Chapter Text
Ben has never wanted to run away more than right in this moment. He owed his mom an explanation. Not the truth of course that would give her a minor heart attack, and set a major stop in his plans to continue hunting. Not that telling her he spent a year's worth of his college fund backpacking through the states would be much better. She would have his head either way.
But he needed to tell her something, as per the agreement with Dean.
Hell, Dean, he was definitely the weirdest thing to ever happen to him. And that is saying something. He might not have been in this hunting business for long but he had seen some stuff regardless. But no matter how long someone had been in this business it would be hard for anyone to imagine what had happened just a week ago. Hell it was hard for him to imagine and he had lived it.
It's not everyday that you find out an entire year from your childhood has been altered. And if that happens, you definitely don’t want the guy they had been altered to not include breaking the news to you. But alas life’s a bitch.
At least he got his memories back. And being honest he wasn't half as mad as he should be. He still hadn’t forgiven Dean, but he was working towards that. And Dean seemed to be making an effort to mend things between them. Things would never be the same as they had been that year when he was 11. He and Dean both knew that. It didn’t stop the hurt of being walked out on, but it also shouldn’t stop something new from beginning.
He was at a rest stop about 3 hours from his hometown. He didn't want to have this conversation face to face, but he was going home so it needed to happen, either right now over the phone or in 3 hours on the doorstep. He just couldn’t spend another year without a homebase, the bunker was nice and all, but that was the winchesters home. He needed to go to his home, to his mom.
His finger hovered over the icon of a phone next to his moms contact information. He had stepped outside to get some fresh air, and then pressed the call button.
Beep
Beep
Be-
“Hello?” His moms voice rang out from the other end.
Fuck, it was now or never.
“Hi mom, it’s Ben”
“Oh, hi honey, how are things at school? I haven't heard from you all week”
“Yeah, about that-”
“Oh no, did something happen?” She interrupted in a worried voice.
“Kind of, it's a long story” He stammered, he knew this was gonna be hard but damn, how could he do this to her in the first place. He should’ve stayed at college, then he wouldn't have to have this conversation. For several reasons. “I'm not at school right now” he continued. “I haven't been at school for a while now actually.”
It was eerily silent on the other line, he wasn't entirely sure if she was still there.
Then she asked flatly “Where are you right now?”
“A rest stop just outside Vandalia, Illinois. It's about 3 hours away”
“You’re on your way home?”
He could hear the hopefulness in her voice, she just wanted him home now.
“Yes, that was the plan” He answered, careful not to let too much of his relief be heard, but he failed very much on that account.
“Good, we will not be having this conversation when I can’t see your face” She said sternly. But very quickly, in a much softer tone and letting much more of her relief be heard, she added “We’ll be having roast beef for dinner, so you be home by 7”
It was currently 3:30 so he should be able to manage it. “Will do mom, love you and I’m so sorry..”
“Save the apologize for when you’re safely home”
“Yes mom, love you”
“Love you too honey, see you at 7”
And with that she hung up. He just stood there for a second cell phone in hand. That was not at all what he had been expecting. He had thought there would be more anger, she could very well be saving all that for when he got home, but in that moment she had just sounded more relieved that he was okay.
He walked back to his back to his car, he still had a long journey ahead of him and he could almost taste his moms roast beef as he sat down in the driver's seat. Even if she, after hearing his dumb story about going backpacking, decided to disown him there was still a chance he would get a home cooked meal out of it first, and after living of primarily fast food, cup noodles and white bread for the last 6 months that seemed like it would be almost worth it.