Fanfiction Four VI: The Intervention
Not all of the Formidable Four's tasks called for great feats of superior power. Jesse Moreno's greatest battle was won not with his
muscles, but with his heart. It was the day he took his friend's well-meaning advice and confronted his father.
Jesse's hands shook with nervousness. "I can't do this, I can't do this." he mumbled.
"Yes you can." Jane held his hand.
"He's gonna know something's up when I pick him up from work."
"Mr. Higgens said for this to work we've gotta catch him while he's sober. C'mon, let's drive."
Luis Moreno had been working at the steal refinery for two months since he lost his last job at a construction site for showing up to
work intoxicated. He thought it a little odd that his son had come to pick him up. Luis had planned his customary self-pity session at the local
tavern. Who was this black haired chiquita he brought with him? He introduced her as Jane, his girlfriend. Since when did Jesse have girlfriends?
How old was Jesse again? 19? 20? He wasn't sure.
"You don't have to be here if you don't want to." Trent told Daria.
"You and Jane are going to be here for Jesse and Danny. I might as well make it a full party."
"This isn't a party." Mr. Higgens reminded her. "It's an intervention."
"Here they come." said Danny, looking out the window.
"Who are all these people?" Luis demanded as soon as he stepped in the house.
"Papa," said Jesse. "That's my best friend, Trent Lane, Jane's brother. The girl is our friend Daria Morgendorfer and... that's Mr. Higgens."
"Who the hell is Mr. Higgens?"
Mr. Higgens stood and spoke. "Mr. Moreno, or may I call you Louis?"
"It's Luis!" pronounced loo-EES
"Luis, I'm from AA. Your sons say you have a problem with alcohol."
"My problem is my oldest son thinks he wears the pants in this family."
"I'm your second son, Papa." said Jesse. "Tell him about Matt."
"You will not speak of him!"
"You killed him!"
"Don't you dare blame me for what he did to himself!"
"Hold on!" said Mr. Higgens. "We're not here to blame, we are here to convince Luis to get help. Now, Danny, while your brother cools
off, tell your dad how his drinking has hurt you."
The doorbell rang. Daria answered it. It was Man-Hater.
"I'm here for those scummy men who put me in prison!" she said.
"Um, could you come back later?" Daria whispered. "Now is not a good time." She said it as if dismissing a salesman, and closed the
door in Man-Hater's shocked face.
"Papa," he started. "the worst part about your drinking is it seems normal. Jesse says you didn't start drinking untill our mother died.
Before that, you were a great guy. I was only 3, so I don't know. Bad enough that I don't remember having a mom, I don't remember having a dad
either. It's always been Jesse taking care of me. He told me about Matt, how you destroyed all his pictures and anything having to deal with him
after his suicide. From what Jesse told me about our mother, I don't think she would've wanted that. I also think she'd want you to stop drinking.
So do I. I'm embarressed to have friends over 'cuz I dont' know if you're going to come home plastered, or if you will come home."
"Your turn, Jesse." said Mr. Higgens.
Jesse's mouth felt glued shut. Could he say what Danny hadn't already said? Could mere words express his anger and grief? "If he won't
talk," said Trent, "I'll speak for him. When I was 16, I finally got a car. It's that green Ford you saw parked outside. It was second hand, not much
to look at, but it was mine. I wanted to show it to Jesse one morning and then drive us to school. No one anwered when I got to your house, so I
went in. No one in the living room, so I went up to Jesse's room. He was lying on his bed nursing an arm covered in black, blue and yellow splotches.
I'm no doctor, but I knew that wasn't good. Instead of driving to school, I drove your son to the emergency room. He had multiple fractures on his
left arm. After they put a cast on him I asked him how it happened. He tried to give me his usual 'I fell down' excuse. He later told me you pushed
him down the stairs. Mr. Moreno, you're lucky it wasn't his neck that got broke. I've wanted to confront you for the longest time, but Jesse kept
asking me not to. I understand you're upset over your wife, but it's been 11 years. Drinking and wallopping your son won't bring her back."
"I've always wondered." said Danny. "Why dad always went after Jesse and not me. I mean, I'm smaller and weaker. I always thought it
was because I hid in the study with my computer and electronics."
"Is this your wife, Luis?" Mr. Higgens indicated a photo on the mantle. Luis nodded. "She's very beautiful. Jesse looks a lot like her. Same
eyes, same features. They even wear their hair the same way. What was her name?"
"Lillian." said Luis.
"Luis, you're angry with Lillian."
"Never!"
