A/N: AHH! I know, it's been forever. Over a month. Don't worry, the next one should only take a week or so. I've already started it. My excuse is that I had the hardest time figuring out how this was going to work. I had them in the airport for the longest time, but think this is better. I bet the next chapter will be the last, and then maybe there will be a shorter sequel. I did set up for it, a bit. I used an online translator for the foreign language again, so I apologize to anyone who would be able to tell the difference.

Your mission is 1: Read (and enjoy!) chapter. 2: Review saying what you thought about this one and thoughts about a sequel. I really value your guys' reactions!

~Bananna

Disclaimer: I do not own the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare from which I pulled Benvolio and based quite a few of my own characters and situations on.


It was a bit elegant in the way things all worked out. Benvolio had gotten to America by waking up in an airplane. It only made sense that he would leave by falling asleep inside of one. In hindsight, the answer was obvious.

No, the only wonder was that he had spent so long fretting about it. It was ridiculous, if he held himself to the intelligence standard that he did, that it would take him so long to figure this out.

So thought a boy on his last day of being Ben Mantahue, the foreign exchange student from England. It was Friday. The semester had ended today at Jake and Matt's school, and at the moment he was sitting in the room he had used as his bedchambers the last five months, frantically trying to fit all of the things that had come with him to America back into the bags. Personally, Ben wasn't sure it was worth it, and really didn't mind leaving some of the clothes behind (he'd never really gotten used to huge hoodies and winter coats) but Jake and Matt and Ami, who were all there in his room, all insisted on fitting everything they could into his bags. Benvolio, who had felt unusually weary all day, didn't want to expend the extra energy arguing vigorously with them.

"I won't be able to use that," Ben laughed weakly as Matt and Jake considered the best place to put his cell phone. "You might as well keep it."

"My parents would get suspicious," Jake replied, shaking his head.

Matt had no such problems. "Thanks!" he yelled, picking up the thing and pocketing it. "No one will have to know about this, got it? Alright, where should we put this?"

Ben wrinkled his nose. Ami, having a similar reaction, voiced his thoughts. "A math test?"

"Come on, Ben. I know you're going to miss these in the past."

"I got a 73 on it."

Matt waved the offended piece of paper in Ben's face. "I know. Maybe this'll remind you that you aren't that smart."

"Hey! Can't you be nice to me for one more day?" Ben protested as Ami laughed.

"You should take this," Jake interrupted, holding up something large and square with a dark blue cloth cover. A textbook.

Ben made another face. "Why do you two think I want to be reminded of school?"

Jake pushed the workbook into his suitcase anyways and tried to close the zipper - easier said than done. "Look, you didn't come here with any of your Verona things. How do you know you'll even have any of this when you get back?"

"Are you saying that we just spent the last three hours wasting our time?" Ami objected.

"Maybe," Jake grinned sheepishly, "And it was not three hours. We just ate desert."

His sister rolled her eyes. "No. I ate dessert. You three inhaled it."

"That was the best commemorative ice cream cake I've ever had!" Matt protested. "It was delicious! Worthy of being eaten as fast as possibly in order to get seconds before somebody else steals all of it."

"Inhales is a harsh word, sis," Jake said teasingly. "I prefer…thoroughly enjoyed."

Ami made a tsk noise and crossed her arms. "A rose by any other name still smells as sweet."

Ben watched as the three of them chatted across the room at each other, going through the last of his things and other stuff that might be there. They got along so well together. Trying to swallow the bittersweet taste in his mouth, Benvolio reflected on how they really didn't need him anymore.

And as much as he enjoyed their company, he really didn't need them.

Crash!

The three boys jumped and Ami shrieked a little as a vase, which had been holding flowers peacefully while resting on Ben's dresser, fell to the floor and shattered into dozens of shards, sending bits of broken glass and flowers and water everywhere. "Don't move," Jake ordered, as soon as he could find his voice. "Just…well, be careful. If we pick this up right away, Mom and Dad will never know where it went."

