I finally figured out who the boyfriend will be! :D It took a lot of thinking, but I finally did it. And he was the only logical pick really. It still bugs me a bit though since he was going to have a role near the end of the fic, but he will just have to be replaced. So read to find out who it is! :)

Gwen found it near impossible to go to sleep that night. She tossed and turned for hours, unable to push the previous event from her mind. It was only when the clock chimed one did she jump up suddenly, running over to her dresser to grab her phone. She had completely forgotten to call Duncan in the heat of things. She just hoped he wouldn't be too pissed about forgetting and as a result calling so late.

The phone rang only once, a miracle in and of itself, before Duncan picked up. "What…?" he yawned, not yet realizing who it was calling. He had been fast asleep in bed for once, only answering the phone to quiet it.

"Duncan." Gwen sighed, eyes sad with a hint of contentedness because he had answered so fast.

Duncan perked instantly. "Gwen!" he cried. "Hey, babe." He was wide awake now. "What happened to calling?" his tone held an edge of irritation.

Gwen sensed his annoyance even through the phone, bowing her head in apology. "I know. I'm so sorry!" she cried, sighing heavily shortly after. "Trent and I got into it today and I completely forgot." Her voice trembled as the memory flashed before her eyes.

Duncan started. "You mean you fought?" He said incredulously. "He really got mad at you for being late." His voice was low and obviously pissed.

Gwen was quick to cover her mistake. "N-No!" she yelped. "I mean…it wasn't about that…" It was only a half lie at least.

Duncan frowned, not quite sure if he believed this or not. "Then what was it?" He had to know.

Gwen thought for a moment before answering. "It was…Courtney." She stopped herself from saying 'you' despite the fact she ached as a result. At least this wasn't a lie either though.

"Courtney?" he struggled to see what there was to fight about concerning Mrs. Suicidal.

"Yeah. He doesn't think it's safe for me to be around her. He's afraid that she'll cause me to act similar to her."

Duncan shrugged. "Maybe. It's not a ludicrous assumption anyway." Duncan was surprised he himself hadn't thought of this and no longer thought that Trent was being pushy. All Duncan saw was a guy protecting his girl and, as a result, his best friend too.

Gwen cringed. Of course he'd agree. He wanted her to be safe too. There was no reason for him to doubt Trent's intentions. Now she wished she'd come up with something more suspicious. "I guess." She murmured sadly.

Duncan instantly picked up on her sadness, mood brought down to the same level within a moment. "Gwen?"

"Hmm?" she perked, seating herself back on the bed.

"You sound like something's bothering you." He said bluntly, not feeling like beating around the bush for once.

Gwen felt a shiver run down her spine. It was time to lie again. "It's just Courtney." She sighed, falling back on her pillow gently. "I'm scared for her." It was better this way.

Duncan sighed. "Ok. I suppose there isn't much I can do about that." The confession made the feeling of bitterness in the pit of his stomach even worse. Knowing that there was no hope of him easing his best friends pain was a horrible realization.

Gwen grimaced. "No. I guess not…" she whispered, not sure if he heard. "…not at all…"

Duncan heard her say something, but didn't bother asking her to repeat. He figured it couldn't be too incredibly important.

"Well…I should go…" she said with sorrow. "I just wanted to let you know things were alright." She smiled wanly with disbelief in herself.

Duncan nodded to himself. "Yeah, ok. I'm glad you did." A pause. "I'll see you tomorrow then." As he said it he was struck with a feeling of disbelief. Why didn't he trust this? Why did he think it was wrong to hang up? Why...?

...

Nothing exceptional occurred from Gwen's point of view for the next few weeks or so except that Courtney had slowly regained a certain spark about her that Gwen hadn't seen for far too long. Her eyes were no longer that dull shade, her mouth at least a flat line rather than a deep frown, and she had better posture. Gwen wondered why a lot. Was it simply the therapy working? Or...could it have been that call?

Regardless of the answer, it was certainly more than she could say for herself.

It seemed that the more at ease Courtney became the worse Gwen felt, for each and every day she felt as if a little more of her soul was sucked from her being. It had been quite a while since she'd experienced such feelings and she was worried. Maybe Trent was right, maybe Courtney was bad for her.

Either way Gwen wasn't going to abandon the girl. She liked seeing her happy, no matter how hard Gwen had to work to make it so, no matter how bad it hurt. This was why, regardless of how shitty her own day had been, she was taking Courtney to one of her favorite spots. They were going to the park.

