Home was a word that could mean so much. It could find meaning within a place where one is happy, or a place filled with family and memory. A safe house that you could live in, not being scared of everything for awhile. Either way, it was the same thing you got. These things were worthy of being titled as home.

Unlike Sanders' Home For Children. The place looked welcoming and lively. It was on a six acre ranch with animals of all sorts, so of course it sounded like heaven! But some things are too good to be true.

When the social worker dropped them off, she just assumed it was a nice home for the two boys. She didn't actually know of the harassment going on inside. She didn't even need to take a look inside to know it was the absolute perfect place. Notice the sarcasm, right?

Barney had immediately picked a fight with his roommates. Nobody knew how it started, but it was most likely because of being new. Clint didn't fight with the kids his age, but didn't like being separated from his brother, so he argued for hours.

The older Barton broke Mathew West's nose; that made him scream and alert Mr. Sanders. Then, he made the social worker come all the way back, not even a week later, to move the Barton's to another "home".

At The Waverly Orphanage, they lasted a bit longer. The owners had been warned not to mess with separating them, so they didn't. But there was no reason for Barney and Clint to be removed from each other's presence, because trouble followed them everywhere.

When you got in trouble, it was quite simple. Well, as simple as you could get with cramming small kids in dog crates all night. Some were for small dogs, while others were big enough for a fully grown german shepherd.

That was how Clint made his first ever friend, Kenny. He had also been stuck in a crate when they began talking. At first, it was about Captain America and school (if they went, which they never did and the State did nothing about) and even baseball.

"I mean, I would have loved to play."

"You really missed out, but I can teach you!"

"R- really, Kenny? Did you play baseball?"

"Of course, Clint! I used to play pitcher, but occasionally coach would make me an outfielder."

Both boys liked that sport. Kenny had smuggled in a ball and they would roam the surrounding land for a place suitable for a place to play catch out of sight. Usually, they got away with it in the southwest corner, tucked away in a ditch between the trees.

All that time, neither Clint or Kenny knew of the cancer slowly spreading within him. The cancer that would eventually kill Kennedy Keith.

They learned when an older kid, even bigger than Barney, got mad at Kenny's sarcastic sense of humor. Then, he hit him and made him pads out. Clint witnessed it firsthand and called the police; he didn't even bother to warn the orphanage owners to hide the dog crates.

That was the last time Kenny and Clint were together. He always assumed his best friend was treated at the hospital, at least to the best of their ability. But he couldn't shake the gut feeling that Kennedy Keith was gone like everyone else. Not like the owners cared; they even threw out all his stuff, except for the baseball. Clint kept it.

The police officers that had showed up soon realized that there were no dogs, but several dog crates. It didn't take long for them to put two and two together when a few kids let it slip. The orphanage was quickly investigated and closed, all within a month of Clint and Barney's arrival.

Then it was St. Freedman's. The only interesting thing that had happened was when the owners trashy boyfriend came over with large amounts of cocaine and other drugs. They would get high all night and sleep all day.

It was also the first place Barney ever thought about running away from. Now standing at ten years old, he didn't want to put up with him. He almost did it to, but then stopped at the property line. He came back because of Clint.

When the boyfriend was involved in a robbery at the pharmacy, he was arrested causing Olivia Vikk to sell the home and make the kids transfer to yet another orphanage.

Then, when Clint was seven, he'd had enough of Johnson's Group Home. He told Barney and they packed their bags, for good.

"What's wrong, Clint?" Barney sat down at the edge of the bed near his brothers feet.

Clint put on his best pouty face and exclaimed, "Why do we have to move so much, Barney? I hate it!"

Barney sighed and looked for an easier way of delivering the news. But his brother already seemed to know the answer. "Is it because nobody loves us, we're unwanted?"

"Well, kinda..." He stopped when he noticed the tears building in Clint's eyes, "But it's their loss, because you're a great kid; we both are. They just can't see that and appreciate it."

That seemed to cheer up the younger Barton, for he hugged Barney while he ruffled his hair. Then, the old idea of running away came back to Barney. The darkness outside the bedroom window looked pretty good for cover...

"Hey, Clint?"

"Yeah," Clint replied while gazing out the window at the stars. Of course, they couldn't see many with all the light pollution, but he still loved to look for constellations.

"What if we ran away? Live life how we want, on our own accord?"

Clint thought about something for a few seconds before grinning his iconic, winning smile. He had to admit, it sounded really nice; he would also get to stay with his brother. "When can we go?"

Morning came and the Bartons were nowhere to be found. Not even a note was left, but their stuff suddenly disappearing was a dead giveaway. They had officially escaped the system, as flawed as it was. Although, it wasn't possible to fully get rid of something; to get it off your trail.