"They never came in here, anyways," Ami supported. "They probably don't remember it exists."

"Dibs not the vacuum," Matt said quickly, bringing up his forefinger to his face. "I say we do nose-goes."

Jake rolled his eyes. "I was thinking we go for the little more subtle dustpan and broom."

"I'm still not doing it."

"I will," Ami said exasperatingly, "Sheesh, you two would never get anything done."

"Need help?" offered Ben.

Jake snorted. "You are not working on your last day here. Matt's going to do it. I insist."

"What?" yelped Matt. "I am not! I'm a guest, too!"

"Are you sure? You seem to spend more time here than at your own house."

"But my family's always there," Matt whined.

"Congratulations," Jake said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "You just figured out your family lives in your house. What next scientific study are you going to work on? How your brother is related to you?"

"My family's huge, Lapet, so shut up."

"Matt," Ben called out lazily, not trying very hard to get his two best friends back in line. He was feeling really tired all of the sudden. Like he'd just crashed off a sugar rush. He sent Ami a "help me" look.

"Maybe that's why you living in a huge house, smart one."

"Oh, so are you jealous of it?"

"Guys," Ben moaned. "You're making my head hurt." They paid his whines no mind.

"If I was, do you think I'd let you come over here all the time?"

"Do you ever shut up or do you just like the sound of your own voice so much that-"

"That is such an old line, I think my dinosaur might have trouble recogni-"

"Guys!" Ami yelled as Matt reached over and shoved Jake as hard as he could. He never would have hurt his best friend on purpose; of course he sent Jake staggering backwards onto the bed. Unfortunately, that's what Ben was leaning against. As Jake fell backwards heavily onto the mattress, his arm knocked Benvolio off balance. He snapped himself awake with just enough time to spread his arms out to soften the fall a little bit as he hit the floor.

Was blood supposed to flash light that brightly?

"BEN!" "Ben!" "Ohmygosh, are you alright?"

"I'll live," Ben grunted as he pulled himself up, grimacing as pain streaked up his right arm. His head spun a little as he tried to lift it, gave up, and just looked hopelessly at his forearm.

Big splinter.

Ami noticed his gaze and gasped as she saw it, running across to kneel beside him. "Ohmygosh," she repeated, this time in a hushed whisper. "Is that…is that…" she looked up tearfully at her older brother and his friend, who were standing stock still by the bedside, as if in shock. "Ben?" she said timidly.

He didn't bother to disguise the ragged breathing. He had run all the way from the friar's cell to the Montague mansion with the injury before. Surely he could stay strong now. "Don't look," he ordered, his voice rough as he tried to think as little as possible about what was happening. Ami nodded and squeezed her eyes shut.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. Ben bit his lip, grimacing, as he pulled the shard of vase straight out of his arm. As he knew it would, it was right along the original scarline, with blood dripping from his wrist to his elbow. Wasn't there supposed to be a fatal artery along there that if you cut would make you bleed to death? It didn't matter. He'd be gone soon, anyways.

How did this happen?

As he expected, the blood wasn't its normal red color either. As he watched, the red glowed electric blue for a second and then started turning purple. Ben grimaced, tucked his arm in towards his side, and looked at the shard of vase. Of course there was purple dripping off of it, but the droplets on the side, where the water in the vase would have touched, were bright blue clumps of liquid. Like Friar Lawrence's potion.

"What was in this vase?" Ben asked, his voice surprisingly steady. "Water and flowers? What kinds?"

Ami opened up her eyes and looked around, her gaze avoiding been, searching in her memory and the flowers she could she on the floor. "A lot of kinds. Roses and lilies and tulips and violets…what's that yellow one with the black center? Something w-with eyes?"

"Black eyed susans," Matt responded, his voice unnaturally flat. He walked around to kneel next to Ami, a comforting hand rubbing her back. "Red clover, too. Ben…" he trailed off, looking to his friend for answers.

Ben wet his lips and took a huge breath, trying to collect as much air as possible. "Look at this," he said, tilting the shard of vase so they could see. "This blue stuff. That's the potion. The potion that brought me here. It must be made with this same collection of flowers."

