This is my take on my fave character's story. (Featured also in my other fic, but here as a one-shot) So, lack of details is due to things that I feel like I don't need to tell - what Foster's Home is about, and how does Wilt look - stuff that everyone watching the show knows.

I also decided to find a way to tell how did Wilt become so optimistic - basically, sorry to you all, but the tendence is that he was abused, wounded etc., but how come he's so cheerful then...?

- Wilt dreams about his past -

All little Kevin desired was to become a great basketball player. Somebody like Magic Johnson, or maybe his favourite, Wilt Chamberlain. But he lived far from the sports centre, and though his rich parents have built him a fine little basketball court, and when he showed talent, even employed a personal trainer – he was still sad. Going to a private school, have no real friends… he passed the lonely afternoons throwing at the hoop, wishing there was someone he could play with. One evening he sighed heavily looking at the posters of famous basketball players on his wall.
„I wish I had a friend like one of you… someone who was made to play basketball."
Little did he know this was just the right way to create an imaginary friend – but when he realized what he had just done, he was simply over the moon.

From then on, after the lessons with his trainer, he spent the remaining afternoon hours with his tall, red imaginary friend, Wilt. The yoften played matches against each other, and Kevin just kept on improving. But young boys with such talent rarely remain unknown.

I will never leave you, he had said to Wilt several times. And the imaginary friendf loved his creator truly, and has grown very attached to him. He believed he would certainly die without him.

Kevin was chosen by a great basketball team as the new player they needed. But the team was of an another city, another State, so his parents decided to move. Kevin was 19 then, and still loved Wilt – he knew that without him, he wouldn't have reached his goal.
But his parents said he would have to let him go – he was definitely too old for an imaginary friend, and his team would move so often: living with the other players, staying at hotels: he would have looked ridiculous taking Wilt along always.
„Wilt, this hurts me more than it hurts you." Said Kevin, tears in his eyes.
Wilt nodded, weeping as well.
„Where should I go now?" he asked in the end.
But Kevin had no idea. He burst into tears and hugged his imaginary friend. A last hug.

After Kevin's departure, Wilt lived on the streets for a few weeks. He still had both good eyes, both his arms and had no stitches on his face.

One day he passed beside a basketball field, he noticed a gang of boys playing. He preferred to remain hidden and watch them for a while, as they seemed of a type nor him or Kevin used to like – the aggressive bullies. Suddenly one of them accidentally threw the ball too hard, his mate missed it, so it flew right over to where Wilt was standing.
He couldn't miss this opportunity.
„Whoa!" he picked the ball up and threw a spectacular hoop „hey guys, maybe we can train together, shall we? I can teach you a little, if you like."
The first atonishment on the boys' face soon turned into anger.
„WHO ASKED YOUR OPINION, DUDE? AND WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU, BY THE WAY?"
„Wait, I…" Wilt began to back away.
„GIVE OUR BALL BACK!"
Wilt didn't even have time to understand what was going on then the boys were already over him.
„YOU DISGUSTING JERK!"
„YOU'LL LEARN TO LEAVE US ALONE!"
„No, please… I'm sorry, NO!"
Wilt closed his eyes as several punches hit his cheeks. Then he felt a hand grabbing one of his antenna-like eyes and pulling it hard. He screamed in pain and the world darkened for his left eye.
Then a greater pain. Harder. He felt them pulling strong at his left arm… stronger… more hands… harder…
A loud RIP, along with the sound of bones cracking. His scream in pain.

YOU WON'T PLAY BASKETBALL ANY MORE.

He found himself lying in the bushes, the basketball field empty, a large mark of blood in the middle of it. He felt his life energy flowing off him along with his blood, coming from where his left arm used to be.

He closed his eyes, well, his one good one, and whispered „Kevin…" as he waited to die there, stranded and alone.

