A/N This story was inspired by the 2D Bendy and Ink Henry AUs created by shinyzanzo and themarginalartist. You can find their work on tumblr.

Disclaimer: Bendy and the Ink Machine belongs to The Kindly Beast. I only own my OCs.

Out of all the things Ben thought he might experience outside of Joey Drew Studios; snow was the most surprising. He knew what snow was. At least he thought he did. The studio produced a cartoon where he got to play in the snow. He got to make a snowman and everything! Of course, it melted in the end and he was sad about losing his new friend, but for a few brief moments, he was happy and having fun.

Admittedly, he had no idea what real snow felt like. In cartoons, you cannot feel anything unless the animators put a little more effort into simulating it somehow. You know how solid an object is when it hits you or how strong the wind is blowing because they animate characters reacting to things around them. Other than the heat from the sun melting the snowman, the little toon did not react to the snow falling around him.

One evening, the children rushed to the living room window with Shadow and Cloudy following close behind. They pressed their hands against the cold glass and giggled excitedly. It was the first snowfall of the year. They could not wait to go outside and play in it. They even spoke of a 'Snow Day'. Whatever that was, the children were hoping it would happen.

Beth and Sarah begged to go outside. June glanced at the clock. She told them they could go outside for a few minutes if they bundled up. The girls rushed to the closet to grab their coats and boots. Ben had never seen the two get dressed so quickly. Shadow and Cloudy sat back and watched the two move frantically around the living room. Once June made sure they had on the hats and gloves, she walked the children to the door. Beth and Sarah ran down the steps. They laughed and twirled as they tried to catch the snowflakes.

As June grabbed her own coat, she felt a soft nudge at her side. Shadow looked up at her and gurgled while Cloudy toddled towards the front door. She scooped up the curious kitten before he could get too far. The ink cat huffed and tilted their head towards the door.

"You want to go outside?" June smiled when Shadow nodded vigorously and hopped from foot to foot. Even Cloudy was meowing and trying to wiggle out of her hands. "Alright, you both can go as long as we keep an eye on Cloudy. I don't want him wandering off too far."

She set the kitten on the floor, then opened the door. The cats trotted out and down the stairs to join the children in the driveway. Shadow ran circles around them then stopped to watch the snow fall. Cloudy would hop around and shake whenever the frozen droplets touched his ears or paws. The ink cat reared up and swiped at the snowflakes with their forepaws. It was then that June realized how tall the cat was when standing on two legs. Not as tall as Ben, but she was sure Shadow could see eye to eye with her husband.
Speaking of Ben, the demon seemed rather apprehensive when stepping through the doorway. He kept staring up at the sky and grimacing. 'Maybe he's cold.' she mused. She should find a nice winter coat for him in their local Big 'n Tall shop.

The demon stuck out his human hand to catch a few snowflakes. As soon as it hit his skin, Ben snarled and shook his hand fiercely. June was bemused by his reaction. She knew he did not like the cold, but she thought he would at least like the snow. She should have known not to assume anything as far as he was concern. At least Shadow seemed to be enjoying themselves.

June was about to say something when she spotted someone staring at them from the house across the street. They were peeking at them through their window. June smiled and waved to her neighbor but got no reply. The person simply shut their curtains.

June sighed and let her hand drop to her side. She had to admit, their reaction stung a little, but she was not surprised. She knew things would not be the same when she let Ben live with her. Whatever happens, she knew they will deal with it. The demon was a part of the family after all.

-OoOoOoO-

It did not snow as much as the children wanted and they seemed so disappointed. Ben was not. He made up his mind he did not like real snow. As it was, it was cold and wet. It almost reminded him of the ink that constantly dripped from the pipes. Only it was not black, oily, and evaporated in the sun.
Shadow liked the snow so much, they hoped more would fall soon. They wanted to play in it again. Ben was fine with that if he did not have to go out in the stuff. Unfortunately, he found out the fluffy, cold flakes were not easily avoided.