Ami's brow furrowed, distracting herself with this problem from all the blood at hand. "But, Ben, some of these flowers look like they've been dead for who knows how long."

Ben shrugged. "It doesn't matter, exactly." He smiled a bit. "I'm finally going home…"

There was a sharp intake of breath from behind the three of them. They all turned their heads to Jake, who was still standing upright by the bed. Bed was shocked to see tears running down his face.

Jake bit his lips as he met their gazes for a split second, and then turned away. "I'm so sorry," he gasped, wiping furiously at his eyes. "This is all my fault."

Ben registered both Matt and Ami opening their mouths, but before they could say anything, Ben called, "Jake, come here."

Jake swallowed thickly, slowly coming over and sitting on the other side of Ben from Matt and his sister. "I'm so sorry," he repeated in a hoarse whisper. "So, so sorry."

Ben raised his good arm and embraced Jake, hugged him as Jake allowed himself to sob three times before pulling away. "This never would have happened if it weren't for me," Jake said as looked at the floor. "None of it."

"Jake-"

He turned to Ben abruptly, stopping Matt's sentence. "Are you really going to go?"

Benvolio nodded slowly. "Yes. You knew it."

"I knew it," Jake echoed. "Hell, this is all my fault."

"It is not!" Ben and Matt responded heatedly at the same time.

"Shut up, guys, it's easier when I can blame somebody."

They all shared a smile at something that wasn't really funny. Maybe for the last time, Ben realized. He cleared his throat. "Well, this is, um, goodbye."

There were three nodding heads back at him. Ben took another deep breath a turned to face Ami. "Well, I guess these two won't have me to look after them anymore, so you'd better do a good job looking after them for me."

Ami smiled, tears leaking out of her own eyes. "I'll do my best."

Ben smiled back, reaching over to squeeze her hand with his good one. "I know it's a tall order. Don't worry." He turned to Matt. "And you. You'll help a lot of people when you grow up. Just promise you won't do something stupid like blow up the school something."

Matt tried his best to raise an eyebrow. "You're actually making me promise not to be stupid?"

Ben chuckled. "Yeah, I know, who are we kidding. Jake-"

Jake looked at Ben, tears blurring the normally rich hazel color. Out of no where, he would the words coming to him. "This is where we part, then, coz."

Jake's breath was shallow as he met Ben's gaze. "Oh."

Ben glanced quickly at Matt, who frowned as he tried to read the expression. "What is it, Ben?"

Jake opened his mouth to snap at him, but Ben cut him off. "Not forever," he said.

Three simultaneous "what?"s echoed around the room.

"I'm coming back," he said firmly, looking around at each of their faces. "This won't be the last you'll hear of me."

As both Ami and Jake looked like they were going to burst back into tears at any second, Matt responded. "But, dude…how do you know this?"

Ben picked up the shard again. "The potion," he said. "The friar can make more of it. I know some of the ingredients, and my family has the money. I'll have to live in Verona, of course. Next Lord Montague and all that, and I am pretty fond of home, but don't worry. I'll be fine. And I'll get in touch." He smiled weakly and the three unreadable faces surrounding him. "Until we meet again, then?"

There was a pause as the three of them just continued starring at me, and Ben felt as if he had said something wrong. Naturally, he asked the most obvious question in the world. "What's up with you guys?"

He let out a grunt as he was absorbed by three hugs, bad arm and all (which he could barely feel anymore, so it didn't matter). He blinked back his own tears as he tried to hug them back.

"Till we meet again," Jake answered, patting Ben on the back once and then pulling away.

"BFFs," Matt added, doing the same. Ami followed.

Ben looked at the blond, confused. "What?"

Matt's mouth jumped to its usual teasing smirk for a second as he answered. "Abbreviation, Ben. Best Friends Forever."

"Ah," he said, "sì."

