It's about time for an Intermission, ain't it? ;) Hope you all enjoy! This takes place immediately after the last chapter, so hold on tight for now we're going to take a look at Rook's greatest fear!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Intermission 6: One Last Thing Unresolved

Atris Peydora looked at the the young men before her with keen and observing eyes. Her natural abilities as a galilean not only allowed her to manipulate gravity, but to sense it's movements...it's ebbs and flows. As such, she was acutely aware that something was weighing heavily upon the both of them. Magister Tennyson had given her a quick, three minute brief on what had occurred today, but there was still more to the situation.

Ever since Benjamin Tennyson first came to her months ago, Atris had guided him through a journey no young man should ever have to take. On the outside, to the public, Ben was brave, fool-hardy, reckless, and kind. But on the inside...to his family and friends...the boy was being pushed to the brink. Every day was a new disaster that Ben felt compelled to fight off. And at the end of each day Ben felt strained, stressed, and exhausted.

The boy had the weight of the world upon his shoulder.

"So, I would like to start by having you both, one at a time, telling me why we are here," Atris instructed. "Benjamin, would you like to start?"

Ben gave Rook a side-long glance before he began to speak. "The Rooters barged into headquarters demanding that Kevin be returned to their custody. But there was something dirty about the whole thing...Grandpa Max, Patelliday, everyone could sense it. Max had Blukic and Driba stall the Rooters while I track down Kevin and get him into hiding."

Atris kept her features schooled as Ben spoke despite the great surprise at Ben referring to Kevin Levin by his first name instead of his last. A critical puzzle piece had just been presented to her.

"I found him and we made our escape," Ben continued, "but not before Kevin ran head first into the Rooters' leader...Servantis. He's half human, half cerebralcrustacean. When Kevin collided with him, he absorbed some of the telepathic energy from Servantis' brain. As we drove off, Kevin said he was beginning to remember things."

"What kind of things?" Atris asked.

Ben looked up at Atris, and the woman could read the thoughts and emotions in his eyes as though they were books. "He...he said that everything about his past was a lie...that there are no such things as osmossians, at least as we know them...and that..."

When Ben didn't continue, Atris leaned forward ever so slightly and said, "Yes?"

"...That maybe Servantis planted bad thoughts and memories of him in me while we were...together."

Ah...and so the final hurdle in Ben's marathon was being reached. The final ounce of emotional baggage was ready to be exorcised. Atris was going to need a strong cup of tea when this was done. Turning to Rook, Atris asked, "Would you care to add anything?"

Rook nodded an affirmative and said, "When I saw Ben with Kevin, I thought that Ben had agreed to the Rooters demands. I had warned Magister Tennyson that Ben's history with Kevin might result in such an outcome. I was...pleased...to see that perhaps I had been right. But then..." Rook stopped as his whole body tensed. Atris could see the strain along his jaw that suggested the revonnahgander was clenching his teeth.

"Then?" Atris probed.

"...Then he started to defend Kevin," Rook said with a bitter tone. "He pleaded with the Rooters not to take Levin away, saying it was all a lie; Kevin's past were all a fiction created by the Rooters...by Servantis. And while it was true that Servantis had great telepathic abilities, I could not bring myself to believe that Kevin was innocent."

"Why not? Why not give him the benefit of the doubt?" Atris asked.

Rook shut his eyes and tightened his hands into fists before relaxing. "I saw what he put Ben through...the emotional turmoil and anguish...how the life seemed to drain right out of him...but then I managed to coax him back to life, and I felt my heart's flame spark to life," Rook looked up at Atris with a small, sad smile. "Among my people, we believe that within our heart lies a spark...a small, flickering flame feeble fighting back the darkness. We also believe that there exists a single person for each of us who shares a similar spark. And when the two meet, their combined sparks light a blazing fire that can never be put out. It is that person we stand by and never leave for the rest of our life," Rook explained to Atris, briefly glancing at Ben.

"I was always 'by the books', as humans say," Rook continued, keeping his eyes on Ben, "I followed my peoples traditions as well as the Plumbers code. And yet, while Ben didn't completely disrespect the rules, he certainly didn't follow them to the letter. He was unlike anything I ever met before: wild, free-spirited, said whatever was on his mind. I love my people, but they could be...rigid at times." Rook smiled happily as he then said "And with Ben, I had this uncontrollable, dazzling being before me...showing me things I'd have never thought to see."

"And that's why you had a particularly venomous dislike for Kevin," Atris interjected. "In your eyes, he had tarnished that jubilant aura Ben possessed, and so you saw him as a 'deplorable' individual."

