It Could Be You

Chapter 2 –

By: StalkerDex

(Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews . I VERY rarely write het fics but I think it's good to change things up every now and again. Thank you for the compliment on the way I write Wendy! I appreciate it!)

Craig smoked his cigarette listlessly as he drove tamely towards his house. Fuck, he was so goddamn intrigued by Wendy; more so than any other girl. He was generally well known for taking advantage of the girls at the high school and it was something he actually took a little pride in, despite the general negativity that accompanied it. There was just something about her that had his attention. Sure, at first he'd only taken an interest in her as a way to get under that asshole Stan's skin but, the more he interacted with her, the more respect he gained for her. He didn't just want to fuck her. He wanted her to belong to him.

He let out a sigh as he carelessly flicked the CD player on, Sonic Youth blaring seductively. There was nothing like a good, abstract rock and roll song to soothe his angst-filled soul. As he continued to drive toward his house he tapped his hand on the steering wheel and dragged on the cigarette hungrily, his mind filled with thoughts of all the things he could do to Wendy's tantalizing body. Fuck. He'd never wanted anything so badly in life; mostly because no woman had ever told him no, really.

However, as his house came into sight his thoughts quickly switched from lust to concern as he noted there was a police car in his driveway. What the fuck was going on? He looked the driveway over curiously as he pulled up, shutting the car off and hopping out. He couldn't help but notice his heart beat speeding up a bit as he walked up the driveway, spotting Sergeant Yates at his front door.

"Hello?" Craig asked, somewhat monotone as he reached him, his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets.

Yates shifted uncomfortably as he eyed Craig sympathetically, causing the teen's heart to quicken. Something was seriously wrong.

"Jesus…what is it?" Craig asked, his stomach aching as he braced himself for whatever it was.

The officer nodded, letting out a sigh before answering.

"Craig Tucker, right?" he asked, making sure he had the right kid before continuing.

"Yeah, I'm Craig," he responded, his blue eyes wide with nervousness.

Yates nodded once more before walking up to Craig and putting his hands on his shoulders.

"Oh my god…" Craig whimpered as he back away from Yates, shrugging his hands off of his shoulders. He put his hands to his mouth as tears immediately started to pool in his eyes.

"I'm sorry…" Yates began, feeling sick to his stomach as he watched this young man's life fall apart around him.

"No, no, no, no, no…" Craig said helplessly as he continued to cover his mouth with his hands, tears flowing uncontrollably from his eyes as Yates explained what happened.

"There was an accident. Your parents and sister were hit by a drunk driver. There were no survivors. I'm so, so sorry."

Craig felt his head spinning as he listened to the terrible news, almost feeling like it wasn't real. Nonetheless, he couldn't get his sobbing under control and, much to his distaste, he fell down to his knees. Yates looked around in discomfort before sighing and having himself a seat on the pavement beside the heartbroken kid. As Craig continued to sob Yates hesitantly put his hand on his shoulder, bowing his head respectfully as he waited for the Tucker kid to calm himself. It took a little longer than he'd hoped for, but he did manage to get himself under control.

As Craig sat there, his heart beating loud in his chest, he was immediately consumed with the realization that he was now parentless and had nowhere to go.

"What's gonna happen to me?" he asked quietly, his blue eyes looking up towards the officer fearfully.

Yates removed his hand from the boy's shoulder, preferring the distance as he explained where things went from here.

"I've already contacted your grandmother. She's on her way. She said she had something she needed to tell you but don't worry, you're not going into foster care, she did at least give me that much."

Craig's face was blank, giving the officer absolutely no reaction, which discomforted him immensely. However, despite his distress he sat beside the rather strange and brooding kid until his grandmother's car pulled up in the driveway. As she got out of the car Yates stood up, glancing sympathetically at Craig before approaching his grandmother. She, too, had tear stained cheeks as she reached out and shook his hand.

"Oh, thank you for being here when he got home…I can't imagine if he'd come home to an empty house," she said, her voice shaking from age and heartache.

Yates put his hand atop hers, looking into her eyes with all sincerity as he responded.

"Of course, Mrs. Tucker. And if there's anything you or Craig need please don't hesitate to contact me," he insisted.

"Yes, of course. Thank you."

Yates nodded at her before removing his hands, reaching into his pocket and locating a business card. He handed it to her before speaking once more.

"There's my number. Again, don't hesitate."