"Yes, you are. You're angry at her for dying and leaving you with three growing sons. She's not here to be angry at, so you take it out on
the son who reminds you the most of her."
An epithany came over Luis Moreno. "What have I done?" he sighed. "I could never make up for what I've done."
"Yes you can." said Jesse. "That's why we asked AA to send us someone."
"AA has a great success rate." said Mr. Higgens. "You can take an inpatient or outpatient program as you see fit. It won't be easy at all,
but believe me, it's worth it. I know. I've been there myself."
Luis Moreno agreed to an outpatient program. Mr. Higgens said they could go to a meeting tonight. After they left, Daria felt a little guilty.
She hadn't said or done anything throughout the whole ordeal. "Jesse," she said. "are you going to be OK?"
"Know what?" he smiled. "I don't think I've ever been better!"
"Told you it would work." said Trent.
"Time to hold your part of the deal, Trent."
"What deal?"
"I said I'd hold an intervention for my dad if you'd learn to swim. I believe the number to the Y can be found in the phone book."
"You're really gonna hold me to this?" Jesse nodded. "Fine, I'll call."
"Daria and I will make sure he holds up on the deal." said Jane.
"By the way," said Daria. "That was Man-Hater at the door. Apparantly she escaped prison and is hellbent on revenge. I'm all for kicking
her ass. Anyone else?" It was unanimous.
About a week later, Jane was on the couch sketching in her book when Trent came in and dropped his duffle bag on the floor. "How'd
the lesson go?" she asked.
"I'm a little tadpole." he said with disgust.
"Excuse me?"
"They put me in a class with a bunch of kids called the Little Tadpoles. Do you know how humiliating it is to have 6 year olds beat you
at Marco Polo?"
Jane giggled. The mental picture was just to funny. "Someone probably made a mistake. You can clear it up tomorrow. Remember- a deal's a deal."
"I wish I could just chunk it." he sat down, exhausted.
"Trent, swimming isn't all that bad. Why are you so adverse to learning?"
"When I was a kid, whenever I got near a body of water larger than a big puddle, Wind would always push me in. Mom said he was just playing."
"How come he never pushed me?"
"I dunno. I guess it's cuz you were cute or something."
"You gotta forget about that. Learning to swim is impportant."
It was in their next adventure when Trent learned how important it was.
Not all of the Formidable Four's tasks called for great feats of superior power. Jesse Moreno's greatest battle was won not with his
muscles, but with his heart. It was the day he took his friend's well-meaning advice and confronted his father.
Jesse's hands shook with nervousness. "I can't do this, I can't do this." he mumbled.
"Yes you can." Jane held his hand.
"He's gonna know something's up when I pick him up from work."
"Mr. Higgens said for this to work we've gotta catch him while he's sober. C'mon, let's drive."
Luis Moreno had been working at the steal refinery for two months since he lost his last job at a construction site for showing up to
work intoxicated. He thought it a little odd that his son had come to pick him up. Luis had planned his customary self-pity session at the local
tavern. Who was this black haired chiquita he brought with him? He introduced her as Jane, his girlfriend. Since when did Jesse have girlfriends?
How old was Jesse again? 19? 20? He wasn't sure.
"You don't have to be here if you don't want to." Trent told Daria.
"You and Jane are going to be here for Jesse and Danny. I might as well make it a full party."
"This isn't a party." Mr. Higgens reminded her. "It's an intervention."
"Here they come." said Danny, looking out the window.
"Who are all these people?" Luis demanded as soon as he stepped in the house.
"Papa," said Jesse. "That's my best friend, Trent Lane, Jane's brother. The girl is our friend Daria Morgendorfer and... that's Mr. Higgens."
"Who the hell is Mr. Higgens?"
Mr. Higgens stood and spoke. "Mr. Moreno, or may I call you Louis?"
"It's Luis!" pronounced loo-EES
"Luis, I'm from AA. Your sons say you have a problem with alcohol."
"My problem is my oldest son thinks he wears the pants in this family."
"I'm your second son, Papa." said Jesse. "Tell him about Matt."
"You will not speak of him!"
"You killed him!"
"Don't you dare blame me for what he did to himself!"
"Hold on!" said Mr. Higgens. "We're not here to blame, we are here to convince Luis to get help. Now, Danny, while your brother cools
off, tell your dad how his drinking has hurt you."
The doorbell rang. Daria answered it. It was Man-Hater.
"I'm here for those scummy men who put me in prison!" she said.