Over the next few weeks, there was more snowstorms. Sometimes it was light enough to dust the ground but not stick around too long. Sometimes it came down wet and heavy like icy rain. Ben really did not like that one. It would freeze over, leaving a sheet of ice covering everything. He watched from the window as people walking by slipped and slide precariously on the sidewalk. He did not want to have any part of that.

Early one morning, as the girls headed off to school, it began to snow. It started out as a light flurry and continued that way until the children got home. Throughout the afternoon, the snow began to fall a little heavier. By dinner time, it had grown into a full-blown blizzard.

Ben had never seen anything like it. As he stared out the window, he could not see a thing. June called it a whiteout. That seemed very appropriate. The wind would cause the light flakes to swirl and dance in the air. As much as he hated to admit it, it was quite beautiful.

By the time Jason pulled in that evening, the snow had lightened up, but was practically up to his knees. He shook the snow from his coat before walking into the house. As he kicked off his boots, he told them how bad the roads were getting and that he was glad he got home before the worst of it hit.

The girls tugged on his arms as they begged to go out and play in the deep snow. Jason glanced at June who shook her head. Even though she was sure the girls were going to have a snow day, it was already growing dark.

"C'mon Juniper. They can grab a shovel and help me in the back. We can turn the porch lights on. Everything will be fine."

The girls ran up to her and tugged on the ends of her skirt. They pleaded and hit her with big, puppy dog eyes. June could feel her resolve melting away. She sighed and told them they could help their father in the backyard. Her answer was met with cheers as Beth and Sarah rushed to the coat closet.

Ben was surprised she agreed to that. Why on earth would they want to go out in that cold, wet stuff. June just shrugged. She said because it's fun and he should try it. The demon just snarled at that.

Once Jason got some food in his stomach, he grabbed a couple of shovels as everyone donned their winter gear. Ben just stood close by and watched them get ready. Sarah asked him if he wanted his hat and scarf. The demon said no. He placed his hand on top of her head, then playfully pushed her hat down until it covered her eyes.

"Hey!" Sarah laughed and tried to push his hand away. Ben smiled as he watched her struggle to uncover her eyes. He stepped to the side so the children could get by.

"Alright guys let's head out!". The children ran for the back door. June found an extra scarf and wrapped it around Shadow's neck. The ink cat was practically vibrating with excitement. When they tried to lead Cloudy out the door, she had to stop them. The snow was too deep for the little kitten and he would have to stay inside for now. Ben picked Cloudy up and sat down on the couch.

"Ben? You sure you don't want to come outside with us?". June chuckled at the absolute horror written on the demon's face. "Okay, okay. If you change your mind, we'll be out there for a while.", and with that, she walked out the backdoor and left a grumpy demon to sulk on the couch.

Ben grumbled to himself as he stroked the little kitten's soft fur. He was not being unreasonable. The snow was cold and wet! There was nothing fun about that, and yet the laughter from outside caused his horns to twitch in annoyance. Not only that, but he could feel Shadow's joy through their bond, and it piqued his curiosity. After he sat there for a few minutes, he caved.

The demon sighed and gently laid Cloudy down on a pillow. He went into the coat closet and put on the hat and fluffy scarf that Pearl gave him. He turned on his heels and shuffled towards the back door.

The first thing that hit Ben was how chilly it was outside. He was sure it was freezing but it wasn't that bad. The snow was falling lightly now. The porch light was bright enough to illuminate the yard and he could see where everyone was.

June and Jason were on the side of the house, digging out the driveway. The girls, with small shovels in hand, dug out a small path from the porch and down the length of the yard. They had created huge piles of snow to the sides of the path, including a rather large pile near the porch. Shadow ran around them and hopped into the snow piles. They were having so much fun too. It confused the ink demon.

"Hey Ben!", Beth shouted. Her and her sister ran up to the porch with Shadow close behind.

