Disclaimer: I own not-a-thing!

A/N: Sorry if I took too long. It's been sorta crazy busy… :D POVs in italics: the usual format!

R&R please!

THIRSTTHIRSTTHIRSTTHIRSTTHIRSTTHIRSTTHIRST

Riley

Thirsty. Riley squinted at the clock. 2:00 am. He groaned, irritated that he had to be thirsty at this hour. Riley stood up reluctantly and slipped on his bunny slippers and robe, and rubbed his eyes. He grabbed his flashlight and made his way through the hallway and down the stairs. Sorry if I'm too lazy to grope for the light switch.

Pitch-black darkness swallowed the whole mansion. Riley flashed the light around nervously, bothered by the lack of illumination. He passed by Ben and Abby's office, and exhaled gratefully when light greeted him underneath the door. Then he stopped. Why is the world is the office's light on? Ben and Abby had been really particular about the electricity, prompting Riley and everyone else staying in their house to turn off everything when not in use. So much money in hand and they're so thrifty about their electric bill. Not that I blame them though…

Riley twisted the knob, and peeked inside. No one. Weird. He flicked the light off and closed the door quietly. After a few steps, he looked back again. The light under the door resumed shining. Real weird. Ghosts? Oh cool, Ben and Abby got ghosts! Any other more logical explanation for this, though? Riley pressed an ear against the door. He heard a cough. Only one person came in mind. Ben! He squeezed the knob angrily and threw the door open. "BENJAMIN FRANKLIN GATES!"

"Riley!" Ben dropped the pen he was holding. "Ssshhh!" He coughed, and continued in a hoarse voice. "Don't shout! Abby might hear!"

"Let her hear then! So she could give you an earful!" Riley ran fingers through his hair irritably. "Are you trying to get yourself sicker?" He paused. What in the world are you doing, Ben? You're worse than a kid! Aha! "You are grounded, Ben Gates!"

"Who are you, my dad?"

"No." Riley grabbed Ben's files, pen, and laptop. "But I could still ground you." He smirked.

Ben reached towards Riley. "Give that back! I need those!"

"Make me." Riley grinned. "Don't make me shout; I could wake up Abby with a single word."

Ben dropped back to a whisper. "No! Don't! Don't tell her!"

"Then stop screaming!" Riley continued in an irritated voice. "Go to sleep, Ben! What in the world do you think you're doing?!"

"Work?" Ben said with an almost-innocent look on his face.

Riley rolled his eyes."Don't try, Ben; I perfected that look." He pulled on the older man's arm. "Come on, let's get you back to your room."

Ben pulled at his own arm. "Let go, Riley, I'm not 10. I don't need your assistance."

Riley glared at Ben, and let him go. Ben staggered, and coughed. "You were saying, Ben?"

"Help?"

--

Over breakfast.

"Good morning Riley."

"Good morning Abby." Riley replied, stuffing his mouth with a spoonful of cereal. He didn't take his stare off Ben. Ben shifted, and lowered his eyes.

"Good morning Ben."

"Good morning Abby." Ben replied, and reached an arm towards Abby, inviting her for a kiss.

Abby raised a hand, grinning. "Sorry sweetie, but it wouldn't help if we're both sick, right? Riley would suffer if that happens."

"Yeah, poor me." Riley said sarcastically. His eyes still didn't move from Ben.

Abby looked at both curiously. "Is there anything wrong?"

Before Ben could even answer, Riley already spoke up. "Nothing, nothing's wrong. Although, Ben said that he would be fine here at home even if you leave for work."

"But who will-"

"No worries Abby, I'm not going anywhere." Riley cut her off, and pushed her towards the shower. "You haven't left the house for days. And don't even get me started about you taking a shower Abby- your hair's getting all… frizzy. Besides, I'm sure work has piled up in the office, and you love doing work for the Archives, right?"

"Can you-"

"Abby, relax. I can take care of Ben on my own. Trust me, okay?" Riley handed Abby her towel. "Go on and get out of here."

Abby smiled at Riley gratefully. "Thank you."

"No problem, just go."

Riley left Abby, and bounded downstairs towards the kitchen. Ben had just finished the last of his porridge. He was about to get up to put it on the sink when Riley snatched the bowl and put it in the sink himself. Ben grinned. "Thanks. And thanks for not telling Abby about last night."

"Well… she doesn't need any more problems. And besides, that one was not for free."

"What do you mean not for free?"

"You owe me one, Ben." Riley smirked. "I sent Abby away to do work around the office."

"What?!"

"It's just you and me, Ben. And it's payback time." For all the times you fussed over me when I was sick, treating me like a kid who can't do anything… It's payback time! Riley held out a hand, not expecting Ben to take it. Ben shook his head no, and stood up on his own. "Fine. Let me just…" Riley held a hand against Ben's neck. "Your fever's spiking up. Again. Probably the effect of you staying up so late last night instead of just sleeping and resting your sickness off! Did you even drinkyour pills this morning? I suspect not. Ben! How could you possibly get well if you don't drink your pills!"

"Alright! Enough already, Riley!" Ben grabbed a couple of pills from the table. "You're beginning to sound like Abby. Worse than her nagging, even!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Riley's eyes sparkled. There, my friends, was the goal, and the goal was attained. "Go on, get outta here and get some more sleep."

For once Ben didn't argue. He walked slowly back to his room, leaving Riley to clean the kitchen. Riley picked up a towel, and started wiping the table clear. He grinned. This is going to be fun…


Ben

This is going to be a long day. Ben pulled the sheets up to his chin. He was starting to feel dizzy again, and chilly, too. He rolled over to one side, and watched the door. I'm going to count to three, and exactly after that, I'll see Riley marching in here to check my temperature. One… two… three!

