In Which Ben and Bobby have breakfast...
Ben had gotten to Bobby's place towards the middle of the night, and he found the old man sleeping in a pile of books. A few soft words later, Ben had helped Bobby upstairs to bed, watching him a moment before closing the door.
Bobby was getting old, and while no one would admit it, Ben could see it that one day the older man wasn't going to be here anymore. And that day would end up breaking both his father and uncle. Hopefully, it wouldn't be for another few decades, but the way their lives led, nothing was a certainty.
Finding "his" room, Ben crashed on the mattress and stretched out, falling asleep almost instantly. The wards from Missouri were still up and effective, and he enjoyed the quietness in his mind for the few hours while he had a nice, relaxing sleep.
The smell of bacon woke up him in the morning, and he made his way downstairs to see Bobby making breakfast. "Aren'tya supposed to be in Jersey with yer father?" Bobby asked, scooping out eggs onto a plate and handing it to Ben.
"I'm taking a vacation," Ben stated. "Needed to just get away from all of them for awhile."
Bobby huffed, making his own plate while Ben grabbed himself a glass of orange juice. "You still filling in for Sam on the whole Antichrist job?"
"Taking a vacation from that too... how did you know about that?"
"People talk." That was Bobby's explanation as he got some water and drank it down. "Good ta hear yer stopping that nonsense. Less you boys are involved with demons, the better. Look what it did to yer uncle."
"Yeah, I've learned that lesson pretty well on my own, thanks," Ben rolled his eyes. "I'm actually driving out to check on Anna."
"Girl still hasn't woken up yet, huh?"
"Nope." Ben stabbed his eggs. "Least no one's called me to tell me anything different. Figured maybe being there for a few days might help."
"That girl's damn lucky she got a guy like you worrying all about her," Bobby chuckled. "You're nothing like your father when it comes to women."
"I know, and it's where I remember to thank my mom for raising me." Ben smirked a bit. "Anyway, figured I might stop here a day or two, see what else needs to be done on Alec's car, then move on."
"I worked on the car last few weeks myself," Bobby stated, then looked up at Ben's confused look. "Kept me mind busy with everything going on."
"Alright..." Ben swallowed, then took a sip of his juice. "And?"
"You need parts I don't have, and lately I haven't been getting as much money as I used to for spare parts for the Winchesters."
"That's fine. How much money do you need?" Ben didn't even blink as he went back to eating.
"More than you probably got, kid. Need a transmission, half the engine, all the glasswork, plus add on the computer, left door and the trunk hood, plus the hubcaps wheels and paint job..."
"Bobby. Just give me a number here."
"Couple thousand."
Ben thought a moment, then shrugged. "I'll write you a check."
Bobby laughed. "Kid, I need real money, not some fake check."
"I've got the money." Ben lifted his head, looking at Bobby's incredulous look. "Seriously."
"How in the hell would a kid yer age have that kind of liquid cash?"
Ben sighed. "Mom wanted to put me through college, so I've got that fund. Then the money I got from the insurance when the house burnt down, sale of the land, mom's life insurance, and then the will with everything that had been my grandparents that my mom just had in some savings account that she was going to use to help me follow a dream, as well as my own cash from my job I had..."
"Yer Dad know about this?"
Ben shrugged. "He knows I have some cash. He's never looked at my financial records or my investment portfolio."
"You have a what?" Ben could swear of Bobby's eye had the ability to bug out, they would. "What the hell you doing living this kinda life if you got that kind of money where you can live free and easy?"
"What kind of life is it without my family. This is where they are, so it's what I do."
"Kid, I don't think yer Dad wants you to be a hunter forever. You got the family, and they will always be with you now. If you've got a chance to do something more, do it now. Don't let yourself get stuck in this world like Dean did. He'd hate himself if you did."
Ben nodded, looking at his almost empty plate. "I'll think about it."
"Good. You finish up, then we can work on getting this car finished. Maybe you'll be able to get it to yer brother when he's out of the hospital now." Bobby stood up to clear his plate, tossing the scraps into the dog's dish.
Ben just sat back a moment, nibbling on his last strip of bacon, and tried to imagine what kind of life he would want outside of being a hunter. After his mom died, he had just been driven from one thing to another, not given time to breathe and think about what he wanted.