Grandma Tucker nodded at him, watching graciously as he walked away and got into his police cruiser. She waited until she heard him take off before approaching her grandson. She felt an enormous amount of pain tugging downwards at her heart as she looked at his blank face. She knew that was just his way, though, so she had herself a seat beside him and waited for him to address her before sharing what she knew.

"Am I coming to live with you?" he finally asked, not bothering to look at her. He loved his grandma and they'd always had a great relationship, but he wasn't about to be a big pussy and cry in front of her.

She let out a troubled sigh before touching her hand to Craig's chin, commanding his attention. He obliged, his eyes cold as he looked her over. God, he was such a handsome young man; she was so proud to call him hers.

"Craig, you have an option. That's what I'm here to talk to you about."

Craig narrowed his eyes in confusion. What the fuck option could he possibly have? Both of his parents were dead and Grandma Tucker was the only other relative he had in South Park.

His grandmother felt a small amount of guilt wash over her as she looked into those perplexed eyes of his. It was wrong that they'd kept this information from him for so long and it was something she'd fought his mother and father over for years. He had a right to know.

"Craig, sweetie, you know you are more than welcome to come and live with me. In fact, I would prefer it that way but there is something you need to know."

Craig could see the distress on his grandmother's face. He hated to see her like that so he instinctively reached out and grabbed her hands, facing her as she spoke. He could tell she deserved is full attention and respect during this conversation, whatever the hell it was.

She smiled softly at him, though her face melted back to regret and shame as she went on.

"Honey…Thomas wasn't your real father."

Craig's stomach dropped.

"W…what?" he stammered, his blue eyes wide with confusion.

His grandmother immediately reached out and touched his face, hating that she had to deliver this news right after he'd found out his entire family was gone. Still, she had to be strong. He deserved to know who his real father was.

"When your mom and dad were newly weds they went through a very rough time, sweetie. Your dad actually left your mom for a few months, taking off to do some, uh…soul searching," she began.

Craig's eyes were fixated on her as he struggled to take in the information.

"So, while your father was gone your mom met another man and, briefly, they had an affair. After your dad got tired of being alone he realized he wanted to have a life with your mom so he came back and they worked things out but, while he had been away she'd gotten pregnant with you."

Craig looked absolutely mortified, which broke his grandmother's heart. She hated to be so blunt but she wasn't sure of how else to break the news.

"Dad knew I wasn't his?" Craig asked, still in the process of sorting things out.

His grandma nodded, "Yes. But he didn't care, honey. He loved you so much."

Craig put his hand to his head, entirely sickened as the news settled in. As he struggled to deal with both the loss of his family and the knowledge that he had an entirely different one out there waiting for him he realized there was only one more question to ask.

"Well…then…who is my dad?"

His grandmother eyed him for a second before speaking cautiously, knowing he wasn't going to like the response.

"Randy Marsh."

Craig's blank face immediately flashed rage as he stood himself up.

"FUCK!" he shouted out, grabbing his hair and violently tugging at it for a second. His grandmother watched sympathetically as he shook with rage, taking several moments to stop pulling his hair. As he slowly regained control of himself he released his locks, moving his hands to the back of his head and turning his attention back his grandma. She swallowed, her eyes filled with heartache for her beautiful grandson as he looked her over; he was broken and that frightened her because he'd always been so strong.

"Grandma," he began, his voice wavering a bit, tearing at her heart even further.

"Yes, honey?" she said sweetly, doing her best to be a pillar for him.

"I need some time to think about this. Is it okay with you if I go stay with Bebe tonight? I just…I don't know what I want to do right now."

She nodded towards him, understanding his young mind was probably blown with the overload of new information. They watched each other cautiously as she started to stand. Noticing that his elderly grandmother was struggling he immediately grabbed her hand and put his free arm around her shoulders, pulling her up with care. Once she was upright she faced him and touched her hand to his face, brushing his hair off of his forehead affectionately.

"I love you sweetie. Take all the time you need. We're going to get through this."

Craig nodded, tears welling in his eyes. He didn't let them fall, however. He had to be strong for his grandma.

She noticed him fighting his emotions, causing her to pull him close for a hug. He wrapped his long, thin arms around her and clutched her tightly, almost afraid to let her go.

"I love you, too, Grandma," he assured, his voice strained. He was fighting those tears with everything he had and she could tell.

She felt her own tears starting to fall gracefully down her face. She didn't make a sound as she cried, rather, she broke their embrace, once again brushing his hair aside as she spoke.

"You're a good boy Craig. Don't lose sight of who you are, promise me."