"Um, could you come back later?" Daria whispered. "Now is not a good time." She said it as if dismissing a salesman, and closed the
door in Man-Hater's shocked face.
"Papa," he started. "the worst part about your drinking is it seems normal. Jesse says you didn't start drinking untill our mother died.
Before that, you were a great guy. I was only 3, so I don't know. Bad enough that I don't remember having a mom, I don't remember having a dad
either. It's always been Jesse taking care of me. He told me about Matt, how you destroyed all his pictures and anything having to deal with him
after his suicide. From what Jesse told me about our mother, I don't think she would've wanted that. I also think she'd want you to stop drinking.
So do I. I'm embarressed to have friends over 'cuz I dont' know if you're going to come home plastered, or if you will come home."
"Your turn, Jesse." said Mr. Higgens.
Jesse's mouth felt glued shut. Could he say what Danny hadn't already said? Could mere words express his anger and grief? "If he won't
talk," said Trent, "I'll speak for him. When I was 16, I finally got a car. It's that green Ford you saw parked outside. It was second hand, not much
to look at, but it was mine. I wanted to show it to Jesse one morning and then drive us to school. No one anwered when I got to your house, so I
went in. No one in the living room, so I went up to Jesse's room. He was lying on his bed nursing an arm covered in black, blue and yellow splotches.
I'm no doctor, but I knew that wasn't good. Instead of driving to school, I drove your son to the emergency room. He had multiple fractures on his
left arm. After they put a cast on him I asked him how it happened. He tried to give me his usual 'I fell down' excuse. He later told me you pushed
him down the stairs. Mr. Moreno, you're lucky it wasn't his neck that got broke. I've wanted to confront you for the longest time, but Jesse kept
asking me not to. I understand you're upset over your wife, but it's been 11 years. Drinking and wallopping your son won't bring her back."
"I've always wondered." said Danny. "Why dad always went after Jesse and not me. I mean, I'm smaller and weaker. I always thought it
was because I hid in the study with my computer and electronics."
"Is this your wife, Luis?" Mr. Higgens indicated a photo on the mantle. Luis nodded. "She's very beautiful. Jesse looks a lot like her. Same
eyes, same features. They even wear their hair the same way. What was her name?"
"Lillian." said Luis.
"Luis, you're angry with Lillian."
"Never!"
"Yes, you are. You're angry at her for dying and leaving you with three growing sons. She's not here to be angry at, so you take it out on
the son who reminds you the most of her."
An epithany came over Luis Moreno. "What have I done?" he sighed. "I could never make up for what I've done."
"Yes you can." said Jesse. "That's why we asked AA to send us someone."
"AA has a great success rate." said Mr. Higgens. "You can take an inpatient or outpatient program as you see fit. It won't be easy at all,
but believe me, it's worth it. I know. I've been there myself."
Luis Moreno agreed to an outpatient program. Mr. Higgens said they could go to a meeting tonight. After they left, Daria felt a little guilty.
She hadn't said or done anything throughout the whole ordeal. "Jesse," she said. "are you going to be OK?"
"Know what?" he smiled. "I don't think I've ever been better!"
"Told you it would work." said Trent.
"Time to hold your part of the deal, Trent."
"What deal?"
"I said I'd hold an intervention for my dad if you'd learn to swim. I believe the number to the Y can be found in the phone book."
"You're really gonna hold me to this?" Jesse nodded. "Fine, I'll call."
"Daria and I will make sure he holds up on the deal." said Jane.
"By the way," said Daria. "That was Man-Hater at the door. Apparantly she escaped prison and is hellbent on revenge. I'm all for kicking
her ass. Anyone else?" It was unanimous.
About a week later, Jane was on the couch sketching in her book when Trent came in and dropped his duffle bag on the floor. "How'd
the lesson go?" she asked.
"I'm a little tadpole." he said with disgust.
"Excuse me?"
"They put me in a class with a bunch of kids called the Little Tadpoles. Do you know how humiliating it is to have 6 year olds beat you
at Marco Polo?"
Jane giggled. The mental picture was just to funny. "Someone probably made a mistake. You can clear it up tomorrow. Remember- a deal's a deal."
"I wish I could just chunk it." he sat down, exhausted.
"Trent, swimming isn't all that bad. Why are you so adverse to learning?"
"When I was a kid, whenever I got near a body of water larger than a big puddle, Wind would always push me in. Mom said he was just playing."
"How come he never pushed me?"
"I dunno. I guess it's cuz you were cute or something."
"You gotta forget about that. Learning to swim is impportant."
It was in their next adventure when Trent learned how important it was.