Title: Hidden Secrets

Summary: When someone from the Simpson's past returns, secrets are reveled and hearts are broken.

Author: vegetasbubble

Fandom: The Simpsons

Pairing: Not telling

Warnings: Angst, Violence, Rape, Sexual Situations, Course Language.

Rating: R

Chapter Rating: PG 15

Chapter Title: An eventful dinner

Chapter Summary: At the family dinner, Nelson's mysterious trip is revelaed. Will Bart feel sorry for his long-lost friend?

To say that the dinner at the Simpson house that night was eventful was an understatement. After Lisa and Nelson made thier way inside, Lisa heading upstairs to change for dinner and leaving Nelson alone in the lounge room with Homer and Bart, things started going wrong. Maggie had come down from her room, smiled at Nelson before joining her mother in the kitchen to help with dinner.

"How did you find out where Lisa worked?" Bart insisted.

"Maggie." Simple reply. Homre turned the TV on, smiling as one of his favorite TV shows came on. "Bart, I'd like to have a chat with you later on. In private, if I can."

"No way. You're here at their request, not mine. So you just stay on your side of the table and I'll stay on mine."

"Bart, grow up," Lisa said, walking through the loungeroom to the kitchen, grinning at Nelson. Nelson smiled back. Bart noticed this and stood up.

"Nelson, a minute outside please?" Nelson stood and followed his old friend out into the back lawn. Bart turned the outside light on, and Nelson saw the yard looking not what it used to be. No more was the childish treehouse that they continued to use even when they were seventeen. Gone was the swing set that he and Bart used to push Maggie and Lisa on. Santa's Little Helper's dog kennel was gone.

"Things changed," Nelson stated.

"Yeah," Bart replied. "Look, I don't know why you came back. Its not like anyone here wants you but...Lisa smiled at you."

"So?"

"Just shut up and let me finish. What I tell you, you cannot tell her I told you. You have to swear to me you won't."

"Bart, man, if this will get me back in your good books, I swear it."

"It won't. But it might. Anyway...it happened at her Junior prom. Two years after you left. This guy asked her, don't know who it was, some rich asshole. Anyway, he came to the house to pick her up and Dad and I were making sure he wasn't going to try anything, right? Then she came down, and they left. About four hours later, when I was asleep, my cell phone goes off. Its Lisa. I answer it and she's crying and going on about being at some motel and he just left her there. I got there as fast as I could. Lisa was broken."

"Bart," Nelson said, stepping closer, "What happened to her?"

"Someone raped her. They drugged her at the prom and took her to some sleezy motel and raped her. She can't even remember the guys face. She doesn't know if it was some high school guy, a gatecrasher or her prom date. Anyway, I got to her took her to the hosiptal and had her checked out."

"Was she...did he?" Nelson was having a hard time understanding who would want to her such a wonderful, beautiful, perfect person.

"Took her virginity. Asshole. Hurt her so bad she was bruised for a week. Mum and Dad don't know."

"What?" Nelson shouted, "Why haven't you told them?"

"Because it would just hurt Lisa more. You, me and her are the only ones who know. Apart from the doctors."

"And they won't talk?"

"I was legal when it happened to her so I took on guardianship of her at the time. The doctors can't say anything to mum or dad without Lisa's consent."

"Why did you tell me?" Nelson asked.

"I can see it. You're still in love with her."

"What?" Nelson jumped. Was he that transparrent?

"Nelson. You told me, when we were fifteen that you were in love with Lisa. You never thought you would have a chance with her because of Milhouse. Even up to the time when you...left, you were still in love with her. I haven't forgiven you just yet, but you have to understand. Lisa falls in love so easily. She's been hurt and I'll never let that happen again. You still have some begging to do before I am happy with you again."

"I know."

"And one day, you're going to tell me why you left."

"I may tell you sooner, than later. Thanks Bart."

"No problem," Bart replied. "Lets go eat. I am starved."

