"What's the big deal, dad? It's not even that bad!" A young voice yelled, seeming to belong to a teenager by the way his voice cracked when he yelled.

"Not bad? I didn't spend all that money to send you to that school just for you slack off!" Another voice retaliated, this one sounding a lot older. A teenaged boy and his father were standing across from each other in their living room, both, from the looks of it, having their blood boiling with anger.

"It's a B+! I was one point off from an A! One point! Plus, that one test isn't going to bring down my grade at all!" The teenager yelled back. His father looked at him with shock and disgust as soon as that sentence left his mouth.

"How could I have raised this kind of child? Kyle, why can't you be more like your brother? He goes around town, using his knowledge for the safety and well being of everyone, giving a home to those poor pups! What are you doing? Slacking off at your schoolwork? Sitting at home doing nothing? You're becoming a disappointment, you know that?" Kyle's father finished his rant, the teenaged boy furious with rage. Kyle stormed up to his father, his rage not able to be contained.

"OH! I'm SO sorry I can't be like Ryder! You know, he has a great gift, I'll admit that. But YOU can't make me try to live up to him! I can't always live up to your freakishly high expectations, OKAY? Just because I can't be like Ryder doesn't give YOU..." Kyle jabbed his finger into his dad's chest, "...the right to call me a disappointment!" Before he knew it, his father grabbed his wrist, a yelp of pain coming from Kyle.

"Don't you DARE touch me." His father muttered, bearing his teeth in anger at his son.

"Ow ow ow! Let go you dick!" Kyle yelled in pain, which sent his dad over the edge. Squeezing Kyle's wrist in a death grip, causing a sickening pop from it, his father shoved him back. Kyle luckily regained his footing before he could fall back onto the coffee table, resulting in even more injuries.

"You're a disgrace to me! Get out of my sight before a beat the living crap out of you!" His father snapped, which was the signal that Kyle should go. He didn't say a word to his father, nor did he even look his general direction. He just made his way to the front door, not even looking behind him as he opened it up and slammed it behind him. Once he was outside, Kyle let out a long, upset sigh. He looked down at where his father had grabbed him, his wrist already bruised and slightly swollen. He tried bending his wrist, only to have a wave of pain be sent throughout his nervous system. The bruising on his wrist was starting to get darker, which worried him. He wanted to get away from the house, and the only other place he could think of his The Lookout. He didn't want Ryder to see all of his bruises and cuts that littered his body. Yes, multiple cuts and bruises. This wasn't the first time Kyle's father had hurt him, and sadly wasn't the last, most likely. But since his sweatshirt was inside the house, and it probably wasn't the best plan to go back inside for it, he would just have to be prepared to explain them.

"Oh boy, it was gonna come up sooner or later." Kyle said defeatedly. Before he could change his mind, he pulled out his phone and dialed Ryder's number.

...

Ryder was standing in the yard of the The Lookout, all of the pups participating in a game of tag. They currently had a day off, and the pups were making the most of it. Ryder smiled as Skye was running after Marshall, who was watching how far she was behind him instead of watching where he was going. He ended up running into a bush and got tagged, exclaiming an 'I'm okay!' before getting back up and running after the other pups. Ryder couldn't help but laugh at the sight, sighing contently. A moment passed before he heard his Pup-Pad begin ringing. Curious, he pulled it from his pocket to see that his brother was calling. A small smile formed on his face as he answered the call.

"Hey Kyle, what's up?" Ryder said in his usual energetic tone.

"Oh, hey Ryder. Is it okay if I hang out at the Lookout for a bit? I kinda need to get away from home for a couple hours." Kyle's voice emitted from the tablet, causing all of the pups to stop and focus their attention towards Ryder.

"Why? Is there something wrong?" Ryder asked him, what he said before worrying him.

"N-no, everything's fine, Ryder. I just want to get out of the house for a bit, that's all." Kyle said, Ryder noting the stutter at the beginning of his sentence. He noted how Kyle's tone of voice was kind of off as well, which even worried him more. At that point, all of the pups had gathered around Ryder, curious about the call he received.

