Oh god! I am so sorry for this long update! I've been sick and had lots of homework! but don't worry, I'm going to try to update really quickly next time, mostly because everything just got a bit more interesting B) So here you have it, the fifth chapter! Again I am really sorry guys! D:

Lost And Found ch5

Visiting hours

Rook didn't do very much that morning. He hadn't slept that much that night because of what he heard Ben's father say in the hall the previous day. He just couldn't imagine a father that so dearly wanted his son to be happy would suddenly declare him not to be his son when he changed. It wasn't like Ben wanted to change anyway.

He went to work earlier than meant to that morning. He felt that he needed to go to work that morning more than any other day. Somehow he had changed in his sleep.

He wasn't sure how, but it was like he was sleep talking all night and someone was talking back. He vaguely remembered hearing a small and very quiet voice whisper his name and a few other words that Rook for the life of him couldn't remember. He didn't have time for such superstition at that moment though and just wanted to get to work.

It never took him too long to get to work, not when he drove there by ship anyway. He didn't park in his usual spot. After he'd started talking to Ben he'd been given a private parking spot, as well as free use of the computers and a mug that had his name on it. He wasn't really sure why he'd been given these things, but he just shrugged it off and didn't think too much about it. He'd parked in the reserved area and began to walk inside when he realised that it had almost been an entire month since Ben had been returned. He thought about this for a moment and wondered just how Ben was coping with being back. He wasn't very happy at some of the reactions that he'd received.

Rook thought that most people would be happy, but a lot of them just wanted to know where he'd been. Before they asked him if he was alright.

This made him begin to wonder if he'd see any faces he knew today. He knew that Grandpa Max would be in for sure, but he wasn't too certain if anyone else would be there. It was a Monday so he didn't expect Kevin or Ben's father to be in. Both of the men were probably working today.

Rook passed a few plumbers on his way in, some of them stopping to say good morning. He waved at them with one hand and continued, not wanting to actually talk to them and just do what he's meant to.

When he saw Grandpa Max he knew something was wrong. The old man looked a bit distressed about something. He decided to do the most reasonable thing and ask the man what was wrong, but suddenly without warning Gwen came to stand in front of him. He almost jumped out of his skin when she started talking, but he straightened himself and said Good morning.

She raised an eyebrow at his reaction.

"Rook, are you alright? You look like you haven't slept in a week," Gwen tapped her foot lightly on the ground. Rook raised his head to look over her to Grandpa Max and then glanced back down to her.

"I am well, but is Majester Tennyson alright?" he asked with a concerned look. Gwen turned around so she could see he grandfather. He was talking to a scientist and both looked confused about something. She frowned at the sight, but instead of questioning it just turned back to Rook and said, "Who knows."

"You don't think it could be about Ben do you?" Rook asked, now becoming worried. Gwen saw this and smiled at him. She thought it was actually quite cute that Ben and Rook had become friends and the fact that Rook was so worried about him.

"It could be about a number of things, but I don't ask. Most of the time it's just some technical difficulties in the underground lab or something," Gwen shrugged and looked back to her grandfather. When she saw him looking back at her and then make a hand gesture for her to come over to him she got a little curious.

She looked up at Rook who looked down at her with the sort of look that said, 'what do I do now?'

She stepped away from Rook and waved a hand in front of her. "I guess it involves us, come on."

The two of them made their way over to Grandpa Max just as the scientist was leaving. Gwen glared at him as he walked passed which made Rook wonder exactly what she was glaring at him for. Maybe he'd done something, or had he said something? It was none of his business so he shook it off and continued over to the old man.

"Gwen, Rook, I've just been informed that Ben's omnitrix has stopped working," the man said as he crossed his large arms over his chest. Rook and Gwen both became confused, but before Rook could question it Gwen piped up.

"Wait, so do you mean he can't use it at all? And what's wrong with it? How do you know it's broken?"

Grandpa Max sighed for a moment and then began to explain. "Well, while Ben was asleep, he had to be asleep because he wouldn't let anyone touch it when he was awake, a scientist had a look at it and found that it just.. wasn't working," he shrugged. Rook frowned at Max and then began to speak.

"I don't understand, what natural function has it lost?" Rook asked.

