AN: After watching Raw last night, I've decided to pay tribute to Paul Bearer by putting him in this chapter. I've tried to find a way to pay tribute to him and now I've found one. Also, I got the Dinosaurs idea from The Chaperone which Triple H stars in. Enjoy.

Chapter 3: Trouble

Shawn sat quietly at the round table while eating an apple and orange juice he got from home. He asked for permission this time, and Father surprised both of the boys when they got allowed to take food this time around. After the beating the night before, Shawn and Hunter were both lucky to get out of the house on two feet. Hunter limped a little when he walked and had a bruise under his eye that had a slight purple tint to it. Shawn had a few bruises on his arms, but not too noticable. Hunter sat beside his brother eating a banana and orange juice. He sighed and looked at his brother, watching him, hoping he wouldn't get upset like he did this morning about the black eye. Before Hunter could talk, a shadow appeared over the two boys and they looked up to find a slightly taller nine-year-old with long, black hair and a curved smile that fit the green eyes above.

"Hey, boys," Mark Callaway said. "Mind if I sit down at this table?"

Hunter and Shawn nodded in agreement and Mark sat down, opening his sack and eating a sandwich with barely any meat on it. He looked at the two before speaking, "How have you two been?"

"Fine, I guess." Hunter said, drinking some orange juice.

"Good." Shawn said, looking down at the table. He felt uneasy when it came to Mark Callaway, especially his half-brother Glen Jacobs. They weren't related, but shared the same house since their father adopted Mark when he was two.

"I've got some news," Mark curved a smile. "I hear my grade level is going on a field trip to some museum."

"What for?" Hunter asked.

"Dinosaurs."

"Cool. I love Dinosaurs," Hunter looked at his brother. "You like Dinosaurs, don't you, Shawn?"

Shawn looked at Hunter. "No. I like horses."

Mark eyed the two brothers and noticed how different they looked, appearance wise. He couldn't remember the last time Shawn had a cut on his nose or when Hunter had a black eye.

"You two get hurt at recess?"

Hunter looked at the table. "Oh, uh, we just played around and got caught up with the bullies."

"Bullies?" Shawn whispered.

Hunter eyed his brother, who then got the hint and looked at the ground, nodding his head in agreement. They were startled when Mark began cracking his knuckles.

"Who is it? Mike? Nicky? or how about the Punk?"

"N-No," Hunter stuttered. "That won't be necessary. We took care of them."

"How? You just let them beat up the two of you? No." Mark stood up and looked around at the other tables.

Shawn looked at his brother and tugged on his shirt, getting Hunter's attention.

He whispered, "Why did you say that?"

"I had no other options," Hunter whispered, then stood up to meet Mark's height. "Mark, you should let it go. We took care of it."

"No," Mark said. "Let's go get Glen and I'll let him beat up the Maddox boy. He has that look on his face like he's the one who did it."

"Maddox? No, no, not him. He didn't do anything."

"Then who did?" Mark had that look in his eyes that Hunter couldn't ignore.

"Uh...uh..." Hunter couldn't think of the right person.

"Well?"

"Hunter, I know who-" Shawn began.

"Shawn." Hunter interrupted.

"Wait," Mark looked at the boy sitting down. "Who was it, Shawn?"

"It was Michelle."

"McCool?" Mark questioned, his tone softened.

"What's wrong, Mark?" Hunter asked, silently laughing from the look on Mark's face.

"If I go anywhere near her...she'll give me cooties. Gross. Then again," Mark looked at a table in the far back, where all the girls sat. "I don't mind gross."

"Gross." Shawn whispered.

Mark sat back down with Hunter and sighed. "Besides, I can't bring myself to beat up a girl."

Hunter and Shawn laughed silently and finished up with their food. Mark shook the table and made the boys jump a little.

"But don't say a word...or I'll beat the both of you." Mark curled his hand into a fist.

Shawn nodded and Hunter sighed. Once the boys put their food away, the teacher came out of the building and looked at all the students.

"Ohhh, Yessss! It is time to go back insiiiddde. Come, children."

Mark put his head in his hands and shook it. Hunter and Shawn laughed silently at the teacher's, Mr. Bearer's, way of communicating with people, but that this was not only the English teacher but Mark and Glen's Father. The three boys got up and went in with the other students, but Shawn suddenly got pulled back in the crowd and found himself in the clutches of three boys, the same age as Shawn and Hunter, and the boys smiled and laughed.