"Wanna help us build a snowman?". Sarah pointed to a pile a snow behind them. All Ben could see was a few lumps of snow sitting haphazardly on top of one another.

"No.", Ben hissed and shook his head. He could barely contain his disgust. Nothing was going to get him to step out in that stuff.

"Aww c'mon!", Beth whined. She waved her hand at the ink cat. "It's fun, see!"

Shadow ran up the porch then jumped into one of the largest piles near the house. They disappeared in a cloud of white powder. A few seconds later, they popped their head out of the snow with a huge grin on their face. The cat was having the time of their life. Shadow jumped out and shook the excess from their back. They trotted over to the children and sat on their haunches.

"Shadow likes it! You'll like it too!". Beth's bright smile dimmed somewhat when Ben scowled at her. She stomped her foot and put her hands on her hips. "It's just snow! There's nothing to be afraid of!"

The violet in Ben's eyes flashed as he glared at the girl. "I'm not afffraid!"

"Yeah, right!" Beth smirked and stuck her tongue out at him.

Ben growled and took a menacing step forward but stopped short of leaving the protection of the awning. Beth pointed at him and laugh which seemed to make the demon even more angry.

Sarah did not like where this was going. She didn't know why her sister was making Ben so upset. She didn't like it when he got angry. He could be scary sometimes.

"B-Beth stop." Sarah began to fidget. "It's okay if he doesn't want to play-". Beth cut her off. She was having none of that.

As the girls began to argue with one another, Ben turned on his heels and stomped towards the door. He couldn't believe she accused him of being afraid! He did not like the cold, that was all. He was not afraid of anything!

The demon was so preoccupied with his own thoughts, he did not notice Shadow slinking up the steps. The ink cat startled him when they beat him to the door, blocking his way.

"Ssshadow? Get out of the way!". The cat shook their head and sat on their haunches. Its smile stretched a little wider. Ben was not amused.

"Ssshadow, MOVE.", he hissed lowly. His patience was running out. He was barely restraining his anger as is. If he did not go in the house right now, he was going to do something he may regret. June would yell at him for sure.

The large cat whined and lowered their head. Their horns pinned back, and they crawled away from the door. Ben huffed. He did not know what has gotten into them. Maybe the children were having a bad influence on them. He needed to nip that in the bud as soon as possible. He would not tolerate such behavior from his own creation.

The demon took one step towards the door when Shadow growled and pounced on him! Out of shock and reflex, the demon tried to catch his creation, but their combined weight caused him to stumble backwards and fall off the back porch. Both inky beings landed in a large pile of snow.

Beth and Sarah stopped arguing when there was an explosion of snow. They were suddenly covered in the powdery substance. The girls stared from the empty porch to the pile of snow in front of them and then each other. Neither one said a word as they tried to figure out what just happened.

The snow pile began to shake and shift until a familiar smiling face poked through. Shadow made a noise that suspiciously sounded like laughter. They managed to pull them self from the pile and trotted over to the children. The ink cat did a full body shake which showered more snow onto the girls before they sat down.

"SHADOW!", both girls screamed as they brushed the snow off their bodies. They both broke into a giggle fit when the cat's smile stretched wider and simply shrugged, not at all sorry for what it did. When the children finally got their laughter under control, they looked towards the porch. There was still no sign of Ben.

"Um, where's Ben? Did he go in the house?", Sarah asked. The cat shook their head and used the tip of their tail to point to the pile of snow.

"Huh?". Beth approached the mass of snow cautiously and pointed to it.

"Is he in there?". Shadow nodded vigorously. They snickered and waved a paw at them. There was a collective gasp from both girls.

"You-You pushed him in?", Sarah stammered. When the cat nodded, she covered her mouth in surprise. Beth on the other hand, broke out in raucous laughter. She danced around and threw a few snowballs at the unmoving pile.

