Sorry it's been such a while, I was really sick and I had to see a doctor. Thanks everybody for waiting. I'm really glad that all of you like the direction of my story. This episode kind of focuses on Ben with a little bit of Mike/Alaina, and we will get to see Aaron's reaction to the development in Tara and Tyler's relationship.

Episode 10: Secrets

Ben couldn't sleep. Not that he ever slept, but he couldn't lie still on his bed for eight hours staring at the ceiling as per usual. The Doctor's words rang through his head louder than a train flying by his ears. He repeated them in The Doctor's own voice with his powers. Don't you want to know where you came from? I have the answers. I will get him. He must know the truth.

Now that he had the peace and quiet to think it over, he did want to know where he came from. He knew that the Professor was hiding something from him, a crucial piece of information that would help him understand himself. Not that he was angry at the Professor about lying to him. He was infuriated. He hated liars, and the only way he knew he was lying was that odd feeling he got when the Professor told him that nothing had come from that session. He sighed to himself and went to the window, looking out at the cool blue night sky, cloud-free and full of stars. It held no beauty for Ben.

The only solution, he thought, was to run away. Run where? He said softly.

Run to me, my boy… said a soft voice. Ben whirled around and saw no one. He had heard that voice before, but where? When? And most importantly… who?

…………………

"Hey, dudes. Has anyone seen…"Aaron was saying as he walked into the kitchen for breakfast. He stopped talking immediately, because Steven grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back out, closing the kitchen door behind him.

"Maybe we can grab breakfast at school, okay?" Steven smiled and began to pull him toward the front door.

"What? No way! The food at Bayville High is either burnt or still frozen. I'll take my chances with what's left in there."

"But you don't want to go in there," Steven insisted, tugging on the wall that was Aaron. "Come on, let's just go."

"Yeah, I DO want to go in there," Aaron pulled his arm away.

"No, you DON'T," Steven grabbed his arm again.

They stared at each other, silent. Aaron grinned. "Are you under the delusion that you suddenly have the power to hypnotize me and I, just this once, am going to listen to you?" Laughing, he turned and opened the kitchen door, and regretted it immediately. There was Tara, and there was Tyler. Acting like some sort of couple. Eating each other's food. Playing with each other's hair. GIGGLEING. KISSING.

He closed the door and turned to Steven in a fit of rage. "Why didn't you stop this?!"

"You wanted me to try?"

"Well, why didn't you stop ME?"

Steven looked at him incredulously and gaped. "I DID try to stop you. But I don't have hypnotism powers, REMEMBER?"

Aaron was breathing deep breaths and for some reason was asking for his mommy. Steven patted his shoulder and shook his head. "It's okay. It's okay, you can cry, let it all out."

"CRY?!" Aaron pushed him away. "Hell no, get me a phone! I'm calling an assassin!"

"An assassin?" He grabbed his friend's shirt and turned him around. "No, Aaron. No more assassins. Remember LAST time?"

"That was a joke and you know it! I wasn't going to murder the Professor, and I'm not going to murder them. It's just…" Aaron looked at his feet. "I… I really liked her. I guess I… I don't know."

"Then why don't you tell her that instead of picking up beautiful sixteen year old girls with huge breasts and…"

"You boys really shouldn't talk behind my back," Sara said as she walked by them towards the kitchen. "Steven, good for you. Nice going!"

When she was gone, Aaron looked at Steven angrily. "What did she mean, 'nice going'?"

"I hooked up with Cat, no big deal."

"Oh my God, if you can get a date and I can't, I'm finished. Morning, Alaina." Aaron waved at her as she walked by, yawning and ignoring them. She had a tired face, but a huge smile that seemed to light up the living room. "What's her deal?"

"Long night of homework?" Steven shrugged.

……………………..

Kish knocked tentatively on Isaac's door. There was a crashing noise and the door opened a small crack, one angry blue eye poking out. "What do you want, almost-blue-boy?"

"I was just wondering if you knew where Mike was," Kish smiled weakly and looked into the room. "Is… is there someone in there?"

"No! And I don't know where Mike is! Go away!" Isaac slammed the door shut and Kish winced. Everyone was so mean to him, like he was just a little kid wandering through the house screwing up assignments. Sometimes it made him sad.

"Hi Kish!" Luna walked past him, waving. "What's up?"

"I can't find Mike anywhere… have you seen him?"

"Noooo… But I think he might have come inside from his fly a few minutes ago…" Luna smiled and waved again. "Tootles!"

