Then in reply he heard Ben's voice. To his surprise it was small and shaky, as if he was frightened, or sad. "Mom?" Ben asked.
Hoverboard blinked. 'Mom?' he wondered. Ben threw a hissy fit then went to call his mother? That made no sense.
Sense or not, the woman on the other end of the call seemed overjoyed. "Ben! Oh sweetie, it's been weeks since you last called. Are you all right?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Ben assured her. "Sorry I haven't called. Things have been… busy."
"I was worried you forgot about me," Ben's mom said with a hint of a teasing grin in her voice. "Having too much fun with your grandfather and cousin?"
"Grandpa, sure. Gwen is just annoying," Ben said carelessly.
"Awww, I'm sure your cousin loves you. You two really should try and get along better," his mom chided.
"Ick," Ben said. "Get along with HER?" he asked.
"Or not," his mom replied with a laugh. "So, what else has been going on this summer?"
Hoverboard stepped out into the room to look at Ben whose back was turned to him. The boy lounged in the chair and held the Omnitrix above his head and gazed at the piece of alien technology. "Not much," he said slowly. "Just been here and there."
"So much is going on," his mom sighed. "I'm a bit worried about you out there. All those attacks going on, I don't know what to think."
"Don't worry mom, I can take care of myself," Ben laughed. "Trust me."
Red came into the room. "Hey, here you are. Have you found…" he started off but Hoverboard put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. He looked pointedly at Ben and Red got the message and was quiet.
"Well, if you're sure," his mom said doubtfully. "So, how are you feeling?"
"Fine I guess," Ben answered. "It's gotten a little lonely," he admitted.
"Oh?" his mom asked, surprise in her voice.
"A little," Ben emphasized. "Just a little."
"I see," his mom replied. "Well, Ben… if you want, and I'm not saying you have to, but if you want someone to talk to and I'm not home you could call your dad."
"What?" Ben asked angrily.
"Hear me out honey," his mom said quickly before Ben could get more upset. "Your father called a week ago asking if you wanted to come and see him. He misses you Ben. Even though things didn't exactly work out between us, it doesn't mean that he doesn't love you."
"Yeah well, he should have thought about that before he walked out the door," Ben growled hotly.
Red and Hoverboard exchanged glances, suddenly feeling like eavesdroppers.
"Ben!" his mom sounded a bit harsh and Ben winced.
"Come on mom! He left and he didn't call for a year. Now he wants me to come over to see him and pretend nothing happened? I don't want it, any of it. I'm fine with the way things are," Ben said. "I don't know how you can forgive him."
"I haven't," his mom sighed. "But I can't imagine what it would be like to be unwanted by your own child. I feel sympathy. Plus, you loved him Ben. I think you need to give your father a second chance."
"No," Ben said flatly.
There was a rush of static as Ben's mom sighed into the phone. "Stubborn as ever. I was kind of hoping a few weeks with your grandpa would mellow you out some."
"Ha, grandpa is the one that gets us into stuff half the time," Ben said wickedly.
"What?" his mom asked, dubiously.
"Nothing," Ben replied in an innocent tone that his mother did not buy for a second.
"Well, think about your father for a bit," she said gently. "I know you don't want to, but I'm asking you to. He misses you Ben."
"Yeah, whatever," Ben growled.
"I wish I could make the hurt go away, Benny, but I can't. I can't make things better. You have to make them better on your own," his mom told him gently.
Ben looked at the ceiling and was quiet for a long moment.
"Ben?" his mom asked.
"I know," Ben replied softly. "I know, but right now I have enough to deal with. Dad is the last thing on my mind to be honest."
"Just… think about it for a bit, will you?" she asked.
"Sure, whatever," Ben replied and looked at the dark monitor that was transmitting his mother's voice.
"That's my Benny Bunny," his mom said with a smile.
"Mom!" Ben protested. "Don't call me that. It's embarrassing!"
"Can anyone hear me?" she asked.
"No…" Ben said slowly.
"Then I can call you whatever I want. You may think you're all grown up but you're still my Benny Bunny. And you always will be, regardless of how old you get," his mom told him.
Ben groaned and rolled his eyes. "But it's so embarrassing!"
"Part of a parent's job is to come up with embarrassing names for their child. It's a rule," his mom teased.
"Really? Where does it say that?" Ben said stiffly.
"Right here in the parental rules code book," she continued. "Right under, 'Parents will always make their kid eat the most disgusting vegetable possible,' and above 'Parents will always send their kid to bed right before that really awesome scary movie that's on until some ungodly hour in the morning'."
Ben giggled and turned over in his seat to gaze at the monitor, wishing that he could see his mother's face.
"A smile. That's good, I was worried that I upset you while you were on your big vacation," his mom said kindly.
Ben sighed. "You didn't. I just miss home a bit, that's all."
"Home sick?" she asked.
"A tiny, little bit. Really, I can't tell most of the time," Ben defended himself.
"Okay then, that's fine," his mom replied. "Are you having fun?"
"Yeah, lots of fun," Ben said happily. "So many cool things have happened this summer!"
"Are you eating right?" his mom asked pointedly.
Ben paused. "Aside from when grandpa makes us eat bugs… yeah."
"Dad's just a little adventurous, that's all. Don't take it too hard, and make sure you eat right Ben. I don't want you getting sick or anything."
Ben rolled his eyes. "I don't think I can get sick. Or at least, nothing more then a cold. It went away pretty fast."
"Grandpa's medicine?" his mom asked.
"Yeah… did he make you take it too?" Ben asked.
"Yes, he did. And I remember hating it," his mom laughed. "But it helped. And so I took it."
"Uh huh," Ben replied.
"So, feel better?" his mom asked, catching Ben off guard.
"Yeah, a little. Tha…I mean…I… mom!" Ben protested.
"Just making sure," his mom said gently. "I have to hang up now, but can you promise to call me in a week?"
"Sure mom," Ben replied.
"Okay, I love you."
"Love you too," Ben said grudgingly.
"Forever and for always…" his mom chided.
"Mooooom, not this," Ben said sulkily. "It stopped being cute when I was five."
"Ben," his mom said with a kind of disappointment in her voice.
Ben sighed heavily. "Until the stars go out and the sun is no more…" he continued.
"Even after we go our separate ways…"
"I will always love you forevermore," Ben said quickly.
"Thanks sweetie. Good night," his mom said gently.
"Night mom. Call you in a week," Ben said and pressed a large red button that flashed once before the monitor was still. Ben sighed and gazed at the darkened board for a bit. "Benny Bunny, what does she think, I'm five still?" he muttered and got up.
Red and Hoverboard quickly left the room and walked down the hall right before Ben came out of the room.
Ben looked around suspiciously and then quickly made his way towards his room, his cheeks still red from the little rhyme he and his mother had been using on and off since he could talk.
"Heh, that was pretty cute," Red said gruffly.
Hoverboard looked thoughtful. "I do not understand about the child's father. What does he mean when he said that he 'walked out'? Is that literal?"
"I don't know," Red said, looking concerned. "But I may not be a good idea to ask."
"No," Hoverboard agreed. "Perhaps he will come to us in his own time."
"That's the spirit," Red said and slung an arm around Hoverboard's shoulders. "Now, let's find out how to help the kid's mom and get him to eat what is 'right' by Earth standards."
"Easier said then done," Hoverboard admitted dryly.