Now he had this chance, and Bobby was right. He should do something more.
But what?
Bobby was getting old, and while no one would admit it, Ben could see it that one day the older man wasn't going to be here anymore. And that day would end up breaking both his father and uncle. Hopefully, it wouldn't be for another few decades, but the way their lives led, nothing was a certainty.
Finding "his" room, Ben crashed on the mattress and stretched out, falling asleep almost instantly. The wards from Missouri were still up and effective, and he enjoyed the quietness in his mind for the few hours while he had a nice, relaxing sleep.
The smell of bacon woke up him in the morning, and he made his way downstairs to see Bobby making breakfast. "Aren'tya supposed to be in Jersey with yer father?" Bobby asked, scooping out eggs onto a plate and handing it to Ben.
"I'm taking a vacation," Ben stated. "Needed to just get away from all of them for awhile."
Bobby huffed, making his own plate while Ben grabbed himself a glass of orange juice. "You still filling in for Sam on the whole Antichrist job?"
"Taking a vacation from that too... how did you know about that?"
"People talk." That was Bobby's explanation as he got some water and drank it down. "Good ta hear yer stopping that nonsense. Less you boys are involved with demons, the better. Look what it did to yer uncle."
"Yeah, I've learned that lesson pretty well on my own, thanks," Ben rolled his eyes. "I'm actually driving out to check on Anna."
"Girl still hasn't woken up yet, huh?"
"Nope." Ben stabbed his eggs. "Least no one's called me to tell me anything different. Figured maybe being there for a few days might help."
"That girl's damn lucky she got a guy like you worrying all about her," Bobby chuckled. "You're nothing like your father when it comes to women."
"I know, and it's where I remember to thank my mom for raising me." Ben smirked a bit. "Anyway, figured I might stop here a day or two, see what else needs to be done on Alec's car, then move on."
"I worked on the car last few weeks myself," Bobby stated, then looked up at Ben's confused look. "Kept me mind busy with everything going on."
"Alright..." Ben swallowed, then took a sip of his juice. "And?"
"You need parts I don't have, and lately I haven't been getting as much money as I used to for spare parts for the Winchesters."
"That's fine. How much money do you need?" Ben didn't even blink as he went back to eating.
"More than you probably got, kid. Need a transmission, half the engine, all the glasswork, plus add on the computer, left door and the trunk hood, plus the hubcaps wheels and paint job..."
"Bobby. Just give me a number here."
"Couple thousand."
Ben thought a moment, then shrugged. "I'll write you a check."
Bobby laughed. "Kid, I need real money, not some fake check."
"I've got the money." Ben lifted his head, looking at Bobby's incredulous look. "Seriously."
"How in the hell would a kid yer age have that kind of liquid cash?"
Ben sighed. "Mom wanted to put me through college, so I've got that fund. Then the money I got from the insurance when the house burnt down, sale of the land, mom's life insurance, and then the will with everything that had been my grandparents that my mom just had in some savings account that she was going to use to help me follow a dream, as well as my own cash from my job I had..."
"Yer Dad know about this?"
Ben shrugged. "He knows I have some cash. He's never looked at my financial records or my investment portfolio."
"You have a what?" Ben could swear of Bobby's eye had the ability to bug out, they would. "What the hell you doing living this kinda life if you got that kind of money where you can live free and easy?"
"What kind of life is it without my family. This is where they are, so it's what I do."
"Kid, I don't think yer Dad wants you to be a hunter forever. You got the family, and they will always be with you now. If you've got a chance to do something more, do it now. Don't let yourself get stuck in this world like Dean did. He'd hate himself if you did."
Ben nodded, looking at his almost empty plate. "I'll think about it."
"Good. You finish up, then we can work on getting this car finished. Maybe you'll be able to get it to yer brother when he's out of the hospital now." Bobby stood up to clear his plate, tossing the scraps into the dog's dish.
Ben just sat back a moment, nibbling on his last strip of bacon, and tried to imagine what kind of life he would want outside of being a hunter. After his mom died, he had just been driven from one thing to another, not given time to breathe and think about what he wanted.
Now he had this chance, and Bobby was right. He should do something more.
But what?