Chapter Two: Give a Little Whistle
Benjy turned to Gwen.
"Now what?" Benjy asked.
"Oh yeah." Gwen said. "I should probably begin with a heart to heart about how to tell right and wrong."
"Why?" Benjy asked.
"Well you wanna be a real boy, right?" Gwen asked.
"Uh-huh." Benjy answered.
"Okay, then sit down." Benjy sat down on the ch as Gwen climbed up to sit next to him. "Let's see, first the world is full of temptations."
"What are temptations?" Benjy asked.
"They're the choices that seem right at the time but are actually wrong." Gwen said, and then she got confused. "But even when the right things may seem wrong at the time, sometimes the wrong things… Um… Maybe right at the wrong time… Or visa-versa…" Gwen had no idea what she just said. "Do you understand what I just said?"
"Uh-uh." Benjy said.
"Good." Gwen replied.
"But I'm gonna do right!" Benjy said with a smile.
"That's the spirit, Benjy!" Gwen said with a smile. "And I'll help you! If you ever need me, just whistle, like this."
Gwen whistled.
"Like this?" Benjy asked, and he just blew.
"No." Gwen said.
"Like this?" Benjy asked again as he blew some more.
"No, now listen." Gwen said, and she whistled three times, going up a pitch every time. Superboy blew the same way until he finally whistled at the last one. "That's it! Come on, let's sing it!"
"Okay." Benjy said.
When you get in trouble,
And you don't know right from wrong,
Give a little whistle.
Give a little whistle.
When you meet temptation,
And the urge is very strong,
Give a little whistle.
Give a little whistle.
Not just a little squeak.
Pucker up and blow.
And if your whistle's weak, yell.
"Gwen?" Benjy asked.
"Right!" Gwen said with a smile.
Take the straight and narrow path,
And if you start to slide,
Give a little whistle.
Give a little whistle.
And always let your conscience be your guide.
Gwen put her hand on an unused violin when a string snapped and hit her in the rear.
"OUCH!" Gwen called out.
"Are you okay?" Benjy asked.
"Yeah, I guess I shouldn't lean on instruments."
Take the straight and narrow path,
And if you start to slide,
Give a little whistle!
Give a little whistle!
And always let your conscience be your guide!
Gwen then hopped down.
"And always let my conscience be my guide!"
Benjy walked to the side, so that he wouldn't land in front of Gwen when he got tripped up in painting cans and fell over.
"Ah, look out!" Gwen yelled, but it was too late, and there was a resounding crash.
()()()()()
Ben and May shot out of their beds in alarm.
"Who's there?" Ben called out.
"Me!" A little boy's voice said from downstairs.
"Oh thank goodness it's just me." May said as she and Ben were about to go back to sleep when their brains suddenly jumped back into action.
"ME?!" Ben and May asked at the same time. Ben then walked down cautiously in case someone else was down there. They went down with Webster in front when they saw a mess by the counter with Benjy on the floor.
"Oh, Benjy, how'd you get down there?" May asked as she picked him up and was about to put him back on the ch.
"I fell down." Benjy said.
"Oh, are you o- What?" May asked as she blinked.
"You're talking?" Ben said as he blinked.
"Yup." Benjy said with a smile.
"No, no, that can't be." Ben said.
"Yeah, and I can move too." Benjy said as he got up and waved his arms.
"No, this is impossible!" May said. "We're just dreaming! Ben, wake me up! WAKE ME UP!"
Ben pinched May in the shoulder.
"Ow." May said. "Oh, Ben must be the one that's asleep then."
May pinched Ben.
"Ow." Ben said.
"I guess we just imagined it then." May said.
"Right." Ben said. "Imagined it. Now Benjy, say something."
"You two are funny!" Benjy said with a laugh. "Do that again."
"You do talk!" Ben said in surprise.
"Yeah!" Benjy said. "An angel named Wanda came and brought me to life."
"An angel named Wanda?" May asked.
