It was already the end of the school year and Riven was surprised at how sad he was that the year was coming to an end. Unfortunately he couldn't negotiate with Saladin about staying at Red Fountain for the summer and he would have to go back home. That was something he was not looking forward to. He didn't want to see Daniel and his other friends again, if they were even alive and out of jail at this point. He knew how brutal the jails were there and he was always concerned for them. But he hoped that they got some kind of deal like he did to a different boys school.

"How have you finished packing already?" Timmy asked Riven as he tried to cram a bundle of clothes into a suitcase.

"Because I don't have so many computers and a ton of clothes like you to Timmy" Riven responded. He was browsing the internet on Timmy's computer since he knew Timmy wouldn't pack that until the last second; he couldn't live without it.

"Well maybe you could help me out here a bit?" Timmy asked.

"The first thing you could do is try to fold your clothes before putting them in the bag"

"I don't see your clothes folded neatly all the time!"

"But I make them in some sort of order before putting them into my suitcase so they will all fit. It's common sense timmeister, I would have thought you of all people would think of that!" Riven said in a teasing manner.

"School sure has changed you hasn't it Riven" Timmy commented after a few moments of silence.

"Well I just decided I wanted to try a little bit harder that's all really" Riven said. He didn't want anyone thinking that he was serious about school and expecting anything of him. He stilled liked to enjoy an occasional rink here and there but now he took his studies a bit more serious.

"I'm glad it has. It sucks we have to leave for a while, especially after we were just starting to get along as a team"

"If you call that getting along, I suppose so. But I will miss this place."

"We'll be back in no time though, you'll see"

"Well that about does it, I think you are all set and ready to go Timmy"

"See you in a few months Riven, don't have too much fun this summer!" Timmy said as he carried his bags out the door and waved goodbye.

"Bye Timmy!" Riven said. He really was going to miss him. Most of the school had already left and he figured he should take his bags and get headed home.

Soon enough he was back on his home planet and was walking alone with his bag through the streets of his old neighborhood. He didn't know where to go since he didn't ever have an official home, so he decided he should go to that officer's house that sent him to Red Fountain. Maybe he could help him.

After going to the police station and having to talk to several officers to figure out if any of them knew this guy, he finally got an address from the guy's partner who was the only one who seemed sympathetic to him. Even though it was now the middle of the night he had to go and see this guy.

Riven knocked on the door and waited for a good 3 minutes before someone finally answered the door. Luckily it was the officer that had sent him to school.

"Riven, is that you?" the man groggily said.

"Yeah, sorry to come so late but I was wondering if I could possibly stay here for a while? I know it's a lot to ask but I have no where else to go, I had to come home from Red Fountain for the Summer."

"Umm, well I don't know Riven, I, well, I….okay that's fine. I only have a couch if that's okay with you" he hesitantly said.

"That's perfect, and thank you so much for doing this" Riven said. "Oh and by the way, what is your name even?"

"I'm Matthew, Inspector Matthew but you can just call me matt if you want"

"Thanks Matt"

"Well I'll see you in the morning then."

At first when Riven woke up he had forgotten that he wasn't at Red Fountain anymore but when he felt how the fabric of his bed was different and smelled eggs cooking he remembered that he was at Matthew's house and on his couch. He got up and walked into the kitchen toward the smell of the food seeing as he was starving.

"Hey Riven, hope the couch wasn't too uncomfortable for you" Matt said as he put some eggs on a plate for Riven and himself.

"It's fine, better than sleeping on the street."

"I'm sorry I didn't plan out more what would happen when you were on breaks, I probably should have thought of that"

"yeah I guess" Riven replied. They ate in silence as they didn't really know each other and Riven didn't know what to think of him because he was the one who caught him.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Riven couldn't take it anymore. He asked "So why didn't you just send me to jail?"

"What?"

"Why did you send me to Red Fountain? Wouldn't it have been better to send me to jail like every other criminal you catch?"

"Yeah I suppose, but you aren't like any other criminal I catch"

"How?"

"Let's just say I felt like I had a certain obligation to make sure you were okay."

"And why would you feel any obligation to me?" Riven asked. He was confused as to how this random cop would want to protect him in any way.

"It's a long story and I don't think we should really get into it-" Matt said as he took their dirty plates to the sink and began to wash them.

"But I want to know, I don't understand why a complete stranger would let someone like me into their home"

"Riven I knew your parents and I promised your mom that I would try to look out for you. I failed to do that earlier in your life and I'm trying to do that right now"

"You knew my mom too? How well did you know them?" Riven was really curious now as to what his relationship to his parents were.

Matt sighed and went into the other room. He then came back with a book and after seeing the title Riven realized that it was a yearbook from the local high school that he had dropped out of.

He opened it up and Matt turned to a particular page which had a candid photo of a woman that Riven recognized to be his mother and a man that looked unfamiliar at first but then after looking closer at him, he realized that it was Matt in high school. The two were looking into each other's eyes with what Riven could only assume was affection and he guessed that their relationship was more than just a friendship.

"Renna and I, we dated in high school. She was the love of my life. But we broke up after I went away to school and she stayed here. When I came back she had met your father and was soon pregnant with you."

"Wait, did my mom cheat on you?" Riven asked angrily. He only remembered nice thoughts of his mom and didn't want anything to change his high opinion of her. She was a brave woman who always stood up for him.

"No! She, well, just hated having the long distance relationship and couldn't deal with it so she broke up with me. I had to wait to come back until the end of the semester and when I did she had already been with your dad. I don't really know what happened there, I suppose she was just attracted to him. I always thought he was way better looking than me. But I never stopped loving her."

Riven remained silent for a while, waiting for Matt to continue.

"I saw how destructive he was towards her, and I wished that I could do something. Once I got my job at the police station I tried my best to find something to book him on because I was positive he was doing illegal things and I hated him for taking Renna away from me. But she was dedicated to you and to making a normal life for you."

Even though Riven knew that Matt wanted to help out his mom, he couldn't help but be angry at the fact that he knew how his dad had beaten his mom and the police never did a thing about it.

"You must have been an awesome cop then since you couldn't respond to call reporting the domestic violence from that house. Did you know he pretty much beat her to death?" Riven said angrily, unable to control his rage.

"Yes! Of course I knew! Don't you think I have been trying to capture him ever since? He is just good at what he does, cheating and lying and stealing and I was never able to help him. And God sometimes it is hard to look at you and not see him and want to have nothing to do with you, but then I also see your mother in you, and I want to protect you for her. It is what she would have wanted to do. I can't help but thinking that I should have just come back from school and been with her, that way she would have never ended up with him."

Riven didn't know what to say. All he knew was that Matt knew how dangerous Riven's father had been and didn't stop him from hurting his mom.

"If you cared so much about her, why didn't you stop him! WHY?!" Riven screamed with tears in his eyes as he recalled how beaten his mother was on that horrible day.

"I couldn't do anything legally Riven! There was nothing I could do!"

"You fucking coward!" Riven cursed as he got up. He went to gather his things and threw his bag over his shoulder.

"Where are you going Riven?" Matt said, following him into the room.

"I can't stay here with you, I trusted you, and I can't now that I know you let her die"

"You can't just live on the streets!"

"I've done it for years I can get by without your help" Riven said as he slammed the door behind him and walked away from the house. He didn't know where he was going to go, but he had to get away from there. He wiped a tear from his cheek as he crossed the street, trying to decide what direction to go.