"This is really nice of you." Courtney muttered in appreciation as they slowly walked down the sidewalk. She was talking a lot more lately. This made Gwen happy as well.

Gwen smiled, looking up at the cloud littered sky rather then at her friend. "It's nothing." Gwen shrugged. "I know how much you like this place."

Courtney smiled back. "Yeah, it's special." she sighed, trailing from Gwen's side to go over to a nearby bench and sink into it.

Gwen followed her, sitting right next to her. "It is to me too." Gwen recalled.

Courtney tilted her head to the side slightly.

"Don't you remember?" Gwen said hopefully with a hint of worry. If Courtney did not remember she didn't know what she'd do or say.

Courtney thought hard for a moment before finally speaking. "Oh! Yes, I do." she smiled brightly. "It's where we first met."

Gwen sighed in relief, nodding. "Uh-huh. We didn't get along so well then though." Gwen chuckled.

Courtney nodded faintly. "It's different now..." Courtney murmured bitterly, cheer slipping slightly. "We know things."

Gwen cringed. She needed to change the topic, and fast. "Hey, look!" Gwen cried, pointing over at a dog running around in circles trying to catch its tail. "It's a yorkie!"

Courtney was easily distracted from the topic at hand because she loved dogs. "Aww." she cooed, clasping her hands together. "It's adorable!" her eyes shinned brighter than before. "I wish I had a dog." she sighed, staring longingly at the creature.

Gwen chuckled, watching Courtney instead of the dog. "It is pretty cute." She admitted. Little dogs were certainly more-so than the big ones at least. Those things scared her to death, it's why she didn't own one. That and she wasn't all that rich.

Courtney sighed contentedly before raising up unexpectedly.

"Courtney!" Gwen cried, jumping up after her. "Where are you going?"

Courtney tore her eyes from the dog's antics long enough to take in Gwen's concerned expression. "I dunno." she shrugged. "I'm kinda hungry I guess." she proceeded to walk away.

Gwen was quick to follow suit. "I'll come with you."

Courtney furrowed her brow at her friend, slowing marginally. "You don't have to." She insisted.

Gwen shrugged. "I'm hungry too." Gwen lied. In all honesty she wasn't hungry enough to even eat a crumb.

Courtney shrugged. "Ok."

They walked at an identical pace to one another until they reached a hot dog stand a few minutes away.

Gwen inwardly barfed at the mere smell. She wasn't big on hot dogs, not at all.

Courtney, on the other hand, had no problem with it. "One hot dog with ketchup and mustard and -" she paused, looking back at Gwen for her order.

Gwen shook her head, hands pressed over her mouth. "No. I hate hot dogs."

"That's all." she nodded, withdrawing money from her pockets to hand to the man.

He took the cash uninterestedly, handing her back her order in exchange.

"Thanks." Courtney muttered sweetly, turning swiftly and heading back to the bench.

Gwen acted like a loyal dog, padding along next to her. "Looks...good." she squeezed out, groaning lightly.

Courtney laughed softly. "Don't be silly. I know you don't think so." she tossed her hair about as some fell into her eyes. "And you don't have to pretend for me either."

Gwen didn't say anything to this, waiting until they were sitting again before starting a new topic. "Ever cloud gazed?" It was a random thought, but it was all she could think of.

Courtney took large bites of her food, answering between mouthfuls. "Yeah. It's ok I guess."

"I do it all the time." Gwen informed her, trying to get her more invested in the topic. "Duncan loves it."

Courtney snorted. "That pig? Ugh, he's so full of himself. He thinks it makes him better the more girls he can say he's done too." she shook her head.

Gwen stared at her in disbelief mingled with confusion. She hadn't realized Courtney had formed such a negative opinion of her best friend. "He's not that bad." Gwen said in a sad tone.

Courtney laughed at this. "What planet have you been on?"

Gwen scowled darkly at her, refraining from speaking.

It was then that Courtney saw she was treading on thin ice. "Oh." she murmured. "You're his friend aren't you?" she said tentatively.

Gwen crossed her arms over her chest.

Courtney grinned. "Sorry." she shrugged. "But even if he treats you right that doesn't mean that's how he always is. You're the exception." she said this as if it were the truth with no hope of being rebutted.

"Whatever." she grumbled, looking away from her. "Hey! Look!That cloud looks like a bunny." Gwen pointed, trying her best to forget the previous words exchanged.