"Are you sure? Because you don't sound-"

"Ryder, I'm alright. Seriously. Is it okay?" Kyle said, his voice sounding more convincing.

"You know you're always welcome here, Kyle. Of course it's okay." Ryder said, a smile forming on his face.

"Thanks, Ryder. You're the best. I'll be there in a little bit." Kyle said.

"No problem, Kyle. See you soon." Ryder said his farewell, ending the call. He looked up from his tablet and at the pups that gathered around him. They all had a look of uncertainty.

"You pups heard something...off about Kyle, right?" Ryder asked the pups.

"Yeah, he seemed upset." Chase said, the others agreeing with him.

"What do you think was wrong, Ryder?" Skye asked, Ryder shrugging.

"I'm not sure. He really wanted to get away from home though. Maybe something happened there." Ryder concluded, sticking the Paw-Pad back in his pocket. "I'm definitely going to ask him when he gets here."

...

Kyle stood in the driveway of the Lookout, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears. He looked off in the distance to see that Ryder and the pups were in the yard, running around and playing to their hearts' content. Kyle couldn't help but smile at the sight. He had a huge soft spot for the pups, they were used as his coping mechanism sometimes. He obviously didn't tell them that, he usually wasn't one to show his feelings, if you couldn't tell. Kyle took one final deep breath before continuing his way towards the group. As he exited the driveway and started walking on the grass, getting closer to the group, Chase was the first one to notice Kyle.

"Kyle's here!" Chase said happily, bolting towards the fifteen year old. Kyle smiled as the German Shepherd pup ran up to him and jumped up into his arms. Chase started licking his face happily, causing Kyle to laugh.

"Whoa! Hey Chase! Glad to see you!" Kyle said , smiling at the pup in his arms. The other pups quickly ran up to Kyle as well, with Ryder coming up lastly behind them.

"Kyle, I haven't seen you in a while." Ryder said, smiling at his older brother.

"I know, I missed you guys." Kyle said, putting down Chase. As Chase jumped out of his arms, he barely clipped his injured wrist, causing a wave of pain to shoot up his arm. He let out a small groan of pain, but the pups were able to pick it up easily with their heightened sense of hearing. Kyle quickly covered up his wrist as he stood back up at his full height, but the pups just looked at him with expressions of worry. Kyle immediately noticed their stares, along with Ryder, which caused Ryder to look at Kyle with worry as well. Kyle knew he had to attempt to play it off.

"What?" He asked , trying to play dumb.

"I heard you just then, you sounded like you're in pain." Rumble said, his ears dropping.

"I heard that too," Skye admitted as well.

"What do you pups mean? I'm fine." Kyle said, trying to act like nothing was wrong.

"Kyle, I can see youw awms. They have cuts on them." Zuma pointed out, Kyle's face going pale as soon as he knew he was busted. Ryder walked up to his brother, examining his arms closer.

"Zuma's right, there are a bunch of cuts." Ryder stated, looking at Kyle. "Kyle, where did you get these?" Kyle stayed silent, looking at the ground. "Kyle? Please, tell me." Ryder pleaded as Chase walked up to Kyle's leg and started tugging on his pants leg with his paw.

"Kyle, please tell us. We just want to help." Chase pleaded as well, ears lowered.

"Yeah, we care about you." Rocky said.

"We can't stand seeing you like this." Zuma tried to coax Kyle. Kyle just took a deep breath and continued to look at the ground, this time closing his eyes,

"Dad gave me these bruises, Ryder." Kyle finally said, everyone going completely silent. All the pups and Ryder had a look of complete bewilderment.

"W-What?" Ryder stuttered, not sure if he heard Kyle right.

"Dad gave these to me, okay?" Kyle said a little louder, not wanting to repeat himself anymore.

"He...hits you?" Marshall asked, his blue eyes wide with surprise. Kyle nodded.

