4 – Space

Felicity felt thankful that the next morning started with minimal awkwardness. Ben was already in the shower when she woke. After making the bed, she hurried into a pair of jeans and a fresh tank top. She sat cross-legged on the bed and turned on the television, flipping idly through the channels.

Water stopped running. Minutes later, Ben emerged from the bathroom in jeans and a dark blue button-down shirt. "Hey, I match the room," he kidded. "Good morning."

"Good morning," she echoed. "I was going to say—"

He rounded the bed to get to his sneakers. Felicity caught a whiff of aftershave and forgot the rest of what she had been about to tell him.

He sat on the corner of the bed and pulled on his shoes. "Say what?"

"Uh…" She fumbled for a second. "Breakfast. How about we start with breakfast and then drive around the city? We could check out the Air and Space Museum this afternoon."

"Sure." He finished tying his shoes and stood up, casting about the room. "Have you seen my wallet?"

She smiled. It felt good to return to casual banter after the discomfort of the past night. "Yeah. On top of the television."

Ben took his wallet and went to his nightstand, scooping up the car keys. "Ready?"

She got to her feet, second-guessing her initial reaction about their banter. He was so…calm. Maybe he really has decided just to be friends. He did say I read too much into things. This doesn't have to mean anything, exactly. She picked her backpack up off the dresser. If he can do this, I can do this. She flashed a smile. "Let's take on the capital."

- - - - -

"Wait, wait! I want to get a picture of the White House." She pointed her camera out the window as they approached it.

"How are you going to get a picture while we're driving?" he asked in amusement.

"I put a roll of high-speed film in it this morning."

Ben slowed the car as they drove past the White House, and she snapped her picture.

"That's the last one on the roll," she announced as the camera wound the film. "Want to check out the Air and Space Museum now?"

"Yeah. That's going to take a while," he told her.

"What do you mean?"

He gave a boyish grin. "When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut in the worst way."

She laughed, delighted to be learning something new about him. "Really?"

"It was either that, or a famous athlete. Did you always want to be a doctor?"

"Well, no," she responded thoughtfully. "My dad always wanted me to be a doctor. I wanted to be an artist."

"What changed your mind?"

"Nothing, really. I like both. I just decided to pursue medicine instead of art, is all." With a smile, she added, "What about you? I know you haven't actually declared a major, but what happened to being an astronaut?"

He laughed a little. "I sort of grew out of it, I guess. I was like six years old."

"And athletics?"

He started to look uncomfortable. "I don't know." They reached the museum, and he parked the car. "It just didn't work out that way."

Felicity got the impression he didn't want to discuss his career plans any further. They got out of the car and headed for the museum entrance. She thought back to his reaction when Harold had assumed he was pre-med. She knew he wanted to drop the subject, but she couldn't resist. "What do you want to do with your life?"

He hesitated a step. She could have sworn he flinched. "I don't know. Why does it matter?"

Felicity stopped walking and lowered her voice. "I didn't mean to—"

"Just forget it."

"I just meant—"

He whirled around. "I don't know! Half the time, I'm not sure where I've been, let alone where I'm going. The things I wanted to do, I never exactly got the support for back home. My dad thought I'd make a great bartender. That was before I got brave enough to dump his drink the first time." He came to a screeching halt and hunched his shoulders, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else. His gaze slid away from her.

For an instant, Felicity glimpsed the boy inside him, still wrestling with having an alcoholic father. Her brows drew together. The words were out before she knew she spoke them. "I believe in you, Ben."

His eyes came back up. The wary look softened. "I know."

She started for the museum entrance again, and he fell into step beside her.

- - - - -

There was so much to see at the museum that the rest of the day sped by quickly while they walked around. On the surface, Ben returned to his usual good humor, but Felicity felt an undercurrent of standoffishness. Back at UNY, she would have put it off to Ben just being…well, Ben. But now… Have I completely ruined what was going to be an incredible trip? She stared up at the Wright Brothers' plane, not really seeing it.

"Felicity?"

That isn't Ben. She blinked and turned around, searching for the speaker. A young man, blond and hazel-eyed, strode toward her beaming. She burst into a smile of her own. "Eric!"

He laughed and swept her into a bear hug, spinning her around.

She giggled in response. By the time Eric set her back on her feet, Ben had joined them. "Who's this?"

Felicity stepped back. "This is one of my best friends from high school, Eric Ranieri. Eric, this is Ben Covington."

Eric offered his hand. "Covington. You went to Palo Alto, too, didn't you? You were on the, uh…track team, right?"

"Right," Ben responded, shaking Eric's hand.

Felicity couldn't stop smiling. "It's so good to see you! What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to school at Georgetown," responded Eric.

"Tell me you're taking art." When Eric nodded, Felicity divided a grin between him and Ben. "Eric always did the most amazing work in art class. I told him once that I'd kill him if he didn't open a gallery."

"Well, that's part of the reason I'm taking the classes I am," Eric teased. "Sinister threats from Felicity Porter can be a powerful motivation. Are you going here, too?"

"No. We actually go to U of New York. We're…kind of on vacation right now," she laughed. "How come you haven't gone home?"

"I have work here this summer. That, and I couldn't leave Washington. This place is everything Palo Alto isn't."

"So is New York," she agreed.

Eric glanced around them. "What are you guys doing right now? Do you want to get dinner?"

Felicity opened her mouth and hesitated.

Ben shrugged. "I'm kind of beat. Why don't you go?"

She gave him a doubtful look. "Are you sure? Do you want me to bring anything back for you?"

"No. Go on, I'll see you back at the motel. Thanks anyway, Eric."

"Sure. Felicity?"

With a last glance at Ben, she said, "Uh…yeah, I'll come."

As they walked away, Ben stood under the Wright Brothers' plane and stared after them.

"I didn't mean to barge in like that. Are you two dating, or something?" he heard Eric ask.

"No," responded Felicity. "We're just friends."

Ben shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed.