It was time for this to end. Stan looked around at the three men standing with him in the darkness and then at the baseball bat in his hands. Three men who had promised to fight for their friend; to end his fears. Three friends who promised to risk it all. "You guys ready for this?"

"Are you kidding? If Wendy finds out about this; she is going to kick my ass." Cartman looked at the other three who stood ready. Tweak and Kyle just nodded their heads.

Stan waited for the music to start at Tweak and Bebe's house and that was their cue. Stan pulled the ski mask down onto his face and the others did the same. They slipped quietly into the back door of Butters' house. Stan could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he peeked around the corner, but there was no one in the hallway. The men continued down the darkened hallway, checking each room as they went until they found Butters' bedroom. Butters lay sleeping in the bed, an empty bottle of vodka still clutched in his hand. How many times had he forced himself on Kenny in that very bed? How many nights had Kenny laid awake, crying and in pain? Stan was surprised by the anger he felt surging through him and he brought the baseball bat down onto Butters' stomach. The man woke with a start, and probably for the first time in his adult life, there was fear in his eyes.

Butters rolled quickly off the bed, hoping to gain leverage on his assailant when he realized that there were three more people in his room. Before he could get to his feet a second man slammed a bat into his back. Butters could do nothing but defend his face as the four men repeatedly hit him. It felt like they had been beating him forever before one of them finally spoke.

"That's enough." Stan's voice quivered with restrained anger. It wasn't enough, not near enough, but they hadn't come here to kill him.

Butters laughed from his place on the floor. "You think I ain't been beat worse than this? I was in the marines, Stan." Butters got slowly to his knees and watched the men back away from him. Did you really think those stupid masks would hide who you are? Had they thought he was that stupid? "Kenny belongs to me and I want him back."

Stan watched Butters wipe the blood from his mouth. "Kenny doesn't belong to anyone. Stay away from him."

Butters laughed again as he got to his feet. "I won't stop coming for him." Butters stepped towards Stan.

Stan didn't back down. Instead, he pulled a gun from his jacket pocket and pointed it at Butters.

Kyle backed away from Stan. "Dude, what are you doing?"

Stan could feel himself losing control. "I'm not going to let him hurt Kenny anymore." Stan cocked the gun. Butters' eyes widened at the very real threat of death and Stan could see it now. He could finally see the frightened little kid they used to pick on at the playground. The fear was real. And he knew that part of this was their fault. They had all pushed and pushed him when he was little. Backed him into a corner where the only choices were to become a victim, or something meaner, to becomes someone who took what he wanted and to hell with the world.

"This wasn't part of the plan." Kyle looked at Tweak and Carman who were equally as puzzled as he was.

"You're going to shoot me over some whore?" Butters stood his ground, but he could see it in Stan's eyes, he could see the anger and the hatred. Hadn't his eyes looked like that a lot during basic training?

"I will if you come around him again." Stan turned and motioned to the others that they were leaving.

Butters waited until Stan had turned around and lunged at him. He was caught by surprise as Stan turned equally as quick and swung the gun across his face. Butters heard his nose crack and fell to his knees. "Fine, keep the worthless little bitch; but get the fuck out of my house."

Kyle, Tweak, and Cartman left first, each stunned by Stan's violent and quick reaction. Stan followed shortly behind them. They slipped their masks off once outside and walked down to Tweak's house. They sat down on the back porch and listened to the music. Kyle broke the awkward silence first. "He wasn't really going to shoot him. It's not even loaded." Kyle looked down at the blood that had splattered onto his shirt.

Cartman and Tweak exchanged glances. "You knew about all that?"

Stan sighed and looked up at the stars. "Kyle went with me yesterday to get it. I'm sorry we didn't tell you guys about it, but I wanted your reactions to be genuine. I had to make sure Butters thought I would actually shoot him." Stan lied to them. The gun was loaded and he had been prepared to shoot Butters.

Tweak and Cartman nodded, but there was nothing that needed to be said. They both had a woman at home that they cared about. Cartman stood up to leave but paused before he took a step. "Do you think we had something to do with what happened to Butters?"

"I don't know." Kyle looked down at his hands. "Maybe. His parents weren't the nicest people either. Maybe he was always messed up. Maybe there was always a part of him that was wrong."

"It doesn't matter." Stan stood up. "No one made us who we are. We made ourselves. Yeah, we may have shoved him along a little, but he made a choice." Stan looked at his friends once more. "Tell Bebe I said thank you. We're going to stay for the wedding, but Kenny and I are heading back to New York first thing afterwards."

FIN

Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. Here it is the final chapter.