The gym [wee small hours, post radio]

[momslilassassin]

It wasn't like Ben was even going to try to sleep tonight.

Which was why he was down in the gym beating the ever-loving crap out of the punching bag.

He was pretending it was Jacen.

Comments

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean went looking for Ben after radio finished, and when he didn't find him in his room, looked at the places he'd himself would go in that kind of situation. The gym was second on his list after the roof.

He came in and watched quietly for a minute.

[momslilassassin]

Ben didn't turn around. "Hi."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Hey," Dean said softly.

[momslilassassin]

"Here to work out too?" Ben asked.

He hadn't listened to the radio.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Was looking for you, actually," he said, coming over to hold the punching bag for Ben. "I heard about your mother."

[momslilassassin]

"Oh." Another smack to the bag. "I'm fine."

Sure he was.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Better man than me, then," Dean said. "When my mom died, the last thing I was was fine."

[momslilassassin]

Ben stopped hitting the bag. "How old were you?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Four," Dean said softly. "But really I don't think it'd be any different if it had happened last week. It's still my Mom."

[momslilassassin]

"Your dad turn into a zombie, too?" Ben asked, kicking the bag hard enough to make the chain creak.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Pretty much," Dean said. "And then he turned into a Hunter."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "Dad's...gone."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"He'll come back," Dean said, meaning that in all ways. "It might take a while, but he will. Mine did."

[momslilassassin]

"We don't exactly have time to wait for the Jedi Grand Master to get a grip," Ben said angrily. "I don't think he even noticed I left."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"What happened?" Dean asked. Having the details would make it easier to figure out what to say. Though nothing was going to make it actually easy.

[momslilassassin]

Ben went back to beating on the bag for a few minutes. "My cousin shot her out of the sky," he said, voice icy, "and then someone killed her before I could get there to help."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Jeez," Dean muttered. Because wow, when it's family....

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded tersely. "We don't do things easy," he said.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I can see that," Dean said.

[momslilassassin]

Ben sighed and then kicked the bag again. "And he'll be at the funeral."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Harsh," Dean observed.

[momslilassassin]

"He's one of the Chiefs of State," Ben grunted out as he lashed out at the bag "People would talk."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"If you ask me, if people have nothing better to do than gossip about someone's personal tragedy, then they need a kick upside the head."

[momslilassassin]

"Then you'd have to do a lot of kicking," Ben said. "Mom's funeral is going to be a huge, huge thing."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"I've nothing against mass kicking," Dean said. He paused and asked, "You want some company to that? That will be willing to kick in heads if they need it?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben stopped moving for a moment, then nodded.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Okay then. Just let me know when and where to be. Also if I should bring my 'antique' blaster with me just in case."

[momslilassassin]

"Shuttle's coming on Wednesday," Ben said softly. "We'll be back Friday afternoon. And I'd bring it."

A firefight would be weirdly appropriate at his mother's funeral.

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"Right. I'll be there." He paused again. "I won't say that things are going to be all right, but it does get better."

[momslilassassin]

Ben snorted softly. "Sure it will."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"It got better for Sammy and me," Dean said. "Took a long time, but it did."

[momslilassassin]

Ben turned to look at Dean with eyes far too old for his face. "I have perfect recall," he said softly. "And I found her. It's not going to get better."

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

"I remember everything about the night my mom died," Dean said. "I'm not saying it's never not going to hurt. Just... it won't be so all encompassing."

[momslilassassin]

"Sure," Ben said, clearly not buying this. "So...do you want to hit something?"

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean shrugged. "I could go for a little sparring."

[momslilassassin]

"I'll hold back a little so you don't get hurt," Ben told him.