Day 00

[Milli-timed to before the end of Doomwar]

Hey Debz. I know ya wanted space an' I respect that. I just need to make sure you know I love you an' ta apologize fer not sayin' it when we talked before. That was it, so I'll give ya all the space you need now. Just don't ever forget I love ya. Hope yer havin' a good time.

-Ben in a voicemail to Debra

...Hi Ben. Thank you for calling, it was really good to hear your voice. I'm having a good enough time all things considered, we're in Budapest now touring some schools. I...I think if you wanted to call me I'd be okay with that. I may not pick up but please leave a message if you call okay? I love you too despite all of this. Please believe me, I do love you.

- Debra's voicemail reply.

Day 01

Hey Debz, just saying Hi. We're getting all settled in here back home now. The whole mess with Doom is taken care of and the good guys won again. Everyone's okay and I gave Doom that knuckle sandwich like ya wanted. Love ya babe.

- Voicemail from Ben to Debra

Day 02

Hey Debz, we're on our way to San Francisco. Looks like the X-men need ta be bailed out and I can not wait to see the look on Wolverine's face when we do. Anyway, gonna make this quick as we're jumping time zone and I'll loose the signal. Love ya.

- Voicemail from Ben to Debra

"Doctors Richards and Nemesis -- Tony too -- figure it out. Explain the dome, define it, find me a weakness. And in the meantime...Thor...Thing...get me inside that dome," Captain America says calmly.

"You got it, boss. It's clobberin' time," Ben replies cause really who can argue an order from Captain America?

"I'm gonna make that runt buy everyone a beer fer this." Ben thinks after his first punch which does nothing to the energy sphere which has isolated San Francisco.

"The energy is near frictionless and has a bit of give. It's almost rippling with our blows now, as if it's adapting or somethin'," Ben says out loud to give Reed something to work with. "Not at all like Suzie's force fields like I first thought. Almost like Valeria's...I mean the Val that was Doom's kid."

"This isn't working, maybe I should just get out of the way and let Thor handle this," Ben thinks after fifteen minutes of his strongest blows but then he shakes himself. "What the hell am I thinking? If Debz was in there would I be quitin'? Hell there is a Debz in there, someone's Debz at any rate. There're kids in there. I. AIN'T. QUITIN'"

He feels something fracturing and increases his hammering until he hears Thor say, "Hold friend Grimm, greater minds then ours need win this day not our might. Thou are injured. Cease thy battle and save thy strength for what enemies reside within."

Ben pauses and looks at his hands and realizes the fracturing he had felt was his knuckles and not the barrier. "Ya. Ya I think that's a good idea."

Day 03

Well the X-men saved themselves and San Francisco. Kinda felt useless yesterday but them's the breaks sometimes. I gotta run but I love ya. 

- Voicemail from Ben to Debra

"So ya barely wanna work the dough? You sure Aunt Petunia?" Ben asks.

"Yes. It's just like Alton Brown says, you want to give the proteins a chance to bond." Aunt Petunia replies form the vidscreen.

"Ben?" Susan calls out as she walks in. "Oh sorry I didn't mean to interrupt. Hi Petunia."

"Hello Susan," Aunt Petunia replies. "And it's no trouble, Ben and I were just arguing over biscuit dough."

"Ben, I was going to take Franklin and Val toy shopping and I was wondering if I could take Turg, Korr, Mik, and Tong with us?"

"Sure," Ben replies a bit distracted.

"See you later then."

"Ben, who are Turg, Korr, Mik, and Tong?" Aunt Petunia asks as Susan leaves.

"Just some kids I rescued. We're taking care of them."

"Oh Ben!" She says excitedly, "I always knew you'd be a father someday."

"What?!? No! Reed and Susan are the parents here. Besides, they're moliods not hu..."

"Benjamin Jacob Grimm!" She interrupts angrily. "Don't you dare finish that sentence! There are plenty of people who would say you aren't human!"

"Right...sorry."

"And if Reed and Susan are the only parents there why did Susan ask you if she could take them? I've got to go now but call back and introduce me to these kids, I can't wait to met them."

Day 04

So Debz, hope things are goin' great. Um did I mention that I rescued some kids a while back from the city of the High Evolutionary? Yeah well it's looking like I'm their guardian now and they're great kids by the way...so yeah, take care. Love you.

- Voicemail from Ben to Debra

Day 05

Hey Debz, on my way down to Yancy Street. I'm gonna pick up yer favorite danish from Gal's and eat it all up since yer not here to give it to. Love you...Debz I gotta say New York ain't the same without you. I'm not the same without you. Ever since the day I became the Thing it's been like I've been fightin' myself, not knowin' which was the real me, Ben Grimm or The Thing. Wit' you I'm just me and I can't tell you how much that means.

Anyway, sorry fer that. I don't mean ta make this harder than it is. Take care an' I love ya.

- Voicemail from Ben to Debra

"Susan, we've got to do something about Ben!" Johnny blurts as he storms in interrupting her just as she was about to dive in for a swim in the saltwater pool.

She takes a deep breath and counts to three before replying, "Ben's a big boy Johnny, he's fine."

"No he's not!"

"Yes..."

"He's listening to Pink!"

Ten minutes ago...
"So what do you think?" Val asks her uncle as the song ends.

He lifts the fifty ton weight a few times before saying, "Well, she seems pretty angry fer one. Are you sure yer parents know yer listening ta this stuff?"

"Yes," Val replies from her perch nearby. If Ben were paying closer attention he would notice his answer disappoints her somehow. "I found it in the popular music database. How about this one?"

Ben finishes his set of twenty as he listens and finally clues in that something is up. He racks his weights, sits up and pats the bench in front of him. "Come here," he says, continuing when she takes the seat. "What's going on?"

"Are you going to leave us?"

"WHAT?!?" Ben blurts taken off guard.

"When mommy and daddy fought and split up, she and uncle Johnny left. Are you going to leave too?"

"Oh girl," Ben says with sympathy. That was a hard time for him too, one of the hardest parts of what the media called the civil war. "I ain't goin' anywhere. And me and Debz ain't fightin' really. She's just takin' some time to figure out if she can handle a life like ours. She has a choice fer now, she should consider it."

"So you're not mad at her? The songs suggest you should be."

"Honey, these songs ain't really how life is. They're more like a picture of what the artist thinks it is or could be. Or sometimes what they think it should be. Never think something should be because it is in a song okay? It's kind of like..." He pauses trying think of a simile she'll understand. "It's like comparing pictures of Mars from the Viking missions and pictures from the Spirit and Opportunity. Better yet, more like looking at the pictures verses actually being on Mars. You can't really learn things from songs, you need to live and experience. Life isn't like math or science okay?"