This is my spur-of-the-moment, belated attempt at a Father's Day fic. If anything or anybody in this fic sounds familiar, then it's because this story's timeline is set before the events in "The Tech Whiz And The Former Grunch" and "A Shower And Two Valentines (The Best Shower Ever)". Speaking of which, I'm working on the next updates for the latter story (and "The WhizGrunchShower Double Feature"), along with another oneshot. Until then, check out this piece of work that I call "Advice From Dad". Enjoy.
Dan and Nick own the shows. The University of Washington (or "U-Dub") belongs to... well, the University of Washington. Lisa Stone is the only somebody that's mine, and Hi-Def Vision and 206 Film And Graphics are the only places that are mine. Leon Thomas owns "Show Us", the song that is somewhat quoted later on in this story.
(Friday evening, late spring/early summer 2016, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington)
It was late on a Friday evening, just minutes away from midnight to be exact, and after weeks of cramming and studying for final exams, as well as trying to decide between various job offers, 22-year-old Freddie Benson had found himself back in his dorm room, currently finding much-needed relief and relaxation thanks to slices of pizza, a bottle of beer, and most importantly, a young woman by the name of Lisa Stone, the woman and fellow senior who had been his best friend with benefits, wingwoman, and in several instances including tonight, surrogate roommate for pretty much the entire four years they had spent at U-Dub.
"So, do you think you did well on your exams?" Lisa asked between a bite of her own piece of pizza, the young woman was simply dressed in a red tank top and royal/light blue "female boxers".
"I should have. All of the time I spent studying for them, I couldn't have possibly failed," Freddie answered in a jokingly arrogant manner, he had on a black tank top and gray sweatpants. "But seriously, yeah, I think I passed. What about you?"
"I think I did okay," Lisa replied. "But it isn't the exam I'm worried about. It's the damn paper that I had to write."
"Why? We both know that you're a great writer."
"Yeah maybe, but tell that to that crazy professor of mine." No longer wanting to talk about her own academic concerns, Lisa thought about Freddie's potential places of employment after graduation, one that could keep him in his hometown of Seattle, and another that could cause him to relocate to Los Angeles.
"So have you decided on where you'll be going once we get out of here?"
"Not just yet," Freddie said, his voice implying that he was still somewhat stressed about his yet-to-be-made decision. "I mean, I would like to stay here and work at 206, but if I went to L.A. and took the job at Hi-Def Vision, who knows what it could lead to?"
"Well, wherever you go, I'm gonna miss you so much. If I wasn't so tempted to go back home, I'd probably go with you wherever you ended up," Lisa told Freddie.
"I appreciate that a lot, but I don't want you to miss out on your chance to make yourself happy just to keep up with me."
"Well, who said being with you doesn't make me happy?"
"Awww, and I thought you were just acting for the last four years," Freddie said in a humorous manner.
"Oh, shut up," Lisa said with a laugh as she lightly hit him on his arm. "But seriously, if I haven't told you lately, I love you Freddie. I'm glad I spent most of my time around you while I was here."
"I love you too, Lis'. And I'm happy that we were around each other too," Freddie began. "I couldn't have picked a better person to waste four years with."
"You're so lucky that we're friends, Benson."
"I kid, Stone, I kid. And I hope you know that even though we're splitting up after this, it doesn't mean that we have to just completely say goodbye to each other. We can still say hi and talk whenever we need to."
"I know that. It just won't be the same once we actually move on."
"Well, that's true. But remember that we are friends, and in order for that to change, something incredibly drastic would have to happen. No matter what happens, or who we end up with in the future, that's how it's gonna be."
Once Freddie finished talking, Lisa laid back in his arms as they were resting on the couch in the living room. But before she did so, she reached up to kiss him on the cheek. Once she was nestled in underneath him, he leaned down and returned the favor. In another hour or so, both graduates-to-be were fast asleep, with the only light and sound coming from the TV. Many of their nights had ended like this, so it seemed as if it was business as usual. But before long, something crazy and hard to believe but also life-changing would apparently take place.
