Author's Note: Guys, I would like to thank all of you for urging me to continue! I love checking my email or checking this and seeing a review or a new favorite or follow, it warms the usually icy cockles of my heart! Oh, and apparently, cockles means clams, so...You guys warm my clams? Anywhoodles! I'd like to give a shoutout to those who posted reviews anonymously since I can't send y'all pms! Lots of love, dearests! I also request that if you guys have any references or storylines you'd like me to bring back, like a blast from the past, please let me know! This story won't be all serious, it needs to have that usual South Park flair.

BIG FAT KISSES~ Alizarin

His mom hadn't waited up even though it was only midnight, so it was only Ike sitting on the couch watching t.v to greet her. "Hey, Fable."

She nodded and plopped down beside him, blankly watching whatever trashy show he had put on. Ike was Kyle's adoptive Canadian brother that Fable had met her first day here. He didn't mind Fable, but they weren't as close as her and Kyle were. It was obvious he was adopted though, what with his short cut black hair and his eyes were a grey color. But he was a part of their family just like he was blood, which Fable had to respect.

"Everything okay?" His voice was still on the lighter side, puberty not doing much for him in that sector.

"Yeah. I just...think I screwed up." Fable frowned and rubbed her eyes in annoyance. "I was trying to help a friend out, but another friend ruined it and got pissed at me, making me hurt yet another friend."

"High school is shitty." Was all the Canadian said.

They fell into silence. Guilt weighed on Fable's chest so much that is stifled her breathing. She hadn't meant to hurt Kyle's feelings, but it was Kenny's fault. If he wouldn't have gotten so worked up over nothing, everything would have gone as planned. And what the hell had Kyle meant about Kenny having hope in her? Yeah, right. She was suddenly exhausted.

"Ike, where am I to sleep tonight?"

"I'd steal Kyle's room. We're supposed to figure out whether or not you'll be staying tomorrow."

Fable nodded and trudged up to his room. It's blue walls were sprinkled with posters of video games, movies, and books. His bed was neatly made and Fable's bag of things and her mother's book and chest were resting on his desk. She changed out of her costume and into a nightgown Kenny had been thoughtful enough to bring. After going to the bathroom, she returned to Kyle's room just in time to see Kyle sitting on his bed still in his costume. Awkward silence filled the room.

"Look, I'm sorry-"

"Don't, Fable." He shook his head. "Just don't. Forget it.' He stood and went to his closet to set up a sleeping bag.

"I ddn't mean anything by it, Kyle."

"I know."

"What?"

"Cartman explained it to me after he said you just walked off. He actually looked worried." Kyle busied himself so Fable wouldn't see his smirk.

Fable was confused. Had Cartman taken her words to heart? "Quit dancing around and just tell me exactly what happened."

"Cartman found me and said you had left and he was worried because you seemed pretty pissed. He also explained to me that it was a bet so you could prove I liked him."

"And? Did it work?"

"No."

Fable blinked. And then proceeded to slap him upside the head as he stood up. "Are you stupid? I got Kenny pissed at me for you and you two didn't get together?"

"I knew you cared about him."
"Of course I care about him! He was my first friend here, he watched out for me, he saved my life! I don't want him to hate me! I don't want to hurt him!"

"Shut up, my parents are sleeping!" He whispered, putting his hands on her shoulders.

Her eyes stung with tears that she had been holding back through everything that happened and she sniffled, refusing to cry. But her bottom lip quivered and they slowly rolled down her cheeks. Kyle's face softened and he pulled her to his chest, letting her wet his shirt with her tears. It had been so simple to brush off the ritual, Fable was used to doing it. But she knew that it always simmered inside her, the constant pain of having others doing dark things to her. She felt so disgusted, as if her very soul was tainted. Kyle let her cry without a word and then let her crawl into the sleeping bag, where she fell asleep.

The next day, Kyle gently shook her shoulder. It was Saturday. Fable yawned and stretched, blinking up at him with his wild ginger curls that matched her own. It suddenly dawned on her how similar they looked. Of course, her eyes were darker than his and she had freckles, but it was still funny enough make morning Fable giggle.

"Get up and get dressed, mom wants to talk to us." He smirked down at her, already dressed in his usual orange and green jacket and jeans.

"Fine, fine." She groaned as she sat up and scratched her wild hair. Then she hopped up, took her clothes to the bathroom, and came out five minutes later ready for the day. Her hair had been put into a messy bun, her teeth felt minty, and Kenny had brought her favorite sweater dress. Purple with embroidered crescent moons.

She padded barefoot down the stairs and into the kitchen where Sheila was setting a bowl of porridge out for Ike. Kyle was seated next to his brother at the table and his dad was probably already at work. Fable took a seat at the table when Sheila beamed at her. "Good morning, bat. I have wonderful news!"

"What's that?" She asked with a smirk. Her nickname, she had learned, was Hebrew for daughterl or something like that. But Fable loved it because it sounded like bat.

The ginger mother with her hair in it's usual beehive smiled larger than Kyle and Ike ever saw. "The officials have decided to move your permanent residence here until you're of age so no foster home for you!"

"What?" Fable blinked and then began furiously shaking her head. "Oh, no! I couldn't intrude, you've already helped me so much. I'd be a bother and a financial burden. I can just...Just figure something out."

Lousy excuse and everyone there gave her a look that told her they meant business, even Ike. "Nonsense. You're staying and that's that. And those horrible parents of yours will be put behind bars if I have anything to do with it!"

"Um...But where am I going to stay?" Fable asked after a quick glance to Kyle. It was obvious to him that she was uncomfortable with being accepted so easily. But Kyle's mom, once started on something, finished it no matter what it was. It just so happened to be Fable that had her filled with more conviction than her fight against Canada. Next thing Kyle would be surprised not to see would be t-shirts for her cause against the Cult.

