Chapter 2: Am I Really Loved?
Benjamin walked a good distance behind his mother. She did have longer legs than he and could walk faster, but that wasn't the main reason for his lagging. The wee amount of reassurance from B.E.N was whipped away as soon as it was given. Now the poor little boy felt even worse than ever especially under the scathing eye of his mother.
Amelia had walked into motherhood with barely one arm in. She loved her children, really. Though it was hard to show it. She got along better with the girls. They seemed to click. But, Benjamin looked to be a small-scale version of his father…in looks only. He was far from sharing the same intelligence and semi-naïve mind as the older Doppler. Benjamin was a bit clumsy and somewhat over dramatic at times. He didn't think he had much interest in anything, spending his spare time thinking of how bad he was at everything and not finding something he was good at or held an interest in.
The mother and son stepped inside the Doppler home fifteen minutes from leaving the Benbow Inn. Amelia didn't mind a brisk walk, and it was definitely a walk between the two places. Inside, she slipped off her jacket and walked toward Delbert's study, leaving Benjamin alone. The boy slipped off his jacket as well, lingering in the parlor. He stared up at the wide, red carpeted stairs before him then switches his gaze from the formal dining room to the hallway that lead to his father's study. He wanted, no -needed-, to talk to his father - he being the only other person beside B.E.N he could talk freely with. He knew better than to disturb the important conversation he knew his parents were having at the moment. They were planning a long excursion, that's all the children knew of the whole thing. And, that they weren't going with them.
Benjamin waited on the stairs a few minutes more until his mother walked out, glancing at him from the corner of her eye then passing him, climbed the stairs. Benjamin drug his feet into the study. His father was staring down intently, concentrating on the maps upon his desk and writing down some scribble-scrabble that Benjamin was lost to. The boy had a knack for quietly appearing next to people without them knowing. He was totally unaware of this pointless talent.
"Dad?"
Delbert jumped, quickly flicking his eyes to find his son beside him. A smile replaced the startled expression on the canine's face. "Oh, hello Benjamin! I didn't hear you come in."
*No one ever does* the boy mused sadly to himself.
"What do you need, son?"
Benjamin cocked his head, his view set downward. "I need to talk to you."
"Talk away, my boy" Delbert said, with a wave of his hand. Benjamin maneuvered his way onto his father's lap.
"No one likes me, Dad, except for B.E.N. No one wants me around. I can't do anything right. I have nothing I'm good at." The boy sniffled as tears welled up in his big eyes. "And, and…Mom doesn't love me."
Delbert sat up straight. Where did all this come from? He knew his son had 'issues', it was painfully obvious. But not to the point of thinking his own mother didn't love him. He had to handle this with care. "Son, I know you may think no one likes you and you're not good at anything." *How idiotic* Delbert kicked himself. Benjamin wasn't stupid.
"You're only six years old. You need to grow up somewhat to find something you're good at. As for your mother not loving you," Delbert placed his hand under his son's chin, raising his head so their eyes made contact. ", she loves you very much even if she may not show it all the time. You may not understand, but your mother has a hard time showing that kind of emotion. I know for sure she loves you as much as she does myself and the girls."
Benjamin twisted his pursed lips. The answer did not satisfy him one bit. He trusted his father, but wanted concrete evidence of his mother's love. Delbert drew out his handkerchief from his coat pocket, and held it up to Benjamin's nose. The boy blew into it, and Delbert wiped his son's nose for good measure - dropping the soiled handkerchief on the far side of his desk. He watched his sniffling son for a while then suddenly was struck by an idea.
"Benjamin, I have a proposal for you." The boy turned to his father, tears ease up. "Your mother and I are setting off on an exploration to find what I think maybe an uncharted planet. How would you like to go on the exploration with us?"
Benjamin's eyes grew even bigger than they usually were. The tears cleared up almost instantly, replaced with an excited glow. "You mean it? I can go?"
Delbert smiled proudly down at his son. "I positively do."
"Thank you, Dad!" Benjamin flung his arms around his father amusingly the same way B.E.N. always did him. "I'm going to go start packing!" He hopped off Delbert's lap, hurrying out the study passing his mother along the way.
"Oh my, what was that all about?" Amelia asked, peering through the study doorway as her son disappeared around the corner.
