A/N: Just as a little warning for anyone who likes stories that are strictly canon, this story is slightly AU. It also contains drug and alcohol references and some violence.

Chapter 1

"So, Huck and Tom keep silent, effectively condemning an innocent man." Jonathan Turner, English teacher at John Adams High, sat on the edge of his desk as he addressed the students in front of him.

"That's pretty stupid, if you ask me," Shawn Hunter spoke up from the back of the room. Shawn had always been somewhat of a trouble student. He was often a handful, but he was a good kid. Though he always knew this, Turner found this even more so to be true after he had given the kid a temporary home . . . now a permanent one.

"Yeah, I know," the other student, Cory Matthews, chimed in with his buddy, never missing a beat. "Why didn't they just tell the cops?"

The girl directly in front of Cory, Topanga Lawrence, turned around to face her boyfriend and friend. "They were scared. If they told, they may have been killed for it."

"There's this nice little thing known as protective custody."

"Forget protective custody. All they would have to do is put on dresses and pretend to be their own long lost relatives. They could keep their lives in order and still be safe."

Those three always did provide entertaining debates.

Turner was about to speak when the bell rang. He quickly yelled, "Read chapters 13-17 for tomorrow," over the commotion of students gathering their things and leaving. He shook his head as the students filed out. Things were never dull around here.

SHSHSHSHSHSH

"So, my Shawn, have any plans for this afternoon?" Cory set his lunch tray down at their usual table in the center of the cafeteria before sitting down. Shawn set his tray down and sat next to Cory.

"Actually, yeah. I'm going to visit my dad." Shawn still lived with John, as John had adopted him, but his biological father was back in town. Chet may not be responsible for him anymore, but he was still his dad. He visited from time to time.

"Say hi for me."

"Sure thing. What about you? Any plans?"

"Topanga and I were going to hang out at Chubby's."

"Always fun."

The two sat and just talked about anything and everything, seemingly without a care in the world.

SHSHSHSHSHSH

"Hey Jason," Eric nudged his friend. "Check out that girl over there."

Jason looked where Eric was pointing. There was a blond hair, blue eyed beauty straight ahead. "You mean Jessica Stanton?"

"Yeah . . . yeah, her." Eric was practically drooling in anticipation of possibly meeting her.

"I don't think she's taken." Jason went back to picking at his food. "Go talk to her."

"Can't right now. She's surrounded by a pack of girls. I don't work in front of crowds."

SHSHSHSHSHSH

The unmistakable smell of whiskey greeted Shawn's nose the minute he walked in his trailer door—his old home. He stood in the doorway debating whether he should stay or leave. Along with the smell came quite a few memories—none of them pleasant.

Chet really wasn't that bad of a guy, when he was sober, anyways. He might not be the most responsible man. But he always did his best by his family . . . usually.

The problem was that he liked to drink . . . a lot. He was not exactly a kind drunk. Shawn knew that from personal experience. There was a time that he thought he deserved everything he got when his dad was in that state. There were still many times he did, but all the other people in his life, especially John, started to help him realize that he wasn't worthless. They didn't know about any of this—he hadn't told them—it was just what they had told him in response to other circumstances. It was this caring that helped him to start walking away once Chet had returned.

Chet knew he had a problem, but he also knew that he couldn't stop. Maybe he didn't want to. He wanted his son to have a better life. Since he was incapable of providing that, he gave his son up to a man who would take care of his boy. In some ways, it was one of the most difficult things he'd ever done. In many other ways, it wasn't as hard as it should have been.

"Who's there?" Chet's gruff voice slurred from a chair.

Shawn stepped back outside and quietly closed the door. He'd come back another day.

He just walked around at a leisurely pace, thinking about how much his life had changed since he had moved in with John. John pushed him to be and to do his best. Shawn couldn't just settle like everyone at the trailer park had always expected. He, too, wanted to do better.

He stopped when he heard voices up ahead and lifted his gaze. There was a fairly decent sized group of people all crowding around a teen he would guess to be a few years older than he was. The crowd was pushing him around—a gang.

Shawn ducked behind a dumpster before anyone could spot him.

"Where's the money?" A tall muscular man gripped the cowering, wiry teen's shirt. The man sported a good amount of stubble, causing his twisted features to appear even more menacing.

"I don't have it," the teen screeched.

"We had a deal. We gave you the crack. You couldn't pay us then, so we gave you a week to come up with the money. The week's come and gone, my friend. Time's up."

The gang closed in an even tighter circle around him, a few thugs cracking their knuckles or pounding a fist into their hands. The teen looked around. His Adam's apple visibly rose and fell. "Just give me a little more time! I'll have the money for you! I promise!"

"You have two days." The tall man, presumably the leader, roughly let go of the teen's shirt, shoving him back a little bit. He crinkled his nose in disgust as the teen sighed in relief and began thanking him profusely. "Don't thank me yet." He smiled wickedly. "Well, boys, why don't we give our little friend here a little taste of what's to come if he doesn't pay up?"

The teen franticly walked around in a little circle, trying to find an escape route. None was to be had. Fists started flying, followed by feet when the teen huddled on the ground. Shawn had to look away. Only a short while passed before the leader decided he'd had enough for now and let the teen go.

As he saw that the gang was distracted by watching their prey's retreat, Shawn slowly backed away from the dumpster, preparing to run as soon as he felt it safe to do so. A loud crackling noise sliced through the park. Shawn closed his eyes and mentally swore. He had stepped on a partially crushed can. It was now or never.

Shawn opened his eyes and bolted. All he could hear was the arrhythmic pounding of his heart and his ragged breathing. The wind rushed by his face and ruffled his hair until he ran into something solid.

No, not something . . .

Someone.

"Where do you think you're going?"

A/N: Well, there's Chapter 1. I hope you liked it! Chapter 2 should be up within a week.