"He gave me this today," Kyle moved his hand off of his wrist to show that it was now a dark purple color and swollen. "That's why I wanted to get out of the house today."

"I can't believe that Dad would do that." Ryder said, looking at his brother, completely heartbroken.

"Hey, I need to sit down. I don't think walking all the way here was the best plan." Kyle admitted, his entire body feeling completely sore.

"I knew I should've had one of the pups come get you. Let's get you inside." Ryder said, putting his arm around Kyle's back to guide him towards the Lookout.

Kyle was finally sitting down after the long day he had. He was seated in one of the bean bag chairs that were in the hangout area for the pups. Marshall had already cleaned him up, wrapping up his wrist that actually turned out to be horribly sprained. All of the pups sat around him and looked on with expressions of sympathy as Ryder walked over with a cup of tea that he made for Kyle.

"Thanks Ryder, you're the best." Kyle said, giving his brother a weak smile.

"No problem. It should help you feel better." Ryder said, pulling up another bean bag to sit on.

"Kyle?" The boy in question looked up to meet his brother's gaze. "Why didn't you tell me?" Ryder and the pups waited anxiously for his answer, but Kyle felt slightly uncomfortable being put on the spot.

"I-I don't know. I know you and the pups are always busy around town, so I just thought it wasn't that important." Kyle admitted, Ryder looking at him with shock.

"But you're family, and I put family first." Ryder said, putting his hand on Kyle's shoulder.

"Yeah, I know. You've always been like that." Kyle said, smiling. He tried to shift a little in his seat only to let out a help of pain. "Okay, okay! That hurt..." Kyle groaned.

"Are you alright?" Chase asked.

"I'm just sore, I'll be fine soon." Kyle responded. Kyle took another sip of his tea before Ryder asked him another question.

"How long has he been doing this to you?" He asked.

"...2 years." Kyle said hesitantly, Ryder's eyes widening with horror.

"2 years?! You've hid that from us for two years?" Ryder exclaimed in shock, Kyle nodding slowly.

"Do you know why he does it?" Chase asked him, Kyle starting to feel his anger rising.

"Oh, I know exactly why he does it. He says it every time." Kyle said, Ryder and the pups able to hear the toxicity in his tone. "He always tells me, 'Why can't you be like your brother? He's out there saving the town, and you're doing what?' He always calls me a disappointment, a disgrace, and it hurts." Kyle's face went from one of anger to one of sadness. "And I think I'm starting to believe it." Kyle admitted.

"Kyle, that's definitely not true-" Ryder said before being cut off.

"I know it might not, but you're not in my position. Everyone in our family are geniuses EXCEPT for me. I'm just the average one, and I hate it. I don't know why I can't be a genius like you, or Dad. There has to be something wrong with me..." Kyle looked into the cup of tea in his hands, not able to look at anyone. He has held his emotions inside for so long that he couldn't take it any more. He let out a couple of tears roll down his cheeks, only to quickly wipe them up and groan in annoyance. "I...just don't know what to think anymore." Kyle said, trying to hold back his tears.

"Kyle..." Ryder began, sitting up from his spot on his own beanbag and kneeling in front of Kyle. "...just because you're not like Dad or me doesn't make you a disappointment, okay? You have other talents that we don't have. You can sing, I can't, my pups can definitely verify that." Ryder and the pups laughed, causing a small, sad smile to form on Kyle's face. "You're a great songwriter. Remember when we were younger you would write little nursery rhymes and sing them to me?" Ryder brought up those memories, those special ones that Kyle definitely cherished.

"Yeah, I do." Kyle smiled. "I'd get my little acoustic guitar and I'd just strum away and sing to you."

"See? You might not have the same IQs as me and Dad, but you definitely have more musical talent than both of us combined." Ryder said with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess I do." Kyle said, realization finally hitting him. "I just wish Dad could see it that way, though."

"I never thought dad would do that to you. I've never seen him do that before." Ryder realized, thinking back to all the times he's been with his father.