All three waited for Ben to poke his head out. They knew he was going to be so angry when he crawled out. Beth was getting a ball of snow ready to toss at him as soon as she sees his face. She was going to get him back for giving them such a hard time. After that, maybe they could get him to help build the snowman.

"Ben!", Beth called out. She held a freshly made snowball in her hands. "Come on out! I've got a surprise for you!", she cackled mischievously.

The pile of snow shook, then grew still. Beth, Sarah, and Shadow stepped a little closer. Sarah called out to him. Concern tinged her voice, but Beth told her not to worry, that he was probably going to pop out and scare them. She was ready to deliver a snowball to his face if he tried.

A deep growl emanated from the pile of snow. It startled both girls. The snow shifted, then began to rise up, and up, and up. They could see something big moving beneath the snow. Something larger than Ben! Whatever it was had huge hands attached to long, muscular arms. As the snow fell away, they could see more of the creature's body. It was broad and inky black. Long horns poked out of a huge wedge-shaped head filled with sharp yellow teeth longer than their fingers.

Both girls stumbled back as this unknown creature towered over them. It shook the rest of the fluffy powder from its massive body before slamming its fist into the cold ground near Beth's side and roaring in the trio's faces.

The girls screamed and fell on their rears in the snow. Shadow hunkered down next to them with their horns pinned back. The creature's bellow echoed throughout the yard. The frightening sound got the attention of both parents.

June and Jason ran down the driveway. The parents froze at the sight of a large, unknown beast standing over their children. Jason was the first to react, raising the shovel in his hand and dashing across the yard. June was hot on his heels.

"GET AWAY FROM THEM!" Jason shouted. The creature's large head swiveled in his direction. It let out a startled yelp and its horns shot up in surprise. That was when June noticed a familiar knitted hat hanging from one of its horns and the flash of a striped scarf wrapped tightly around its neck.

"Jay, wait!" she managed to grab his arm before he could take a swing. "It's Ben!"

June was certain it was him. She had seen this form before, back in the Studio. He was not as big as his massive form back then, but he still towered over everyone in the yard, and she was sure he would not be able to squeeze through any doorways in their home.

"B-Ben?" Jason stammered. The beast tilted his head in confusion. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a deep, garbled sound escaped his throat. The sound surprised him, and he slapped his hand over his mouth. That is when he noticed just how large and gloveless his hand was. Ben stumbled back against the porch when he felt the sharp teeth protruding from his gaping maw. His growls grew in pitch and he seemed on the verge of panic.

"Ben, it's okay! It's okay." June kept her voice as level as possible as she tried to keep him calm. She reached out and touched his cheek. Ben whined and seemed to take a few deep breaths. That helped him settle down a little. "What happened?"

That was a good question. Ben remembered walking towards the backdoor, Shadow blocked his path, and then he was covered in snow. The stuff was so cold, it made his skin crawl. He could not believe the cat jumped on him! That made him so angry, he could feel his ink boil. After that, Ben was not sure what happened.

While the demon was trying to figure things out, the children got to their feet and dusted themselves off. Shadow stayed close to their side as they approached the demon cautiously. Sarah hid slightly behind her sister as they studied Ben's new features.

"I don't believe it! You can make yourself bigger just like cousin Bendy!" Beth shouted and waved her hands wildly. Her eyes shined with curiosity.

Sarah peeked around her sister and asked if it was really him. Ben grumbled then slowly reached around Beth and used one large finger to gently push Sarah's hat down until it covered her eyes. The little girl giggled as she tried to push his finger away and pulled her hat back up.

Beth grabbed one of his large digits and began studying Ben's hand. She remarked on how big it was while Sarah gingerly ran her own hands near the holes close to his knuckles. She looked up at him with concern in her eyes.