Courtney peered in the direction her friend was pointing. She chuckled. "Kinda." She looked for a cloud of her own. "Oh! There's a dog!" she giggled.

Gwen grinned from ear to ear as she watched Courtney have fun. "You said you've done this before." she said absentmindedly. "With who?"

Courtney winced slightly. "My boyfriend. We used to do it a lot." she sighed sadly.

Gwen sucked in a sharp breath, she was frantic. She hadn't meant to make her sad by asking. Now she had to do something about it. "H-Hey!" she said in an off key tone, her desperation showing easily. "How bout that episode of Pretty Little Liars?" she said lamely.

Courtney laughed. "Are you trying to change the subject?" she asked incredulously, looking expectantly into her friends eyes.

Gwen snorted. "No. I really want to know." she said in defense, turning her nose to the air.

Courtney snorted, rolling her eyes. "You don't have to try so hard Gwen." she said warmly. "I know after what I did you probably want to keep anything I find bitter away from conversation, but you don't have to." As she said it she remembered her first session with her therapist. She had been right. Gwen was just like she said she'd been with her suicidal friend.

Gwen averted her gaze, not liking how well Courtney was seeing through her.

"Cause everyone's sad sometimes. It's life. At least my therapist says so." her smile slipped. "So don't treat me like a piece of glass that will break if to much pressure, or sadness, is put on it."

Gwen didn't know what to say to this. It rather reminded her of what she'd told Duncan when he tried to explain hiding Courtney's predicament from her. Could they really be so similar?

"And what about you?" Courtney quickly moved on from her speech, not wanting Gwen to get the idea that just because she was 'ok' that she could ask anything of her. In actuality she would really prefer to let Gwen keep on fighting tooth and nail to hide the bad parts of life away from her. It was just that she felt she should repay Gwen's efforts with some degree of reprieve. If that meant enduring a mention of her boyfriend now and again, then she'd deal. It was part of the healing process anyway.

"Huh? Me?" Gwen perked. "What about me?"

"You said you do it a lot. Do you really just do it with Duncan?" there was easily detectable disgust in her tone aimed at Duncan.

Gwen shrugged. "Yeah. If we're not doing that we're watching some horror movie or another." Gwen smiled warmly at the thought, looking forward to the next time they'd do it.

"What about Trent? You never do it with him, your boyfriend?" She couldn't understand why Gwen would share moments with a friend like Duncan instead of sweet Trent.

Gwen let out a low growl at the mention of his name. "No. Never." she said through clenched teeth, hoping Courtney would change the subject.

Courtney scrunched up her nose. "Never?"

Gwen sighed. "He's not into it. He's much more the kind of guy who wants to be inside. Almost anything we do is in one of our houses." her mind flashed back to the last thing they'd done in his house. He'd hit her again. Actually, he did it every few days now over something no matter how stupid. But it was mostly Duncan or Courtney.

Gwen had gotten mostly used to it by now, the random outbursts, but it still stung worse each time. It was like the more comfortable he became with the action the more willing he was to hit harder. She wished she was strong enough to stand up to him, but because there was this fear in the back of her mind that biting back would make it worse she never did.

Courtney frowned. She had never heard of a guy who wanted to be inside more than out. She almost wanted to believe Gwen was making it up. "It sure is different, that's for sure."

Gwen grappled in her head for some other topic that wouldn't look like she was trying to hide something by bringing it up, but there was nothing. Nothing logical could come out of a discussion of her boyfriend except Courtney's boyfriend. But that was wrong.

"Then what do you do?" she asked curiously, giggling as ideas came to her mind. "You kiss? Cuddle?"

Gwen blushed a deep red. "W-What?" she stuttered, eyes wide. "Those aren't activities!"

Courtney laughed loudly, lifting her head to the sky. "Are too!" she teased.

Gwen hit her playfully, smiling falling into a flat line as her phone buzzed in her pocket. She picked it out and flipped it open to read the text. 'Where are you? You need to come home.' It was Trent

Courtney peeked over Gwen's shoulder to read the text. She got through it all before Gwen shut the device, just missing who it was from. "Gotta go, huh?" she asked, leaning back from Gwen so that they didn't appear to be strange to onlookers.

Gwen spun back around, shoving her phone back in to the depths of her pocket. "No." she lied.

Courtney gave her a look. "But that text-"

"You were reading my text?" she gasped. "Personal space please?"

