A/N Happy Thanksgiving!
Ben stood still. He remembered his father gave him the news.
"I'm sorry, Ben." Ben could tell his father really felt sorry for it. Ben didn't care. He felt tears spring up at the corner of his eyes.
Hal glanced down, before focusing on Ben's face. "I don't care if your skidder or not." He swore. "You're still my little brother, and big brothers protect their little brothers."
Ben nodded. He didn't want to be a skidder. He wanted to be normal. He wanted to be happy. He never wanted to go back. Even if it meant giving up his strength. He didn't want everyone staring at him like he was a freak. He'd already got enough of that.
He ran. He didn't remember how far. He didn't remember where he went. He couldn't remember anything. He focused on going away. Maybe if he ran far enough, it wouldn't come to him. He eventually stopped.
Ben finally noticed the rain pounding away at his face. He screamed at the gray sky. "You want me?" He yelled. "You're never going to get me. I'll never be one of you!" He cried out. He collapsed, sobbing, in the middle of nowhere. He wanted his mother to come help him. His real mother.
"Happy Thanksgiving!" His mother said happily as she decorated the table. 3-year-old Ben happily clapped his hands together.
"Turkey!" He happily cried. It was one of the new words he'd learned. Hal, the grinning 7-year-old on his right, had prepared him for the holiday season.
His father and mother were sharing secret smiles. Ben frowned. He didn't like it when people didn't tell him things. He hated it. "We have something to say." His father announced. He glanced at his wife.
"You're going to have a baby brother!" His mother joyfully said.
Ben frowned. "Share?" He asked.
"Yes, Ben. You've got to share everything, like I did when you were here." Hal puffed out his chest.
Ben smiled a little bit, remembering that memory. His forehead creased as he tried to remember later.
"Hal." Ben whispered into the darkness. It was night, and they were both supposed to be asleep.
"Yeah." Hal asked sleepily.
"Mommy Daddy Love." It was the most Ben could do with his limited vocabulary.
"'Course they will. They still love me, and they've got you." Hal assured him.
"Scared." Ben murmured, his wide eyes peering around.
Hal turned on his side. To him, a scared sibling in the same room as him was unacceptable. "They'll still love us. They always have."
"Okay." Ben was relieved. His brother was always right. They'd love him. Always.
"Ben." Ben could hear his father's voice call out. Ben just couldn't make the effort to call back. It seemed he'd used up everything crying and remembering. He wished his mother would come to him. He wished she would come and hold him. He wished she'd tell him that everything was alright and that it would be okay.
"Ben, it's okay." His father had found. He heard others, but they kept their distance. "Ben," His father began. "It doesn't matter if you're skidder or human. It doesn't matter if you want to go join them or not. You're my son and I'll always love you.
Tom held his son as the rain mingled with the water on their faces.