The two boys walked inside, Nelson happy that they had come one step closer to making their friendship work. Lisa was laughing at something her mother had said and the four of them were now sitting around the kitchen table. Lise's eyes lightened up when she saw the two boys walk in together.

"Pull up a chair, lads," Homer said, digging into his food.

Nelson sat down next to Lisa and Maggie, while Bart sat between his parents.

"So Nelson, how have you been?"

"Busy. I...I actually wanted to tell you all why I left."

"Nelson," Lisa stated, placing her hand on his shoulder, "You don't have to."

"But I want to. It hasn't been easy, living like this for three years. Every day I wanted to wake up back here. But I couldn't."

"Take your time, Nelson," Marge said, smiling softly.

"OK. So, about a month before I left, my mom left me again, right. Anoher boyfriend who, "loved her", enough to take her to Vegas for a while. Something about becoming a dancer. Anyway, when she left I was going to ring you Bart, ask if I could crash but the phone lines had been cut and my cell phone had been shut off. She had been forgetting to pay the bills, instead using her money for drinks. I was just going to walk here when I remembered where mom had some extra money for emergencies, like when she ran out of drinks. I thought, if I keep the phone lines on, everything will be okay. Big Bubba or whatever the hell the guys name was wouldn't start pounding on me again."

"Oh Nelson," Marge soothed.

"Anyway, when I went to find the money there was this little black book in there as well. I wouldn't have looked at it if it was shut, but it was open. And it was open in a page that said, "San Fransisco- Muntz. D." My father. He was in San Fransisco and she didn't even tell me."

"Thats why you left, to find him?"

"Yeah. When I came to your house that day to tell you Bart I was so nervous, I didn't know how to tell you. I kept thinking, he's going to hit me, he's going to hate me. You ended up doing both. So I left, didn't turn my cell phone back on and went to San Fran."

"Did you find him?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah, did I ever. But he's not going to by the name Daniel Muntz anymore. He's going by the name Ned Evergreen, MD."

"He's a doctor."

"Something about being in witness protection. And you know what? It wasn't the fact that he changed his name, or didn't contact me that annoyed me. It was the fact that... he had a whole other family. When I got there, finally after living in San Fran for a year and searching for him for about two, and finally finding him, the chock of seeing him, sitting around a table in a nice house, with this wonderful looking family, not a care in the world that he left me and my mom behind, thats what made me hate him so much more."

"So, did you go in? Talk to him."

Shaking his head, Nelson frowned.

"Nope. Couldn't ruin both our lives. Decided that I didn't care anymore. He wanted to start a new family, thats his own decision."

"Your mother didn't say anything to us about you for nearly a year," Homer said, "we asked her, she kept saying "He'll come back." Have you been to see her?"

"No. Came here right away then to Lisa's work. Can't face her. Not after everything."

Bart turned his head away from Nelson. After all these years, hating Nelson didn't have the effect anymore. He didn't hate him. He probably never did. But right there and then, he knew, Nelson was a true friend.

"So, where are you staying?" Maggie asked, coming into the conversation for the first time.

"Actually, I'm going to be going to the motel for a while before I can get a job. Saves sleeping in my car."

"No." Everyone looked up at Bart, who had spoken so sternly. "You'll stay here. In my room."

"Just like old times," Lisa replied, smiling at her brother.

"I'm sorry I left Bart, but now do you understand why?"

"Yeah. And I'm sorry I've been such an asshole."

"Its alright. I would have hated you if you left me."

Marge wiped her eyes. "Okay, come on now. Eat up. Then you boys can take Lisa out. Nelson, you haven't heard her good news."

Nelson turned to Lisa, who grinned.

"I got into Yale. I'm leaving in four months."

End Chapter

Yay! Chapter 3 already! Fun! So did you all like Nelson's explination? It was hard to write. Almost started crying. Comments are love. Look out for the next chapter. Whats gonna happen? Surprises galore!