A/N: I felt like we all needed a dose of Ben to lighten things up. Because when it rains, it pours.

"Ben, it's almost time to go!"

The shout from downstairs increased Ben's panic and he pushed his glasses up, taking inventory of the things in his backpack one more time before checking his watch. Science time was at ten sharp and he quickly calculated down to the minute how much time was left before he and Junior had to stand in front of the entire class and give a presentation. They were prepared and neither one of them had a fear of public speaking, but Ben desperately wanted to get this right.

"We're gonna be late," Colton said, poking his head in the door. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, I'm just a little fretful."

"About what?"

"This thing in science class. Daddy told me this morning to imagine everyone in their underwear but mama rolled her eyes and said that never works. You got any advice, Cole?"

"Just be yourself. Remember how you used to do show and tell all the time? Make it just like that. You and Junior studied up a lot on this, I think you know your stuff pretty well. You won't mess up."

"Thanks. I sure hope you're right. When you were my age, what did you do your science project on?"

"Mama and daddy helped me make a pair of lungs."

"That sounds cool. I just hope me and Junior do a good job. I'm kind of doing bad in science."

"You are?"

"I thought I had it handled, on account of mama and daddy are sciency people. I should not have been so brash."

"You can make up for it with this presentation."

"That would be good. I don't want anyone to be disappointed in me."

"You'll do great, Ben."

"Thanks Cole. We'd better get going 'fore mama has to tell us again."

The brothers grabbed their things and headed downstairs. Avery was by the front door, singing to herself as she put on an old pair of Ben's shoes.

"Hey boys," she greeted. "Mama told me to tell you to get a move on it."

"Where is she?"

"Took Thomas for a fast walk because we don't have time later. She will be back soon."

"I'm back now," Lindsay said, pulling the screen door open. "Are you guys ready?"

They all nodded and she let the dog back into the house, shouting up to Adam that they were leaving.

"Goodbye my Thomas baby!" Avery said with a wave. "I will be back later, with a present for you!"

"You're getting a present for Thomas, sissy?" Ben questioned as they made their way to the car. "Are you making it in your school?"

"No Ben," Avery laughed. "Mac is pickin' me up from school. We are going to the dog toy store. I saved up my monies to buy a toy for my Thomas. That's what you have to do when you're a mama."

"Oh, I see. Well that's nice of you to do that for Thomas. I'm sure she'll be very happy about it."

"Yes, her will be. I telled her about it already."

"What else are you gonna do with Mac?" Colton asked as Lindsay started the car.

"I don't know yet! It will be a adventure. I like days with Mac. He always takes me to a place to eat."

"He does?"

"An' he lets me have chocolate milk!"

"You know, I wish that I got to have special days with all kinds of people, instead of going to school," Ben mused. "You get to hang out with all the most special people in our lives."

"Yep! Mama says it's not fun bein' the baby of the family but I get to do this stuff that you big kids don't get to do, so then it is fair. Mama was the baby of her family too. She knows how it is."

"It's funny to think of you as a little kid, mama. You've been a grown up for as long as I've known you."

"Yes, that's true."

"Do you even remember being a little kid?"

"Yes mama it was most long ago."

"Gee, thanks guys."

"We don't mean you are oldish, mama," Avery assured. "It is just that you are older than we are! By a lot! But that is okay because we are very young children."

Colton snickered and caught Lindsay's eye in the rearview mirror, giving her a knowing look.

"Yes, I remember being a little kid, and by the standards of back then, you three are spoiled rotten."

"Didja only have sticks to play with?" Ben laughed. "And you did not have 'lectricity or nothing? Did you wear boxes for shoes?"

"You're hilarious."

"Wait, I got more. Was it so long ago that in school there was not even history class on account of history had not happened yet? Are all your memories in black and white because they did not have color back then?"

"Very funny, Benjamin."

"I like jokes," he said with a shrug. "When Rebecca comes to live with us, I will teach her how to tell jokes I think. And then what will you do with two comedians in the house?"

"I will duck and cover."

"I think I will grow up to be like that Jeff Foxworthy guy you like so much. He's much classier than the Cable Guy."

"I think you'd be a good comedian, Ben."