Courtney frowned deeply. "What? You've never cared before. Most the time you shove them in my face." she reminded in exasperation, pointing a finger at Gwen.

"So." Gwen grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'd just prefer if you didn't read stuff without me saying so."

"Why? So you can try and lie to me better?" she accused, growing irritated with Gwen.

Gwen froze. Yes. Yes, that's why. "What are you talking about?" she said with obvious nervousness. "Why would I lie to you?"

Courtney sighed. "I don't know." A pause. "But if I had to guess I'd say you were either avoiding someone at home or trying to find a way to be around me as much as humanly possible."

Gwen felt she shrunk further with each word spoken. Why did she have to be so smart? Why didn't Gwen bond with someone a little dumber? She was sure there were plenty pf people at school screwed up enough to qualify and out of those three fourths would probably be easier to deal with than Courtney as far as seriousness goes.

"Gwen..." Courtney's tone softened, losing it's edge of annoyance. "Why?"

Gwen stared blankly at her.

"Why do you want to be around me?"

Gwen gawked. "What?" she blinked a couple of times to make sure this was real. "Why would you ask that?"

Courtney's expression grew stern almost instantly. "I mean it. Answer." she wanted to know the truth, something that they rarely asked each other to give. They had more secrets than most friends, secrets that were very, very, dark.

"You're my friend. What more is there to know?" she half shrugged, wishing Courtney wouldn't stare at her with such intensity.

"No." Courtney growled. "I want a real answer. I'm sick and tired of getting halfassed answers like that." her gaze burned straight through Gwen, daring her to lie one more time. "What really binds you to me?"

Gwen sighed, lowering her gaze. "I...it's..." she didn't know how to say it. How was she to tell Courtney all the things that keep her eternally by Courtney's side. She could not. So she cheated. "Our lives aren't so different." she admitted. "We both have problems, bad problems, which we struggle to overcome on a daily basis." She paused, swallowing hard. "Having each other...it makes it easier..."

Courtney's expression lost its tenseness again, this answer enough to please her in this moment. Still, there was more she hoped to understand. "Is it...really that bad?" she pondered tentatively, feeling like a hypocrite all the while. Who was she to pry when she bit off Gwen's head for trying?

Gwen cringed. "I don't know." she murmured uneasily, fidgeting in discomfort. "I guess..." she realized this was not a real answer, but she didn't care. She merely wanted for this discussion to end. Anything would be better.

Courtney easily saw that she was getting into things that were strictly off limits to wandering eyes. Yet she still found herself asking more. "So you cling to me because you feel we're birds of a feather so to speak?"

Gwen sighed deeply in annoyance, holding her tongue. She shouldn't snap, she couldn't snap, she wouldn't.

"Even so, it doesn't explain why you have started ditching any other human contact except Duncan in favor of me." she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "So why is that? Why don't you want to talk to others anymore? I-"

"Courtney!" Gwen snapped, fists clenched tight. "Shut. Up."

Courtney was taken aback, a hurt expression playing across her face.

"I don't want to answer these questions! So stop making me." she growled through clenched teeth. "I don't barrage you with questions! It's common curtsy." Gwen hopped up off her place on the bench, running her fingers through her hair.

"Gwen..." Courtney muttered, unable to say more.

"I'm going home." she grumbled, hating the thought as much as ever. Once there she'd have to face Trent and God knows what sort of complaints he had concerning her. It wasn't a pleasant notion.

"Come on!" Courtney whined. "I didn't mean to make you mad."

Gwen looked back at her from the corner of her eye. "It's not that." she flat out lied. It was completely that. "I just have to go. Mom said." she thought it better to pretend her mother wished her home instead of Trent. It would make escape easier.

Courtney hung her head. Her absence meant she'd have to find her own ways to entertain herself. "O...k..." she finally agreed.

"I'll see you later." Gwen grumbled, walking ridgedly away with a heavy sense of bitterness hanging over her head as she abandoned Courtney like she, just minutes before, would have done anything to avoid. And she kind of wanted to stay even now. She just needed to prove she wasn't so dependent as Courtney believed as did she need to teach Courtney not to pry into her business or she might be at liberty of losing her.

Courtney watched her slowly disappearing figure before she completely vanished in to a car a few minutes later. Courtney guessed to to be Trent or Duncan, but she didn't know.