"Well, he never acts like that around you because he doesn't need to. You're, and I quote, 'His true son'. Me, on the other hand, is a different story obviously. I tried standing up to him today and that's when he messed up my wrist." Kyle looked down at his bandaged wrist with those horrible memories appearing in his mind.

"What wewe you fighting about?" Zuma asked curiously, Ryder looking curious as well as the other pups.

"Well, I got a B+ on a test, a 92. I was one point off from an A and he just went ballistic." Kyle said, shaking his head in disappointment.

"A B+? That's not bad at all!" Skye exclaimed, shocked by Kyle's father's reaction.

"And aren't you in all honors classes there?" Ryder asked.

"Actually, that was my AP History class I got that grade in." Kyle said, Ryder even more shocked than before.

"That just doesn't make sense. I can't believe Dad would do this to you, Kyle." Ryder said, the distaste for his father growing.

"How did you handle all this, Kyle?" Chase asked, getting up from his sitting position and walking up in front of Kyle. "It seems like you've been through a lot."

"I don't know, I just knew I had to stay strong for Ryder. I've always stood up for him when we were younger. Remember Ryder? Those kids were making fun of you and messing with that automated Solar System you made."

"And you picked them both up by their shirts. You scared the daylights out of them." Ryder said, smiling.

"So, I've always been the one that protected him, I guess I just didn't want to show him that I was weak." He explained, looking back to Chase.

"Well, you're the strongest person I know, especially for dealing with that." Chase said, a small smile on his muzzle.

"Thanks, Chase. I appreciate that, really." Kyle ruffled the fur on Chase's head, the German Shepherd letting out a playful bark.

"Uh, Kyle. What are you going to do now?" Rubble asked.

"Yeah, you can't possibly want to go back home." Rocky added.

"I'm not sure, but I don't exactly have any other place to go." Kyle said, thinking about his inevitable return home.

"You can stay here!" Marshall exclaimed, tail wagging full force.

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea, Marshall!" Skye said, yelping happily.

"Oh, I couldn't do that. I would just get in the way." Kyle said, unsure about the plan.

"Kyle, you won't be. I'm sure of it." Ryder assured his brother. "I'm not going to let you go back home just for Dad to do that again to you."

"Ryder, I-" Kyle began to say, only to be cut off.

"Kyle, please. You've protected me basically all my life, let me return the favor. I can't stand you being hurt like this." Ryder said, pleading Kyle just to stay.

"You're absolutely sure that it will be fine, Ryder?" Kyle asked, Ryder nodding. "I guess it would probably be for the best if I stayed." He finally allowed himself to stay, all of the pups barking happily.

"What about my stuff? Dad said if he saw me again he'd beat me again." Kyle said, his expression dropping once more.

"I'll go get your stuff for you, don't worry. I kinda want to have a talk with him anyway." Ryder said, his voice stern when he said the second sentence.

"I'll go too, I wanna give him a piece of my mind." Chase stated, looking like his blood was boiling. Chase was one of the first pups on the Paw Patrol, and Kyle had been there since day one helping Ryder. So Chase knew Kyle the most out of all the pups, and he was going to protect him like he protected Ryder.

"Uh, Chase. You don't need to." Ryder stated, confused on why the German Shepherd pup wanted to tag along.

"I want to, Ryder. Just let me go...please." Chase pleaded, using puppy dog eyes to seal the deal.

"Alright, Chase, you can come. Me and Chase will get your stuff, Kyle. We'll be back in a little bit." Ryder announced.

"Thanks, little bro. Thanks Chase." Kyle smiled at the two of them. They said their farewells before leaving to grab their assigned vehicles to head out. Kyle was left with the Marshall, Rubble, Rocky, Zuma, and Skye, and Kyle felt save and sound for the first time in a while.

...

~Well, here's my first Paw Patrol story. Originally, this was going to be a one shot, but I kinda left the end as if I could continue it as well. What do you guys think? Should I continue?