Delbert stood, rubbing his glasses on his coat then replacing them on his face. He walked around the desk to be beside his wife. "I told him he could go with us on the exploration."
Amelia switched her head to face him, eyes hooded. "What did you do?"
"I told Benjamin he could come with us. Is that a problem, Amelia?"
"Clearly, it is" Amelia replied, throwing him a stern look. "He is only a child, and should not be put in such possibly dangerous situations."
"How dangerous can an exploration be?" Delbert threw back defiantly. "I say it will be educational. He feels he cannot do anything right. He needs to find something to take his mind off that fact. Maybe he'll find an interest in exploration. It will be more help to him than harm, I say." He leaned against his desk, proud of the answer he delivered to his wife. She could be rather threatening especially when she raised that elegant eyebrow…
"You may just be right." Amelia clasped her hand behind her back in the usual fashion, and stood directly in front of him. "The boy is in need of something other than his schooling. I agree with you."
"You do?" Delbert blinked in surprise.
"I am quite serious." She let down her resolute mask, and affectionately wrapped her arms around Delbert's neck. He closed the gap, sliding his hands over her back.
There was a long silence. "You know, Benjamin doesn't believe you love him."
Amelia straightened, her face tensing holding back a childhood pang. She pulled back slightly. "He should know better than to believe that rubbish. He's probably upset because I gave him the cold shoulder at the Benbow this afternoon."
"I know Benjamin can be over dramatic at times, but I honest perceive that he really thinks you don't love him."
"Oh, pish-posh." Amelia waved a dismissive hand in the air then set it back on Delbert's shoulder. "I'll talk to him about that later."
"Please do. Could we discuss more about the exploration now?"
"I would very much like to talk about another exploration we could go on."
"What other…?" Delbert wore a confused expression until he caught the secret flirtatious smirk on his wife's face.
"Oh…"
***
Awww...Benjamin is such a cutie, but this fic is NOT all about him! Just informing everyone about that. Jim's part is coming up next and he...??? Just tune in next time. About ten days till the movie comes out on DVD. WOO HOO!!! I've been counting down for weeks now :D
Benjamin walked a good distance behind his mother. She did have longer legs than he and could walk faster, but that wasn't the main reason for his lagging. The wee amount of reassurance from B.E.N was whipped away as soon as it was given. Now the poor little boy felt even worse than ever especially under the scathing eye of his mother.
Amelia had walked into motherhood with barely one arm in. She loved her children, really. Though it was hard to show it. She got along better with the girls. They seemed to click. But, Benjamin looked to be a small-scale version of his father…in looks only. He was far from sharing the same intelligence and semi-naïve mind as the older Doppler. Benjamin was a bit clumsy and somewhat over dramatic at times. He didn't think he had much interest in anything, spending his spare time thinking of how bad he was at everything and not finding something he was good at or held an interest in.
The mother and son stepped inside the Doppler home fifteen minutes from leaving the Benbow Inn. Amelia didn't mind a brisk walk, and it was definitely a walk between the two places. Inside, she slipped off her jacket and walked toward Delbert's study, leaving Benjamin alone. The boy slipped off his jacket as well, lingering in the parlor. He stared up at the wide, red carpeted stairs before him then switches his gaze from the formal dining room to the hallway that lead to his father's study. He wanted, no -needed-, to talk to his father - he being the only other person beside B.E.N he could talk freely with. He knew better than to disturb the important conversation he knew his parents were having at the moment. They were planning a long excursion, that's all the children knew of the whole thing. And, that they weren't going with them.
Benjamin waited on the stairs a few minutes more until his mother walked out, glancing at him from the corner of her eye then passing him, climbed the stairs. Benjamin drug his feet into the study. His father was staring down intently, concentrating on the maps upon his desk and writing down some scribble-scrabble that Benjamin was lost to. The boy had a knack for quietly appearing next to people without them knowing. He was totally unaware of this pointless talent.
"Dad?"
Delbert jumped, quickly flicking his eyes to find his son beside him. A smile replaced the startled expression on the canine's face. "Oh, hello Benjamin! I didn't hear you come in."
*No one ever does* the boy mused sadly to himself.
"What do you need, son?"
