Hey guys! So this is the first fanfiction that I have posted on this website, not to mention the first one I've written in a really, really long time, so try to be nice to my "warped...fragile little mind". :P I haven't seen a story yet where Kyle finds out that Cartman saved him in 'Smug Alert!', so I'ma try it out! Tell me what you think! (BTW, Cartman and Butters are best friends and Stan and Token are going to be assholes. I'm just saying.)

Disclaimer: I do not own South Park or anything except for the plot idea.

Chapter One: Butters Stotch Spills the Beans

"H-hey, hey Kyle! Wait up!" Butters called desperately down the crowded hallways of South Park Elementary as he trotted as fast as he could up to the group of boys who surrounded their lockers. Kyle, in his usual orange jacket and green hat, paused in mid-conversation with Token to turn towards Butters. Kyle's eyes narrowed.

"Butters, I'm having a conversation with Token about the NBA. Make it quick. What do you want?"

"We-ell, hamburgers, Kyle, I'm sorry for interrupting you , but I was just wondering-have you seen Eric?" Butters wrung his small hands together and bit his lip in worry. "I tried callin' him on his phone, but he ain't answerin' for me."

Kyle expressively raised his eyebrows in a clear moment of disbelief. "Butters, does Cartman usually answer the phone when you call him?"

Butters shuffled his feet nervously. "Well, not exactly, but gee whiz, he at least says 'Fuck you Butters' in a text or somethin'. I'm just worried is all. Do you think he's alright?" This was true. Cartman did make an effort to text "Fuck you, Butters" at least once a day for the past couple of years. This, while not being kind, had helped Butters to at least not feel ignored. It had been four days since he had received this typical text and nobody was answering the door at Cartman's house. Talking to the fellas was a last resort.

At this point, the rest of the group of boys had drifted away from their individual conversations to listen to Butters. Stan scoffed as derisively as possible.

"Cartman probably ate too many Cheesy Poofs and threw up all night. Or better yet, he's so fat now he can't even move."

"H-hey now, Stan! Eric's my friend and he ought to be helped if he's not doing well!" Butters staunchly protested. "He's been feeling a little down in the dumps since Heidi left him and -"

Kyle chortled a small laugh before patting Butters on the shoulder. "Dude, Cartman's not worth worrying over. Believe me, he's fine. He's too much in love with himself to be anything more than indignant over Heidi breaking up with him." The other boys murmured in agreement, some even quoting the infamous voicemail in mockingly sweet tones (I.e, "I'm gonna kill myself, Heeeiiidddiiii!").

Butters stomped his foot angrily and, to everyone's surprise, suddenly pushed Kyle's arm off of him. "You don't know anything about Eric! He might not always be the nicest guys, but he sure as shootin' comes through for his friends in the end! Hamburgers, Kyle, he saved your life more than once!"

Stan stepped in again, remarking "He only saved his life when we were in Imaginationland because he wanted Kyle to suck his balls. Plus, we almost had to pay him for the kidney thing. That's not really coming through for your friends, Butters."

Butters didn't pay attention to the next thing he said. Worry for Eric had clouded his mind so much that a promise he had kept for a very long time came out before he could remember it was a secret. "Not the time Eric went to San Francisco and got Kyle and his whole family out onto the bus and then told me not to say anything-" Butters stopped himself and his eyes widened. "Oh, hamburgers! Uh-oh, I-I spilled the beans, didn't I? Heh." He gulped nervously, looking at the boys for their reactions.

Dead silence was draped over all the boys. A few dropped their homework assignments and the papers seemed to crash into the floor like sirens screaming, "CARTMAN ISN'T A HATEFUL BASTARD, THE WORLD IS ENDING". Still, nobody said anything for about thirty seconds. Predictably, Stan was the first to regain his powers of speech. "Butters," Stan said in disbelief, "that can't be true. Cartman hated San Francisco and Kyle, not even in that order."

"Aw, sweet Jesus," muttered Butters, beginning to really worry. "Don't say nothin' to Eric, fellas, alright? He didn't want anyone to know."

Everyone slowly turned to Kyle, who seemed to be frozen in place. There were about fifty wheels churning in Kyle's mind at that moment. Every single time Cartman had called him Jew, every time Cartman had tried to exclude him from the group, and every evil thing Cartman had ever done was fighting with the thought that once, just once, Cartman had saved the life and lives of his enemy and his family without asking for any recognition or recompense. Cartman had...done something good. And he had done it for the person who he always seemed to belittle and dislike more than anyone else on the planet. Finally, Kyle shook off a bit of the dazed look that seemed to be stuck on his face.

"Butters..." he managed to breathe out, "are you telling me the truth? Was it Cartman who saved me-my family?" Butters backed up a few paces, twisting his blue shirt into knots.

Token laughed incredulously. "Kyle, you don't fucking believe this, do you? Why would Cartman do this?"

"I dunno," Craig suddenly piped up from the sidelines, where he was quietly holding Tweek's hand. "I always thought you guys were gay."

"Me too!" piped Tweek, scratching at his stomach. Clyde and Kenny nodded in agreement as everyone else stood with their mouths gaping open.

"Aw, gee, Kyle, I don't wanna betray him," Butters mumbled, looking up nervously, "but yeah, of course he saved you. He needs you in his life, and if-if I can't reach him, maybe it's because you need to try, 'stead of me." Butters peered at Kyle's face. It looked like Kyle was once again trying to figure out if life itself was even real.

The bell rang at that moment and everyone dispersed towards their classes. Stan paused before heading off as Kyle didn't move an inch.

"Hey man, you coming?" Stan asked, nudging Kyle's shoulder.

"Yeah," Kyle managed to say as normally as possible. "You go ahead without me, I'll catch up to you."

"Okay dude," said Stan, giving him another nudge before walking to his class. Kyle stood in the empty hallway, strewn homework papers around his feet. He looked down for a moment and then turned around, walking away from the classroom where he was expected to the front doors of the school, muttering to himself, "I'm going to find out exactly what happened that night and if that son of the bitch has any hope of redemption as a fucking human being, I'll kiss him on his fatass lips before I punch his lights out."

Chaaapppttteerrrrrr 1! What'd you guys think? I'm not as happy as I could be with the ending, but I feel like it'd be a good jumping-off point for Chapter 2, if you guys want it! Sorry it's kind of short. Till next time, Kyman friends of mine!