CHAPTER ELEVEN: finding out

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XAVIER MACKEN HAD RUN THE MOMENT THAT SHAWN HUNTER SAID THOSE WORDS. He ignored his name being called by the three. Xavier ran out of the school, pushing open the double doors and running as fast as he could. He had to get to his house, hopefully, his father wasn't there.

Shawn had told Cory and Harley, even though he knew that the boy didn't mean for Harley to hear, he had. And Cory was going to tell his parents, Xavier wasn't sure what would happen after that.

Xavier had made it to his house faster than he thought he would, running in and heading straight for his room, but a hand grabbed the back of his jacket, pulling him back. "Keep it down," his father shook him.

Xavier ground down his teeth, knowing he should keep his mouth shut.
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Shawn Hunter and Cory Matthews had gathered as many people as they knew. Which, wasn't many. They had told the rest Matthews family, Feeny, Jonathan, and Topanga.

"Hunter, why didn't you tell us? Why didn't Macken tell us?" Jonathan Turner asked.

"He didn't-" Shawn starts. "He was worried about what could happen if he did go to another home. But, his father is going to kill him. At first, it was just a few hurtful words, then, when Xavier replied to him...we need to find him."

"Is there anywhere he would go?" Amy asked.

"His house, probably," Shawn answered.

"Jonathan follow me," Alan says, picking up his keys.

He was angry with himself, for not having noticed. The two adults working that were working in the school had been upset two.

"Wait, I wanna come with," Shawn speaks.

"Shawn-" Alan starts but is interrupted by the younger one.

"I have to make sure he's okay. He is always looking after me, I have to make sure he's okay."

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Shawn had jumped out of the car, when Alan had barely put a stop to it, running to where he both hoped and didn't hope that Xaviar had returned.

"Shawn!" The two grown men yelled, following after the young boy.

Shawn pushed open the door, and it was about to swing back into his face with how violently he opened the door. He felt his heart drop to his stomach, as it skipped a beat, eyes widening at the sight he was met with. Jonathan and Alan were behind him, shock and anger filling the two men.

Although Xavier nor his father was anywhere to be seen, the place was a wreck. And there were small patches of blood everywhere. Some being clearly old, and some looking newer. "Oh no, Xavier!" Shawn yelled, running into the house and searching the few rooms.

"Oh my god," Alan was too horrified to speak.

"He's not here! He's not here!" Shawn screamed, frustrated. "We have to find him!"

"And we will," Jonathan tried to calm the young teenager down. "Shawn, is there anywhere else he would go?"
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Xavier wasn't sure how long he had been running, having run out of the house after punching his father when his father had threatened Shawn. He hoped that Shawn was in one of three places.

He knew the other boy would leave the school after Xavier ran out. So, there were a few places he would go to. One was the Matthews house, he hoped that Shawn wouldn't go to his. Another was a place where he had taken Shawn when Chet was out drunk, and his father was passed out. Or the one restaurant.

He burst through the door, stumbling a bit. Amy, Eric, Topanga, Cory, and Mr. Feeny were speaking about who would go where to search where.

"Where's Shawn?" Xavier immediately asked, all heads turning to the voice.

"Oh my god!" Amy yelled, horrified to see the boy covered in his blood, holding onto the door frame to keep his balance.

"Mr. Macken."
"Xavier!"
Everyone sounded worried, Amy said she'd go and get the first aid kit and ice bags. Eric ran up to him, holding out his arm before swinging his arm around Xavier's waist and wrapping the blond-haired boy's arm around his neck.

"Where's Shawn?" Xavier asked again.

"He's searching for you," Cory answered, moving the couch pillows.

Xavier's head snapped up. "Don't tell me he went to my house."

"With my dad and Mr.Turner."

Xavier moved to get out of Eric's grip, hissing in pain. "I've got to go."

"No, you are staying right here," Amy says.

Mr. Feeny had gone to the phone, calling the police again. Topanga had helped Amy search for whatever was needed to help the other.
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The door burst open again. "Okay, we need to"Shawn halted when seeing Xavier placed on the couch, Amy taking care of the cuts all over his face and bloody knuckles.

"Shawn," Xavier has gotten up from the couch, ignoring Amy telling him to sit back down, and the look on both Jonathan and Alan's face, he pulled the boy into a hug. "Thank god you're okay."

Shawn wrapped his arms around the other, slowly as he knew he was injured, and gently hugged him back. "I'm okay? Are you worried about me? You ran off! And wouldn't call me back."

Xavier pulled back from the hug, scanning the younger one, then looked back to the two male adults, scanning them for injuries. "You didn't bump into my father, did you?" He asked, worried.

I wish I did. Alan thought, wanting to beat up the other. He didn't understand how Xavier's father could hurt a kid, his kid.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to make you all worry," Xavier says. "But, when Shawn had told Cory-" he gestured to the Matthews boy.

"What happened?" Shawn interrupted, leading the older one to sit back on the couch.

"You know, the normal," Xavier tells him. "just...I don't know. He was angrier. He thought when I was tutoring Eric, that I was lying and dating a boy. And you know how much he hated it when I came out."

The adults stood around, listening. Jonathan and Alan both wish to beat up the older man. Amy continued to take care of the wounds as Cory, Topanga, and Feeny listened.

"I'm sorry for barging in," Xavier looked up at Matthew's parents, he paused before speaking again, looking at the door that had a bit of blood on it. "And for getting blood on your door. And couch."
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There was a knock on the back door, Xavier jumped up and got ready to either attack or run. Jonathan grabbed him and spoke calmly to him. "Hey, everything's alright, okay?"

Alan had gone to check, seeing an unfamiliar man looking angry, with a beer bottle in his hand. "Where's Xavier?" The man asked.

Alan punched him directly in the face.

Once again, Xavier jumped up, hearing something from the kitchen. The blond-haired boy ran towards the door; Jonathan grabbed the teen, pulling him back as they had discovered that Jonathan had pinned another man to the treehouse; the man was bloody, and so were Alan's fists.

"What the hell?" Xavier yelled, running forward and pulling the two men apart.

"If you ever-" Alan's threat was interrupted as he listened to the teen boy, wrapping his hand around the back of Xavier's leather jacket to push him behind him.

Jonathan moved forward as well, pushing Xavier's father back into against the tree when he had moved forward. He had made the other man slam his head against the tree.

Xavier's father glared at the teen; both Alan and Jonathan had moved to block the blond-haired boy from the man's view.

"The police should arrive at any moment," Mr. Feeny announced.

Xavier moved past Jonathan and Alan; even though both had been forced to stop him, he grabbed his father's arm, which was outstretched to hurt the older man. Xavier had picked up the dropped beer bottle, hitting his father of the head before he had reached the group. "Holy shit."

His father had fallen to the ground, unconscious.

Once again, Shawn moved forward, pulling the older one into a hug. Xavier forced down the hiss of pain and instead made himself laugh. "You're an idiot!" Shawn yelled at him.

Xavier extended his arm behind him, dropping the broken beer bottle behind him as one arm was wrapped around Shawn.

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Xavier sat in the police station, just having given his statement can't his father.

"Someone's here to pick you up," one of the deputies told him.

"Who?" Xavier asked back, putting in his jacket. His mother was dead, and she had no siblings, his father was now in jail, but his father's sister was unable to foster or look after children.

When he walked out, he expected to see an unfamiliar face, maybe an unknown relative. But, he didn't expect to see the Matthew family, Mr. Feeny and Shawn. "Uh, what's happening?"

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