Rook frowned and bowed his head. "Correct," he answered. "And when I saw Ben start to defend Kevin..." Rook started.

"I had to, Rook. I mean, I couldn't let them take him away, not after what he told me!" Ben cut in.

"And you believed him!" Rook shouted. "How do you think that made me feel to see you defending the man who'd hurt both you and Sister Gwen so badly! He lied, cheated and stole from so many!"

"But it wasn't him! Not those times, or the others!" Ben shouts as he jumped out of his seat and stood before Rook. "I believe him; all you have to do is believe me. Kevin would have given me the benefit of the doubt and believed me!"

"OF COURSE HE WOULD! WHY ARGUE WITH THE ONE WARMING YOUR BED WHILE YOU'RE OFF PRACTICING INFIDELITY?!" Rook shouted as he jumped to his feet.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Atris commanded as she levitated the two back into their seats. "Now, Rook, that last comment was quite derogatory. While blindly fueled by rage, it was still below the belt."

"You are right," Rook agreed feeling guilty at having said it. Turning to Ben with sincerity and remorse he said, "I am sorry."

"...I'll always forgive you," Ben replied.

Seeing the two finding their middle ground once more, Atris smiled and said, "Good. Now we can proceed. And I believe I have a theory as to the crux of the matter." Turning to Rook, who had perked up at Atris' words, she said, "Stop me if I'm wrong: while it is true that you find it impossible to forgive and forget as Ben has due to what Kevin has done in the past, whether it was by choice or not, the real problem is far more serious – if Ben can forgive Kevin, what is to stop him from caring for Kevin again? And should Ben ever care for Kevin again, what is to stop him from loving Kevin again?"

Ben's mouth dropped in shock at the completely preposterous notion only to find Rook's head bowed and looking absolutely defeated. "Rook? Is that...what you really think?" Ben asked fearfully.

Rook looked up at Ben, tears slowly falling from his eyes. "Throughout the universe, great importance is held towards one's first anything: their first word, their first step, their first day of school, ...their first love. Had Kevin never abandoned you as he did, you and I would never have happened," Rook explained, sounding positively miserable. "If it could be proven that all your bad memories of him never happened, you could fall in love with him again...and leave me."

Ben slowly stood up and moved towards Rook, who looked up at him. Neither he nor Atris were prepared for Ben to slap Rook across the face.

"You...idiot!" Ben hissed through tears. "Do you really think that I'm capable of that?! Do you really think I think so little of you! And you think I'm arrogant?! Damn it, I love you more than that! Kevin and I had our time and now it's over! I'm with you! I love you! I swear to God if I ever catch you thinking that away again I'll hit you much harder than I just did!" And with that, Ben wrapped his arms around Rook.

During Ben's tirade, Rook had just sat their in shock, but when Ben had wrapped hi arms around him all of his fears seemed to wash away and he could only cry in joy that he wasn't going to lose Ben.

"I love you so much, Ben Tennyson," Rook cried.

"I love you so much too, you stupid cat," Ben cried back.

Atris allowed the two their reconciliatory moment before hem hem-ing to get their attention back. "I'm glad to see the two of you have patched things up," Atris said with a pleased smile before grinning impishly and adding, "Perhaps, in the future, you will try to bypass me and simply talk to each other?" Of course she'd never deny them a session with her, but they really did need to learn to communicate about the negative things just as well as they did the positive things.

At the galileans words, both Ben and Rook grinned sheepishly.

"Now, it seems that like many young couples involved in a whirlwind romance, the two of you are making a critical mistake which often leads to increased jealousy and uncertainty: spending too much time with each other," Atris lectured. "Rook, you have friends here on Earth, Plumber and civilian alike, yes?"

"That is correct," Rook answered.

"When was the last time you spent any time with them?" Atris asked.

Rook's lack of a response was answer enough.

"Ben? I pose to you the same question."

Like Rook, Ben didn't respond.

"Well then. Some time apart might indeed do you both good. Taking into account Mr. Blonko's feral state I am ordering no less than two weeks of you two going off and 'doing your own thing', as the humans say. And when you come back, I suspect you'll find yourselves more clear-headed about each other and this relationship. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am," they answered in unison before thanking the galilean and exiting her office, nearly running into Patelliday as they did. The two simply shrugged and allowed Patelliday his privacy.

-BRoken-

"Magister Patelliday," Atris said, "this is a surprise. Is everything alright?"

"I...I think I'm ready to tell...him," Patelliday answered nervously.

Atris was going to need a another strong cup of tea when this was done.

END INTERMISSION