I AM ALIVE. And this chapter took wayyy too long. Im sorry guys I know I said that I'd be updating regularly but that kind of went down the drain. On the upside, here is another chapter. And Id like to say a quick thank you for baring with me since the last update which was like two months ago or something. here you are, the story actually starts taking off now.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: I have another fanfiction co written with my best friend Hollyflash posted on her account. You can find the link to her account on my profile. It is called Connections and has been over a year in the making, please check it out.

Now read on!

Over a week later and despite the pain medication he had taken, Dash's ribs still ached. Apparently, he was out of football, and all of the other sports he was involved in, until further notice. Dash thought that his order to sit out was less for his sake and more for the social worker who was still sniffing around. Luckily, much to Kwan's dismay, Dash had managed to hide the true nature of his injury; he had hurt himself during practice.

Everybody at school had been really nice about it, even though it was pretty much his fault that they lost the championship game. Due to this, it took everything Dash had to walk through the school hallways. There had been rumors of course; nothing in a small town like Amity Park stays secret for long. It had been a week so it was probably common knowledge that a social worker was looking into his home life.

With a sigh Dash walked through the halls of Casper High, pretty much every student was at their green lockers. It was a warm Monday afternoon and most students were itching to leave for the day although there was still one period left. Luckily, Dash had a spare last period, meaning he had no class to attend.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the break between classes. The hallway quickly began to empty just five minutes later, and Dash was the last person there. With his broken ribs he had decided to take his sweet time walking to his own small green locker, number 176. It was the best locker in the whole school, right next to the girl's locker room. The locker its self was old, there were small dents in the front, from what Dash didn't know. Inside, Dash kept a picture of himself and Kwan from when they were younger, a picture of his dog which passed away a few months before, Paulina's sweater, a bottle of Advil, his lucky football, school books, backpack and his favorite childhood teddy bear. Careful not to dislodge the objects, Dash removed his backpack from the packed locker and piled his stuff into it.

"Dash," a voice said behind him, causing the boy to jump.

"Kwan!" Dash practically screamed as he turned to face his best friend, "You scared the shit out 'a me!"

Kwan laughed a little, he looked nervous. "Uh- sorry dude didn't mean to freak you out.' Dash and Kwan had known each other for years; they had long since been able to tell when something was really wrong, and also when the other was lying.

"What's wrong?" Dash asked as he watched Kwan for any signs of a lie. Sure enough, there was.

"What? Nothing's wrong," Kwan said, trying to fake a confused tone as he shifted nervously from foot to foot. His gaze met Dash's intense one, only to look away. "It's nothing Dash, it isn't important."

"Not important?" Dash asked. "If I'm not mistaken, you have AP Math right now. You wouldn't miss that unless it's really important." Although Dash didn't excel in school,

Kwan did. Kwan was in AP math, along with top level courses of everything else. It made Dash feel pretty guilty to know that Kwan had failed English the year before just so Dash wouldn't have to repeat it alone.

Dash knew that Kwan wouldn't be able to hold in his secret much longer; they had been through a lot together and thus dispended lying to one another. A few moments of silence later and Dash was proven right. "Okay fine," the boy said. "But I'm not supposed to tell you…"

Dash couldn't help but laugh at that. "Dude, since when have you let that stop you?" he asked with a smirk. "Remember when you, Star and Valerie tried to plan the surprise party for me and you let it slip? Or that time in Elementary when you found out that Kayley NewShaw liked me? What about that day when the football coach was going to make me team captain and you called to tell me?"

Kwan too laughed at the memories of their shared childhood. Only his face seemed to turn sober a moment later. "Those were all fun Dash, but this isn't…" he said, not sure what else he could say.

"What do you mean?" Dash questioned his friend, the tone of Kwan's voice clued Dash in that whatever this was, it was more than just a secret.

"I was called to talk to a social worker," Kwan told Dash quickly, "the same social worker that talked to you at the hospital."

Dash honestly had no idea how to reply to that. His words reflected his dumb founded emotions. "W-what?" suddenly one thought crossed his mind. "Kwan? What did you tell her?" he asked, praying that Kwan had said nothing. After a moment of silence, Dash asked again, "Kwan, what did you say?!" Dash was feeling frantic. If his dad even thought that Dash had told anyone…

"Relax," Kwan told him, immediately calming Dash's nerves. "I didn't say anything, but lord I almost did. Dash, you have a chance to get out. You can just tell this woman what's going on, and there, done."

Dash sighed loudly. They had this conversation many times before. "Kwan you know it isn't that simple. If I tell, what will happen? Foster care? I'll end up like that Mikey kid, swapping from family to family. I won't be staying in Amity-"

"You don't know that!" Kwan yelled.

"Yes I do!" Dash shouted in response. He let his voice echo down the hall before continuing, in a much calmer voice. "Kwan, he's normally too drunk to do anything anyways. If I stay out of the house and out of his way when I'm home, I'm fine. I can't risk losing everything I have taken so long to build, okay? I know you don't like it, but let it go, leave it be. I'll figure it out." Kwan opened his mouth to reply but Dash cut him off. "No. Kwan, don't argue. This is my life, I'll figure it out. Besides, if I recall correctly, you're missing an important math test."

