A/N: Sorry it took as long as it did to update this... I've been preoccupied with school, the finals we had last week, and all those doctor's appointments for my stupid back fracture...

Anyway, thanks again to all of you who gave me good reviews! (hugs) :D

And as always, I apologize for any stupid spelling errors I may make. I came back to try editing this after Faery Goddyss pointed out that I needed to. (Thanks to you :D, because you were right. x.x) I bet there are still more, though... I read over the stuff over and over again, yet I still don't catch the dumb mistakes I make. I could really use a beta-reader... I have ones to turn to for my Tekken fics, but not South Park. Anyone interested...?

Cause and Effect

Chapter 3: Determination

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At this point in time, the sun was just beginning to set, and Stan and Wendy were in the Marsh household already working on their World History project. Though Stan was obviously putting effort into their world poverty project, Wendy could tell Stan had other things on his mind all the same.

"Stan?"

No answer.

"Stan?"

"Oh, what?"

Wendy sighed, before setting her history book on the coffee table in front of the couch. "Is something wrong?"

"No..." Stan replied rather nonchalantly. "I'm just tired. You know how Mondays are... Your sleeping habit gets all messed-up during the weekend, so on Monday, you're always tired."

"That's not really it, is it Stan?" the ebony-haired girl inquired in all seriousness. "I know I'm not in your Chemistry class, but I heard about what Cartman pulled in the gym during lunch..."

"Oh great," Stan huffed, his brows narrowing at the mentioning of Cartman's name. "Like I said, he had that damn Lie-Mo thing rigged. He was mad at me for not doing his project for him, so he devised a plan to instead humiliate me in the worst possible way he could think of. The crappy part is, the fatass actually succeeded..."

"The important thing is you're above that, Stan," Wendy assured with an urging smile. "You've always been one of the most mature guys I've ever known, and you're a leader on top of it. Just don't let Eric get you down. You know the truth is that he's jealous of you."

"Jealous?"

Wendy nodded. "You're smarter, stronger, nicer, popular, and good-looking."

"Thanks, Wendy," Stan responded, "I actually feel a whole lot better now. It's just Kyle I'm worried about..."

"You shouldn't worry about him, either," Wendy added on. "Kyle's smart, but he just spends too much time analyzing and trying to do the right thing. He gets so caught up in contemplating one issue, that he misses the next few that come by in the process of it. Cartman just spends too much time spurting out the first thing that surfaces in his mind, which is usually meaningless crap giving light to his insecurities. You like to stand up for what you believe in and lead the way, without getting annoying about it. That's why everyone always listens to you over everyone else – you have the best way to find solutions. Girls like that, too," she giggled.

"I just don't know, Wendy..." Stan sighed yet again this day. "Just that look on Kyle's face... He seemed so sad and yet angry at the same time, and before I could catch him after Chemistry, he practically raced out the doorway. He didn't meet me after school like he always does to sit with me on the bus, and when I tried to call him, the phone was busy."

"You know how much Kyle's mom likes to have long conversations with family members," Wendy clarified in attempts to better comfort Stan's troubling thoughts. "And regarding today's events, I think Kyle was just embarrassed. I'm sure he will have forgotten the whole thing by tomorrow, and probably already has. He is with Bebe right now, after all," chuckled Wendy.

"But Wendy, he didn't even say one word to Cartman," Stan half-retorted. "Kyle normally would've said 'that's not true' or called Cartman a fatass or denied it or something but he just... did nothing..."

Wendy only shrugged this time around, not exactly knowing what to say to this that he hadn't already said.

Stan and Wendy were just about to get back to doing their homework, when Stan's mother walked in holding the telephone out in open view. "Stan, I just received a rather urgent call from Sheila Broflovski..."

"What is it, mom?" inquired Stan.

"It seems no one can find Kyle, and he is allegedly missing..."

"What?!" Stan practically exclaimed as his pencil flew through the air and his textbook dropped to hit the carpet floor.

Sharon nodded. "Sheila said he came home from school today acting depressed over something, and then later when Wendy's friend Bebe arrived to work on their history project, no one could find him anywhere..."

"How long has he been missing?" Stan asked, sounding panicked.

Mrs. Marsh could only shrug. "No one knows for sure. He could have left hours ago."

"Oh no..." Stan whispered.

"I wonder where he could be?" inquired Wendy at this.

"Well I'm going to look for him!" Stan declared.

Sharon shook her head at this. "I'm afraid that's out of the question, dear. It's getting very late, and we've had that last minute cold-front come through South Park tonight. Stay out there too long, and you could even freeze - so you going anywhere tonight is out of the question. I'd even say it's a good idea for you and Wendy to postpone working on this project anymore for now so she's still able to get home. I'll have Randy drive her."

