A breakfast inturrpted

[ever_lovin]

Ben is just sitting to eat his oatmeal (yes a healthy breakfast for once) and read his newspaper when he is interrupted in a most dramatic fashion.

Comments

[time_dancer]

"Yes, it's me." Her voice is muffled by her hug. "I've missed you so much Uncle Ben."

[ever_lovin]

"Val? VAL!" Slowly the impossibility sinks in and Ben hugs her back.

Eventually they pick themselves up and face each other. "Have you eaten?" Ben asks awkwardly memories of a decade past echo in his mind.

[time_dancer]

"No but I don't care. Oh Uncle Ben, I didn't think I was ever going to see any of you again!" The tears come and Val doesn't even try and stop them.

[ever_lovin]

'Am I talkin' to a ghost?' Ben catches himself thinking.

[time_dancer]

"What?" Val asks catching Ben's look.

[ever_lovin]

"Nothin'," Ben replies trying to hide his thoughts. "How long ya been here? It is good to see you girl."

[time_dancer]

'He's acting funny, like he hasn't seen me in a long time.' Val thinks but says out loud, "A few months. Are you okay?"

[ever_lovin]

"I'm fine," Ben says wiping a tears away. "Let me get cha breakfast."

[time_dancer]

"I don't care about food," Val says stubbornly.

[ever_lovin]

"It's the most important meal, important fer growin' girls," Ben counters and then looks away when new tears start.

[time_dancer]

"Uncle Ben you're scaring me. What's wrong?"

[ever_lovin]

"Nothin'," Ben replies giving her a grin.

[time_dancer]

"I'm not taking that. What's wrong?"

[ever_lovin]

"Can't an Uncle me happy ta see his favorite niece?"

[time_dancer]

"I guess," Val says still suspicious. "I'll take some cereal."

[ever_lovin]

"Great," Ben says. "And juice."

[time_dancer]

"Okay," Val says with a laugh and they set in to eat the meal. They joke about shared memories and friends. Val notices the way Ben avoids certain times and keeps glancing at her like she is going to disappear. She catches his eyes in hers and asks, "Now honestly, what's wrong? And no evasions!"

[ever_lovin]

"There's nothin' wrong."

[time_dancer]

"Then why do you keep looking at me like I'm going to disappear? I can't tell if that's something you want or not." Her voice breaks.

[ever_lovin]

Ben gathers her in his arms and says, "Oh Val, I'd never want ya ta disappear. Okay. Fine. What's the last thing ya remember?"

[time_dancer]

"Dr. Richards was about to use the Ultimate Nullifier on Galactus and ruin Abraxas' plans. Why?"

[ever_lovin]

"Val, can we just leave it at that?" Ben begs.

[time_dancer]

"What happened after? What don't I remember?" There's an edge of fear and determination to Val's voice now. She's suspected something was up ever since she figured out there were dead people here and that they are Bound like she was.

[ever_lovin]

Ben sighs and looks away. "Okay," Ben says defeated. "Reed was right, the Nulifier worked and you and Franklin put everything back ta rights. But when the dust settled, you...you weren't there anymore. Reed's tried looking fer yer reality. We thought maybe you'd gone back home. But he hasn't found any sign of yer reality yet an' it's been almost ten years now."

[time_dancer]

The horror of Ben's words settle on Val and, shaking her head, she Dances and is gone.

[ever_lovin]

"VAL!" Ben calls after her but it's too late. Ben hurriedly gets up and searches the bar.

Finding no sign of Val, he expands his search to the outside and there he spends the next few hours, desperate but committed.

Finally he makes his way back into the bar and decides to wait. He doesn't care how long it takes, Val will find him waiting for her.