A/N: And here we have it, another chapter. This time we're pushing things forward as we heard towards the conclusion. I have a little game for you, go back re-read the chapters and tell me if you can spot the small little details that have been strategically placed. Yes there is a bread crumb trail, no it's not easy to find, but if you have picked up on it you'll be able to guess where this is headed. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

And don't forget to review, even if it's a simple 'cool', or some criticism, heck let me know if you'd love to see something happen and maybe it will. Anyway just leave a review it would mean a lot to me. Anyway enough of the rant, enjoy!

Benny's Baby

Chapter 10: The More Things Change The More They Stay The Same

"What are you going to tell Erica's parents?" asked Ethan as they walked home. The sun was shining down bathing them all in a cool and relaxing warmth. "They're going to find out, either from you guys or someone else."

"I've learned from my mistakes," said Benny as he thought about the many things discussed during lunch. "And Erica and I have agreed to tell them everything next weekend. She's going to come clean about being a vampire and I'm going to tell them I'm a Spellmaster. There's no other way of looking at it. How else are we going to explain how we have a son?"

"I'm glad she's taking this so well," said Sarah as she walked with them. "I had this horrible feeling she was going to slap you, but now that you have all of this nonsense out of the way you can focus on what matters-raising Eric."

"Can you imagine how much worse things would've been if Erica had got pregnant?"Asked Rory as he floated lazily in the air.

"No," said Benny, Sarah and Ethan in unison.

"Anyway," said Benny as he shuddered at the thought of a pregnant Erica. "I never thought I say this before but Eric is totally Erica's son. He may act like me but I swear he gives me the same look she does when I mess up. The other day I was playing with him and I tripped and he laughed at me."

"I would've laughed at you too," said Sarah with a smile. Benny rolled his eyes and tried to hide the blush that had spread across his face. "But I mean it in a nice way."

"So your son laughs at you," said Rory with a shrug. "Everyone laughs at me, and do you see me stressing out over it?"

"In his defense you go out of your way to be weird," said Ethan, and Rory couldn't help but nodded in agreement. "So you can handle being alone tonight?"

Benny nodded. "Yeah, it's only half a day. But I wouldn't mind if you stayed over Saturday night, I might need some help with Eric."

"And if you need a professional I'm free too," said Sarah. Ethan gave her a look and she placed a kiss on his cheek. "Sorry but I the idea of the two of you alone with a baby worries me. I'll call you later."

She gave him a wink and took off into the sky; Ethan touched his cheek and looked at the other boys who gave him thumbs up.

"So the new Infinite Galaxy movie comes out next week," said Ethan as he began to run his cheek. "And I managed to get premiere tickets for two of my closest friends."

Benny and Rory shouted in excitement and the remainder of the walk was filled with talk about the upcoming movie.

Benny closed the front door and for a moment enjoyed the quiet of the house for what it really was- peaceful. It took a moment for the reality of what was going on to sink in, and when it did he couldn't help but smile. His Grandma trusted him, really trusted him, and that alone was far than enough reason to be happy. He bounced his son in his arms as he entered the kitchen and with his one hand turned on the sink. He waited for the water to warm up before putting in the stopper; he looked at his son with a smile.

"It's bath time buddy."

Eric waved his arms back and forth with a wide smile on his face. A few minutes later he was resting in the sink as Benny rubbed him down with a soft wet cloth.

"How do you manage to get so dirty so fast? You don't do anything."

Eric squealed with delight.

"I talked with your mom today, and I think you'll be seeing a lot more of her around. And just because she's going to be around doesn't mean we're dating, ok? I like her, but I don't want her to like me because she wants to be around you. Does that make sense?"

Another squeal of happiness.

"Ok, so I kissed her. What does that have to do with anything? I didn't say we should start dating, I told her that I was going to need help when it comes to raising you. And let's face it, you're a Weir, you're going to need all the help you can get if you want to be 'normal'."

Eric just stared at him with his bright blue eyes, and Benny felt himself sigh in defeat.

"Right now I don't think it would be a good idea for your mom and me to get together. She's nice, but I'm worried she's confusing her feelings for you with her feelings for me. I know it sounds stupid but I'd rather we be friends than something else and risk losing each other."

Benny picked up his son and wrapped the towel around him. "I want you to be happy, and I don't want some fall out between the two of us to ruin your life. Yeah we like each other, but we can wait until the time's right to actually be a couple. Does that make any sense to you?"

Eric looked up from the towel his was sucking on and then kicked his legs in excitement. Benny held up his cell phone took a picture of them together then sent it to Erica with the label: your boys.

He got a response a few moments later. :) Thanks for the picture. Get some rest. Text you later.

For the rest of the night things went smoothly, Eric ate, played and when it was time for bed slept. Benny checked the baby monitor made sure it was on, and then exited his son's nursery without fear of waking him up. He lay down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Was he doing the right thing in keeping Erica at a distance? They weren't a couple, and after they had shared those two kisses both of them had agreed it was for the best. A child was no excuse for the two of them to date, and he had made that perfectly clear.

Benny was the first to pull away, and as he did he felt uneasy. This wasn't the way he expected it to happen, this wasn't the way it was supposed to happen.

"Erica we can't do this." He noticed the hurt look in the blonde's eyes and mentally cursed himself. He needed to maintain his revolve.

"What are you talking about?"

"This, this thing between us, it can't happen. At least not yet," whispered Benny as he looked at her. "Eric is the most important thing in my life right now. I like you, but I don't feel this happening right now. Can you honestly look me in the eyes and tell me that you're doing this because you like me? Or are you doing this because of our son?"

She looked at him and then looked away. "I don't know."

"Exactly, we're not ready to be a couple. I don't want to ruin any chance we have because you think you're doing what's right. I want you in Eric's life that much is true. But for now, let's be parents first and then maybe after that something else."

"Every time I think I understand you, you do and go something like this," said Erica with a small smile on her face. "Maybe sometime over the weekend you'll introduce me to my son, a real introduction?"

"Yeah of course," said Benny as he gave her a hug.

"How does he act?"

"He's a fearless little guy, laughs at lightning and thunder."

"Really? Is he crawling yet? Or eating food?"

Benny and Erica spent the rest of lunch and most of their fifth period class discussing their son and all of his fantastic qualities. It was only when the final bell rang did they finally get up and head their separate ways. They shared one last hug, and Benny placed a kiss on her forehead. He watched as she left and sighed, for the first time since Eric's creation the knot in his stomach was gone.

Was a child a really an excuse for two people to date? Then again their son was the thing that helped them realize what they needed was each other. The more he thought about the more uneasy he felt. He turned over and looked at the clock and winced, it was already three in the morning.

He continued to roll over hoping that sleep would overtake him when he his mind began to wander. What was going to happen in the next ten years or so when Eric began to get older and Erica stayed the same? What about school? When should they get him enrolled? And after that was college of course, where was he going to go for college? Benny shuddered at the thought, after all he wasn't even out of high school and here he was thinking about his son's plan for graduation. At the sound of his son's crying Benny snapped out of the semi-trance that had taken hold of him. He sat up and looked up at the clock; it was seven-thirty in the morning. With a groan he rolled out of bed and stretched. So much for sleeping.

Ethan flipped through the pages of his supernatural notebook and looked at the newest entry: Eric Weir. The newest Weir was by all accounts a healthy mortal baby boy, but there was something he had missed…. Something important that was staring him in the face and for some reason he could not think of. What was it?

Ethan sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Maybe he was over thinking this, after all the test questions as a way to weaponize happiness had proved to be over thinking on his part. And yet….

He glanced at his watch and nearly fell onto the floor, he was supposed to over at Benny's house in a few minutes. He grabbed various clothes and stuffed them into his backpack. Sure Benny lived next door, but it never hurt to be prepared. He grabbed the pacifier and held it up, what was it about his vision that bothered his so much?