Later that night, a ghost-like figure found his way into the dorm currently occupied by Freddie and Lisa. The man, although middle-aged, appeared to look very young for his age. In fact, there was a great similarity between himself and Freddie, although Freddie had become more muscular than the ghost was at that age while he was still alive. Better yet, the ghost wasn't simply a ghost, but rather an guardian angel, and for the past 15-plus years, he had been watching over Freddie and his mother Marissa. He was here now because he knew that Freddie was near a major milestone in his life, and even though there didn't seem to be any negative consequences for Freddie if he stayed in Seattle, he was aware that a better career, and generally, a better life was waiting for him if he went to Los Angeles. Now all the angel had to do was convince Freddie of that fact, but he also understood that in the current time, and especially because of his own physical form, or lack of one, the job of getting the former tech producer to listen would be difficult.
Realizing this, the angel moved closer to the couch where Freddie and Lisa were sleeping, and once he saw that he was close enough to wake Freddie without it bothering Lisa, he then nudged Freddie on his shoulder until he awoke.
"Freddie... Hey Freddie, wake up," the angel said.
"Hmm? Who is that? What do you... Ahhhh!" Once Freddie had noticed that the figure standing in front of him wasn't human, he understandably became freaked out at the sight. With Lisa still somewhat in his arms, he continued to scream and began reaching for anything that could be used as a weapon. But the best thing he could come up with is one of the beer bottles that had been placed on the table in front of the couch. However, it didn't matter, as the angel who suddenly appeared in the apartment was simply trying to calm Freddie down.
"Freddie, calm down. I'm here to help you," the angel said.
"Look, I don't know who the hell you are, or how you know my name, but you better... Dad?!"
"Yeah, Freddie, it's me."
As it turned out, the ghost/angel was Leonard Benson, Freddie's father, who had died eight days before Thanksgiving in 2000 when Freddie was only six years old. The somewhat youthful appearance of Leonard was due to the fact that he had presumably came from Heaven, which meant that he looked the way that he did before the accident that took his life.
"Okay, what are you doing here in the middle of the night while I'm asleep? That's usually something that a demon would do. Speaking of which, Sam isn't here, is she?" Freddie asked. The shock and confusion of his father's sudden appearance was still very present in his demeanor.
"No, Freddie, she's not here," Leonard answered with a chuckle. "But anyway, the reason that I'm here is because I needed to talk to you about something important, and since you've been pretty busy lately, now seemed like a good time to come and get you."
"Okay, this could have waited until the morning, seeing as how it's Saturday now, but if it's really that important -"
"Yeah, it's definitely that important. Come on."
As Leonard walked towards the kitchen area, Freddie eventually followed suit, as the younger Benson male was making sure not to disturb his friend's sleep. After grabbing a pair of foldable chairs that was against the wall, Leonard gave one to Freddie before taking a seat himself. Knowing that his son could possibly have some questions, before telling Freddie the big news, he decided to do some catching up first.
"So, I know that this must be kind of a shock for you to see me like this, Freddie, but I'm so happy to see you again, and I am really proud of you," Leonard said.
"Thanks, Dad. And I am glad to see you, but I thought that it would be a loooong time before that happened, and I also figured that I would be dead when it happened. Wait, I'm not dead, am I?" Freddie wondered aloud, still surprised at his father's sudden arrival.
"No son, you're not dead... although you could be if your mom sees that new haircut and half-sleeve you got there," Leonard joked, taking note of his son's new super-short hairstyle and spiritual tattoos that adorned the upper half of his right arm.
"Yeah, she won't take it well. But seriously, what are you here for?"
"Well Freddie, I'm here to talk about your future, and more specifically, where you'll be spending it."
"So, I won't be staying here in Seattle?"
"I'm afraid not, son. You gotta go to Los Angeles."
"Okay, that's cool. I mean, I was kind of thinking that I would be in L.A. anyway, so it's good, I guess." Freddie was taking the news well since he figured that the suggested relocation revolved around his potential new job at Hi-Def Vision. But there was more to it than that.
"I should warn you that you going to L.A. isn't just about you working at Hi-Def Vision," Leonard told him. "Your new job isn't the only thing that's waiting on you out there."
"So what else is?" Freddie asked in confusion.
"Your wife is down there."
"Wi - my wife? Okay, Dad, what are you talking about?" Freddie had been, and still was at least somewhat confused and shocked ever since his dad showed up to his dorm room, but now it was intensifying.
"Yeah, your wife. You know, my daughter-in-law, or at least the woman who would be my daughter-in-law if I was still alive," Leonard said with a laugh.
