Benjamin Bale (benjamin_bale) wrote in freedomtownic, @ 2020-06-18 22:38:00 |
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Entry tags: | benjamin bale (benjamin_bale), brandie bale (brandie_bale) |
Who: Benjamin Bale and Brandie Bale
When: 6/18/20
Where: Welcome Center
What: Ben reunited with his little girl
Rating: PG
Status: Closed and complete
When Brandie first arrived with her siblings, she nearly had a panic attack. At first, she'd been worried that she would have to take care of them alone, and, while she could do it, that would have been SUCH a huge responsibility for a 19 year old. However, like at home, it seemed that her parents were well known here. She almost cried she was so relieved. So, the nice people directed her to a waiting room for her, Bella, and Bray to hang out in while they contacted her parents. Brandie made herself comfortable on a sofa while holding Bray, who was asleep, while Bella sat on the floor with a coloring book someone had given her, coloring away.
Ben had been working when he got the call. One of the people at the Welcome Center had called him, simply telling him "your children just arrived here". Without asking any questions, he quickly hung up, sent a text to Skylar to let her know what was going on, and BOOKED it out of his office.
He found himself wondering... if this was what it seemed like - was this fate's way of telling him he was finally on the right path?
He was at the Welcome Center before he knew it, and quickly checked in before heading to where they'd directed him.... when he saw them. Saw HER. Now, never doubt the love Ben had for any of the kids. But somehow, from the day Brandie had come to them from the future, she'd held a special place in his heart that nobody else could ever touch. She was his princess. His little "buttercup". He gave her the kind of love and attention that most kids only DREAM of from a parent. So when he saw her there? His eyes immediately filled with tears.
"Brandie?" He croaked, voice cracking a little. "Is that really you, buttercup?"
Brandie had been facing away from the door, so she heard Ben before she saw him. She immediately whipped her head around, staring at him for a second before jumping off of the sofa, still holding Bray, and running over, wrapping her father up in a hug. "They told me you guys were here, but I didn't want to get my hopes up until I saw you," she said, face mashed up against his chest.
"Sweetheart..." He said, not even able to hold in the sobs that were starting to form. It had to be odd to Brandie, as Ben almost NEVER cried, at least where anyone at all could see him. He wrapped his arms lightly around her (so as not to hurt the baby), kissing the top of her head. "I missed you so much. All of you."
Brandie was starting to tear up, too, so while she noticed that her Dad was crying, she was a little distracted at the moment. "Have you been here all that long?" she asked, clinging harder to him. She felt Bray squirm a bit, so she shifted to let him be more comfortable, but she didn't let Ben go.
"About a year now." He told her, feeling whole for the first time since she'd shown up. "Your mother and I... god, we've missed you kids so much..." For Ben though? He'd especially missed this girl. She'd been almost his little protege at home, and he felt empty without her around. "You'll be shocked at how many people you know are here."
Brandie actually jerked back in surprise when he said that. "A year? I know they told me that times still moves here, but that's still insane to think about." No wonder he was so emotional! "Who else is here?"
"Meredith, The Van Warrens, Neely, Gwen.... there's seriously a lot." He laughed, "This is a gift. I can feel it. I made some real changes and this is my reward."
Well, it was great that a lot of people were here, but something he said caught her attention. "What do you mean 'changes'?" Brandie asked. Just what had happened while he was here?
"You know how I get when things go sideways..." He said, grumbling. "I really upset a lot of people. Rachelle especially. But I faced it, and made changes. I'd made a lot of unsavory connections here. To build the fortune back up quickly. But I cut them all off. I'm legit now."
"So you were a butthole to people then?" Brandie asked before he explained that basically yes, he had been. She knew that she had been the encouragement for her parents to be more legitimate back home, so she wasn't that surprised that, without her here, they'd wavered a bit. She knew that she probably shouldn't be her parents' moral compass, but it was what it was and she didn't really mind. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. I'm really just glad that you're actually here." She reached up and hugged him again.
"I was. As per usual." He said with a chuckle. "Come on. Let's go home." He said, walking over to pick Bella up for a big hug. "On the way I'll tell you they ridiculous story of how your dad redeemed himself while dressing in a goofy costume and singing on television."