A/N: This is it, the ending of the first half of the story. We have four regular chapters left leading up to the three part finale- Rock-A-By-Baby. Another note for everybody, I'm taking about a week and a half off to put the final seven chapters together. I hope you'll stick around, and enjoy the new chapter! And don't forget to leave a review!

Benny's Baby

Chapter 9: The Immovable Object Meets The Unstoppable Force

Benny groaned as he turned away from the morning light, for some reason or another he desperately wanted to remember the nightmare that had plagued him during the night. He felt strange, not exactly rested, but not entirely exhausted. He threw the covers off himself and stretched trying his best to cling onto the only word could describe his nightmare: silence.

Perhaps the strange feeling had come from the strange tea his Grandmother had given to him, or maybe it was because he had slept the night without so much as peep from Eric. Despite his protests, and arguments against putting his son into the nursery his Grandma had convinced otherwise. Personally he had wanted to spend the next few days casting spells to make sure everything would be safe and sound, but his Grandma had a way with words that could only be described as scary.

He picked up the baby monitor and turned it over. Before going to bed he had thoroughly examined it and even casted a few spells to ensure he would hear it no matter how deep his sleep had been. He turned it off, and quietly walked down the hall. He peeked into the nursery; lying in his crib Eric looked as peaceful as ever and sure enough he was lying on his stomach. After ensuring his son was still breathing he left the door slightly ajar and descended the stairs. The same word from before kept bouncing around him mind: silence. What was it about silence that had bothered him so much? And what did it have to do with his nightmare?

"What time do you get up in the morning?" asked Benny with a yawn as he noticed his Grandma sitting at the kitchen table. She was reading the newspaper and taking sips from the mug in front of her.

"Six thirty," said Evelyn without looking up at him. "How did you sleep last night? Did the tea help at all?"

"I slept, but I still feel like I've been up all night. And I kept having the strangest dreams but I can't remember what they were. I think they had to do with Eric, the only thing I can remember was the fact it was quiet. No noise, just total and complete silence."

He watched as she put down the newspaper and stared directly into his eyes. She grabbed his face in her hands and ran her thumbs over the dark circles under his eyes. She turned his head from side to side before letting go.

"What was that all about?" asked Benny as felt him face for whatever she had been feeling. "Did I have something on my face?"

"It was nothing; I was trying to see if the tea I gave you had any physical effects. No need for you to grow a third eye or lose your nose, especially if they can be avoided. Anyways I forgot to tell you that I received an urgent message last night, and I'm afraid it demands my immediate attention."

"Did something bad happen?"

"I'm not sure, it's a Spellmaster's event and it's very rare that they should call on me on such short notice. I imagine it must be important if they're demanding that I attend."

"So you'll be gone for like what the afternoon or maybe the day?"

"I have to leave today when you get back from school and I'll be back on Sunday morning."

"You're going to be gone for two whole nights?" asked Benny as his voice suddenly cracked. "You're going to leave me alone with the baby for two whole nights? What happens if he gets sick, or I do? Or if we're attacked by a monster?"

"Under normal circumstances I would decline, but considering the lengths they've gone to contact me I can't. It's just going to be two nights and a day without me, you'll be fine."

"A lot can happen in a day! Last time you left me alone I created a baby, and that was when I was alone for only a few hours! Who knows what will happen if I'm alone for a day and I need to use magic? I might destroy the house or end up pregnant or accidently fuse myself to the television!"

"Benny you need relax," said Evelyn as she sighed. "You're over reacting, you've never had problem using when I'm not around and you shouldn't now. It's just going to be for a day and a half and you won't be alone. You can have your friends over, you know that if you ever needed help they'd be here in a second. And you'll have Mrs. Morgan next door if you have questions; I told her you were watching after your cousin ok?"

"I can barely make it a few hours when you're not here to help," whispered Benny without looking up. "What if I mess up? I'm-I'm scared Grandma."

"I know," she got up and gave her grandson a strong embrace. "I know you're afraid, it's scary being left alone with a child, especially for the first time. But I have faith in you. Before Eric was created I may have had doubts, but now after seeing how you've changed I know you can do this."