It took Kwan a minute before he realized that Dash was right, he was missing a math test. "Shit, thanks for the reminder!" he yelled sarcastically at Dash as he ran down the hall.

Dash just smirked before replying, "I did! Good luck!"

If Kwan replied, he was too far away from Dash to hear.

Dash missed the bright white light coming from the back window of the school office as he passed. The teenaged boy's eyes were preoccupied with the attractive secretary sitting at the front desk.

As Dash walked out through the main door, thus leaving the school, he somehow bumped into a much smaller boy.

"Fuck," Dash swore as he pushed the kid away and grabbed his now very painful ribs. "Watch where you're going!" he yelled before he saw who had bumped into him. Danny Fenton. In all honesty Dash felt for the kid. He remembered how hard it was when his mom left and seeing that happen to somebody, even if that somebody was Fenton, hit close to home. Regardless of his pity, Dash had an image to keep up. He grabbed Danny by the arm. "I said watch where you're going!" it was than the Dash realized the boy was cringing. He let go of the boy's arm. "Sorry I didn't mean to grab you that hard," dash honestly didn't know why he bothered apologizing, he guessed that maybe he felt for the kid more than he wanted to admit.

Danny didn't even seem the register Dash's apology; he just sat on the ground hold his arm.

"Hey Fenton," Dash said, snapping his fingers in front of the boys face. Talking to the one kid Dash hated most was probably one of the most awkward things a person could do, and Dash was doing it. "Do you need me to uh… take you to the nurses office or?" he asked, not having any idea of what to do. How does Kwan handle this with me?

"No… no I'm fine, I just slipped awhile ago, I'm fine," Danny whispered but didn't move. It was then that Dash caught sight of were Danny was holding. It was a huge purple and gray bruise, probably pretty knew.

"What'd you do?" Dash asked, suddenly feeling that Fenton wasn't telling the whole truth, if any of the truth.

"I told you. I fell," Danny spat. Dash was surprised, for a scrawny boy he sure had a sharp tongue.

"Okay, okay" Dash uttered as he put his hands up in defense. He had no idea how to handle the situation, but for some reason he felt as if he needed to stay. "But as least let me help you up before you head off to your friends," he said as he held out his hand to the black haired boy.

Danny stared at Dash in a shocked way for a moment before hesitantly taking the much larger boy's hand.

As Dash pulled Danny to his feet he more of the bruise, it traveled up his arm and disappeared under his shirt. It was the kind of bruise that only came about when a person is harshly through into a wall. Dash had a few of his own bruises like that in his life time. One idea floated through Dash's mind as he abruptly turned around and re entered the school.

Please tell me that kid is not being hit by his dad….

One hour later Dash was waiting by Kwan's locker; his mind had been boiling with emotions he really wished he wasn't feeling. Danny being abused? It was just too close for comfort; after all, if Dash could figure out what was going on with Danny it could go the other way as well.

Finally, the bell rang and students began to file into the halls including Kwan. It didn't take long for Dash to catch sight of his best friend.

"Kwan!" he called through the crowded hallway causing the boy to turn around. He stood to the sides and waited for Dash to wade through to crowd before speaking.

"Did you go home last period?" he asked the blonde.

"If I went home why would I be here?" Dash replied, ignoring the ache in his ribs that had returned some time ago.

"Point taken," Kwan answered sarcastically. "But seriously, what are you doing here? And can we talk while walking to my locker?"

Dash nodded but didn't say anything. An awkward silence coated the friends; in all honesty Dash was just at a loss for words.

After a few minutes they reached Kwan's locker, the students had begun to file out of the school and the hallways were quickly becoming empty.

At last, Kwan broke the silence. "Okay dude, what the hell is wrong?"

Dash was quiet for a moment longer before speaking. "I don't know how to word it," the blonde tried to explain.

"Well, try," Kwan replied.

Dash took a deep breath. "I was going home and I ran into Fenton in front of the school. The poor kid looked like shit-"

Kwan cut off his best friend. "Wait, what? Since when do you call Fenton 'poor kid' and more importantly, since when do you care about him?"

Dash waited patiently for his friend to stop talking. "If you would listen to me, I would explain, may I continue now?' he asked, Kwan nodded in response. "Okay, well like I said, the kid looked like crap, and I ended up pushing his because he bumped into me, it's a long story. I felt for the kid, with his mom and everything. So I helped him up… Kwan he was covered in bruises."

Again, silence fell over the two. "What do you think it means?" Kan asked after a few moments.

Dash didn't know how to answer. What did he think? He knew, but he didn't want to admit it.

"Dash?" Kwan urged.

"Dude, … they were fresh…" Dash didn't know how to act.

"So?"

"I think that the same thing that's happening to me is happening to him…you don't get bruises like that to start out with; no it takes a few beatings to get that violent."

"So you think, Danny Fenton is being…" Kwan didn't finish. Dash knew it was because his friend couldn't bring him self to say the word, not when Dash had drawn the paralleled to himself. Dash finished the sentence for him.

"Abused."

And there you have it. Shit hit the fan. Now I get to start having fun with the story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know it was very long awaited by the hundred and something of you followers. I love you all so much. Review favorite and follow! tata for now!