"Do these hurt?" she asked softly. Ben was not sure what she was talking about until he watched her run her small fingers across the back of his hand. He quickly shook his head because he barely noticed the holes in his hands. He did wonder why they were there in the first place. As he raised his hand to get a better look, Beth held on tight. He lifted her a few feet off the ground. Her joyous laughter rang out throughout the yard as she swung from his finger like a jungle gym.

Jason rushed over and caught Beth. He placed her back on solid ground, then told both girls to finish their snowman. The children ran off and he returned his attention to the hulking demon sitting in his yard.

"Um, can you change back?" June asked. She was glad Ben was still himself on the inside, but this new development was worrisome.

Ben shrugged his massive shoulders and grunted. He had been trying to change back for a few minutes now. He was not used to full body transformations like this. He was not sure how to change back. He had a sinking feeling he might be stuck like this for a while.

June noticed how frustrated the demon was becoming. She knew that if he could change back, he would have by now. Maybe she needed to call Henry for some help. But first, they needed to find a way to get him back in the house.

"Hey, hey, don't worry.". June grabbed the hat that was hanging precariously from his horn. She gave him a reassuring smile. Ben just grumbled and lowered his head.

"We'll figure something out." Jason patted Ben's shoulder. He was not sure what they were going to do, but he did not want the demon to fret too much. Jason did find it unnerving that he could still see them even without any visible eyes. He really needed to stop trying to figure out how these things work, or he may lose his sanity.

Ben gurgled and shook his massive head. He did not know how he was going to get himself out of this mess. He was sure June and Jason would not be able to help him. They did not know the first thing about the ink. The only other people he could turn to was Henry and the little ink spot, Bendy. Just the thought of asking the toon for help made him growl. He was sure Bendy would rub this in his face and he was NOT going to let himself be humiliated like-

The demon's thoughts were interrupted when a snowball hit him squarely on the head! He hummed and used his large hand to wipe the snow from his face. June and Jason turned to see where it had come from.
The girls were standing at the end of the walkway. Sarah looked shocked while Beth looked like she was trying not to laugh. She had her hands behind her back and was rocking on her heels. The very picture of innocence. Once she realized it was not working, she confessed.

"She did it!" Beth shouted as she pointed to her sister. Sarah stared at her sister absolutely horrified. She looked back at Ben, wide eyed, and shook her head vigorously. She tried to defend herself but began to stutter badly.

Everyone jumped when something akin to a chuckle emanated from the demon. A wicked smile split his face. His sharp, yellow teeth flashed in the porch's light. He grinned so evilly that even the adults had to take a step back. Ben reached out, and with one long arm, easily push June and Jason to the side.

Beth was not laughing anymore. The beast hunched over and took one threatening step forward, then another, and another. His knuckles hit the walkway so heavily, the ground shook under their feet. June noticed that his right leg, his good leg, extended to the ground. His left leg was nothing more than a nub that ended just above the knee. It didn't seem to mess with his balance one bit.

"Beth?", Sarah whispered. She grabbed her sister's arm and was hiding slightly behind her. Her voice shook as she spoke. "W-What do w-we do?". There was only one thing they could do in a situation like this:

"RUN!", Beth screamed as she grabbed Sarah's hand. They hightailed it down the walkway as fast as their short legs could carry them. Unfortunately, Ben caught up to them within a few strides. He reached out and grabbed Beth. Jason was ready to interfere, but June grabbed his arm. She chuckled and told him to look a little closer.

Even though Ben held the child in his large hand, he did not seem to be holding her particularly tight or too high off the ground. Sarah grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it at the demon's head. Beth yelled for help and Shadow came to her rescue. The ink cat jumped onto Ben's broad back and pawed at his shoulder until the beast let her go. Both girls armed themselves with snowballs and continued their assault on the demon. Their screams dissolved into laughter as Ben tried to block their shots. It was kind of difficult considering he made himself a bigger target.

Meanwhile, Jason watched all of this with confusion written all over his face. He turned to his wife who sniggered at his expression. She told him everything will be fine but he was somewhat skeptical.

