Sorry! Graduations and Memorial Day preparations have been keeping my busy. My nephew was Valedictorian of his college class! Whoo hoo! I knew he was smart and now he can't say he isn't. I have proof now, boyo.

I just finished cleaning graves and I am sore. Like really sore. Memorial Day cannot come fast enough for this Native.

And now the chapter. *laughs*

Sheriff Mills is a lying liar who lies.

As soon as they got back to her place, she sent Ben into the bathroom to wash up while she talked with Claire, and when he got back out, the Sheriff somehow managed to convince her not to tell Ben about his dad. That is just unfair. How could she do that? Now Claire's turning a deaf ear to his pleas to know more about his dad.

Alex, surprisingly, gave him a sympathetic smile before excusing herself to go to bed. Ben glanced at the time and was surprised to see it was only ten o'clock. Maybe he won't be late after all if the Sheriff gives him a ride home right now.

But he can't leave now. Not when he has someone who had just been with his dad.

"Claire," Ben tried again. Hope springs eternal, right? That's how it goes, innit? "Where's my dad at? Is he close by?"

Claire once again ignored him and continued demolishing off the left over pizza. Any other time he would be impressed at how much she's putting away at such a fast rate. He'd also be flirting with her, making her laugh at his jokes, and maybe swing a date with her within an hour. What can he say? He's that good. His mom once said he was just like his dad that way. She had a blank look on her face after she said that, like she couldn't figure out where that came from.

Ben shook his head, not wanting to get lost in his memories of his mother. He refocused his attention back on Claire and the traitorous Sheriff.

"Claire, is my dad nearby?" Ben repeated a little more forcefully.

"Ben," the Sheriff said sternly. "Leave her alone."

Ben glared at the Sheriff, pissed off that the Sheriff is once again keeping his father from him.

"At least tell me my dad's name," Ben muttered mullishly.

Tension settled into the room. Again, Ben thought humorlessly. What's wrong now? He only asked for his dad's name. There's no harm in that question. At least he doesn't think. Well, unless they don't want him to look up his dad, which, fair. He was going to look up his dad and maybe get a non-splotchy picture of his father.

The Sheriff sat down next to him at the table. She turned his head so she could look him in the eye.

"Ben, I've already told you your dad's name. Don't you remember? Claire told you his name as well."

Ben gave her a confused look and shook his head. "No you didn't. I think I would remember if you told me my dad's name. That's kind of important to me. I wouldn't forget something like that."

The Sheriff shared a concerned look with Claire. "Ben, you're dad's name is Dean Winchester. Your uncle's name is Sam."

Ben lit up at that. He quickly grabbed his phone and tapped the internet icon to look up his dad, the page barely loaded when he couldn't remember why he opened it in the first place. It was to look up something important, he remembers that much but not as to who or what he planned on researching. Maybe it had something to do with hunting? Like that dog/giraffe hybrid thing that attacked him.

Five minutes pass with frustration. He can't find anything on what attacked him. Nothing useful at least. Maybe he should hit the books later, the ones hidden at the library. The ones given to him by his father.

"Hey, Sheriff," Ben starts, looking at the search engine, "what's my dad's name? I want to look him up."

There's silence. If Ben was a guessing man, he'd say it was a concerned silence. He looked up to see both Claire and the Sheriff staring at him. Ben shifted under their gaze and felt his hackles rise.

"What?" he demanded self-consciously.

Claire answered him. "We already told you your dad's name, Ben. Three times."

"No, you didn't," Ben denied. "I think I would remember that."

"We did. You grabbed your phone to look him up," Claire explained slowly. She inched away from him.

Ben stared at her in confusion. "You didn't. I would remember my dad's name."

"Ben," the Sheriff started. "We told you. We did, I swear." She shared another look with Claire before asking, "What was in the box you had me send for?"

"Is this a test or something?" Ben asked in return. "To test my memory out?"

The Sheriff nodded.

Ben bit his lip. He didn't think they were lying, and that scared the holy hell out of him. Maybe the thing blocking his memory isn't fading as much as he thought it was. Not if he can't remember the name of his dad, not even minutes after hearing it.

"It has books and notebooks my dad gave me. They're about hunting," Ben admitted. He has to share it or he might forget it and lose the only tie he has to his dad.

The Sheriff let out an unhappy sigh at that but didn't ask where the box was or why he hid it from her.

Ben hunched in on himself. He stared at his phone screen, google stared right back at him, waiting for him to search for something, but he didn't have anything to search for. Not anymore. Maybe if he had Claire or the Sheriff enter his dad's name then he'll be able to find out more about his dad.

Wordlessly, Ben handed over his phone to the Sheriff to enter his dad's name. The Sheriff followed the silent request and tapped his dad's name out and hit search before handing the phone back.

With bated breath, Ben clicked on the first website listed, an FBI 10 Most Wanted no less. Oh, that inspires so much confidence in Ben. He scrolls through until he hands the phone back to the Sheriff to click on his dad's profile because he blanked out on who he's looking for, and when she handed it back, the picture became distorted and the phone crapped out before Ben could get a good look at his dad.

Frustrated, Ben stood up and threw his phone with all his might against the far wall, shattering the rather useless device into itty bitty pieces. He grinned at the sound of it breaking.

"Well, that was dramatic," Claire said drolly.

Ben shot her an unamused glare.

"Bite me," Ben snapped back.

"What you've been through is nothing what I've been through," Claire retorted. "Quit throwing a bitch fit, Winchester, and man up and deal with it."

"Deal with what? The fact that I can't remember my own father's fucking name or my uncle's not five seconds after hearing it? Oh, what about the fact I'm starting to remember some things about my dad but not my dad himself? Like I know he was there when my little league won the championship and the father/son competition my boy scout group put on but I can't remember his face, his laugh, his goddamn scent?

"I remember he's a hunter because that's the only thing that makes sense and I got just a little flash but it was gone before I could even process the fact that I had an actual memory of my father before it was ripped away from me? Is that what I'm supposed to 'man up and deal with', Claire?" Ben yelled at her.

"Yes!" Claire yelled back. "Because of your dad, mine is dead. So forgive me for not feeling any sympathy for you. At least your dad is still here!"

"But you can remember you father!" Ben shouted, getting into her face. "Everything he ever did with you, you can still remember and have that to comfort you when the nights get rough and you're at your lowest. I don't have that comfort because someone or something stole it from me!"

"How do you know it wasn't your father's idea? What if he was the one who had you and your mom's memories of him stripped away? Ever think of that, Winchester?" Claire snarled and shoved him backwards.

Ben itched to shove her back but his mom taught him not to disrespect women like that. Instead he glared at her with as much venom as he could muster.

"Don't. Don't do that again," Ben warned her. "If my dad is the reason behind my memory issues concerning him then I am just as much as a victim as you are, Claire," he pointed out.

Claire scoffed at him before sneering. "It is not the same thing. I lost both my parents because of your dad." She got in his face, her breath hitting him. "Your dad is a monster."

Ben saw red and pushed her as hard as he could, sending her crashing against the wall. She got back up and reached for her sword. Sheriff Mills got between them before Claire got a grip on her sword.

"Enough!" She yelled at them. "There will be no fighting or stabbing in my house."

Ben and Claire glared daggers on each other.

"This isn't over, Novack," Ben sneered at her. "Take me back to the Marks' house, Sheriff. You're gonna explain why I'm late for curfew, and please, don't tell them I got in trouble with the law or they'll ground me until I'm 18 and out of their hair."

Sheriff Mills snorted and nodded for him to grab his stuff, keeping her eye on Claire and her itchy fingers to make sure she doesn't stab Ben.

Ben hitched his backpack back on and walked out of the house without looking back, still seething over Claire's lies. His dad isn't a monster, he's a hero, something he knows deep down to his very bones, that his dad is a bonafide hero. It feels familiar somehow. Thinking of his dad as a hero.

Claire is just lashing out in anger and grief, Ben told himself while he waited in the truck for the Sheriff to take him home. His dad is a hero. He's not a monster. He's not.

He's not.

BW

Sheriff Mills needs to work on her lying skills. When she dropped him off at the Marks', her excuse for Ben being half an hour late for curfew was that he was interested in dating Alex, and that the only way for Ben to do so is for him to date Alex at her place the first couple of times before she allows them to date outside her supervision.

Ben couldn't have been more mortified if he tried. He shot her a disbelieving look, the Sheriff merely shrugged back at him helplessly when Maria Marks looked away to confer with her husband.

They accepted the Sheriff's story and forgave Ben's trespass for being late for curfew.

"You know, if you had been anyone else, I think Jody would have scared you off from Alex," commented Logan as they waved goodbye for the Sheriff. "She seems to have a soft spot for you, kid."

Ben shrugged at him. "If you say so." He is so going to get the Sheriff back for that.

"I do," said Logan with a grin.

"You know, you're not as funny as you think you are," Ben told him sweetly. "You should be thanking me for leaving the house, Logan. If I hadn't have left, you wouldn't have gotten laid."

The look on Logan's face was worth the Gibbs slap to the head.

Ben cackled as he ran up to his room for bed. He rubbed the spot where Logan smacked him still chuckling at his joke. So worth it though. That'll teach him, Ben thought with amusement.