- The meeting that has changed Wilt's life -

On the edge of unconsciousness, Wilt could hear a girl's voice.
„Oh, my goodness! Blood!"
He heard the frush of the bushes, then another scream. He looked up with his last strenght and saw the face of a teenage girl with shoulder-lenght dark brown hair and intense black eyes.
„Oh, dear! You need help! Help now!"
He felt something heavy slam on the stump of his left arm.
„Good, I hope this will stop the bleeding."
Then something soft, like a handkerchief, cleaning his face from the blood coming from all the small wounds.
„Hello…? Are you still awake…?"
He winced and moaned.
„Come on, we don't live too far from here…"
He felt someone was trying to pull him away. He was too weak to oppose any resistance,and couldn't even think clearly from the loss of blood.
„Oh, you're pretty heavy! Come on, please… try to walk…"
He tried to move his legs. Slowly, shakily.
„Thanks… good… come with me…"
He felt he was going somewhere… then everything went black.

He woke up in a bed after a few hours. Looking around, he found himself in a pretty room, with calming lavender wallpaper, his sheets and pillows were clearly freshly washed, he could see a cute wardrobe, some vases with flowers, and a long, full bookcase. It was all so calming.

„Oh, you're awake!" the door opened and the teenage girl from before entered. She looked of around 14, and was pretty lovely for her age.
„Here, I brought you some warm milk and an applecake. That'll make you feel better… euh… sorry, I don't know your name."
„Wilt…" he whispered.
„Oh, and I am Sophie Lilian Westlane. Call me Sophie. This is my room in our home."
Wilt's eyes filled with tears as he reached for the applecake. No, this all had to be a dream. How could someone be so unselfish to help him?
Sophie seemed to have sensed his thoughts, as she answered right now.
„That gang of guys is just horrible. I met them while going to the park to read on my favourite bench. They were laughing about how did they just «teach the right way» to someone. And… I know how it is for an imaginary friend. I recently lost mine. Oh, and… this book saved your life."
She showed up a thick novel, which middle pages were all bloodied. She must have opened it and closed it heavily on Wilt's arm.
Wilt found himself still too weak, as he dropped the piece of applecake he picked up.
„Sssh" Sophie sat on the side of the bed „let me help you…"
While she carefully fed him, she kept on talking. He didn't mind; he always used to listen to others.
„My parents are both at the hospital now, my mother is supposed to give birth to my little sister in a week. I am alone at home, since there's no school and I can keep up the house well. Oh, and I'm almost 15, and I hope to become a writer one day, you see, the several books…"

In two days, Wil recovered almost completely. Sophie and him told each other several things, and she felt sorry for him, for what he had gone through. But they both knew he couldn't stay there forever.
Luckily, Sophie has soon found an announcement about Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends – and as soon as Wilt was okay, they both walked there.

On their way, Sophie told him about her lost imaginary friend.
„You know how much I adore stars and astronomy… and suddenly there she was, a little star. I named her after the star Betelgeuse, but she's just Bety for short. One day she was gone… oh, how I wish I could see her again!"
While Sophie and Wilt were saying their last goodbyes, suddenly a little scream of joy was heard.
„Sophie! Sophie! SOPHIE!"
Then a tiny (just a few inches tall) orange star with arms and legs appeared, and jumped on Sophie's lap."
„BETY!"
„I went out at night to gaze at my brothers and sisters, and got lost, and I was taken here, and…"
„You'll be with me forever, from now on. Oh, Bety, this is Wilt."

„Wilt" Sophie said, hugging him as she looked up at him „remember: you were abandoned, and almost lost every hope: but you survived, and found a new home. And you made another person happy – if it wasn't for you, I would have never found my Bety again. Wilt – it can be hard now, but try always to look at the bright side of life – it will help. Wilt, remember me."

Remember me…

Remember me…

- End dream -

Wilt woke up with a start. It was dawning. He looked at the two precious things he had left from these two important people of his life, his creator and the girl who saved his life – the basketball-shaped keyring that had Kevin's name written on the back, and the handwritten, 30-page long book – it was titled „Friendship", a short story written by Sophie about Bety and her meeting with Wilt.

To Wilt, S. L. Westlane. Bety and I will always remember you.

- END