Wendy nodded. "Thanks, Mrs. Marsh," she granted before gathering her work supplies and various things together.

In no less than an hour later, Mr. Marsh had driven Wendy home, and Stan was dressed for bed. Unfortunately, Stan's hope of getting a call assuring Kyle's reappearance had been denied...

"Good night, Stanley," Sharon said in beginning to close the door to Stan's bedroom. "I know how worried you are about Kyle... Just try your best not to think about it, and try to get some sleep for school tomorrow. I'm sure someone will find him, and everything will be okay."

Stan didn't really say anything, and pretty much just lay in bed staring blankly at the white, shadowed ceiling as the various patters shifted about on the walls. The door to Stan's room soon shut back into proper place, and at least ten minutes went by. Stan glanced over at the glowing numbers displayed on his alarm clock. As soon as they hit eleven p.m., Stan jumped out of bed and quickly re-dressed into his normal attire.

After doing this, Stan exhaled a deep breath in utmost determination as he began a steady amble towards the door of his room. He would have to be careful in not waking anyone up, especially Shelly... She'd rat on him for sure.

With a series of soft creaks, Stan slowly opened, and shut the door as he stepped outside into the hallway. Following, he tip-toned his way to the top of the staircase before making his way to its foot; careful not to step on any places where he knew there were creaky boards. Stan was having to squint, since he was having a hard time seeing in the rather dark surroundings. Thankfully, his memory was of course good enough to at least know the anatomy of his own house. Without further ado, Stan made his way to the front door, and stepped outside before shutting the door behind him.

The ebony-haired boy shivered instantaneously when feeling how cold it had already become out here. Still, he'd seen worse. After living in South Park all his life, he was surely used and accustomed to frequent cold weather by now.

At this point in time, Stan realized he hadn't exactly put much thought into where he was going to go look for his best friend. Still, Stan didn't at all have to put much thought into the first places he would go to look. There weren't exactly a lot of places Kyle could legally be at this late at night on a Monday first of all, and the places he and his friends could hang out late at such as the pizza place and the arcade were just now closing. When Stan put a little more thought into it, he knew the first place to look...

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After a good fifteen minutes or so of sauntering in the increasing amount of snow, Stan had just about reached Stark's Pond. Thankfully, the pond had reformed over time after that stupid Wall-mart had disintegrated. Stan rolled his eyes in remembrance of the whole occurrence.

Just as Stan had made his way through a group of bushes, the pond was now in open view. Stan's vision began to scan the dark surroundings on the spot, and he found himself reprimanding his lack of thought for picking up a flashlight before coming out here. He was just so worried about finding Kyle, that it was hard to think about anything else...

Suddenly, though, Stan gasped. The third park bench down the sidewalk wasn't vacant. Someone was sitting there, and when Stan squinted a bit harder through what little light the sidewalk's very few lamps were giving off, he recognized the fact that this more likely was Kyle. He'd know that snow hat anywhere.

Eagerly, Stan treaded his way down the icy sidewalk towards the bench's directions.

"Kyle? Is that you...?"

The figure on the park bench jumped instantly in the process of coming to his senses. "Stan...?"

A silence then set it, which both Stan and Kyle actually found rather disquieting to say the least... Stan chose to break it first. "Kyle... what the FUCK are you doing out here?!"

Okay, so maybe this wasn't the calmest of ways Stan could have asked for explanation, but this was just the first thing that came out.

In response to this, Kyle only turned away, remaining silent.

"You're going to answer me, damnit!" Stan proclaimed in anger. When Kyle refused to face his friend in the eyes, Stan left deep prints in the snow as he forcefully stomped around to the front side of the bench. "Are you crazy? Huh? Do you know how worried everyone has been about you? How worried I've been? Don't you give a damn?!"

"L-leave me alone," Kyle snapped back through chattering teeth. "You've become good at that lately."

"What the HELL is that supposed to mean?" Stan shouted at this. "I start spending some time with the girl I like, and suddenly you decide you'd like to freeze to death?! That's the biggest CRAP I've ever heard!"

Kyle bit his lower lip and looked down at the ice-covered concrete, feeling his anger level building at a rapid rate.

"Well that IS what this is really about, isn't it?" Stan continued in his scolding voice. "Or does this also have something to do with that crap Cartman pulled today in the gym? Damnit Kyle, you know Cartman had that thing rigged. I... I don't want you to be afraid of me or anything..."

Kyle eventually found the strength to force himself into meeting Stan's gaze. "There's no way you can make up for how crappy and fucking low you made me feel today."

"What?!"

"I'm not stupid, Stan..." Kyle murmured, shifting his eyes to the side. "We both know Cartman wasn't controlling that machine..."

"How the hell would you know that?"

"I doubt Cartman suddenly became smart enough over night to manipulate you brainwaves and heart patterns. I just know, okay?"