"Is this a thing now?", Jason asked, sounding slightly exasperated. He pointed to Ben who was trying to hide behind a tree while the children pelted him with snowballs.

"I guess so.", June chuckled. She really should not be surprised by anything involving the demons. It was a shock that he could change his form, and from Ben's reaction, he was just as surprised as everyone else. She was glad it didn't change who he was on the inside. She just hoped he was not stuck like this because she did not think her home was big enough for all of them.

A deep growl and thunderous footfalls startled both parents as Beth and Sarah ran up to them with the demon hot on their heels. Ben cupped a pile of snow in his hand and threw it at the children just as they hid behind their mother. Suddenly, June was covered in snow. There was a muffled gasp from the children and a surprised yelp from the demon.

Jason tried his best not to laugh, but watching June brush the snow off her shoulders with a scowl on her face made it really hard. She was glaring daggers at the demon and he had the good graces to look contrite. Jason was not sure how Ben managed to pull that off considering he had no visible eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth.

They all watched as the scowl on her face was replaced by an eerie calm. Her smile caused Ben to gulp audibly and take a few steps back. As big as he was, the beast actually looked nervous.

"OK girls-" June's serene voice caused Ben's horns to twitch. He watched as she scooped up a handful of snow and pressed it into a ball. An evil grin spread across her face and that's when he knew he was in trouble. "LET'S GET 'EM!"

The beast yelped and ran back down the path with June and the girls following close behind. They were lobbing snowballs at Ben's back as he tried to escape the onslaught. He managed to duck behind a large pile of snow just as the balls of ice sailed over his head.

Ben waited for the others to re-arm themselves, then he jumped out from behind the snow pile, and charged at the group. June and the girls were not prepared when he wrapped his long arms around them, picked them up in a massive bear hug, and fell backwards into the nearest snow pile. There was an explosion of white and laughter as they tried to squirm out of the beast's iron grip but Ben was not letting go. He simply chuckled as they wiggled and they were covered in the gently falling powder.

Near the back porch, Jason watched as his family played in the snow. He smiled at how easily he considered Ben as apart of his family. In the beginning, he wasn't sure if it was a good idea having him around. He was a good guy even if he had some issues they needed to work on. He does not regret letting the demon live with them.

Jason felt something heavy leaning against his leg. Shadow gurgled softly and watched the group play. He noticed the way the ink cat's shoulders twitched and they shivered slightly.

"Hey Shadow, are you alright?" asked Jason. The cat looked up at him and nodded, but he did not miss the way their shivering got worse. He slipped off his glove and laid his hand on top of the ink cat's head. They felt ice cold!

"You're freezing!" Jason exclaimed as he pulled his hand back quickly. "C'mon, let's get you in the house."
Shadow backed away and shook their head. They didn't want to go inside! They wanted to stay outside with everyone else. Sure, they were cold and their body felt stiff, but they were having fun. They did not want to miss out on that.

"Shadow!" Jason's stern tone caused the cat to stop moving. They whined and looked up at him. He sighed and placed his hand between the cat's horns. "Don't worry, the snow will still be here tomorrow, but we need to get you warmed up.", Jason chuckled. Shadow's smile grew a little wider and they nodded.

Jason called out to the others, telling them it was time to head inside. He was met with a chorus of "awws", "Just 5 more minutes!", and a deep, rolling growl. June told them it was getting late and they could come back out tomorrow. She collected the shovels and ushered the children towards the backdoor.

Shadow followed Beth and Sarah into the house. June and Jason stopped, staring at the door when they both realized that there was no way Ben could fit through the doorway. They turned towards the beast at a loss as to what they should do. Ben shrugged his massive shoulders and opened a portal off to the side of the door. He trudged into it and it disappeared behind him.

"Well, that'll work!" Jason chuckled as they stepped through the door. At least they didn't have to worry about Ben being stuck outside for the night.