Benjamin cocked his head, his view set downward. "I need to talk to you."
"Talk away, my boy" Delbert said, with a wave of his hand. Benjamin maneuvered his way onto his father's lap.
"No one likes me, Dad, except for B.E.N. No one wants me around. I can't do anything right. I have nothing I'm good at." The boy sniffled as tears welled up in his big eyes. "And, and…Mom doesn't love me."
Delbert sat up straight. Where did all this come from? He knew his son had 'issues', it was painfully obvious. But not to the point of thinking his own mother didn't love him. He had to handle this with care. "Son, I know you may think no one likes you and you're not good at anything." *How idiotic* Delbert kicked himself. Benjamin wasn't stupid.
"You're only six years old. You need to grow up somewhat to find something you're good at. As for your mother not loving you," Delbert placed his hand under his son's chin, raising his head so their eyes made contact. ", she loves you very much even if she may not show it all the time. You may not understand, but your mother has a hard time showing that kind of emotion. I know for sure she loves you as much as she does myself and the girls."
Benjamin twisted his pursed lips. The answer did not satisfy him one bit. He trusted his father, but wanted concrete evidence of his mother's love. Delbert drew out his handkerchief from his coat pocket, and held it up to Benjamin's nose. The boy blew into it, and Delbert wiped his son's nose for good measure - dropping the soiled handkerchief on the far side of his desk. He watched his sniffling son for a while then suddenly was struck by an idea.
"Benjamin, I have a proposal for you." The boy turned to his father, tears ease up. "Your mother and I are setting off on an exploration to find what I think maybe an uncharted planet. How would you like to go on the exploration with us?"
Benjamin's eyes grew even bigger than they usually were. The tears cleared up almost instantly, replaced with an excited glow. "You mean it? I can go?"
Delbert smiled proudly down at his son. "I positively do."
"Thank you, Dad!" Benjamin flung his arms around his father amusingly the same way B.E.N. always did him. "I'm going to go start packing!" He hopped off Delbert's lap, hurrying out the study passing his mother along the way.
"Oh my, what was that all about?" Amelia asked, peering through the study doorway as her son disappeared around the corner.
Delbert stood, rubbing his glasses on his coat then replacing them on his face. He walked around the desk to be beside his wife. "I told him he could go with us on the exploration."
Amelia switched her head to face him, eyes hooded. "What did you do?"
"I told Benjamin he could come with us. Is that a problem, Amelia?"
"Clearly, it is" Amelia replied, throwing him a stern look. "He is only a child, and should not be put in such possibly dangerous situations."
"How dangerous can an exploration be?" Delbert threw back defiantly. "I say it will be educational. He feels he cannot do anything right. He needs to find something to take his mind off that fact. Maybe he'll find an interest in exploration. It will be more help to him than harm, I say." He leaned against his desk, proud of the answer he delivered to his wife. She could be rather threatening especially when she raised that elegant eyebrow…
"You may just be right." Amelia clasped her hand behind her back in the usual fashion, and stood directly in front of him. "The boy is in need of something other than his schooling. I agree with you."
"You do?" Delbert blinked in surprise.
"I am quite serious." She let down her resolute mask, and affectionately wrapped her arms around Delbert's neck. He closed the gap, sliding his hands over her back.
There was a long silence. "You know, Benjamin doesn't believe you love him."
Amelia straightened, her face tensing holding back a childhood pang. She pulled back slightly. "He should know better than to believe that rubbish. He's probably upset because I gave him the cold shoulder at the Benbow this afternoon."
"I know Benjamin can be over dramatic at times, but I honest perceive that he really thinks you don't love him."
"Oh, pish-posh." Amelia waved a dismissive hand in the air then set it back on Delbert's shoulder. "I'll talk to him about that later."
"Please do. Could we discuss more about the exploration now?"
"I would very much like to talk about another exploration we could go on."
"What other…?" Delbert wore a confused expression until he caught the secret flirtatious smirk on his wife's face.
"Oh…"
***
Awww...Benjamin is such a cutie, but this fic is NOT all about him! Just informing everyone about that. Jim's part is coming up next and he...??? Just tune in next time. About ten days till the movie comes out on DVD. WOO HOO!!! I've been counting down for weeks now :D