"Hey, thanks Cole! Today after school maybe we can look up some videos on the computer and learn about being one of those."

"I'll volunteer to be your heckler."

Lindsay snickered while Ben scrunched up his face.

"What's a heckler?"

"Someone who sits in the audience and boos. You've got to get used to people like that."

"Oh okay. Then that's a plan."

They performed a "secret" handshake on it and Avery shook her head.

"You boys are most silly."

"You're even more silly, sissy."

"Oh yes, I do know that. Oh, here we are at your school!"

"Wish me luck for my project today!"

"I wish you luck, Ben. C'mere, I will kiss your face."

Ben laughed and leaned over, accepting the hug and kiss from his little sister.

"You will do well and 'complish much. I believe in you."

"Thanks sissy. That means a lot."

She nodded as the boys got out of the car, shouting their goodbyes and making their way into the building. Ben's stomach rolled nervously as he parted ways with Colton and went into his classroom, finding Junior already there.

"Hey buddy."

"Hey buddy."

Ben sat down in the desk next to his best friend, sighing heavily.

"What's the matter Ben? You look like someone didn't laugh at one of your jokes."

"I'm just really nervous. I don't know why."

"I was nervous today too. But I asked my ma about it and she said that it's normal to be nervous and just remember that these are the same kids we play with at recess every day."

"Yeah. I'm not nervous about that part really. I am nervous we won't get a good grade."

"You don't even have to worry about that! My handsome face and your personality will get us far. Plus, we really know our stuff. We'll be just fine, Ben."

"If I fail science class, will we still be best friends?"

"Are you kidding me? Ben, don't be ridiculous."

"I'm just a little out of sorts is all. I'll be better by lunchtime."

"Remember what you said to me on the first day of kindergarten? You said that if I got scared, I could just look to the side and you would be there."

"Hey yeah! I suppose that still applies huh?"

"Yeah, even after we conquer the world."

They high fived and Ben grinned widely, feeling better already.

"Hey Ben, how'd it go?" Colton asked, jogging over the blacktop to his brother.

"It went pretty good! We talked about fingerprints and how everybody has different ones, and how mama and daddy and Danny can use them to solve crimes. Then everybody got to use a magnifying glass and look at their own fingerprints to see what they looked like. And the best part of all, Mr. Chapman said it was a really good project and if we want to add some more to it, we could do it at the science fair!"

"Whoa, that's awesome! They don't usually let you in until the fourth grade."

"I know! I definitely won't be doing bad in science now and mama and daddy will be really proud of me."

"I'm proud of you too. Think you could teach me about fingerprints later when we get home?"

"Yeah! I could get some practicin' in for when we go to the science fair. Do you think Mac will help us, seein' as he is retired now and has nothing to do?"

"Probably."

"Great. Well my class has to go back in now, our recess is over. I'll see you after school Cole!"

They waved goodbye and Ben met up with Charlotte and Junior, filing back into the classroom. He knew now what it meant to feel like you were walking on air, and even though math was next, he felt very happy about all he had done so far today.

"Ben, did you see Isa out at recess?"

"Nope, I was talkin' to Cole. Why?"

Junior sighed and scrunched up his nose.

"She was sitting by herself, crying."

"Why do you think that was?"

"I don't know. I just barely seen her and I asked what was wrong and she just said something bad happened and she needed to talk to Colt."

"Do you think she got in trouble?"

Junior shook his head sadly.

"I don't think so. I think it was real serious. Isa doesn't cry about much but she looked so sad. I flagged Sarah down before we went inside so maybe she can help her. I'm pretty worried though."

"Well hopefully Cole and Sarah can help her. It pains my heart when the people I love are upset."

"Me too."

"I think she will be okay," Charlotte said with a nod, putting her sweater on the hook by her backpack.

"You do?"

"Yeah. How could anyone be sad for long when they've got a family like you all have?"

"You know what Charlotte?" Junior laughed, tossing his arm around her shoulders. "I sure like you a lot better than Ben's last girlfriend."

"What last girlfriend?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at Ben.

"Rosie."

"But rest assured Charlotte, she was just a blip on my radar screen. You and me have been together for a long time."

"Well okay then."

They sat down at their desks and Ben pulled a piece of paper out, covering it with his arm while he wrote carefully on it.

