Chapter Text
When Ben left the airport with Grace he watched Vance exiting his van to head for the inevitable investigation of their missing passengers. Of course, Vance didn't recognize him when he passed him by in his familiar manner. Talking about something impossible with his ginger headed aide. Ben grinned to himself, knowing Vance would have a hard time to believe the impossible.
Grace interrupted his thoughts asking about the cure for Cal and if it was true. She stared at him in disbelief when he asked her about miracles. He didn't believe in miracle before he went on board of flight 828 but now he was. He had lived through it for five and a half years.
Still distracted, they loaded their luggage in the nearest cab and he gave the drive the address, only realizing his mistake when Grace looked at him confused before she corrected the directions for the driver.
“That's not our address. That's the address of Evie's parents. Where is your mind?”
“I'm just tired,” he lied, but that wasn't the whole truth. Beverly and Glen's Markes house had been his last address before he was imprisoned in the detention center for the 828ers. After Grace's murder and Eden's abduction he had lost their house and Ben, Cal and Olive had to move in with Michaela and Zeke into the house Michaela had inherited from Evie's parents.
When he stepped into his old home after the short drive, it was like stepping into a memory. The children's shoes at the entrance, their coats on the rack and his parents sitting on the couch in the living room.
“The kids are already in bed and asleep after this long day,” his mother explained. “We have been waiting for you to come home so we can leave too.”
“It's about time you came,” his father said somewhat grumpily. “Old people like us need their sleep too.”
“We did have to wait a little for our luggage,” Grace explained, “but we came soon after.”
“Thank you for taking care of the kids,” Ben said gratefully, not able to keep his eyes from his mom as she headed for the door followed by his father.
“Thank you again, Mom.” He hugged her, smiling happily.
“Enough hugging already,” his mother said, repeating her phrase from the airport. “We all need to sleep now. Good night.”
“Yes, we don't want to keep you any longer. Thank you from me too,” Grace added. “Good night.”
“Good night,” Ben said. “And Dad, can we have a BBQ next Saturday?”
“BBQ? Again? Didn't we have one just before we left for vacation?” his father said surprised. “Normally, you don't like it so often. But if you want to? We can talk about it tomorrow. Good night,” His father said as he followed his mother through the door without looking back.