"Really?"

"I have faith in you."

"Thanks Grandma," said Benny as he pulled away from her. "I should get ready for school."

"And Benny," He turned and looked at her. "If I return and my house is destroyed, or you somehow managed to impregnate yourself; I will personally rip any magical abilities you have out of your body, and I can assure you that it will be painful. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes Grandma."

"Did you know that Della had a crush on me?" asked Rory as he searched through his locker for his lunch money. "Because apparently everyone else did and no one bothered to tell me."

"Uh everyone knew," said Erica as she rolled her eyes. "Only an idiot could miss something that obvious."

"Your one to talk," mumbled the young vampire as he pulled out a mummified cat. "You know you could try to be a lot less mean, you might say something one day you can't take back."

"What do you mean that I'm one to talk?"

"I don't know," said Rory as he held up a Debbie Dazzle doll. "I say things that don't make much sense, how did this get in here?"

"Yesterday you asked Benny about Eric's hair, and I was thinking about it, I'm pretty sure it was blonde when I saw him for the first time."

"I figured as much," several books went flying out of the locker followed by a damaged camera. "I knew I wasn't crazy, now where is that money?"

"Why would Benny lie about his hair color?"

"Maybe he figured you might think you were the mom," said Rory sarcastically as he pulled out the license plate of Ethan's old vampire car. "I mean you do have blonde hair and blue eyes."

And then it hit Erica.

"No," she whispered. "He wouldn't… he couldn't... he didn't…. he did."

She stood there in shock, trying to make sense of the sudden revelation. How could she have missed so many obvious clues, ones that even Rory had picked up on? She was a mother, in fact she had held her own son several times without as much as picking up on it… Erica reached out for the locker and used it for support, it was too much for her to handle.

She was a mom… she had a son… who happened to be named after her.

She smiled as she let the words dance around her head. She was a mom! She had a son! A real living healthy baby boy!

Whose dad happened to Benny Weir.

The happiness vanished as the truth became clear to her.

Benny had known all this time, he must've known, which meant he had lied to her. He had looked her dead in the eyes and lied about everything. The entire time she was trying to make things better between them he was lying to her face. Instead of the usual anger she felt a strange crushing disappointment came over her.

"Oh yeah I forgot I brought a lunch today," mumbled Rory obliviously as he lifted up a brown bag. He held up a pacifier. "I accidentally took this yesterday when we were moving things. Hey, are you ok?"

"Yeah," said Erica as she turned to leave. "I'm fine. I just need to think about something."

"I've been thinking about everything that's happened these past few days," said Benny as he took a seat at the lunch table. He looked at his friends and tried to gauge their reaction as he declared his news, "And I think I'm going to tell Erica the truth about Eric."

"What made you change your mind?" asked Ethan confused. "I thought you told me you never wanted her to know."

"It's because Erica gave him a good night kiss," said Sarah with a romantic smile. "She texted me last night about it." She turned to Ethan. "When are you going to kiss me?"

In response he turned bright red. "I-I we-I-duh."

"Anyway," said Benny trying his best not to laugh. "The only reason I didn't tell Erica the truth before was because I was afraid of how she might react. But now... now I feel like she would'nt be mad, maybe she'd even understand. And spending time with Della has made me realize how much I really want to be with Erica. And when I think about it, my reasons for telling her are gone, so I have to right? It wouldn't be fair to her if I didn't."

"She has changed," mumbled Sarah. "Wow, Benny that's a really not you way of handling it. I'm proud of you."

"What am I still doing here with you?" asked Benny as he stood up. "No offense, but I need to find Erica and tell her she's a mom."

"Good luck on telling her," said Ethan and Sarah and unison.

On the way out of the cafeteria Benny ran into Rory, who was holding a cat, license plate, doll, and camera in his arms.

"Where are you headed so fast?" asked the blonde as struggled to hold everything.

"I'm going to tell Erica something, do you know where she went?"

"Yeah I saw her go outside, I made a joke and she vanished. Try the lawn."

