, looking up and out at the two people who'd come to dinner. Michael he gave a full body scan, x-raying him to make sure he didn't have any weapons or was carrying anything but what was clearly in their hands. Then he turned to Mike...

And... blushed, just a little before looking him up and down. Clark swallowed.

"Hello," he said quietly, looking between the strangers and his mother before turning back to the strangers.

"Come on in. Ma's still finishing up dinner."