He looked down at her, a little confused at the statement. Nonetheless, he reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs. Once he'd dropped his hands back to his sides he responded.

"I won't. I promise."

She eyed him for a moment, fear in her heart that he wouldn't be able to pull through this. She was reluctant to let him go but she also knew how headstrong he could be so she pulled him in for one last brief hug before starting to walk away. Craig followed her, opening her car door for her and holding onto her as she got in, making sure she didn't lose her footing. She was so much older and increasingly fragile; it had always concerned him as he'd watched her age.

"Bye Gramma. Let me know when you're home, okay?"

"Bye sweetie. Tell Bebe I said hello for me."

Craig nodded to her before planting a loving kiss on her cheek and closing her door for her. He stepped back and folded his arms across his chest as he watched her back out of the driveway and take off. His heart sank as he watched her drive away, somewhat regretting the fact that he hadn't gone home with her. Still, he knew they would be in regular contact. He just needed a night to wrap his head around things.

He stood in the driveway aimlessly for a few minutes, his mind almost feeling numb as he did his best to think about nothing. He focused on his breathing.

In. Out. In. Out.

One fucking breath at a time.

However, despite his best efforts, his thoughts did eventually trail off to his family. First, he thought of his father. Fuck. His…adopted father? What the fuck was he? He felt like he could vomit as he suddenly sat down on the pavement, putting his hand to his head and shutting his eyes.

Fuck. He didn't want to think about this. For his own defense, he quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Bebe, knowing damn well she was the only person who would come to his aid this late at night. He had her wrapped around his finger, despite the fact that he cheated on her regularly. He had lied to Wendy when he'd said they were just fucking. They weren't; they'd been openly dating for several months now, though it was only because she'd forced his hand, cutting him off sexually if he didn't comply.

He sniffled a bit as he held the phone to his hear, relieved to hear her normally annoying voice on the other end.

"Craig? What's going on?" she asked, genuinely confused. He never called her this late.

"Uh, hey…can you come over? I…something really bad happened," he said, struggling to keep his voice steady. It was useless; she could immediately hear something was really, really wrong.

"What happened?" she asked, sounding overwhelmed with concern. He felt the slightest twinge of regret for the way he treated her as he heard the care she had for him so clearly in her voice. Goddamnit he was an asshole.

"There was an accident…my family…my mom…my dad…my sister…they're all gone…" he said, almost removed from himself as he spoke. He couldn't bear to actually think about the words and what they really meant.

"Oh my God," she said, sounding entirely inundated. He put his hand to his head, running it through his hair before dropping it back to his lap.

"I'll be right there baby…" she continued suddenly, urgency in her voice.

He nodded to himself as though she could see. They didn't say anything else as they both hung up the phone, knowing they'd be united soon.

Craig shoved his phone into his pocket before pulling out his pack of cigarettes and lighting one up for himself. He tried to focus on it as he took a long drag, noting the pleasant feel of nicotine entering his lungs. Still, there wasn't anything in the world that could keep his mind off of things. Nothing to change what had happened.

He continued to smoke as his mind wandered back to his father. One particular memory stuck out in his head and it was one he knew he would grow to treasure.

It was just last summer, he recalled, when he and Clyde got into their first really massive fight with each other. He was so distraught because he'd slept with Clyde's girlfriend, Red, and he'd found out. The two of them had been best friends their entire lives and he'd gone and fucked his girlfriend. Once he'd found out they got into a fist fight, Craig of course beating the shit out of him. Clyde didn't stand a chance.

However, he wasn't proud of it. None of it. He felt like the biggest asshole on the planet and it did lead to the demise of their friendship. The two of them didn't even speak anymore, long awkward silences between them when they were, on occasion, forced to be around the other.

Nonetheless, in the wake of this rather significant point in his young life, he had gone home a distraught wreck. He'd never felt so bad about anything up to that point and, when he'd entered his house his dad immediately knew something had happened.

"Craig…What happened to you? You're a mess!" Thomas stated as his son entered the house, bloodied and covered in dirt.

"Nothing, Dad. It's fine," he insisted, doing his best to get past him without having to explain himself. He was ashamed and had no desire to admit what he'd done out loud.

"Hey!" Thomas demanded, grabbing Craig by his shoulder and forcing eye contact. Craig swallowed uncomfortably, his eyes widened with shock, "sit down."

As defiant as Craig could be he knew better than to disobey at that moment, walking over to the family couch and having himself a seat. He felt nervous as his father sat beside him, speaking calmly.

