Chapter III

I'm here with another one, my people. I'm sorry that I'm a little late...Okay, really late. But I've been busy with track and N's script. But, it's finished now, so I'm open to start writing again. THE FIC IS THE THING!

I only own my OC(s).

Paul walked out of the changing room and began walking out the front of the school when he remembered that his father was going to pick him up. However, looking out the glass doors, he saw his grandpa's truck. Looks like you forgot to tell him, he thought, running out the door and to the truck.

After getting in, his grandpa started talking. "So, how did track go?"

"Okay, I guess."

His grandpa raised an eyebrow. "Okay? What did you do?"

"Nothing much."

"Nothing? Now I know something is wrong with you." He leaned over. "Is it a...girl?"

"What? No! I can't get a girlfriend to save my life."

"That doesn't mean you can't like one. Who is it?"

"Grandpa, it's no one. I don't like anyone. And no one likes me."

"I'm sure that's not true. At your age, you must like someone."

The conversation ended there, with his grandpa, as usual, being correct. It was funny how close his grandfather knew him. Paul's father could learn a thing or two from his own father.

Paul's mind flashed to Fluttershy, most likely still unconscious on his couch.

When he got home, he threw open the truck door, grabbed his stuff, closed the door, opened the house door, ran in, closed the door, put away his stuff, and ran into the living room, and knelt by the, as expected, still unconscious Fluttershy.

"Well, you're home earlier than expected. Where's you dad?"

"Grandpa was there, so he brought me home. But that later, can you help me move her?"

"Move her? Where?"

"Downstairs, where Dad won't see her for a while. I mean, when was the last time he went down there?"

"...Good point, but why are we hiding her?"

"I don't want to explain the whole 'jump-off-the-bus' thing again. Now just help me."

His mom carefully removed her covers while Paul tenderly lifted her up and carried her downstairs. It was then that, feeling through the thin shirt, he noticed that her back felt soft. Softer than normal skin. More like...feathery.

Once she was set back up in the basement on a couch, Paul ran up to the second story to take a post-track shower, where his thoughts continued to dance in his mind. How did she get there? And, what if Tristan was right and this was exactly like My Little Dashie? Then was he just helping her for no reason?

Or even worse, what if he was being played for a fool?

Finishing the shower, he ran back downstairs and monitored Fluttershy. "How did you get here?" he asked expecting no response in return.

However, he did get a response. Not an answer to his question, but a sigh. Slowly, she opened her eyes. "What? Where am I?" she asked in her same confused and scared tone that Paul fell in love with in the first place.

"You're awake!"

He didn't mean to say it that loud. And when he shut his mouth, Fluttershy looked straight at him, shrieked, and then shot into the air. She was trying to fly away, but the shirt restricted her wings. When she fell with a thud, she covered her face. "P-P-Please, don't hurt me! I'm lost and scared."

Paul placed a hand on her shoulder. "I wouldn't dream of it. My name is Paul."

"M-My name i-is Fluttershy."

The series of stupid words began to flow out of Pauls mouth without him knowing. "I know. I know all about you. Well, almost. How did you get here?"

"I...I don't know. All I remember is...Twilight asked me to help her with a spell."

"I figured as much."

He was going to ask her another question when he heard the front door open and then slam shut. "I'm going to kill that boy!"

"Uh oh."

Fluttershy grabbed his arm. "What is it?"

"My father. I'm in for it now. Stay here. I'll be back." With that, he ran up the stairs.

His father met him there, holding a belt in his hand. "You didn't stay at the school."

"Grandpa was already-"

He didn't get to finish his statement before the belt came flying across his face with a whap. "I gave you one simple task." Whap! "You were told to stay there." Whap! "And you came home with your grandfather."

Paul held his face. "Mainly because Grandpa would hit me with a belt."

Whap! Whap! Whap! "Maybe he should!"

At that moment, Paul's mother ran in. "What are you doing!"

"I'm giving your son a proper punishment." Whap!

She grabbed the belt from his hand. "Not like this you aren't!"

"Woman, give it back!"

This time, she brought the belt across his face. "I'll admit that he shouldn't have disobeyed you, but this is not how you punish our son. I'll have you know that he saved some girl's life today."

"Really?" His tone changed into mock interest. "When?"

"This morning, while I was on the bus," Paul said, still holding his face. "I jumped off and-"

"You jumped off the bus?"

"Well-"

"YOU JUMPED OFF THE BUS!"

"I thought that-"

"No. No you didn't think. You NEVER think."

"I'm sorry that I have a heart!" With that, he slammed the door to the basement shut, but that didn't stop him from hearing them continue to fight.

"He's right, you know."

"Oh, don't you start, too. He's too soft for his own good."

His mom sighed. "One of these days, you'll see how wrong you are."

"He needs to learn to stop putting himself in things that don't hurt him."

He put his head down and walked down the stairs. When he got in front of the couch, Fluttershy gasped. "Paul! What happened to your face?"

"My father is a bit abusive."

"A bit! Your face is...horrible!"

Not the first time I've heard that. He sat down next to her and put his head in his hands. "He thinks I'm too...kind."

She leaned over and put her arms around him. "You can never be too kind."

He placed a hand over hers. "Thank you."

Chapter Complete. I know, not my best work. But give me a break. I've been gone for a while, so this is the first chance I got to work on this fic. So, R&R AND ADIOS!