"Hi, Shawny," Punk, the leader, said, laughing. "It's been a long time since we've gotten some fresh meat."

Shawn tried to pull free, but he got surrounded by the other two boys, Mike and Nicky, and they began pushing him back and forth. Shawn groaned from the strong shoves since his body was already aching from the beatings. He tried to get out, but Punk tripped Shawn and pounced on top of him and held him down while Nicky and Mike attempted to kick Shawn. Before Shawn could close his eyes from the pain, he saw Punk's face move away from him in an instant, Mike and Nicky running in the same direction. When Shawn sat up, Hunter already had Punk screaming in pain on the ground.

"No. Body. Messes. With. My. Brother." Hunter slammed Punk's head into the ground and got caught off guard by Nicky and Mike, who proceeded to punch him, but Hunter grabbed the two and banged their heads together.

Shawn stood up and cheered his brother on, wanting to get in on the action, that is, until Mr. Bearer pulled Shawn aside and grabbed Hunter and held him against a tree. Punk groaned as he touched the back of his head on the ground. Hunter tried to break free of Mr. Bearer, but the teacher held him back pretty tight.

"Boy, what is wrong with you? You are going down the wrong path acting this way! Once you start, there's no way out, do you understand me?"

"He touched my brother!" Hunter screamed.

By this time, Mark and Glen stood behind Shawn and watched the scuffle before them. Mike and Nicky helped Punk to his feet.

"Fighting solves nothing, understood?"

Hunter sighed. "Yes, sir."

"Now," Mr. Bearer let Hunter go and looked at all the students around the area. "If fighting is the answer to you, you are nothing but trouble. Phil, Mike, Nicky, report to my classroom after school. Hunter, go get your brother and go to class."

Hunter walked across the field and grabbed Shawn by his waist and headed towards the classroom, where all the other students now proceeded to, and Shawn smiled at his brother, but Hunter didn't smile back. Mark and Glen watched in silence as the two boys walked into the school and followed them.

"Hey, Mark," Glen said. "Dad's talking about you, you know? You cussing and fighting at home? Must be a sign."

Mark looked at Glen. "There's no sign when it's you too."

After an exhausting evening of lessons, Mr. Bearer called Punk, Mike, and Nicky to his desk and gave them detention for a week after they told him the truth. Mr. Bearer quickly eyed Hunter and motioned him to his desk. Shawn stayed seated and waited for his brother's return. All the other students were on the bus by now.

Mr. Bearer rubbed his hands together and sighed. "Hunter, you're such a bright student. You've got a big future planned out for you, and this is how you treat it?"

"I know I did wrong, but I can't let Shawn-"

"I understand about your brother. He needs you, and you need him. All you have is each other. Don't let that fade away. Ever."

Shawn listened from his desk, Mr. Bearer's words spinning in his head. He touched one of the bruises on his arm and winced at the small pain. Hunter sighed and looked at Mr. Bearer.

"I understand, sir."

"Good," Mr. Bearer folded his hands, but reached out and touched Hunter's shoulders, Hunter flinching at the touch. "Now, I know it wasn't your fault, so I won't punish you. But the school board might catch on to this scuffle, so tell the story like it happened and take action for what you did wrong. Okay?"

"Okay."

"You may go now."

Hunter smiled and grabbed his backpack and stood at the door waiting for Shawn, who slipped out the door before he did and they walked out the building and into the empty street.

Mr. Bearer looked at the papers on his desk and saw a photo of Glen and Mark at age six. He smiled.

"A Father takes care of his children."

Shawn kicked a few rocks in the road as he and Hunter kept walking home. He looked at Hunter and smiled before kicking another rock. Hunter looked and his brother and stopped in the middle of the road. Shawn turned back and a worried look crossed his face.

"What's wrong, Hunter?"

"Just thinking. Maybe Mr. Bearer had a point. All we have is each other."

"Of course."

"But," Hunter shook his head. "One day I won't have your back all the time. It'll all be on you then."

"Hunter," Shawn said. "What are you talking about?"

"I think that one day you and I could be done for."

Shawn nodded and walked over to his brother, hugging him before Hunter started walking down the street again. Shawn walked beside Hunter before they both snuck into the nearby woods and ran after each other playfully.

"Where are those two?"

The sky began to darken from the sun fading in the distance. A puff of smoke clouded the air from a large pipe.

"I'll teach them to disobey me one more time."

R.I.P. William Moody/Paul Bearer.