Max looked to the revonnahgander and said simply. "All of them." When he received more confused looks from the pair he began to explain more clearly what was wrong. "The omnitrix is no longer able to change Ben's DNA, we aren't sure why exactly, but something happened to it and now it's not doing anything."

Rook and Gwen both looked at each other for a moment to try and figure out what had happened to the omnitrix. They looked back at Grandpa Max and Rook asked, "Other than that Ben is fine?"

Max looked a little shocked by Rook's response, but then answered with a nod. Rook smiled, knowing that nothing was wrong with Ben physically.

"Has he done anything unusual lately?" he asked, but Max shook his head before he could finish the sentence.

"He's not doing anything out of the ordinary, he's been sitting in his room, bouncing a soft ball against the wall for about an hour, but that's it," Max said. Rook frowned again and then sighed.

"It wouldn't be impossible to let Ben outside every once in a while would it?" he asked. Max sighed and shook his head side to side.

"No, I'm afraid seems someone let the media know everyone's on the look out for him and I don't think he needs that kind of attention right now," he answered and Rook nodded as he understood. Gwen frowned herself, feeling bad that Ben was practically locked away from the world because of what had happened to him.

Rook's mind began to speak to him and he wondered what would happen if that would ever happen. What if Ben went outside and the media saw him? If they surrounded him and started asking questions would he attack? Rook decided he didn't want to think about such a horrible thing and shook the thought away almost instantly.

He wasn't even sure if it really came to that that he'd be able to calm Ben down. Ben was always such a hard person to begin with, but if something that bad came Ben's way would it be too much?

He understood and respected Max's decision, knowing that Max only wanted what was best for his grandson.

Rook suddenly realised that he had work to do and excused himself from Max's and Gwen's company. Rook remembered that he'd needed to look into the Psychobos case. He'd forgotten to give it attention after the current events with Ben. He'd found it more important to keep Ben calm and away from others than figure out what Dr Psychobos was doing to Ben while he was in there.

It became apparent that he was running some sort of tests on Ben while he was there, but no one could get Ben to talk about them, he seemed to find the experiments unspeakable and traumatising. Rook had soon discovered how bad they must have been after Ben's last freak out.

He'd never expected Ben to actually attack anyone, let alone his parents. It was a complete surprise that Ben had became so violent at the word "family."

Rook could somewhat understand that Ben was fragile at the moment, but it was nothing that someone could pat down. Ben was a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.

He wouldn't just get angry, but Ben was an alien and a very powerful one at that. He would break things and people too if it ever came to that.

This is why they need Rook there. Rook was now the only thing that could keep Ben calm. Maybe it was the fact that Rook rescued Ben and had not tried to force him to do anything.

Rook was still a little confused as to why he was the one that Ben trusted. He understood that he'd rescued Ben, but why is Ben more likely to talk to Rook than anyone else? Ben would talk to Rook before he talk to his grandfather? That was strange.

Once Rook had came to a large metal door he tapped on it. The screen on the side of the door lit up and a small computer generated alien appeared. It was short, with green skin and a large head. It was a real mockery to aliens everywhere that this is what humans thought they looked like in the beginning and still use the image to describe them.

No one like this little animation, not even the human plumbers. In fact, among Rook's ranks they'd given the small alien animation a name. That name was Seymour, which was quickly changed to 'See-More Butts' when a human plumber swore the alien-want-to-be looked like the biggest creep he'd ever seen.

"Identification?" the animation chirped in a high pitched, nasally voice. Rook couldn't help but cringe at the computer generation, finding it very uncomfortable to look at.

"Rook Blonko," he answered it, mustering a clear vocal to speak with. When talking to computers Rook had to speak clearly. If not, the computer would say something like, "Did you mean telephone?"

How Rook's name sounded like telephone to a computer he had no clue, but instead of playing the computer's games it accepted the identification and the door whooshed open. He walked in.

As he had expected the room was empty. He was normally the only one who used the large room. He entered quickly, so not to fill the hallway even though it was completely empty. The door whooshed shut behind him and he made his way to the large computer in the centre of the room. He stared up to the large screen as it flickered on.

The computer thankfully had no animation on it and Rook could work without a creepy alien stereotype watching him. He began to type on the keys as he for the fifth time that week checked Dr Psychobos's file. He read over the information again and again just to get a clue.

