Okay, so this is SAD AND DEPRESSING. I mean, it's just … Poor Ethan.

I've been feeling … off lately. And that resulted in this.

All I can say is, I'm sorry.

And that I warned you.

I don't own MBAV.

…

Ethan sat in his room, feeling empty and broken, face pale and tear-streaked.

"Ethan," his mom said quietly as she knocked on his door. "Dinner's ready. You need to eat."

"No," he whispered, but she heard him. Ethan heard her walk down the stairs, away from him. Ethan reached for his phone, dialing an all too familiar number.

"You've got Benny's machine! Tell me what you need and I'll get back to ya!" Ethan ended the call as he heard the voice he so desperately missed and would never hear again except in his memories. Letting out a quiet sob, he slipped on his jacket and snuck out of his room and down the stairs, luckily undetected as he disappeared out the front door.

He wanted to be with someone that was grieving as much as he was.

Quietly knocking on the door, he waited. It wasn't long before the large door slowly swung open to reveal a shaken, red-eyed older woman; Benny's grandma.

"Ethan," she said quietly, noticing his flushed cheeks and red-rimmed eyes. Before he knew what was happening, she wrapped her arms around him. That was the last straw for the slight boy, who let his tears fall freely.

"I know," she whispered. "I know."

...

Ethan sat in the Weir living room, a cup of hot chocolate sitting on the table in front of him. Across from him was Grandma Weir, a steaming mug held in her hands.

"I needed to be with someone who was feeling like I am," Ethan said to an unspoken question, making the older woman nod and smile sadly.

"I know how you feel, but honestly, no one will feel like you do."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone grieves differently Ethan. I'm missing the only family I had left. You… You're missing your best friend, practically your other half." Ethan let her words sink in, shaking his head.

"You're right. But… my family doesn't understand. They just … they don't understand."

"They won't. No one can understand what you're going through unless they too feel that pain."

"Which is why I came to you. You're the only one who understands." Ethan looked around the house; it felt so empty. "How can you stay here? Isn't it… lonely?"

"Extremely. I… I miss him so much," she said, a few tears falling down her cheeks now.

"I do too."

…

Ethan returned to his own house to find his mom anxiously waiting for him.

"Where did you go? I was so scared! Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?" Finally, Ethan snapped.

"Of course I'm hurt! My best friend DIED only three days ago! He was practically family to you and you and everyone else acts like nothing happened! AM I THE ONLY ONE IN THIS HOUSEHOLD THAT MISSES HIM? I went to see his grandma. I needed someone who understood how I felt!" he screamed at her, making the blonde woman take a step back from her angry son.

"Ethan… We all understand what you're going through. We thought, if we didn't make a big deal about it, you would be okay. Obviously we were wrong."

"Mom. He was my best friend. My other half. And suddenly he's gone? I'll never be okay." Ethan turned away from his mom and ran up the stairs as he felt the tears prick at his eyes. Once he was in the safety of his room, tears rolled down his flushed cheeks in streams. Curling up in his bed, he just let his tears fall.

He didn't know how much time passed, but eventually there was a knock on his bedroom window. Looking up, he noticed the short blonde hair.

"Rory," he muttered, standing up and opening the window. "What's up?" Rory floated into the room and sat on the bed.

"I came to see how you were doing." Ethan looked at Rory and noticed he looked disheveled and unhappy. "I figured you were taking the … incident kinda hard." Ethan just shrugged and curled back up on his bed. "You know he wouldn't want you moping like this. Come on, come fly with me. We'll go say goodbye to him."

"I can't say goodbye. I don't want to," Ethan whispered, tears beginning to fall again. "I can't."

"Ethan..."

"No. I think… I'm just going to go to sleep. Goodnight," Ethan said, curling up in the fetal position on his bed and closing his eyes.

"Goodnight Ethan… I hope you'll be okay."

…

"Ethan. Ethan wake up!" Benny said harshly, shaking the pale boy awake, who slowly opened his eyes.

"Benny?" Ethan mumbled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "What's going on?"

"I came to see you. Are you okay?"

"Wait! You're here! Which means… everything else was a dream! It never happened! Oh thank God!" Ethan exclaimed, sitting up in bed now with a smile on his face. "You're … you're still here." Benny smiled sadly and shook his head.

"Ethan…"

"No… Benny. Don't."

"I'm sorry Ethan."

"Are you really here or am I just delusional?"

"A little bit of both," Benny said with his trademark smile. "What matters is that I'm here though. You needed to see me one last time didn't you?" Ethan just nodded.

"Why did this happen to you of all people?"

"I don't know. I wasn't expecting it either. I mean, I was just out walking and then there was this car coming at me… everything after that is a blur."

"So it really happened then…"

"Afraid so. How are you handling it?"

"I seem to be taking it harder than everyone else…"

"Because you were closer to me than anyone else was."

"Benny… Please. You're my best friend. I need you."

"And I'll always be with you. But it's gonna be okay Ethan. It's okay to say goodbye."

"I can't! I can't…"

"Don't forget about me E. You'll be okay. You're stronger than this."

"Benny… Please."

"Trust me E…"

…

Ethan jolted awake, gasping for breath as he remembered the dream he just had.

"Benny," he whispered to himself as he wiped his eyes. "I'll never forget about you… Goodbye."

…

Well that was just … depressing.

Poor Ethan... And poor Benny.

-JustMe133