Rudy had no idea why he was at Louise's house, nor did he understand why there was a giant hole outside the door to the restaurant. His parents never let him stay over at a friend's houses on school night. Even if both parents had to be out of town he usually stayed with his aunt and uncle, or Wayne who happened to live near both of his parents. Never the Belchers who lived almost clear across town from both parents. Yet here he was outside the Belcher's place. Standing in front of a giant hole. A hole that Louise happened to be trapped inside. She was screaming and crying for help. She was trying to climb out of the hole but the kept falling deeper and deeper. Rudy tried to scream for the Belchers, but words would not come. Finally, the door to the apartment swung open but it was too late. He could no longer see Louise. in a flash the restaurant was surrounded by emergency vehicles. Louise's screams were getting fainter and further apart. Suddenly Grover Fishodor leapt out of the hole. He whipped out a gun and forced the rest of the Belchers into the restaurant. He flung something down in the hole and then was gone. Flames were now pouring out of the hole. He could see Louise's hand again but the flames. He had her hand but felt his own hand burning. There was a crack and a whoosh. Bob's Burgers had sunk into the hole! Water was flowing from a broken main. Teddy dove into the hole and came out with Gene and Tina. Then Linda and lastly with Bob, but he could not save Louise. Another whoosh of water this one burning with flame and Louise's mangled body flew up and landed at Rudy's feet.

"AGGGHHHHHH!" Rudy screamed.

"Rudy! Are you alright?" His mom cried racing to his side with a glass of water and his inhaler.

"This time she was trapped in the hole. I was there but I couldn't save her or get her parents. Grover set the hole on fire and locked her family in the restaurant. I almost had Louise but got burned. Then she… then she… My feet! Her body was at my feet!" Rudy wheezed.

"Oh, Rudy it was just a dream. The hole is filled, Grover is in prison, and Louise is safe." His mom assured.

"I just wish I could forget." Rudy sighed.

Rudy would never forget the day the sinkhole opened up in front of his best friend's house. Nor would he forget the days that immediately followed. He would always remember sitting on the couch at his mom's house, pancake on his lap. The news was on, Rudy was watching in hopes of finding a current event to write about. Suddenly the familiar restaurant and apartment flashed onto his screen. Rudy was stunned to see a massive sink hole right in front of the restaurant. His first thought was fear that Louise or somebody in her family had been hurt when the hole opened. A sense of relief washed over him when he saw they were all well. Until Bob mentioned concerns about not being able to operate his business until the hole was closed. The idea of Louise's family losing their restaurant terrified Rudy. If the restaurant failed Louise may end up moving away.

"What if they have to close? They wouldn't move away, would they?" Rudy asked his mother.

"They will be fine Rudy. They will fill the hole in a couple of days and even if they end up going out of business. Bob's dad has the diner we used to stop at after your pulmonology appointments. I'm sure he would help them out and that's only half an hour away." His mom assured.

Rudy was still scared for the Belchers but took his mom's word for it. He knew from Louise that her dad and grandfather did not get a long well, but he didn't think Big Bob was a bad person. Surely, he wouldn't let his only son and grandchildren end up on the streets. But what if he did? Needless to say, Rudy did not sleep that night. That's how he ended up watching the news again at six in the morning. Once again, the Belcher's place was on TV.

"An update on the story we brought you this evening. Louise Belcher's daughter of restauranter Bob Belcher apparently fell into the sink hole that opened outside of her home. Rescue efforts are underway." The reporter announced.

Rudy felt dizzy. Surely had heard wrong. There was no way that Louise was in the hole. How could she just fall into a giant sink hole?! For as reckless as she was, she was still cautious and rarely did anything that could actually get her killed. At least not intentionally. How did she get into the sink hole?! He must have been screaming. Because the next thing he knew his mom was flying into the living room with his rescue inhaler in her hands. She got him to the couch and started him on the breathing technique he was taught to do when overwhelmed.