Kish sighed again. Teleporting into the kitchen, he bumped headlong into Mike. "Hey! THERE you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

"Um… why?" Mike poured milk into his cereal and sat down. Manny was chattering away on a phone at the other end of the kitchen to someone he kept calling Mami.

"I was just worried, you were gone all night," Kish grabbed four pieces of toast and began to butter one of them. "I was hoping you hadn't gotten caught or killed."

"I can take care of myself," Mike said coolly. Then he blinked. "Wha… what are you doing?" Kish had spread butter on two slices of toast and was now stacking them with two slices of toast smothered in jam.

"Sandwich. It's good!" Kish mumbled with a full mouth. Mike grimaced.

"You really can eat everything, can't you?"

…………………

"Ben?" Catty called into Kurt's infirmary room. "Daddy, has Ben been…"

"Shh, I'm watching this," Kurt held up a hand as Catty sat down on the foot of his bed. He seemed very concentrated on the movie he was watching. "Back flip, crouch land, double leap…" he was mumbling. Catty realized he wasn't watching a movie at all, only an old video of himself and the X-Men fighting a sentinel when they were kids.

"Dad, are you training? In your condition?"

"I'm doing the best I can!" Kurt snapped, turning it off. "Now, what did you want, sweetie?"

Catty scooted away from him a little. Whatever medicine the doctor was giving him, it was causing weird mood swings. "I was just wondering if Ben had been in here to see you."

"No. I haven't seen him at all, actually," Kurt looked at the door. "All of your other friends came to see me, but not him."

"Well, that's it. I've officially looked everywhere." Catty sighed dramatically and got up. "Well, if you see him…"

"Is he missing?" Kurt began to push himself up. "Should I be suiting up?"

No! You stay, I'LL go look for him," She pushed him back down gently. "Get some sleep, dad."

"I'm not useless, you know. As a matter of fact, I feel like a million."

"We know you're not useless, daddy, but you look like a penny that's been run over and dropped into a gutter with gum stuck to it," She smiled and waved. "Bye now!"

Kurt began to grumble. He did NOT look that bad.

……………………..

Ben followed the voice through the front door of the old house, unconcerned as to whether the occupants were home. Hello? He called softly. Then, he saw it. It was the narrow stairwell. He looked up into the darkness of it, holding his breath. This is where it happened. This was where the woman had died. Taking a tentative step forward, he put a foot on the first step. He groaned as the memory of the screaming woman carrying him down these stairs flooded back.

"No! No, you won't take him, my baby, my baby!" She screamed as she ran. Ben put a small hand on her shoulder and looked behind them. A magnetic hum filled the stairwell as the man floated down after them. Magneto was chasing them.

"Just give me the boy, Carla," Magneto said in a cold, deep voice. Ben felt tears and held them back. He wanted to be strong for mother. He wouldn't let her down. The stairs were long and so very narrow. He stared down instead, down, down the stairs. Someone else was there. Someone…

Ben whirled around and ran outside into the rain. The chase had gone outside! The other man had followed!

"Please! Take me, take me instead! Don't take my baby!" Ben held onto mother's hand in the street, staring up at Magneto. The other man was behind them, and Ben did not look. He had to be strong for mother. She was weak, and young, and so frail.

"Silly girl, I have no use for you," Magneto laughed. "When we had our agreement, you said the boy would be mine when he turned five years old. Give him to me."

"Please! It's his birthday; let me have one more day, one more day!" She fell to her knees, shaking with sobs. Ben hugged her softly.

"Mommy, mommy…" he whispered. "Mommy… don't cry…"

Magneto advanced and kicked her into the mud. Ben stood and screamed. "No! Leave her alone!" Swinging his fists wildly, a few of his punches hit Magneto's strong leg. Mother wasn't moving, she was too sick, too frail. She would lay there until the police came, and then she would be dead.

Magneto laughed and picked him up by the back of his shirt. "You're mine, Ben," He smiled. "Come on, let's go home. Forget your mother—she'll be fine."

"No!" The other man called. "Put him down!"

"Jason, Jason, now you show pity?" Magneto put the boy down And advanced on Mastermind, his…

"Ben? Ben, is that really you?"

Ben turned quickly and stared at him, the man he hadn't seen in five years, Mastermind. What are YOU doing here? Ben cried angrily.

"Ben… haven't you been getting my letters?" Jason stepped towards him, reaching out a hand. "I've been writing to you… hasn't he been giving you my letters?"

What letters? The professor would never hide anything from me!

"Ben, I… I'm your father."

And for the first time in five years, Ben spoke.

"W-what?"

NEXT: And here my troubles had begun!