I don't own Hairspray or any of its characters.

A.N. This chapter and the story in general might be a bit angsty. Read And Review!

There was a moment of silence. Edna and Wilbur exchanged looks. Inez spoke first

"That's great, congratulations! I knew you'd beat Seaweed to the alter!"

Penny spoke next "You two are perfect for each others". Tracy knew that she was trying to reassure her parents.

Tracy looked at her parents. Her heart sunk when she realised that tears were welling up in her mother's eyes.

"Th-th-th-that's great, honey" She said, trying to hide her pain.

"Mama…." Tracy began.

"We're happy for you, Tracy, baby," Wilbur interrupted "We'll miss you sweetie…"

Link looked at his future wife's face, which was now streaked with tears. He put a comforting arm around her. Edna had now stopped trying to hold back her tears, and was letting out sobs so loud the table shook. you love my daughter?"

Link had been deep in thought, and was shaken by his future father-in-law's harsh tone.

"YES, I mean yes, of course," he tightened his arm around Tracy's shoulder, "More than anything." He looked down, into Tracy's eyes

"I'm-sob-just-sob-so-sob-happyforyou!" she exclaimed.

Link had been deep in thought, and was shaken by his future father-in-law's harsh tone.

"YES, I mean yes, of course," he tightened his arm around Tracy's shoulder, "More than anything." He looked down, into Tracy's eyes and she could have sworn she saw a tear fall down his cheek.

H-A-I-R-S-P-R-A-Y

After they had eaten, they settled down to cheese and wine in the living room. Edna had finally stopped crying and started bombarding Tracy about her upcoming wedding. Inez and Penny were hinting at Seaweed to propose and Maybelle and Wilbur were talking about how fast their babies grow up. Corny noticed that Link was distracted. He hadn't said a word since dinner and had been staring blankly at Wilbur. He suddenly stood up and ran out the room. Tracy made to follow him, but Corny stopped her. He was the only one who knew what this was about.

H-A-I-R-S-P-R-A-Y

"You haven't told your dad, have you?"

Corny's voice made Link jump. Corny was the only one who really knew the deal with Link and his parents. Link shook his head and struggled to hold back his tears. Corny placed a hand on his shoulder. Corny had been Links mentor ever since he started dancing on the show ten years ago, when he was eleven. Corny had been the one that Link complained to when exams were coming up, Corny was the one that encouraged Link to pursue his real dream of singing and Corny was the one that he went to for advice when he started dating Amber.

Corny was on his way back to his dressing room after the Saturday morning rehearsals. The dancers had been coming on well in the past year, one boy in particular. Link Larkin was a better dancer than all of the new recruits and most of the sixteen or seventeen year old that had been there since the show started. He never really seemed comfortable; he was always worried about getting something wrong. If, on the odd occasion he did mess up a move, he would panic and you could see the fear well up in his eye .Today, he had seemed very distracted, on another planet completely. Corny's thoughts were interrupted by a whimpering sound coming from one of the dressing rooms. It wasn't unusual for some little girl to be in tears on a filming day, if they ripped their dress, or broke their heel, but this was just a rehearsal, and as far as he knew all the kids had been picked up. He pushed open the door of where the noise was coming from. Link flinched as the door opened, and jumped to his feet when Corny came in.

"Link?" Corny wasn't sure what you were meant to say to a pre-teen male dancer having a crisis. "Are you okay? I mean, what happened?"

In the whole year he'd been on the show, Link had never been anything less than impeccably presented, but right now he was a mess. His eyes were puffy and his make-up was running, His normally slicked back hair was sticking up in all directions. His tie was nearer his navel than his next and his big, puppy dog eyes were bigger and more fearful than ever. He tried to hide the many tissues surrounding him, but it was too late.

"What's wrong, Link? You're really scaring me…"Corny didn't know what was going on, but he did know that the boy needed someone to talk to.

"I-it's my mom…..sh-sh-she died last night….." Link buried his face in his hands, and started whimpering again. Corny wasn't sure what to say. Oddly enough he'd never met either of Links parents. There was usually a crowd of parent waiting backstage, ready to thank Corny for giving their little boy or girl a great opportunity, Corny often took pride in the fact that he recognized every one of his dancer's parents, except for Link's as he now realised.

"That's awful. Link, you poor thing! What about you father? Shouldn't you be with him?" At the mention of his father, Link frantically tried to do up the first few buttons of his shirt. Corny could see why. Across Links chest, there were three or four wide black-blue marks. Each one of them was roughly the size and shape of a grown man's hand print.

"Link, has this happened before? Do you want me to report him?" Link started to cry again, and Corny couldn't help but put an arm around him.

"Link, try and take deep breaths, come with me and you can tell me what happened." Corny led the young boy into his larger dressing room. He pulled out chair for him, but in a matter of moment Link left it in favour of pacing up and down. He started to recall what happened.

"It was like any other day, after school and rehearsal I walked back to my place, but when I got in there was some guy in a suit t-talking to my d-d-dad….They called me over and said there was something I needed to hear. .That was when they told me I was never going to see my m-m-mommy ag-g-gain" Link's voice was barely audible as he tried to fit in as many words as he could between each sob "After they went through all my m-m-mom's p-pap-pers and things the lawyer left…a-and my dad got out his liquor. Usually he just yells…h-he never hit me before…never."

A.N. Bit of a cliff hanger…wasn't sure where to go without taking a new chapter. READ AND REVIEW!!