"What on, Earth is going on Rudy? I thought you were being kidnapped!" His mom cried.

"Louise fell into the sink hole!" Rudy cried.

"Oh dear" His mom whispered.

Rudy and his mom held their breaths until it was announced that Louise was out and unharmed. Rudy was beyond relieved to know his friend would be OK. However, he was shaken by the fact that Louise had found a skeleton. That would have to be terrifying. Even for somebody as brave as Louise. He snuck Pancake into his backpack before leaving for school. Louise didn't really like talking about her feelings, but he wanted to be ready in case she needed to open up. He tried to talk to her, but she did not want to be talked to. Especially after Chloe once again taunted her at recess. Rudy hated his complicated feelings for Chloe. He knew she was mean, but she was so pretty.

That night another news story broke relating to the Belchers' ordeal. This time they had arrested Mr. Fishodor on murder charges. Rudy knew the old man was eccentric, but he didn't think he would actually kill somebody and bury them in front of one of his businesses. Certainly not in front of the home of Rudy's best friend. OK Rudy hadn't moved to Seymour's Bay when the murder took place, and he hadn't even talked to Louise until that field trip to the museum. Plus, it's not like Mr. Fishodor would have known any of this. Still, it was upsetting to the young boy. He knew it had to be hard on Louise. Rudy suspected that Louise had a small crush on her family's landlord. Not that he would ever in a million years say that aloud. For oh so many reasons. So, the next day he again stuck Pancake in his bag. He made a mental not to talk to Louise no matter what. Except Louise did not come to school that day. He asked Ms. Labonz about it but she just said she must be skipping. As much as she hated school. Louise would never just not show up. Rudy knew something was wrong. What if she had fallen in the hole again? What if she had hit her head when she fell and had an undetected brain bleed and was now dead? That had happened to a girl who Mandy knew from softball camp. She got hit by a pitch at practice but seemed fine. Then the next morning her parents found her dead in her bed. Could that have happened to Louise?

It turned out that Louise was alive after all. She had not been hurt in the fall. No, she did not want her family to lose their home, nor did she think that Mr. Fishodor had killed Cotton Candy Dan. So, she did something that only Louise would do. She went to where the carnies lived to question them. First assuming that it was one of them who had murdered their co-worker. That alone could have gotten Louise killed but thankfully Louise was able to sing her way out of that one. When the carnies were cleared. She suspected it was Felix Fishodor. So, she went to his house and learned he was fleeing the country. With the girl who had almost killed Mr. Fishodor and Louise's dad. Who could have killed Louise. God his best friend almost died a lot. That's how Louise ended up under the wharf. Where it turned out that it was Mr. Fishodor's crazy cousin who killed Cotton Candy Dan. He was going to kill Louise too and her family. Tina and Gene had gone with Louise and her parents ended up accidentally in the same hide out. They escaped in a go kart but were still trapped. Even after the watermain break shot them out back to the surface. They were trapped in a tiny car. Thank God their friend Teddy saved them. Then they went back, and Grover was going to burn down the old Mole Hill ride with the Belchers and his cousins inside. He could have burned the whole town! It was Louise who got on the ride and stopped the fuse. She literally saved at least Wonder Wharf.

Rudy knew Louise was safe. She escaped unscathed but did end up with detention and her parents had a talk with her about personal safety, but she was OK. Except Rudy could not except that. Every night brought nightmares where he lost her. No matter how tight he held Pancake or how many times he called her just before bed. The dreams still came. He didn't even like sleeping anymore.

It was the next day and Rudy was relieved the night was over. He could not wait to see Louise at school. He loved seeing her. The daily reminder that she was in fact alive. Except she was once again not in school. Ms. Labonz simply told him she was excused for the day but would not elaborate. Rudy was relieved to see Tina and Gene had at least showed up.

"Hey guys" Rudy greeted.

"Hey, Rudy." Tina replied.

"Salutations" Gene muttered.