"What are you doing?"

"Writin' a love note to Charlotte. Don't tell anyone."

Junior just rolled his eyes. He wasn't interested in girls as anything more than friends, but then Ben wasn't interested in sports as anything more than something interesting to try and understand, so he couldn't really make fun of his best friend over this. They had a lot in common, but even more about them was different. Junior liked those differences. If he had a best friend that was exactly the same as him, there would be nothing new to talk about.

Ben completed the letter and folded it up intricately, an origami design he'd learned from Sarah, then sneakily reached up and dropped it over Charlotte's shoulder and into her lap. She turned slightly and gave him a grin, and he sat back in his chair happily. This was shaping up to be a great day.

"An' then I talked to the lady for a long time 'bout bein' a animal doctor," Avery explained. "She told me all about going to school and learning her job, and she told me that she loves animals and helping them. And then she teached me about some of the animals at the store and she told me how they take care of them and things. And that is when I decided something great. I decided that when I grow up, I will be a doctor for animals, just like Coley will be a doctor for people."

"That sounds pretty good, Avery," Lindsay smiled. "Are you ready for all that school?"

"Oh yes mama. If it will help the animals."

"I think you will be great at it, sissy. Just look how good you take care of Thomas. She's the best dog I ever knew."

"Aw, thanks Ben!" Avery giggled, blushing. "What do you think, Coley?"

"Sounds good," he grunted, staring down at his plate sullenly.

"Colton, honey what's the matter?"

"Nothing, can I please be excused now?"

"Buddy, are you okay?" Adam asked, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder.

"Yeah, I just want to have some alone time."

They excused him from the table and he took his plate into the kitchen before heading upstairs to his room.

"Ben, do you have any idea what's up with your brother?"

Ben shook his head.

"Junior said Isa was crying at recess, so maybe his heart is just heavy for her."

"Do you know what it was about?"

"Nope. Neither one of them said anything on the bus and he's just been upstairs doing his homework all day. It's a mystery. And I can only solve mysteries that involve fingerprints. Want me to go talk to him?"

"No, we'll take care of it. We should just let him have some time alone."

"Well not for very long. So sissy, are you going to just be a doctor for dogs or all kinds of animals?"

"Well, I enjoy dogs and horses the most, so maybe those. And cats because a lot of people have them. I will see when I get older. Maybe I could help monkeys! That would be so much fun!"

"Sissy," Ben started seriously, his eyes wide. "You could work at the zoo."

"Holy crap!" she shouted, nearly jumping out of her chair. "I could do that! I never even thinked of that Ben! Mama, can I be excused! I must go and look at my zoo book!"

She didn't wait for a reply, just jumped up and took her plate to the sink, heart thumping in her chest as she ran upstairs with Ben on her heels. She slid to her knees on the floor and pulled a book from the bottom of the shelf, tearing it open.

"Ben, you haved a most wonderful idea! Look at all these animals I could help!"

"Can you imagine being a doctor for a lion? That would be so great!"

"Oh yes. That means I could actually pet them and play with them too. Would you come visit me at work, Ben?"

"Sure! And I would brag to everyone that you're my awesome sister."

She giggled and turned the page in her book, humming to herself.

"My life will be most grand. What about yours?"

"Well," Ben sighed, laying back on the floor and pulling his arms under his head. "I said that thing this morning about being a comedian, but that's not all I want to do."

"What do you want to do Ben? I want to know so I can come visit you at your work and brag to everyone about my awesome brother."

He laughed and reached over to pat her head.

"I just want to help people. I don't know how yet. When I get older I'll probably figure it out."

"Ben?"

"Hmm?"

"I heard mama and daddy talking. They said that Rebecca maybe will live with them forever. They said she might never be able to live alone."

"That's just a maybe, sissy. She will have a good life just like us. Even if she does live with mama and daddy forever, it will be a good life. It's like Charlotte said to me today. How could anyone be sad when they have a family like ours?"

"We must discover what is distressing Coley."

"I agree, sissy. Let's leave it to mama and daddy, but do a good job bein' there for our big brother, because he's always been there for us."

Avery nodded and went back to her book while Ben sighed and thought things through quietly. What could possibly be upsetting his big brother so much?