Ben's mind went blank in that moment. His parents were hugging him, crying as they held the son they feared they'd never see again. His Grandpa Max was sitting on a chair near the kitchen, his own eyes looking at Ben and a smile wide on his face. He raised the beer he had been drinking to his grandson. Ben hugged his parents, his smile growing wider every second.

"Hey mom and dad," he said. "Can we go inside? It's kinda cold."

They laughed and let him go, though his mother lingered longer than his father. They brought him inside and shooed him to the kitchen. His father took his jacket and bag to his old room while his mother continued to prepare dinner. Ben sat there, awkward after so long away. He had left fairly suddenly and without much fanfare.

"How have things been?" he asked his mother shyly.

His mother turned to him, smiling as widely as her cheeks would allow. "Things have been going amazing! Your father got a promotion and is now on the board of directors. I've gone back to school and gotten my CNA so I own a local babysitting school. Your aunt and uncle are very well, though Gwen has been worse for wear."

Ben raised an eyebrow to his Grandpa Max. "What happened? Last I heard she was at college with Kevin."

Max took a swig of his beer and said softly, "She and Kevin aren't together anymore. They split shortly before I got the message about you coming back."

Ben nodded slowly. His father came down from his old room and patted Ben on the back. "Don't worry, she's a strong woman and won't let this get the better of her. Besides, we still haven't heard of how you've been."

His father grabbed a beer from the fridge and offered it to Ben. Shaking his head, Ben said, "I've been doing great. After I left, I hitched up with Tetrax and a crew he was running. We did some mercenary work for the Council, but recently command was switched to me. The crew was more than welcoming, and we've been operating on our own for the past few years. Several joined up as we became more well known and now the crew is several hundred spread out over a dozen ships or so."

"That sounds amazing! You've done well for yourself, I see," Max said.

"Yeah, I guess," Ben whispered. He took out a flask from his pocket and unscrewed the cap. He took a swig and cringed as the fiery liquid slid down his throat.

Max looked at his grandson. The young man had grown up so much. There was little mistaking him for the teenager that left, yet there was a haunted look that few could see. His parents seemed oblivious to it. Max, on the other hand, knew that look all too well from his time in the military and the Plumbers.

The doorbell rang, jolting everyone from their reverie. Max stood up and walked to the door, opening it, shouting, "Ben! Gwen and her parents are here!"

Ben stood up and ran a hand through his hair. It would be interesting to see his cousin again after so long. They hadn't talked in a few years after he had denied going home during his leave. That had been before his promotion to Captain and the workload after.

He turned and looked at her as she walked in, and his breath caught in his throat. She was different since he had last seen her. Her hair was shorter now, barely down to her shoulders and pulled back in a ponytail. She wore jeans and sneakers, and a long-sleeve shirt that hugged her. Her eyes were what caught his breath. They were deep green, like the grass on the plains of a harvest world. They seemed to look right through him as her gaze met his.

"Hey, Gwen," he said slowly.

"Ben," she whispered. She ran forwards and jumped, embracing him in a bear hug. He was shocked for a second but recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around her in a gentle embrace. She buried her face in his chest. He could feel tears as he silently cried. They stood there for what seemed like an eternity. She finally looked up at him and smiled. "It's been too long."

"Yeah," he said and hugged her tighter.

Their parents stood there, smiling as the two found each other again. Finally, Grandpa Max coughed and got her attention. "Do I get a hug?" he asked innocently, scratching his chin.

"Of course," Gwen laughed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, you've both grown quite a bit," Gwen's father chuckled. "How've you been doing, Ben?"

Ben embraced his aunt and uncle. "I've been great. I'll have to tell you guys about my time in space!"

"Looking forward to it," Uncle Frank said. He reached up and rustled Ben's hair. "God, you've gotten so tall," he said, looking defeated.

"Yeah," Ben chuckled.

"Alright everyone," Ben's mom called from the kitchen. "Table. Now. Food is almost ready!"

Everyone scurried to the table as her "mom voice" came out. Even her sister, Gwen's mom, was quick to comply. The unofficial matriarch of the family was not one to mess with. Ben would rather fight an entire planet again rather than face that wrath.

As they sat, Sandra Tennyson began to lay the food out on the table. There was so much food, Ben thought. None of the rations he had been eating for years now. Turkey, mashed potatoes, squash, all laid out before them. Ben could feel himself drooling and was quick to wipe it away with a laugh.

"I haven't eaten something like this in a long time," he explained. "Normally it's just rations and nutrient paste."

"That...sounds horrible," Gwen said from where she sat next to him.

Ben just shrugged. "It keeps forever and is easy to take on missions. Plus, the stuff can be made from just about anything and it's cheap to get."

"Now, no talk of business at the dinner table," Sandra scolded, leveling a wooden spoon at Ben menacingly. "You may be the savior of the planet and an intergalactic mercenary leader, but I'm still your mother and will prove it if I must."

Ben held up his hands, laughing loudly. "Got it, mom."

Smiling, Sandra placed the spoon in the potatoes. They all began to dig into the food, plates piled high with delicious goodies. Laughter rang in abundance as they caught up on the last few years. There were many stories to be had, and everything was great. Ben stood up and excused himself. He walked towards the kitchen and took out the flask again. He grimaced at the liquid and took a good mouthful.

"Need a drink?" Gwen asked from the doorway.

Ben replaced the flask in his pocket and smiled at her. "Nah, I don't drink."

Gwen raised an eyebrow but decided not to push the topic. Her face fell when Ben asked her about Kevin. She held her arms and fresh tears started to form. "That idiot was going back to his old ways. Drugs, girls, the whole nine yards. I found out when I found him high and with some girl in my bed one night."

Ben stepped forwards. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Wiping her eyes, she smiled at him. "Don't be. It wasn't your fault."

Ben took her in his arms, placing his chin on the top of her head. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I couldn't have done anything."

"That doesn't matter now," Gwen said. "We are here at home with family. That's what matters."

They smiled at each other and returned to the dining room. When they sat down, Ben's dad, Carl, pointed his fork at Ben. "So, any alien girls I should know about?"

Ben jerked back. "Damnit dad! No, there's no alien girls. Besides, there's a few humans on my crew too!"

"Any human girls?" asked Frank.

"Boys!" Sandra and Natalie, Gwen's mother, shouted at the same time. Ben, Carl, and Frank all began to apologize.

There was a knock at the door. Carl raised an eyebrow. "There's not supposed to be anyone else coming, is there?"

There were shaking heads. Ben stood up, his neck hairs on end. "Everyone stay here, I'll go get it."

The serious of his tone and the authority behind it made Max realize just how much his grandson had grown up. Gwen stood up with him and walked behind Ben. They opened the door and Gwen gasped. Max and the parents looked at the door. There was a young man there, his long black hair pulled back. His dark jacket covered most of his clothing, but there were no mistaking the eyes that smoldered.

Kevin was there.