"Where is Louise?" Rudy asked.

"She had a rough night so mom and dad let her stay home." Gene explained.

"Yeah, the field trip incident got to her. She's always had night terrors and they got really bad for a while this summer. After well you know but she hadn't had one in months." Tina elaborated.

"Louise gets night terrors?" Rudy gasped.

"Yeah, and you probably shouldn't tell her I told you." Tina confirmed.

"But she is, OK?" Rudy demanded.

"Fine" Tina assured.

School was now out. Rudy texted both his parents that he was going over to the Belchers.

Louise sat alone on the stairs to the apartment. God, she hated having night terrors. She hated how weak she felt after but mainly she hated seeing her dad and Tina blame themselves. Since they both suffered from night terrors as well. She had been doing so well but then that stupid field trip. She knew it was dumb to think they would sacrifice a kid, but she couldn't help her fears. She hated that if Chloe hadn't of been out with stomach flu. She would have taunted her mercilessly. Crap Chloe just had that stupid twenty-four-hour bug. Surely, she was back and loving Louise's stupid panic. There was a knocking on the door.

"Unless you are selling candy or knives, we don't want any!" Louise snapped.

"It's Rudy no knives but I have half a lifesaver and a bag of off brand candy corn." Rudy explained.

"Did you bring me homework Rudus Iscariot?" Louise scoffed.

"No Ms. Labonz gave it to Tina. I just came to check on you." Rudy explained.

"Check on me?" Louise asked face burning with anger at Tina for talking about her nightmares.

"Yeah, I heard you had a bad night." Rudy explained.

"And you came to make fun of me for having night terrors like a baby?" Louise sighed.

"Louise, I have night terrors too." Rudy confessed.

"Yeah, but you don't dream you are being burned alive while your dad watches. You don't dream your family is sick of your pranks and lets them leave you in the sink hole. You don't dream that you are drowning in the wharf because your dad thinks you are too stupid to save him. You don't dream about a robber shooting you or falling into the deep fryer or Logan pushing you in a well. You don't dream about getting cancer like your grandma. Or getting hit by a car because your siblings are being dumb, and you can't let them die. Which makes your family totally break apart by the way. God I am such a mess." Louise sobbed.

"No Louise, I dream you die, and I am alone. I have no friends and it's because I was too weak to save you." Rudy sobbed.

"You dream about me dying? Isn't that kind of dumb?" Louise smirked.

"Louise! You fell into a sink hole and then went on a man hunt by yourself. And not the type of man hunt my Uncle Ross goes on, on weekends. You actually chased a criminal under the wharf. A criminal who was going to KILL you! That's kind of a lot for a ten-year-old to deal with!" Rudy cried.

"OK well I am alive. See?" Louise assured holding out her arms so Rudy could feel her pulse.

"Your heart rate is fast." Rudy observed.

"Well, I had a dream I was burned alive last night." Louise reminded.

"Yeah, but you are alive." Rudy assured.

"I am. I am alive." Louise whispered.

"You are alive." Rudy whispered.

"Well, enough talking about me being alive. Let's go ride bikes before my parents make me do stuff." Louise snorted.

"Hang on just one more confirmation of life." Rudy insisted pulling Louise into a hug.

"Rudolph if you ever hug me again I will unalive you!" Louise snapped.

"Yeah, but you aren't letting go." Rudy commented.

"It's nice to know somebody cares." Louise whispered pulling Rudy closer.

"I would die for you, Louise Belcher." Rudy whispered.

Tina Belcher stood at the top of the stairs. She had just completed her homework and was heading downstairs to help in the restaurant. She knew Rudy was going to come over once he had permission from his parents. She did not expect Louise to invite him in. Louise hated when people saw her after a bad night, but Rudy was over. Rudy had been invited in and Louise was hugging him! Louise Belcher was in love for the first time. She would never admit it, but this was the proof Tina needed and she could not wait to teach her sister about matters of the heart.