The thing is, Ben really likes Logan, perhaps more than Maria. He's right up there with Mr. Evans for his two favorite people in this godforsaken town. Mr. Evans doesn't treat Ben like he's a problem child or like he's fragile. He expects Ben to know his stuff and to act like the adult he's going to be. The dude may be only 31 but as far as Ben is concerned, he's wise and full of advice that Ben will undoubtedly need over the next year.

He finished getting ready for bed and proofed his homework before going to sleep. He only found a few errors in his work, and he even added additional notes to his history homework for extra credit.

He wondered if he took after his dad or uncle with his school learning. He had a feeling it was more the latter than the former.

Ben's mom made sure that he knew the importance of an education and Ben took it to heart, it's his way of honoring her. He'll graduate, hopefully with honors, and he'll get into a good university, hopefully with a full ride, and he'll get a good job that he loves, hopefully making her proud of him while she's in Heaven.

Does she know that he's working hard to make her proud? Does she watch over him like a guardian angel?

He shook his head to dispell the thoughts before they turned sad.

Claire's words came back to him. "Your dad is a monter." No. That's not true. It's not. He knows it's not.

The look on her face though. She meant it with every fiber of her being. Maybe she knows something he doesn't. Something horrible that the Sheriff is trying to keep him from finding out. What if she never called his dad?

Ben felt a sob lodge itself in his throat, his eyes burned, and he felt like he couldn't breathe, probably due to the damn sob he refuses to let out.

His dad's not a monster.

He's not.

"Dad," Ben sobbed, losing his battle and cried into his pillow to muffle the noise.

He didn't know how long he cried or even when he fell asleep, Maria knocking on his door to wake him up for school is the only indication of time passing. He felt drained. Completely and utterly drained.

He can't go to school today.

It would require a strength he's not up to mustering for his classes and fellow peers. Oh god, he'd have to see Alex and deal with what happened last night.

Your dad's a monster.

Ben felt another sob work its way up but he choked it back down.

She's lying. Claire Novack is a fucking liar. Who cares if she saved his life? She has no right spreading lies like that. And it is a lie. It is.

"Logan," Ben called out softly, hoping his foster father would hear.

Logan must have been passing by his door just then, he opened the door and aked, "What's up?"

"I don't feel good. At all. Can I stay home today?" Ben asked plaintively. He pulled out the puppy eyes that always seemed to make his mom cave like a wet tissue. It seemed to work on Logan as well, he nodded his head and checked his temperature.

He frowned. "You don't feel like you have a temperature. What's wrong?"

Shoule he lie? Tell the truth? Would Logan even understand if Ben told the truth?

"I met a girl who knew my dad. She said some horrible things about him. I just - I just don't feel like dealing with anything today. I know she's lying, but..." he trailed off as he felt his throat clog up again with another sob.

Surprising him, Logan reached out and gently ran his hand through Ben's hair. "I understand. Take today off. I'll tell Maria. Got any homework you want me to drop off for you?"

Ben could have kissed him. He pointed for his backpack and Logan grabbed it, promising to drop it off at the school before he heads to work. Ben told him his blue folder is the one with all his finished assignments. Logan nodded and headed out.

Maria dropped off a light breakfast for him to eat when he's ready. She didn't comment on him wanting to stay home, only said she's here if he wanted to talk.

He's totally touched Maria and Logan's understanding. He told her he would when he's ready. She nodded and told him to call her if he needs anything. Ben replied that he would. She seemed satisfied with that and left for work.

Ben laid in bed all morning and most of the afternoon. He only got up to go to the bathroom and to return the tray Maria dropped off earlier.

Around three, Logan showed up and urged him to shower and told him they needed to talk. That doesn't sound good.

Ben took a quick shower and trudged to the kitchen where Logan sat waiting for him.

"What's up?" Ben asked, fighting the urge to fidget.

Logan smiled at him before turning serious. "You said some girl told you some things that were lies about your dad." Ben nodded. "Ben, how do you know they're lies? Do you know who your father is?"

Ben shook his head. "I don't know who he is. She said I looked like him. The Sheriff said the same thing," he added after thinking it over. Logan should know the truth as to why the Sheriff favors him so much. "She won't tell me who he is though. She told the girl not to tell me."

"Huh," hummed Logan. "Why wouldn't she want you to know who he is? Is he a bad person?"

"I don't know," admitted Ben. "I don't think so."

"Then why won't Jody tell you about your dad? If he's such a good guy, then why is she keeping you from him? Why won't she tell your dad you're here and that you need him? If she hadn't've called your dad and told him about you, then she must have a helluva good reason for doing so," Logan said.