Stanley shook his head. "No, not okay. And Kyle, if this is what you're so upset about, then why are you so eager to believe it?"

"It's not that..." Kyle whispered back following a few coughs, which were obviously due to his extended exposure to the temperature. "It's the fact that you lied to me afterwards..."

"What the..?" Stan was once again beginning to sound downright angered. "So what is this? You're saying you're actually upset about me saying I didn't want to fuck you to everyone?!"

Kyle's expression now mirrored Stan's own. "I... I'm just confused, alright?!"

"And I'm NOT?!" Stan exclaimed. "What the hell do you WANT me to say?! You'll be pissed either way, so why does it fucking MATTER?!"

Kyle didn't say anything.

Stan emanated another huff of frustrated anger; really, really anxious to get away from this rather uncomfortable subject. "Now get up. I'm taking you back to your house before you freeze to death."

Eyebrows narrowed at this order on the spot. "I'm not going anywhere. Leave me alone." Kyle then coughed yet again.

"Oh you'll go, alright," Stan snapped back, "If I have to fucking kick your ass and DRAG you back to your house."

"How fucking dare you?!" Kyle also snapped. "If you lay one fucking finger on me, it'll be you getting your ass kicked!"

"Oh, and from what you were saying a few seconds ago, I would've though youwantedme to lay more than just a finger on you," Stan angrily mocked.

"Fuck you!"

"Fuck you too!"

Kyle lunged forth from his seat on the iced-over bench. Stan didn't even have the opportunity to back up when Kyle socked him right in the face, or eye, more precisely. Still, Stan hardly noticed the pain. His anger was by far the main feeling coursing through him.

Stan returned the gesture on the spot, by presenting Kyle with a nice punch to the stomach.

"Fucker!" Stan shouted. When he tried to deliver the other boy another hit following his last, he was then greeted with a welcoming backhand from Kyle's balled fist in turn.

"I hate you!" Kyle yelled, though his voice was cracking at the same time.

Stanley forcefully pushed Kyle backwards at this point. So hard, in fact, that Kyle flew backwards and slammed against the edge of the park bench he had been seated on not too long ago. This really hurt...

As soon as Kyle cried out before hitting the ground, Stan pounced right on top of him first thing in order to continue forth with the punches he was anxious to deliver. The ebony-haired boy raised his fist, but stopped just short of slamming it down against Kyle's face. His expressions softened upon first sight of his friend's eyes, which were apparently tearing at a rapid rate.

"Kyle, I..." Stan murmured. "D-did I hurt you?"

"I'm so cold..."

"I... I'm sorry, Kyle..."

"Me too, Stan..." the Jewish boy whispered back. "It's just... You... you were right, Stan. I... I..."

"You don't have to say anything... I know..."

And before he could rethink his actions, Stan leaned down to kiss Kyle on the mouth.

Kyle's eyes went wide, but he didn't try to render his situation nonetheless.

Stan quickly pulled away. "Shit... Shit! I shouldn't have done that..."

In order to regain eye contact, the redhead's right-hand reached up to the side of Stan's face. "Stan..."

"I... I just..." Stan closed his eyes. "When Cartman pulled that Lie-Mo deal at school, I'd never been so afraid in my whole life. Just like you said, it... it was true... all of it... And I... I do love you... in that... way... I've tried everything to make myself not, but I can't. I just fucking can't... Because I fucking love you. I... I'm just scared..."

"I'm scared, too, Stan..." Kyle admitted in the form of a whisper. "And I... I love you too..."

Stan once again leaned down to give Kyle another kiss, only much more intense than the time before. Kyle's mouth opened, allowing the ebony-haired boy full access as their tongues met ardently. Kyle's hands traced their way underneath Stan's thick, brown jacket – the contact of warm skin causing the show on his green gloves to melt.

As Stan's right hand slid its way further to the back of Kyle's left-shoulder, he quickly pulled his body upwards at the feel of warm liquid on his fingers. It was hard to see red on red, but Stan could take a good guess as to what had soaked through his glove.

"Shit..." Stan cursed, though at himself above all. "You're bleeding..."

Kyle winced at this, as he felt what Stan was obviously talking about. Until Stan had pointed this out, Kyle actually hadn't noticed. It was obvious he must have acquired the slash to his shoulder blade upon his forceful hit to the edge of the metal bench a few moments ago.

Stan cursed himself yet again as he made his way to stand; also helping Kyle back up to his feet in the process. "I'm so sorry about that... We better take you back to my house to put some antibiotic on that before you get Septicemia or something..."

Kyle nodded in agreement. "You're right. I know I sure don't want that..."

Without much word, Stan and Kyle began their way in walking back to the Marsh's house – both not knowing exactly what to say at the moment...

Hopefully, there would be plenty more time to talk about things when they got back.