Once she was alone she mechanically moved from her seat, wandering over to the now deserted playground to sit on the swing instead. She moved her feet back and forth gently, gradually gaining speed.

The wind felt cool against her skin as she swung gently, her hair fluttering about her face in a disorganized manner. But for once she didn't care. She was content with swinging here, alone to her thoughts. She was actually pleased to have Gwen gone too. It was strange.

Her thoughts wandered to all sorts of topics, the future, Gwen's current feelings toward her and the overall situation, her own feelings, all the friends she'd lost, her mother and how Courtney had ruined everything for her, and even her boyfriend. Mostly she wondered what was wrong with him. He hadn't been the way he was before she tried to kill herself lately.

Her thoughts were then intruded upon. "Hey, babe." came a smooth voice, his voice.

Amazingly enough the sound of his somewhat haunting tone didn't make her shudder for once. She didn't even falter, swinging ever the same. "Hey, Al." she said softly, keeping her gaze glued ahead of her.

He smiled almost sinisterly, placing his hands on her shoulders lightly as he spoke, "How's my girl?"

"Better." she said simply, still finding herself unnerved by his touch even after weeks of him barely touching her in a gentle manner whether it was a tap on the shoulder or his fingers running across her cheeks. She still wasn't thrilled by it.

He massaged her with care. "And what are you doing here all alone?"

Courtney closed her eyes, enjoying this. "I wasn't." she sighed. "Gwen was here..."

Alejandro frowned lightly. "That Goth girl?" He pondered mostly to himself.

"Don't call her that." she mumbled, feeling tired.

"Sorry." he apologized instantly. "It's a bad habit."

Courtney shrugged. "It's ok."

Alejandro removed his hands from her, stepping over to the empty swing beside her and sitting down. "Aren't you cold?" he asked randomly.

She reopened her eyes, turning her head to gaze at his dark skinned face and in to his emerald green eyes. They were as mesmerizing as ever. "No." she replied in a dazed voice. "It's nice out."

"Indeed." he concurred, nodding faintly. He then grabbed the chain of her swing, pulling it toward him so that she too was brought closer. "But you know what's nicer?" he snickered.

Courtney smiled bashfully in response. "What?" she breathed.

He brought his free hand up to her face, stroking it with care. "You."

Courtney felt a shiver run up her spine, but for what reason she wasn't quite sure. She couldn't tell if it was from fear, like usual, or excitement. "Corny." she teased.

"Maybe." he chuckled. "But it's the truth." he assured her, bringing her face toward his so that he could place a tender kiss on her lips.

Courtney froze. She was so shocked that she could not find it in her to reciprocate. She had not felt his lips on hers so softly in forever. But this didn't change the fact that there was a spark on contact.

Alejandro was quick to pull away from her, knowing better then to push to far no matter how much he wanted to. After all, he needed her. He couldn't lose her. "You taste sweet." He smiled softly.

Courtney blushed lightly, looking away from him so that she didn't get trapped in them and taken back to the place where everything had gone so wrong for them. For, even now, after everything, she still wished to believe in his good intentions. She knew she was a fool, yet there was nothing she could do about it.

"You always taste sweet." he continued. "Like strawberries." he flashed her a roguish smile.

She giggled, loving the attention. "Yeah." was all she could think to say.

He stood up. "Wanna walk?" he asked reaching his hand out to her.

Courtney did, but didn't. She was still not sure about going places alone with him away from others view. "Yes." she finally conceded, laying her hand in his with trust.

"Then let's go." he said simply, leading her away from the playground and on to the sidewalk to walk circles around the park.

There was no conversation made after that. Neither needed nor wanted to say anything to the other. They merely walked, hand in hand, through the park. It was one thing that they shared, their love of the outdoors, namely the park. Other then that Courtney could think of few other similarities.

As they walked Alejandro found it hard to focus on anything. He had this strange feeling that they were being watched.

And they were.

On behalf of Gwen, Duncan had set to keeping a close eye on the pair. Not that he expected much to come of it. He was just being a good friend. He'd do anything for Gwen.

Naturally, he was right. They went about innocently doing things together for the next hour or so before parting ways and returning home. So soon did Duncan as well. He'd tell Gwen about it tomorrow.

Ok. If this doesn't make sense, then sorry. Basically that text from the other chapter changed things. Trust me, it's not all sunshine and flowers, just...different. It'll make more sense a little later on. Song: Happy by Leona Lewis. Please review! :)