"My dad's not a bad guy. He's a hero. I remember that much about him. He taught me how to fight. He showed him how to make a bully leave me alone. How's he a bad guy if he did all that?" Ben asked Logan seriously. He wanted to know.

Logan sat back and rubbed his jaw before answering. "I don't know, Ben. If he knew about you, why didn't he keep contact with you and your mom? Where was he when your mom died? Why isn't he claiming custody of you?"

All very good questions but Ben couldn't very well tell Logan why he thinks his father hasn't kept in touch. He might send Ben to the loony bin if he starts talking about monsters, angels and demons, and of his father, the hunter who kills the aforementioned creatures. He doesn't think even the Sheriff would be able to keep him out the asylum.

"I don't know, Logan, but I do know he's not a m - a bad guy," Ben said.

Logan heaved a sigh. "I don't want you looking for him, Ben. At least not until you finish school. I know I'm asking a lot, but, Ben, please don't do anything that could jeopardize your education."

"I - I," Ben stuttered, unsure how to express what he's trying to say. He knows he can't go after his dad, at least not yet. It's Claire's words that are haunting him. "She said my dad was a monster," Ben whispered brokenly.

He saw comprehension dawn on Logan's face, quickly followed by sympathy. He got out of his chair and hugged Ben close to his chest, whispering soothing words until Ben got control of himself again.

"Maybe she just said that to hurt you," Logan offered as an explanation.

"Well it worked," Ben muttered darkly. "I didn't do anything to her. Why would she say that to me? My dad saved her life, I know he did. He's a hero."

Logan looked like he wanted to say something but held back because he knew it would either hurt or piss off Ben, or maybe both.

"I don't know, kid. I think you should just drop it for a while. It's messing with your head," advised Logan softly. He may look like a rugged outdoorsman with a douche haircut - all the flannel and plaid strangely comforting - but he's surprisingly sensitive and laid back. It's why Ben likes him. He won't make fun of Ben for feeling like this or crying over it.

"I wasn't going to go looking for him until summer," admitted Ben.

"Hmm," Logan said, still holding Ben. He let go and ruffled Ben's hair to annoy him. "Good. Let's keep that plan."

Logan took the rest of the day off and hung out the remaining afternoon with Ben, doing his best to make Ben forget about Claire's horrible words. By the time Maria came home, Ben and Logan were in a heated battle playing Call of Duty. She rolled their eyes at them fondly, getting their attention by showing them what she brought home for supper: pizza.

Ben quit first and followed his nose like a cartoon character to supper. Logan laughed at him, claiming the win before following suit.

It was a good day, once Logan had a talk with him and pulled him out of his funk, having his favorite food is just the icing on the top. They told jokes and laughed at each other for their wild stories, trying to one up the other. Logan won. He was a crazy mofo when he was younger, much to Ben's delight.

The phone ringing during dessert had Ben tensing, making Logan's protective instincts kick in, and Maria to answer the phone. She talked for a bit before looking at Ben, a sad expression on her face.

"Okay, I'll have him get ready," Maria said. She hung up without saying goodbye. "Ben, you need to gather your things, Jody is coming to pick you up, and she said she'll have you back by Sunday."

Ben didn't like the sound of that. That's four whole days with someone who's been keeping his father from him.

"No."

Maria heaved a loud, unhappy sigh. "I know but she said something about hunting. I don't know what that means but she had me say it specifically. I didn't know she was a big hunter."

Logan frowned. "If Ben doesn't want to go then he shouldn't have to go."

"No," Ben said slowly. "I changed my mind. I'll go with her." At their confused look, especially Logan's, Ben elaborated, "I'm gonna force her to tell me about my dad. Alex too. And yes, Alex knows my dad as well."

They looked gobsmacked at this revelation.

"Go, but call me the second you want to come home," Logan replied. "I mean it, Ben. Don't stay any longer than you feel comfortable."

"I will," Ben promised.

"Go pack," Logan ordered, slapping on an unconvincing smile. He needs to work on that. Logan has no convincing lying face.

Ben nodded and took off upstairs to pack for the long weekend. He may not be getting answers about his dad, but Ben will learn about hunting, and though that, he'll learn more about his dad's life with his uncle. He'll find a way to get into contact with dad and uncle either through subterfuge or proving himself to them by excelling in hunting that they willingly give him his dad's number.

He just hopes he doesn't die this weekend from whatever the Sheriff has planned for him.

Krissy will be making her debut within a few chapters. I can't wait, especially seeing her interacting with Ben and Claire and their desire to learn how to hunt. She'll be the teacher. Granted, the younger than them teacher, but she will be their teacher. She has more experience than them from hunting with her father, and I'm including Jody.

I'm seriously excited to write her!