"Okay, well, do you know who it is? It's not Sam, is it? Good Lord, Dad, please tell me it isn't Sam," Freddie said in a somewhat panicked tone, worried that his fate was to spend the rest of his life, or at least a few years of it married to the girl he dubbed "The Blonde-Headed Demon".
"No, son, it isn't Sam. I don't have the final say in it, but if I can help it at all, you won't be in a romantic relationship with that girl ever again," the older Benson male stated. "I'm actually still kind of upset that you had to deal with her in the first place."
"Okay, that's good, I guess," Freddie began. "So if it's not Sam, then is it Carly? I mean, how would that be possible? She just got back to the States like two years ago." While Freddie was in the latter half of his sophmore year, Carly had finally made her way back to Seattle, before she eventually decided to attend Gonzaga University in Spokane.
"Nope, it's not Carly either," Leonard said. "You're not totally done with Carly, but she's not the future Mrs. Benson either." When Mr. Benson told his son that he wasn't "totally done with Carly", he was referring to Freddie's eventual one-night stand with the brunette who used to live across the hall, which would take place the following weekend.
"Okay, she's going back home to Detroit, so I know it's not Lisa. So, who is this 'future Mrs. Benson' that you speak of?"
"I don't know, son. I didn't get those details. GOD just wanted me to make sure that you knew who it wasn't."
"I get it. So, since I'm gonna be in L.A. where my future wife supposedly is, did GOD at least tell you what this wife of mine does for a living? Is she a model? An actress? A singer? Maybe even a porn star?"
"No, no, no. She's not a porn star. As for her being a model, actress or singer, she could be. I mean, it is Los Angeles that we're talking about. Everybody wants to be a star. Maybe your woman is Miss Universe."
"Very funny, Dad. But you seriously have no idea who it is that I should be with until death does us part?"
"I don't have a clue, Freddo," Leonard said, using the same nickname that Spencer had once given him. "If I did, then you would be decked out with information on this woman. You would have a picture, social media profiles, credit scores, criminal records, a CarFax report. All I can say is that if I knew, then you would know."
Freddie and Leonard shared a brief laugh at the patriarch's humorous comment before the older Benson continued by saying, "but I do know that this girl is apparently going through her own personal issues right now, or at least she was. But it's not gonna matter much when you two finally meet up."
"How long is that gonna take?" Freddie asked after hearing the end of his dad's comment. Sure enough, Trina had only been back in L.A. for just under a year, and she was still dealing with personal turmoil between herself and her parents. And while their relationship was somewhat improved, it was still a long way from being 100 percent repaired.
And also unknown to Freddie, Jade, the woman who would come to be his second wife/permanent girlfriend, had been dealing with her own drama in regards to her own relationship with her boyfriend Beck. Even though they were currently "on again", it was only a matter of time before they became "off again" for good.
Meanwhile, back in Freddie's dorm, Leonard responded to his son's question by saying, "well, it might take a while for you to meet her. And by a while, I mean a year."
"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Freddie began, baffled by what he had just heard. "So you mean to tell me that I'll be stuck in L.A. for a whole year before I find out who this Mrs. Right supposedly is?"
"I know, I know, it's hard to understand for me too. But apparently, when you finally find each other, it'll be worth it."
And true enough, to Mr. Benson's credit, it was eventually worth it. When Freddie and Trina finally met again on the Friday before Labor Day the following year, they hit it off immediately, and after their sexual romps on their first night together, they were almost inseparable. Then five months later on Valentine's Day, when Jade was thrown into the mix, it created even more spark in a relationship that was already hot, and now, with the spring halfway over and Trina's birthday around the corner, the trio had appeared as if they were a match made in Heaven, and in reality, that's pretty much what they were.
Back in present times, Leonard realized the time as he heard Freddie say "okay, if you say so," and knowing that his son would be waking up soon, the Benson patriarch began his goodbyes.
"Well, I'd love to stick around, but the boss is calling, plus it's getting late, so I should be getting back."
"I understand," Freddie began in a somber tone. "You know, Dad, it's been a long time since the crash, but I still miss you, a lot, and I know Mom does too. I think it's fair to say that we both wish that you weren't gone."
"I know, son. I wish I was still with you and your mother too. But it just wasn't meant to work out like that. But understand that even though you're a man now, and your mom's older, I'm still gonna watch out for you two until the day you die. And hopefully, when those days come, you'll both be able to come and see me."