Benny darted past him and threw the doors open. He was greeted with the warm sunlight against his skin, a gentle cooling breeze passed by causing him to inhale the fresh day. He felt better than he had in days. Why had he ever lied in the first place? Della was nice and all, but she was no Erica. He looked around and found her sitting on a bench underneath a tree. He took a seat next to her and tried his best to organize his thoughts.

"Are you ok?" asked Benny as he noticed the sad look on her face. "Did something happen?"

"Is Eric my son?" asked Erica without looking at him. "Did you use my DNA to create Eric?"

For a few moments he said nothing, and let the wind speak for him. The tree rustled and the shadows danced across their faces, when he could take it no longer he sighed.

"I did. I took a strand of my hair, and a strand of yours, and Eric was the result."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" She looked at him and instead of her usual anger he saw a strange calm in her eyes. "Yesterday when I was telling you all the reasons why I was upset with you, you should've said something."

"I wanted too, I really did. But I-"

"You tell me how you want me to be a better person, and here I am trying and you're lying to my face. Why would you do that?"

"I-I didn't know how you would react. It's not every day someone becomes a mom and plays no part in what happened. "

"And that gives you the right to lie about it?"

"I wasn't trying to lie, I really wasn't. I didn't know how you would react, and I needed to think of Eric."

"Now you're just making things up, you don't even have a reason for why you didn't tell me. You were just scared I would get mad at your mistake."

"Eric isn't a mistake!" yelled Benny as he felt anger take over. "My son is not a mistake."

"You mean our son, because he's as much mine as he is yours."

They sat there in silence each trying to make sense of the other's arguments and reasoning. The tree shook lightly and a few leaves fell, one landed in Erica's hair. Benny smiled and reached for it.

"Your right, he's your son as much as he is mine. And I should've told you, and you have every right to be mad at me. You really do, and I'm sorry I lied to you."

"Were that afraid of me that you needed to lie? Am I really that bad of a person?"

"I-" Benny tried to put his thoughts into words and looked down at the leaf he had removed. "I do the things I do because I try and impress you. A lot of times I end up messing up, and after hearing your rant the other day I wasn't sure I could tell you. I really wasn't. When I think about us, I see this immovable object and this unstoppable force. When we meet in the middle we sort of cancel each other out and the cycle repeats. All we do is argue, and then we make up and it stats all over again. I thought about what would happen if we didn't make up, if I broke up our friendship because I created this baby. And I couldn't tell you, I didn't want to lose you as my friend."

He took in a deep breathe and continued. "Yesterday I saw a different side of you, the real you. Not the vampire or the popular girl, but the one who I knew, the one I miss. And I realized that I didn't need to be scared of you, I needed to tell you and I couldn't hide it anymore. Erica I like you a lot."

She smiled. Benny leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips. "And if Eric is going to grow up normally, or as normally as he can, then he's going to need both his mom and dad by his side. Erica I can't do this alone, I need you now more than ever."

He held out the leaf and waited. Erica smiled and took the leaf from his hand and then pulled him into another kiss.

"So Benny went to tell Erica that Eric is really her son?" asked Rory as he placed the pile of garbage into the table. "Finally, I was getting tired of dropping hints all the time."

"You knew?" asked Ethan. "This whole time you knew?"

"Yeah I kept dropping these little hints hoping that Benny would fess up or Erica would figure it out. I'm not as stupid or oblivious as everyone thinks. Anyway I wanted to give Benny Eric's pacifier back," said Rory as he held it up. "I accidentally took it yesterday, but after what happened I think you have a better chance of seeing him than I would."

Rory tossed it to Ethan. When he caught it his eyes began to glow a dark grey color.

Nothing, nothing at all. It was quiet.

"What did you see?" asked Sarah as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Nothing," said Ethan. "I saw nothing, just silence..."

Benny waved goodbye to his Grandma as she pulled out of the driveway. He stood in the driveway with Eric in him arms and watched as the car disappeared around the corner, when it was finally out of sight he headed back into the house.

"Well looks like it's just you and me," said Benny to Eric as entered the house. The door swung shut. It was nice and quiet.