Ben emerged in the living room. He grumbled and sat down on the floor. He should have headed straight to his room but he realized he was taking up a lot more space than normal. It was quite annoying.

While June helped the children out of their coats and boots, Jason headed towards the mantle in the living room. He asked Ben for a little help moving the couch to the side. The beast used one hand to push the furniture with ease. He watched as Jason grabbed a few logs and placed them on a rack in the mantle. Ben wasn't sure what he was doing until he started a small fire under the logs. The fire grew stronger until he could feel the warmth from across the room. He didn't notice there was a fireplace there.

June took Shadow's scarf off and told them to warm up by the fire. Ben began to move towards the fireplace but stopped when Sarah asked if she could take off his scarf. Truthfully, he forgot he was wearing it. He grunted and laid down on his belly so she could reach his neck.

"Wow, you feel really cold!" Sarah took his scarf, then brushed her fingers against the side of his head. Her tiny hand felt so warm. It was nice. Ben grumbled and shook his head. He used a single finger to gently nudge her towards the coat closet. Sarah hesitated for a moment before moving. As she hung up his scarf, she whispered something to Beth. They glanced at Ben before running up the stairs.

The beast got up and lumbered over to the fireplace. Ben laid down on his belly and rested his head on his crossed arms. The beast sighed as he took in the heat from the fire. Things started off a little rough. He doesn't know how long he will be stuck in this beast form. He dreaded going to Bendy for help. He was sure the little ink spot was going to give him hell for this.

Ben's thoughts were derailed when something heavy and warm was draped over his head and body. He lifted his head and growled when he heard giggling coming from his side. It seems the girls grabbed the biggest blanket they could find and covered him with it.

"There! This'll warm you up in no time!" Beth stood back with her hands on her hips, admiring her work. Sarah smiled as she adjusted the end of the blanket. It never ceased to amaze him how much kindness the children possessed, even when he was like this.

Shadow sat near the children and pawed at the soft material. They gurgled and tilted their head slightly. Ben could feel what his creation wanted. He lifted his arm and the cat took the invitation. They crawled under the blanket and curled against the beast's side. He lowered his arm and the ink cat disappeared under the cover.
The children watched as Ben laid his head back down. His horns and the spines on his back caused the blanket to stick up in certain spots. Beth remarked that he looked like the tent they used whenever they went camping. This caused the beast to snort at the comparison. He was certainly not a tent.

Ben could feel Beth and Sarah tugging on the ends of the blanket as they tried to lift it up. If he had visible eyes, he would have rolled them. The beast huffed and raised his arm, lifting the blanket again. The children scurried under the cover. Beth curled up against Shadow while Sarah nestled into the crook of his neck.
Once everyone was settled, he carefully lowered the blanket over the small group. With the small, warm bodies pressed against him and the fire's light dancing before him, his mind began to wander. He wasn't sure how he got here, but he felt incredibly lucky. So many things could have gone wrong. If he had succeeded in killing Henry and Bendy, would he have met June? Probably not. If he did, he was sure he would have taken her life without a single regret. The thought of that caused a tightness that gripped his inky heart and made him whine softly.

"Ben? Are you alright?". Her concerned voice startled him. June touched his cheek gently as Jason stood close by. Both gave him worried looks.

Relief washed over him. June was alive! He was here with her. All the bad things that could have happened, didn't happen. His creator, and even the little ink spot, was alive as well. Fate saw fit to give him a chance at a better life, even after all the terrible things he's done in the past. At this moment, he knew everything would be fine. Even if he was stuck as a beast, June and the others won't abandon him.

Ben sighed and a huge, toothy grin spread across his face. He nodded, then pressed his head against June's hand. He grumbled. The sound elicits a bemused chuckle from June. That was the most beautiful sound he's heard all night.

EN: It took me a lot longer to finish this than I thought. This was a rough year and it was hard to get motivated enough to write. I hope you all enjoy this.