"Hey Ben… time to check your temp." Riley marched in, right on time, thermometer in hand. He threw it into Ben's mouth. "Under the tongue Ben."

Is it just me, or did he smirk? "Mmm-hmmm…" Ben rolled the thermometer around his mouth.

"Ben! I could see the movements outside, you know." Riley said, yanking the thermometer out. He wiped it on a tissue, and checked the temperature to see if it moved. It didn't. "It would be over much sooner if you cooperate." He put it in Ben's mouth again, and waited.

Didn't I just tell him that statement a few weeks ago? When he was sick? Is this déjà vu, or is he deliberately doing all of this? Ben looked at Riley, and saw a flash of what seemed to be a smug on his face, replaced by an overly-concerned look. Oh. So he is. "Mm-hmm, hmm?"

Riley pulled the thermometer out. "102.2. Definite fever. What were you saying again?"

"Riley, why?! Whatever I did when you were sick… it was all for your sake…"

"You would understand after my experiment is over, okay Ben?" Riley patted Ben on the shoulder. "I'll be right back with more medicine and a glass of water. Maybe a bowl of soup, too…" He headed out of the door, and turned around. "Don't you dare get up from that bed, Ben."

Ben nodded. He was happy to oblige to that. He didn't feel like he could even sit up. Riley returned after a few seconds, and handed Ben a tray with a glass of water, some pills, a bowl of soup. Ben drank his pills and ate the soup obediently. Riley sat in the corner. "Ben."

Ben looked up, a noodle still hanging from his mouth. "Hmm?"

"What made you think working at two in the morning a good idea?" Riley said quietly. Ben detected another question under it, but didn't push the subject.

"You'd just stop me from working if you see me, Riley. You know you would." Ben replied, sipping a spoonful of soup. "I need to do something, Riley. I can't just lie around the house even if I'm sick."

"But that's the point of being sick, Ben!" Riley explained, sighing dramatically. "Being sick gives you the time to rest, and just sleep and-or watch TV all day. No work involved."

Ben shook his head at Riley, as if he didn't understand. "I enjoy my work."

Riley stood up, and sat on the chair beside the bed. "Look, Ben. I know you do… but even I don't do this sort of thing."

"You don't sleep when you're hooked on your work, Riley."

"But that's different, Ben. I'm not sick then." Riley said patiently. At least, he sounded patient. I feel like I'm getting a lecture from my dad… "You're sick. You're supposed to sleep, eat, watch tv… Be a couch potato and not do anything!"

"I can't do that Riley… I'm not you." Ben grinned.

Riley rolled his eyes. "Haha. Not funny, Ben. I'm serious. I know you're a man of action. You're probably granted this virus so you'd take the time off. So, take. the. time. off!"

"And don't ever do the thermometer-rolling-in-the-mouth thing again to hide your temperature. I invented that." Riley grinned, and took the tray from Ben. "Go back to sleep."

Ben blinked at Riley while he closed the door, hooking a foot around it and pulling it shut. Did I just get a lecture from my best friend?

--

Riley returned after a few hours, to bring Ben another round of pills and some porridge. "Hey Ben, how are you feeling?"

"Better." Ben smiled, yawning. For the past 15 minutes I have been staring at the ceiling with nothing to do. I hope Riley's brought something interesting…

"Here, Ben. I guess you deserve this for restraining yourself for the past four hours or so…" Riley handed Ben one of his books.

I've been out for four hours?! "Thanks, Riley. How long have I been sleeping?"

"Four hours, I already told you. Sheesh Ben, I don't have to repeat everything, right?" Riley placed the thermometer in Ben's mouth again. "Don't worry about it, okay? Do you need anything else? I'll be downstairs, just give me a shout when you need me. I'll keep everything under control. Are you sure you're going to be alright in here? Do I have to stand by and watch you? I could do that, you know…" There he goes, starting with this again. I don't like being treated like a kid, Riley! I could take care of myself, even if I'm sick!

And the things I've been doing to Riley whenever he was sick… well, let's just say I've treated him way worse. More like a kid than an adult. And what he's doing to me is just a taste of my own medicine- although I was still worse than this. At least there is an ounce of sensitivity left in there, but when I take care of him, I'm so focused on the fact that h was sick that I forget he's real and I need to back off a bit too.

Wow. Another horribly big realization. I wonder when they would stop hitting me, or when they would actually get applied…

"Look, Riley, I'm sorry for all that, okay?"

"For what?" Riley cocked an ear, as if he was waiting for further explanation.

"For…" Ben exhaled, and started another apology. "for treating you too much like a kid. I get it, you're a grown-up... I'm sorry."

Riley grinned. "Now that's what I've been waiting for." He sat on Ben's bed. "So… what now? Any promises you have under that thick skull of yours?"

"Yeah. No more kid stuff."

"Unless I ask for it, right?" Riley grinned. Ben raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm not one to grow up, remember? A kid at heart is always a kid at heart."

"Sure." Ben rolled his eyes, and pushed Riley off. "Now go away, before you catch this horrible bug."

Riley smiled, and stood up, heading for the door. He grabbed the now-empty glass. "Have a good sleep, Ben."

Ben smiled too, and waved him off. "Sure, kid." He heard Riley's laughter, and he rolled over to another side, and closed his eyes.

LECTURELECTURELECTURELECTURELECTURELECTURE

Review please and thank you!

-Jaeh x)