"Now, we're a family that communicates. Tell me what happened?"

At first, Craig had been filled with resentment, though he knew he had to comply.

"I fucked Clyde's girlfriend. We got in a fight."

He expected his dad to fly off the handle at the fact he was sexually active, not to mention being a moron about it, though he didn't. In fact, he surprised him by being compassionate.

"Well…Craig…it's okay. These things happen. You're young and you're…hormonal. I actually did something pretty similar when I was your age, believe it or not."

Craig cringed at the thought of having to hear about his dad having sex. That just wasn't something he wanted to think about.

"Dad…it's cool. We really don't have to talk about this…"

"Relax," he interrupted, "I'm not going to tell you about it. My point is, you're young. You're just making your way into the world and you're bound to make mistakes along the way. Don't beat yourself up too much. Things happen for a reason and they have their way of working themselves out, really. You'd be surprised."

Craig stared at him blankly as he so often did which caused his dad to smirk at him before nudging his arm playfully.

"Lighten up kiddo. Seriously, it's all going to be okay. High school is a bunch of bullshit anyway. Trust me, you'll look back on this one day and laugh about it."

Craig looked him over skeptically, though he had to admit that statement did bring him quite a bit of relief. He let out a sigh before rolling his eyes and smirking back at his dad.

"Yeah, alright. Thanks, Dad."

"Anytime," he said as he watched Craig stand up and start heading off towards his room. However, he couldn't help but get one more little cheeky remark in.

"And Craig…?"

His son stopped in his tracks, turning to look at him in confusion. Thomas smiled at him, thoroughly amused.

"Watch what you put your dick in, son."

Craig rolled his eyes dramatically before disappearing up the stairs, leaving his dad on the couch chuckling.

Craig swallowed hard as he killed his cigarette, pain squeezing his heart. Luckily Bebe was pulling into his driveway. Now he could distract himself from all the bullshit. He didn't bother to stand as he watched his girlfriend hurriedly get out of her small car, dressed in a snug red sweater and jeans, her curly blond hair long and down. He liked when she wore it that way.

"Hey…" he said as she immediately had herself a seat beside him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and resting her head against him.

"Hey," she offered, sympathy in her voice. Fuck. He hadn't invited her over to pity him.

Still, he couldn't help but feel a small amount of comfort as he stared aimlessly ahead of him, enjoying the warm feel of her body against his. They sat this way for a lengthy amount of time, neither of them saying a word. However, he eventually realized they were going to have to talk at some point, so he leaned away from her, making eye contact. She swallowed nervously, unsure of what she should say.

"It's okay, Babe. You don't need to say anything. Nothing's going to make this better anyway. Just be here with me," he offered, knowing she was uncomfortable. Her face was still pained as he reached out and rubbed her cheek affectionately with his thumb. He couldn't really explain it, but he genuinely appreciated her getting over to his house so quickly. She was a good person.

Bebe was entirely overwhelmed by the situation. Not only had she just received shocking news but this was the first time Craig had ever asked her to do something without the expectation of some sort of sexual activity. He'd never just called her because he needed or wanted her around. Perhaps things were progressing between them the way she'd been hoping for. In all honesty, she was head over heels in love with him, though she'd been very afraid to voice it. She knew he was closed off emotionally so she always avoided pushing the issue.

Craig could see the discomfort and confusion on Bebe's face so he gently reached out and grabbed her hand, sincerity in his voice as he spoke.

"I just want you here…that's all," he assured.

She smiled a bit at him, though not looking overly happy.

"I'm here then," she said, leaning in and planting a kiss on his lips.

Normally when she would do this he would immediately ravage her but tonight he simply didn't have it in him. Tonight he felt like a part of him had died and, in all actuality, it had.

"C'mon…let's go lay down," he said as he grabbed her hand and stood himself up. She followed in silence as they went inside, making their way to his bedroom.

Once they were in his room Craig removed his clothes, leaving his boxers on before slipping into his bed and pulling the covers up to his chin. Bebe also stripped down to her underwear and made her way under the covers. She felt a wave of empathy wash over her as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face below her neck, allowing her to rest her head atop his. Fuck. She'd never seen him this vulnerable; it broke her heart.

As Craig clutched onto her needily he relished in the warmth of her skin. He observed her slow heart beat, the blood pumping through her veins; the warm, intoxicating feel of her living, breathing body. Yes, tonight he could settle for a warm, living person holding him close.

Tonight, all he needed was life.