Strings (1)
"This is cool, BBB."
Ben and Amelia shared a smile. He'd thought it was pretty cool himself but he'd been there enough weeks for the shine to wear off and now it was just where he works. But generally... still pretty cool. She was simply proud of him. She didn't need a building for it -- she's a brat, but she's super supportive -- but the atmosphere helped her feel grown up. The summer had been weird, full of transitions, and she felt lost. But seeing Ben on the job, or at least surrounded by it, calmed her. Adulthood seemed within her grasp. Possible.
A few people waved as they walked through the cafeteria and one stopped to verify she was the Kid Sister. "She's my sister," he answered. "But not a kid." The coworker laughed harder than the remark deserved and moved on. Ben picked out a simple lunch for himself and a yogurt parfait for Amelia when she shrugged in response to his nudge to choose something. Even the cashier wished him a good afternoon, by name. Amelia took it all in with a slight frown.
"You fit in here."
Ben took in the look in her eyes, and the tone of her voice, and understood it wasn't a statement about his suitability for the paper, but a wistful expression of envy that he could fit in anywhere. He shrugged. "There's no trick to it."
Amelia shook her head. The trick was not realizing there was a trick. It had used to come easier to her, too. Now she tried too hard. They settled into seats by the window.
"I talked to Judd." Amelia pulled her lips in over her teeth. She hadn't been sure she wanted Judd to know the truth, or the truth as she knew it at least. She felt awful that he got dragged into her drama and she couldn't even explain why. He thought she was his friend and this felt like a betrayal. She didn't want him to get more hurt. But Ben knew him better. And was just better at everything. "He's okay."
"Okay?"
Ben nodded. Judd had been caught off guard, and too embarrassed to show him any of the correspondence, but he'd over-explained everything else. When it had happened, and the frequency of contact. The response was a defense mechanism of some sort, Ben assumed, and he filed the information, and observation, away. "He's confused, but willing to listen." Ben didn't think she needed details.
Amelia nodded. "Thanks." She meant to add 'for everything' but it turned into a sigh. "I'm so sorry."
"It's obviously not your fault." He was sympathetic to her feelings, but they were misdirected. "I want to know who did this. Even if it's just a stupid joke it's not a funny one."
Amelia bit her lip. "Henry thinks it could be because I'm an Avenger. . . but we all are and even if they were using Judd to get to both you and me -- or even you and me and Jake -- it still seems like. . . why target us?
Ben frowned. "Maybe we all are being targeted. But it's not as visible because we have different vulnerabilities."
Her eyes went wide. "That's. . . terrifying. . . "
"It's creepy but it's just a theory." He met her eyes. "Don't freak out." She swallowed, clearly working hard not to. Ben moved closer and pulled her into a hug.
"What should I do?" she asked his shoulder.
"I'm not silly enough to tell you to sit back and wait for a little while--"
She pulled back. "I've been waiting for months and it just gets worse."
Ben's eyes were warm. "You were waiting alone. Now you won't be." Amelia took a deep breath and nodded. "So I'll start looking into it. Who do you trust for me to ask to help?"
"I can't even trust myself. . . but I have a short list of people who know some of it." Ben waited. Amelia took another breath. "You, Jake, Daddy, Anya, Henry, and Natasha. But don't go to Natasha or Anya."
"Why not?"
"Anya's having a baby, we should keep her out of it as much as we can." She shrugged. "And I think Natasha's mad at me." This wasn't exactly how she felt but it was close enough. Ben had no idea so he just nodded. "Also Vincent knows something even though I never really told him anything. I think."
Ben frowned at that. "I'll talk to Vincent." She nodded again. "Okay. And if you find anything out, please tell me right away."
"Okay. I will. I promise." She pressed her eyes closed and forced a smile. She refused to cry. "I really am sorry."
Ben tapped her nose. "Buy me a slice of pie and we're even."
Amelia laughed quietly. "Deal." She stood but paused to touch his shoulder on her way to the pie display. "I don't mind being your kid sister, BBB. I like it."