All three of them looked at him, but Ben, paying no noticed, leaned back instead and made himself comfortable. "Mi passa il mio zaino, vero?" he asked, gesturing to his bags. Jake and Matt exchanged a look, but Ami reached over and dragged the handles of the largest one over so Ben could hold it. "Grazie," he murmured, pull the bag up next to him, in the space between him and Jake. His vision seemed to be growing dimmer. "Addio, amici miei," he said as firmly as he could, closing his eyes. Around him, he could hear strange nonsense syllables…that must be one of the potion's effects…and then finally, he could hear nothing.

Nothing but his own breath whistling away.


"What was he saying? Was that Spanish?"

"No," Matt answered, shaking his head. "Not Spanish."

"I think it was Italian," Ami answered, watching Ben as his chest rose up and down. With his arm tucked into his chest like that, you couldn't see the injury, so…he could've been sleeping. "I've had to sing songs in Italian at school."

"Why was he speaking Italian?" Matt asked, also observing his friend. "Yeah, I know he lives in Italy, but he never has before."

Jake shrugged, willing himself to keep focusing on Ben's face and not the blood –purple blood- slowly staining his shirt. "I guess a second dose of whatever it was reverses the effects."

"How did he know he was going to get it today, though?" Matt asked, wonderingly. "He always knew he was leaving today. How did he know?"

Ami shrugged. "Maybe he really does have physic powers. Today was his last day of school, officially, as an exchange student."

Jake froze. "Oh, crap. He has a plane to catch tomorrow. He was supposed to be there. Now he's passed out on the floor. What are we going to tell Mom and Dad?"

Matt shrugged. "Who cares?"

"Who cares?" Jake shouted back. "I care, you stupid-"

"Jake," Ami interrupted. "Calm down. There'll probably be some excuse. After all, if he came here with this exchange kid thing already set up, maybe…maybe everyone will just forget about him."

Both boys looked up at the same time. "Forget?" Jake echoed, feeling like his throat was constricting.

Ami looked away sadly. "Yeah, I bet. I mean…how else would this be explained…he won't….wait." She snapped her head up so fast her neck cracked. "He won't die, will he?"

"What?" Matt yelped.

"No way!" Jake shouted, almost jumping to his feet. He took a few deep breaths to calm down. "No, he's not going to die. That would mean calling his family and all that…no, Ami, I think you're right. People will just…"

Matt's eyes widened. "I don't wanna forget about him either!"

Ami bit her lip as the feeling of tears slowly came back. "Jake," she called out slowly, "I'm scared."

Jake took a deep breath. "Don't be. We won't forget him."

Matt and Ami both gave him looks of…well, Jake had seen so many emotions in the last half hour, he didn't even know what to call it anymore. Sadness mixed with fear and confusion and is-he-going-crazy and how-does-he-know along with the ever present this-can't-be-happening. "Don't be scared," he repeated, growing more confident as he spoke. "We just have to trust Ben. We'll remember him. Just trust him."

There was a pause and Ami still looked doubtful, but Matt slowly nodded his head. "You're worse than crazy, Jake. You're a raving lunatic. You know what? We're all crazy. Why not? Why not just put us all in the mental…oh, no. Does this mean I'll the pictures I took of us were for nothing?"

They all laughed- for a second, just forgot about everything and laughed. "Yeah, I bet, Matt," Jake answered him, grinning. "Ben will just fade out of those pictures. Just like in the movies."

Matt smiled back ruefully. "That's a shame. Now there'll be only one good-looking one in them."

Jake chuckled back, turning to look back at Ben. "Best try to remember what he looks like the old fashioned way, then."

He was medium height, on the skinny side with long legs.
He had an oval face and a square jaw. His skin, although paler from his winter in America, was still several shades more tan that any of the other kids. He had the smallest brushing of freckles on his cheekbones, long eyelashes, and a crown of medium brown curls adorning his forehead. His dark lips were slightly open, revealing teeth that were whiter than they should have been. As if he could sense their gazes, Ben's face twitched a little in his sleep, before falling back into complete unconsciousness.

And then it disappeared.