"I hope so too. I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, son, and like I said earlier, I really am proud of you and the man that you've become." The father and son shared a quick hug before they separated, and once they had, Leonard had said, "well, it's time to go. I'll be seeing you again soon. Hopefully not too soon."
"Later, Dad," Freddie said with a laugh as he heard the last of his dad's sentence.
"Oh, before I go, just promise me a few things."
"Like what, Dad?"
"Well, for one thing, even though you'll be thousands of miles away, remember to look after your mom. Do your best to make sure she isn't too lonely after you leave. And if nothing else, keep her away from guys like that Lewbert dude."
"No problem. Mom's not gonna have to spend the rest of her life alone, is she?"
"I'll do what I can to make sure that she doesn't. Which leads me to my second thing. When you get married and have kids, make sure that you're the best husband and father that you can possibly be. Better yet, make sure that you're the type of husband and dad that I didn't get a chance to become."
"Believe it or not, I've kind of been planning on that for a long time now. What's the last thing?"
"Well, if nothing else, just promise me that if you get any more tattoos, you'll get something that has real meaning to it. Don't be like the rest of these kids that get something crazy like 'M.O.B (Money Over Bitches)', Y.O.L.O (You Only Live Once), or some other stupid design that's gonna have to get covered up or lasered off at some point."
"I'm way ahead of you on that one. I love you, Dad."
"I love you, too. Goodbye, son."
And with that, Leonard made his way back to Heaven, and Freddie went back to join Lisa on the couch before falling asleep again.
Eventually, it was around 8AM on Saturday morning, and Freddie slowly awoke from his slumber. Oddly enough, it appeared as if nothing had happened the night before, as Lisa was still laying in his arms as she was when she first went to sleep, and the empty bottles of beer were still on the same spots on the table in the living room as Freddie and Lisa had left them in.
One thing that was different from the night before, however, was that Freddie had a deeper sense of clarity about his future, and he would be sure to make it official as soon as he had the chance.
Meanwhile, not too long after he woke up, Lisa followed suit, and almost immediately, she had noticed her friend's increasingly brightened mood.
"Morning, Freddie," she said as she awakened.
"Morning, Lis'," he said in response.
"You look happy," Lisa said as she saw the slight smile on Freddie's face.
"Well, maybe that's because I am," he replied.
"Any particular reason why?"
"Besides waking up and seeing you?" He watched as Lisa smiled at him after his compliment, before continuing on to say, "there is one other reason why I'm in a good mood."
"Which is?"
"I think I know where I'll be headed after we graduate. I'm going to L.A."
"That sounds good, Freddie. How'd you figure it out?"
"Well... let's just say I had a moment of clarity while we were sleeping," Freddie explained, knowing that answer was easier than actually telling Lisa what really happened.
"That's good, I guess. So when are you gonna make it official?"
"It'll be in the next couple of days. I'll probably call Hi-Def Vision first thing Monday morning before class."
"You do that. I'm really proud of you."
"Thanks, Lis'. I just hope my mom is feeling the same way. I know she had her heart set on me staying here in Seattle."
"I'm sure she'll be okay with it. She may be disappointed that you'll be leaving, but I'm sure that she'll ultimately be proud of your decision too. You are her son, after all."
"I hope you're right."
"Of course I'm right."
And with that, as Freddie laughed at his friend's boastful comment, the pair spent another hour or so in the same embrace that they had ended the previous night in, and in the process, they split time between watching the morning news, a old movie and re-runs of different cartoons. It was business as usual for the pair, but knowing that moments like these would soon be over, at least between the two of them, they both appreciated it even more than they usually did, even if they hadn't said it out loud.
And that's a wrap. I was planning on having this up sometime yesterday, but it didn't work out like that. But better late than never, I guess. If you're wondering who Lisa is, she was first mentioned in Chapter 6 in "A Shower And Two Valentines..." (or Chapter 15 in the "WhizGrunchShowerGoth" story), and to be more specific, it was at the beginning of the segment where Freddie returned to Bushwell Plaza on the weekend before graduation, which eventually led to his one-night stand with Carly.
Anyway, that's all I got for now. Until then, keep your eyes and computers open, and put your cell phone volume on high, or at least on vibrate, because you don't know when your alerts might blow up telling you about another update of mine. For now, though, I'm gone. I got things to do, namely writing the next lines in those updates I've been promising. Peeeeace.