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]

"I know, but I don't want to make him feel weird like that girl he mentioned. But I do like him."

He curled up a little tighter against Bucky.

"Ma said she doesn't care if I like a girl or a boy or someone who's neither or both but I really thought I liked Lana. But I like Mike more."

[kolodnoykovki]

Bucky was still working on wrapping his mind around the idea of 'neither or both' (he didn't think it was something bothersome to him; more important that somebody be a decent person), but that wasn't the question. The question was Clark liking Mike and... "The way I heard it, she didn't give him much choice. You aren't like that."

[stands_for_hope]

"Of course not," he said with a firm shake. "I'd never do that. But it's not like you and Steve. You two just fit."

[kolodnoykovki]

"We didn't when we met," he countered. "When I first found him getting beat up in the alley, he snapped at me and told me he didn't need my help."

[stands_for_hope]

"Yeah, but--" his hands kind of fluttered before he put them back in his lap. They were so perfect.

[kolodnoykovki]

Bucky squeezed Clark's shoulders. "All I'm saying is not to stop it before it starts."

[stands_for_hope]

He ducked his head against Bucky's shoulder.

"I can't really do that anyway. No helping how you feel."

[kolodnoykovki]

Bucky hugged him close. "How about when we all go wherever, me and Steve give you and him some room?"

[stands_for_hope]

He shrugged a little before tucking up against Bucky. Then he looked up with a tiny smile.

"You know, I came over here to check on you and now you're trying to make me feel better."

[kolodnoykovki]

It got him a smile. "That's what I'm best at. And it makes me feel better to make other people feel better."

[stands_for_hope]

Clark just smiled again and nodded.

"Thanks."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Anytime." And surely Clark knew that he meant it.

[stands_for_hope]

It was a few months down the line that the FLAG van made it's way to the parking lot behind the pharmacy. They would have preferred to go right to the farm that they'd heard about, but the instructions had been quite clear.

[longdaysknight]

Michael was still mostly in full retirement. He'd thought about getting a job, and he did do some odd jobs here and there and helped out on Martha's farm, but the money wasn't needful, and he liked having time open to spend with Mike.

But one thing he'd been clear about was that the boys needed to be protected. Anything that FLAG dug up for him, he screened, and he talked about with Martha and Clark before he said yes. That was why, now, he'd finally said yes to a few people from parts of FLAG that were actually a little more public than he was. And one of them, at least, was bouncing with news. Michael didn't know that until he'd come downstairs to meet the van, to speak to them, and only then call Martha to see if it was okay for them to come.

[stands_for_hope]

"Well, we're home," Martha said, clearly nervous from a young lifetime worth of worries about this very thing. But she trusted Michael. And she knew that her little boy needed more than she could give him.

"And the boys are all done with their work and their schoolwork. It's a good time." A pause and then--

"Are you bringing Mike with you?"

[longdaysknight]

"I am," he said. "I wouldn't dream of not having him here for something like this." He knew how close all their boys had gotten - they were a unit of four, sure, but within that unit of four, there seemed to be a few smaller units, too. And Clark and Mike were one of those units. He wasn't going to deny Clark his 'unit.'

[stands_for_hope]

"Thank you. I appreciate it. I know Clark will be happy to have Mike there."

She breathed in.

"Is there anything I need to prepare? They're not going to make me fill out any paperwork or anything, right? And is there anything I should tell Clark about it specifically?"

[longdaysknight]

There was a smile in Michael's voice when he said, "No paperwork. No more details than you want to give them. The only thing I can think of that you might want to tell the boys is that one of the people who'll be there is..." He paused, then shrugged. "Well. She's purple."

[stands_for_hope]

Martha put her hand over her mouth for a moment in astoundment. Then, after a nervous chuckle, she got herself settled.

"Well, is she a nice woman?"

[longdaysknight]

"She's... Maybe a little overwhelming, but she's nice. I think she might vibrate the shocks off the van if she gets any more excited. It's not her power or anything - she's just excited."

[stands_for_hope]

"As long as she's nice, we shouldn't have any troubles. Now... do they like meatloaf? Cause I'm going to have to feed them if they come by, especially since they're here to help, and I have all the things for meatloaf, but I can whip something else up if they'd like something else."

[longdaysknight]

Michael paused for a few long moments before offering, "How about I drive through on the way and bring a lot of KFC, and then you provide dessert? That's easier on you, less stress for everybody. I'll make sure to bring something for Clark, too."

[stands_for_hope]

"Thank you, Michael. I appreciate that a lot."

She breathed in on the phone.

"I'll go get the boys set and toss a couple of pies into the oven. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this all. See you soon."

[longdaysknight]

"We'll be there in about twenty minutes," Michael promised. "See you."

And then he was making another phone call to a place there in town he'd wheedled into adding something to their menu, and another call to KFC. He placed his orders (a ridiculous amount of chicken, potatoes, gravy, mac and cheese, baked beans, corn on the cob-- basically, some of everything) and then gathered Mike to go pick things up and go out to the Kent farm.

True to what he'd said, twenty minutes later, Kitt was driving up the driveway, followed by a black van that looked menacing - accidentally. He parked Kitt in the garage, and the van... Well, the van parked beside the garage, carefully placed so as not to take up too much space.

[stands_for_hope]

Martha went to the front door and walked out, watching the van carefully and waiting for Michael to come out of the garage to make introductions.