"Yeah, and I got a conscience." Benjy said. "You wanna meet her?"
"Uh… Sure." Ben said.
Benjy hopped down from the chair and ran to the largest music box and pulled from behind it a five-year-old girl in a pure white outfit.
"Hi." Gwen said nervously. "Um… I… Kinda snuck in while you were putting the finishing touches on Benjy, and I was afraid that if I told you I was here, you'd send me back to the orphanage."
"Oh, well you're welcome to stay here." May said. "What's your name?"
"Gwen Stacy." Gwen said.
"With her help, I'm gonna be a real boy some day!" Benjy said excitedly.
"Well whether it's today, tomorrow, or next year, our wish came true, right May?" Ben asked.
"Of course it did, oh come to Mommy sweetie." May said as she picked Benjy up and kissed his forehead.
"Webster, look!" Ben said excitedly. "He's alive, and he can talk."
"Go on, sweetie, say hi to Webster." May said as she knelt down and placed Benjy in front of Webster.
"Hi to Webster." Benjy said as he petted Webster, and he panted and began licking his face as Superboy giggled.
"Oh, Webster, no." May said. "No licking Benjy's face, you might wash the paint off."
"Oh, he's fine." Ben said with a smile. "I think this calls for a celebration."
Ben pushed a button by the large music box, and Gwen backed away a little as Ben held Benjy now and was pushing several buttons.
"Your turn to start one, Benjy." Ben said.
Benjy pushed one, and he laughed at the music coming from apparently nowhere.
The four then danced around in a circle as Webster ran around them and barked happily.
()()()()()
As everyone danced around, Benjy looked at a yellow and orange thing on top of a long white thing as he stared.
"Ooh, nice." Benjy said. He tried to grab it, but he couldn't. He then held his finger out, and the thing on top spread to the tip of his finger.
"Look Mom and Dad!" Benjy said as he walked up. "Isn't it pretty?"
"AH!" The other three screamed. Ben picked Benjy up, turned on a nearby sink, and put Benjy's finger under the water.
"Phew." Ben said. "That was close."
"No playing with fire, young man." May said firmly but not unkindly.
"Why?" Benjy asked.
"Because you'll get burned." May explained.
"What's burned mean?" Benjy asked.
"It means you'll end up as a pile of ashes and die." Gwen said.
"What's die mean?" Benjy asked.
"It means you won't live anymore." May said.
"Oh." Benjy said.
"Now let's go to bed before anything else happens." Ben said.
They then took Gwen and Benjy up to their room as Ben took Benjy into the bathroom to put some pajamas from the attic on him, so Gwen could put on a nightgown May had saved privately.
"Now, we'll all have to sleep in the same bed tonight." Ben said. "Tomorrow, I'll build two new beds for you two."
"Thank you, Mr. Parker." Gwen said as she snuggled down with a yawn as Webster lied down between Benjy and Gwen.
"Now go to sleep dear." May said as she made sure Benjy and Gwen were tucked in, and Gwen was already asleep and petting Webster.
"Why?" Benjy asked.
"Oh everybody has to sleep." Ben explained. "Your mom sleeps. I sleep. Gwen sleeps. Webster sleeps, and besides, tomorrow, you're going to your first day of school."
"Why?" Benjy asked.
"To learn things." May said with a yawn. "And get smart."
"Why?" Benjy asked.
"Because." Ben said with a yawn as he and May nodded off.
"Oh." Benjy said as he snuggled next to Webster and petted him with Gwen. "Good night Dad."
"Night son." Ben said without waking up.
"Good night Mom." Benjy said.
"Night son." May said without waking up either.
"I love you." Benjy said as he fell asleep, and May and Ben waked up a little as they smiled at their new boy, and the girl who would probably be staying with them for awhile.
"We love you too." They both said as they made sure both children were comfortably covered, and they went to sleep.
Aw…
Gwen: That does it.
Me: No wait! I didn't mean it!
Kara (sleepily): Yay!