Ethan smiled as he entered the Weir house, if there was one place that could considered his home away from home it was definitely here. He followed Benny up to him room and then dropped his pack onto the ground.

"Before I forget," said Ethan as he pulled the pacifier out of his pocket. "Rory accidently took this the other day when we were moving things around."

"I was wondering where that was," said Benny as Ethan tossed it to him. "It's Eric's favorite one, I thought I had lost it. Little E will be glad to know I have it."

"I didn't have a chance to ask you before, but you and Erica, are you finally a couple?"

"No not exactly."

"But you kissed her, and she kissed you back. You both know you have feelings for each other; please tell me how you can't be a couple. Or am I just missing something?"

Benny rolled his eyes as he started up his GameStation. Eric giggled from him position in the bassinet and kicked his feet in excitement. Ethan tried to smile and instead found himself grimacing as he thought about his vision.

"I like her, but I want her to like be because she likes me, not because we had a son together."

"So you're telling me the reason you aren't dating is the very reason that helped you understand one another?"

"Something like that," said Benny as he tossed Ethan a controller. "I mean would you date Sarah if you accidently created a child with her, without her knowing?"

"There are so many things wrong with that statement."

"Shut up and play."

They played videogames over the next few hours and at long last Benny tossed his controller down in defeat. Ethan raised his arms in victory and then gave Eric a victory pat.

"You're dad may be a magic man, but he's no match for me!"

"I'm exhausted," mumbled Benny as he rubbed his face. "I didn't get any sleep last night, do you mind if we turn in early?"

"I don't care, I could use some sleep myself."

"Let me go put Eric down in his crib."

Benny got up gently lifted his son out of the bassinet and then headed down the hall towards the nursery. Ethan followed him into the room then stopped and closed his eyes. There were no sounds. Nothing, nothing at all. It was quiet.

Ethan felt Benny tap his shoulder and motion for him to follow. "Did you have some kind of vision?"

"No, I was just-what's up with that room? There was no sound at all." Asked Ethan as they descended the stairs.

"I put a spell on the room," answered Benny as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Eric hears a lot of calming noises because he's in the crib, but anything else has been canceled out. So to you or to me we just hear that silence. That way he won't be woken up by accident. The only sound that can get through is his crying."

Benny threw open the refrigerator door and pulled out a small vial. "My Grandma made this for me; she said to take it if I have problems sleeping. Do you mind getting Eric if I don't wake up?"

"I already said I would," said Ethan. He took a step back when Benny opened the container. "Gross, what's in that?"

"Water, and what was it called… oh yeah papaver somniferum whatever that is," Benny down the liquid in one go and shivered. "It's so gross."

"I keep forgetting to ask you about the potion you used to create Eric, what exactly did you put in it?"

"Snails, slugs, frogs, my hair, Erica's, oh and a seed for his body. Why? You want me to make a baby for you and Sarah?"

Ethan rolled his eyes and groaned as he walked away from him friend.

"What? Was it something I said?"

When Benny lay down for bed Ethan opened his phone and searched for the thing his friend had mentioned earlier.

Papaver somniferum…. Poppies… Used to create opium…. Highly toxic, may be fatal if eaten.

Ethan looked over at Benny and saw him sleeping soundly. He must've remembered the name wrong, there was no way his Grandmother would give him something that dangerous. He heard Eric crying and quietly left the room; he entered the nursery and picked up the infant.

"What's the matter?" asked Ethan as he rocked him in his arms. "What's bothering you?"

It was raining, raining in the dead silence...

For the rest of the night Eric cried while Benny slept soundly in his room. When he awoke in the morning he found Ethan asleep in the nursery, and his own son fast asleep in his crib. He smiled and closed the door as exited into the hallway. Ethan tossed and turned as he tried to remember the truth that lay before his eyes, the one that continued to escape his grasp.