He knew that the Doctor ran test on many aliens. He'd made a sport out of it. As he had said himself the Cerebrocrustacean species will stop at nothing to complete their knowledge of the universe, but never did he use the more humane ways of testing.

Rook leaned back in his chair and sighed as he was lead no where. He knew it was useless, but he had to try this way because Ben wouldn't tell him what happened.

"Hey Rook.." A voice whispered. Rook spun around and yelped, but found that no one was there. He frowned and stared at the door for a few more moments. No one was there.

He turned back around in his seat and continued to type of the keys.

"Rook." Rook stood from his chair and turned around, now angry.

"Who is there and what do you want?" Rook hissed to the apparently invisible voice.

"Calm down Rook, it's just me," the voice whispered to him and Rook's eyes widened.

"Ben?" Rook blinked in confusion. "How-where are you?" He heard a light chuckle and then the voice answered.

"I'm not in the room Rook, I'm talking to you telepathically, remember, I figured out how to do that a while ago? I told you last night when you were at home. You don't remember that? We were talking for hours."

Rook took in the information, finding the fact that Ben was in his head, not just fascinating, but incredibly weird. "I do not remember. I spent most of last night in bed, sleeping."

A sudden chuckle came from Ben's end of the telepathic wave. "I guess that's why you were saying such weird things huh?" Ben began to giggle uncontrollably.

Rook's eyes widened and he took a step back. "What did I say?" he questioned. Ben began a loud thundering laugh in Rook's head and Rook became a little annoyed.

"Doesn't matter-H-how are you today?" Ben tried to change the subject, but couldn't stop the laughter. Rook sighed, but smiled as he realised that Ben was laughing, telepathically, but he was enjoying himself nonetheless.

"I am well, and you seem to be enjoying yourself. You are feeling better I imagine?" Rook asked, not bothering to think, but speaking out loud. He heard Ben let out a loud groan and then his voice speak through his mind. "I can't go anywhere and I'm bored, but I feel a little better. I'd like to see you though. I don't get many visitors you know," Ben's voice sounded a little hurt by the end of the sentence. Rook frowned as he remembered asking Max for Ben's freedom to a little time outside and just sighed.

"I would love to see you, if you would like I can be down there in a few minutes," he tried to smile even though he knew Ben couldn't see it. Ben didn't answer.

Rook frowned and waited for a response, but nothing came. "Ben?" still there was no response. "Ben? Are you there?"

"Who are you talking to Rook Blonko?" the computer alien asked from outside the door. Rook jumped at the sound of it's annoying voice and his own voice that the animation had used to say his name. He just rolled his eyes at it and answered, "No one Seymour.."

"Did you mean Telephone?" the animation asked and Rook face palmed.

Rook exited the room, seeing no point in saying goodbye to Seymour.

He began his pace for the underground room that Ben was in. He knew Ben would not be in the interrogation room, but in the room he'd been given to live in for the time he spent in plumber HQ. As Rook made his way down to the lower levels he heard yelling and it was coming from behind him. Rook turned around and on turning was witness to two girls yelling to each other.

He saw that one of the girls was Gwen, but the other he did not know. This one had tan skin and black hair, her attire consisted mainly of pink and she wore her hair in pigtails.

She pushed passed Gwen harshly and shouted, "I'm seeing him!"

"No you are not!" Gwen barked back at her. "He's been through enough!"

The girl attempted to walk passed Rook, but he stopped her seeing that Gwen didn't want her to go any further. "Excuse me mam', but you cannot go passed here," he said simply.

The girl jumped back with a scream as she saw Rook. Rook didn't react though, he was used to these sorts of reactions from humans.

She then glared at him and crossed her arms. "Get out of my way alien!" she scowled. Gwen stormed next to Rook with clenched fists.

"Leave. NOW!" Gwen demanded.

Rook glanced to the fuming girl standing within arms reach of him and asked, "Gwen, who is this?"

Before Gwen could answer, the girl in question wrinkled her nose and said quite rudely. "My name is Julie Yamoto! And Ben is my boyfriend!"

Julie. Visiting hours are between NO and NEVER! 'cue maniacal laughter' I love cliffhangers. Don't worry, because this one's a cliffy I'll try to update sooner, because I hate making you guys suffer. Also! I would like to thank everyone who has commented, faved and followed. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!

So now I leave to sleep and hopefully get some inspiration for later chapters. :3

Until then my friends~