"You and bubbie will be going into town today to get what you need for your room. You'll be sharing Kyle's if that's alright with you."

Fable nodded, "Yeah that's fine, but I don't have any money."
"It's alright," Sheila smiled. "It's on us. Now get going you two, don't waste daylight."

Kyle slid from his chair and, after both of them had given Sheila hugs, they left. "Hey, before we go, wanna get coffee?" He asked Fable.

She nodded and they hopped into his van in comfortable silence. Though she was still annoyed that Kyle hadn't taken the chance to get together with Cartman, it seemed they weren't mad at each other anymore. Kyle drove to Tweak's Bros. Coffeehouse and parked in front. Both of them walked in only to look wide-eyed at the mess before them. A crowd of South Park residents were pressed against the coffee bar, all trying to yell over each other to a very angry looking Craig and a freaked out Tweek.

"What's going on?" Kyle asked, leading Fable around the mob to a booth claimed by Cartman, Stan, and a tired looking Kenny. Kenny glanced up then immediately looked back at his cold coffee.

"Tweek's parents went to pick up supplies and left them alone." Cartman answered.

Kyle looked worried but slid into the booth next to Cartman.

Fable tried her best to ignore Kenny and stood by the table, watching Craig and Tweek. Craig looked like he was ready to snap. And Tweek was already pulling at his hair hard. Someone needed to do something. The bleak, ugly colors filling the room were too strangling. So, since no one else seemed inclined to, Fable shoved past the customers and ducked under the bar. Craig sent her a questioning look but she climbed on the counter before he could tell her to leave.

"Hey!" She shouted above everyone else and then waited patiently for their attention. It took five minutes until they had quieted and all eyes were on her, even Kenny's. "I would kindly like to remind everyone here that the people behind this counter are human beings and they have feelings and should be treated as such! Yelling at them and taking your bad mood out on them isn't going to make them move any quicker. So, if you would all please shut the fuck up, make a single file line over there, and give us a moment, we would love to serve you fine people."

Silence filled the coffee shop. Then, surprisingly, they listened. Albeit, many of them grumbled under their breath. With Criag's help, she hopped off the counter and walked up to Craig, gently taking his tense hands from his hair. "Butters!" Fable called him over and waited until he was beside her to continue, "Tweek, sweetheart, give Butters here a crash course in the cash register and then go sit with our friends, okay? We'll handle this."

"GAH, OkAy!" Tweek twitched and Butters listened to his explanation with an empathetic smile, leaving Fable to head over to the coffee stuff with Craig.

"Give me a rundown of this shit."

He did, his voice monotone. But Fable noted that he seemed to have relaxed immensely and his eyes kept silently thanking Fable for her help. All this took a total of three minutes and then Fable was near the cups, taking orders and yelling them out to Craig. "Caramel espresso, extra whip cream-Hot chocolate-Black coffee-Macchiato double shot!"

Kenny watched the trio work. She moved quickly and efficiently, helping Craig where she could and taking care of the customers. Though now everytime he looked at her, Kenny couldn't ignore the twist of his heart, but he couldn't seem to tear his gaze away. Her smile was bright even when she had rude customers; she was truly amazing working up there.

Soon enough, the line was down to only one customer left. But Kenny caught Fable stutter over her words. "Ho...How may I help you?"

The man leaned closer-too close for Kenny's comfort- and said something. Fable nodded and looked overr at Butters and Craig. "Go, I got this one."

They didn't need any more pressing. Butters returned to the table taken by the gang and Craig immediately went to Tweek's side. "What's going on?" Kenny asked Butters.

"Well, I dunno, Ken. Fable seems to know him." He answered cheerfully.

Kenny watched, more with concern than the nonchalant curiosity he was trying to pull off. Fable made what he had ordered, rang him up, and then slipped past the bar and headed outside with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Kyle, sitting next to a curious looking Cartman, rolled his eyes and shooed him off. Obviously, Kyle was getting some bad vibes as well. But just as he began walking to the door after them, Red in her cheerleading outfit brushed past Fable and made a beeline for Kenny with a smirk on her face. "Hey, Kenny!"

"Not now, I'm busy."
"Again, with that? You weren't busy last night." She chirped and her voice made Kenny's head throb even more. But something in her grin made his stomach drop.

He couldn't remember anything from last night, he didn't….Did he? "Last night doesn't matter, move."

"That wasn't what you said."
Then without another word and still with that ugly smirk on her face, she took Kenny's arm and dragged him to a small two person table. Kenny pinched the bridge of his nose. "Red, whatever the fuck happened last night, I was drunk. So get over it. A man of one-nights, remember?"

"Aw, baby, you know that isn't true with me." Red purred, leaning across the table seductively.

Out of instinct, Kenny glanced down and then immediately clenched his eyes shut. She was trying his patience and with the killer hangover, he so wasn't in the mood. So he stood and pulled out of her grasp and walked out the door, looking for Fable.

Fable followed the young man, only a few years older than her, out the door. A girl brushed past her and she glanced over her shoulder to see her talking to Kenny who had gotten up to meet her. She had no reason to be jealous, so she shoved the green monster down and walked into the alley beside the shop, gripping her cup of hot chocolate.

The person stopped and his dark eyes studied her. He occasionally flipped his black hair out of his eyes but otherwise remained silent. Fable looked up and met his gaze, counting the ways he had changed since she had last seen him about a year ago. He'd grown some stubble on his angular chin, making him seem older than he was, but had otherwise remained the same. Same black clothes, same old leather jacket, same black leather cord tied around his neck.

"Hey, Lucy." Fable eventually said, giving the older male a tentative smile and sipped her drink.

He took a swig of his coffee and eyed her cooly. "Hey, sis. How ya been?"