Ben and Amelia shared a smile. He'd thought it was pretty cool himself but he'd been there enough weeks for the shine to wear off and now it was just where he works. But generally... still pretty cool. She was simply proud of him. She didn't need a building for it -- she's a brat, but she's super supportive -- but the atmosphere helped her feel grown up. The summer had been weird, full of transitions, and she felt lost. But seeing Ben on the job, or at least surrounded by it, calmed her. Adulthood seemed within her grasp. Possible.
A few people waved as they walked through the cafeteria and one stopped to verify she was the Kid Sister. "She's my sister," he answered. "But not a kid." The coworker laughed harder than the remark deserved and moved on. Ben picked out a simple lunch for himself and a yogurt parfait for Amelia when she shrugged in response to his nudge to choose something. Even the cashier wished him a good afternoon, by name. Amelia took it all in with a slight frown.
"You fit in here."
Ben took in the look in her eyes, and the tone of her voice, and understood it wasn't a statement about his suitability for the paper, but a wistful expression of envy that he could fit in anywhere. He shrugged. "There's no trick to it."
Amelia shook her head. The trick was not realizing there was a trick. It had used to come easier to her, too. Now she tried too hard. They settled into seats by the window.
"I talked to Judd." Amelia pulled her lips in over her teeth. She hadn't been sure she wanted Judd to know the truth, or the truth as she knew it at least. She felt awful that he got dragged into her drama and she couldn't even explain why. He thought she was his friend and this felt like a betrayal. She didn't want him to get more hurt. But Ben knew him better. And was just better at everything. "He's okay."
"Okay?"
Ben nodded. Judd had been caught off guard, and too embarrassed to show him any of the correspondence, but he'd over-explained everything else. When it had happened, and the frequency of contact. The response was a defense mechanism of some sort, Ben assumed, and he filed the information, and observation, away. "He's confused, but willing to listen." Ben didn't think she needed details.
Amelia nodded. "Thanks." She meant to add 'for everything' but it turned into a sigh. "I'm so sorry."
"It's obviously not your fault." He was sympathetic to her feelings, but they were misdirected. "I want to know who did this. Even if it's just a stupid joke it's not a funny one."
Amelia bit her lip. "Henry thinks it could be because I'm an Avenger. . . but we all are and even if they were using Judd to get to both you and me -- or even you and me and Jake -- it still seems like. . . why target us?
Ben frowned. "Maybe we all are being targeted. But it's not as visible because we have different vulnerabilities."
Her eyes went wide. "That's. . . terrifying. . . "
"It's creepy but it's just a theory." He met her eyes. "Don't freak out." She swallowed, clearly working hard not to. Ben moved closer and pulled her into a hug.
"What should I do?" she asked his shoulder.
"I'm not silly enough to tell you to sit back and wait for a little while--"
She pulled back. "I've been waiting for months and it just gets worse."
Ben's eyes were warm. "You were waiting alone. Now you won't be." Amelia took a deep breath and nodded. "So I'll start looking into it. Who do you trust for me to ask to help?"
"I can't even trust myself. . . but I have a short list of people who know some of it." Ben waited. Amelia took another breath. "You, Jake, Daddy, Anya, Henry, and Natasha. But don't go to Natasha or Anya."
"Why not?"
"Anya's having a baby, we should keep her out of it as much as we can." She shrugged. "And I think Natasha's mad at me." This wasn't exactly how she felt but it was close enough. Ben had no idea so he just nodded. "Also Vincent knows something even though I never really told him anything. I think."
Ben frowned at that. "I'll talk to Vincent." She nodded again. "Okay. And if you find anything out, please tell me right away."
"Okay. I will. I promise." She pressed her eyes closed and forced a smile. She refused to cry. "I really am sorry."
Ben tapped her nose. "Buy me a slice of pie and we're even."
Amelia laughed quietly. "Deal." She stood but paused to touch his shoulder on her way to the pie display. "I don't mind being your kid sister, BBB. I like it."