InsaneJournal

The government facility wasn’t one of Ben’s favorite places. Not that government facilities ranked high in general. They really weren’t his thing considering most of the time he found himself in one, he was sneaking around in the air vents trying to stop some evil from evil-ing. This one also had its own special, wary-making history that hadn’t gotten better considering the odd history change that happened when they’d gotten back from the cruise and was only made worse by whatever power-blocking field was around. Even though he’d had plenty of powerless experience under his belt now, walking into a still mysterious facility where strange things happen with no personal warning system wasn’t high on his list of things he liked to do.

But when a text for a pick up pinged on his phone, well, who was he to ignore that? Especially when this sort of thing didn’t happen much with him. So, in he went to the waiting area which wasn’t all that bad really considering the state the base had been found in. He didn’t get much of a chance to scan the room though considering the high pitched squeal that knocked him for a loop.

“Uncle Ben!” was the only warning he got before the small red-head launched herself at him. Luckily autopilot took over, but the scoop up motion wasn’t nearly as graceful as usual considering having to adjust to the lack of spider-strength and… was she taller? She seemed taller with arms and legs dangling at different proportions than he was used to. But he got his arms around her in a sturdy hold and her arms around his neck in a tight hug, which just felt like a dream.

“May?” he breathed out, his brain still stuck back at least a minute in the past and processing what was going on here.

And if Ben was having an out-of-sorts moment, then Peter was on that same mental flight with an upgraded dose of confusion. No one ever really prepares you to get sucked up into a portal that connected worlds. And no one ever really prepares you for the fact that at the other end of that portal is a processing facility staffed with a bunch of people who seemed to think this was standard procedure. To be fair, Peter felt he was keeping it together pretty well. May was bouncing around with all the tenacity of a 4-year-old hyped up on Lucky Charms, Benjy was gurgling at his left sock, which he’d pried off with one little fist…

MJ was nowhere to be found, but someone had told Peter that they were contacting someone in town to stop by and help. He didn’t know how long ago that was, and May had been pretty demanding of attention during the short wait, anyway. Chalk it up to a few years without any superheroics or anything remotely more shocking than a parking ticket because of a broken meter, but whatever grasp of the situation he had at the moment was shallow and loose at best. Portal, other world -- May get off there! -- housing would be provided -- May! He’d catch up and figure it out, sure, but --

And that was when May bolted. Peter might not have been possessed of any spider reflexes, but it’s a universal fact that fathers move near lightspeed when their kid tears off in a strange place. He was about to hook her behind the arms to tug her back when he realized what she was yelling.

“...Ben?”

Hearing his name again drew his attention (or as much of his attention as he could give considering the bouncing child trying to get and keep that attention), but even so Ben was left gaping. Seeing a Peter Parker wasn’t that shocking at this place, let alone one that actually looked like him (ha, who ever thought there’d come a day when that wasn’t the norm). But this combination… the little red-headed girl, Peter, the baby in his arms… they looked like they climbed right out of a picture hanging on his fridge. Ok, maybe not exactly because Benjy definitely looked bigger, but it was close enough to make his chest tighten.

“Pete?” His voice was quiet, a mix of disbelief and hope. Because this couldn’t be what it looked like, right? The multiverse was enormous. Infinite possibilities and he’d seen plenty of the Parker and Spider-Man variety. But usually… well, if there was one thing he’d learned with the whole Spider-Verse thing, it was that he didn’t usually last that long in other universes. The fact that May knew him… “God, Pete, is that really you?”

Benjy had taken that key moment to lob his sock with all the reckless abandon his small arm could muster. It smacked Ben on the nose. Peter didn’t even flinch or blink at that much, but it was because he was too busy gaping at the face. Nearly a year ago, Ben had blinked out of existence, it felt like. He didn’t pick up his phone, didn’t reply to anything. A trip to New York City turned up an empty and neglected apartment. That was it. No more Ben. No explanation.

May seemed keen on getting right to the heart of the matter, but Peter lingered back. He wasn’t sure if he was staring down a ghost or just going delusional.

“Y’know, I’m not sure. I thought I was Pete when I woke up, but this day kinda got away from me.” Typical Parker humor. Nerves usually bolstered a motormouth. “Which, if I’m not, I just told a bunch of people the wrong name. Yikes.”

May, meanwhile, had turned into a small red-headed ball of giggles. If nothing else, Peter had to believe his daughter. She’d know her uncle anywhere. It was just… a lot to process.

Ben couldn’t help the groan at the joke, although he’d walked into it really. “C’mon, Pete, we both know that’s not a fun road to go down,” he joked back as he kept shifting his grip on the giggling kid who was done with hugging and had moved onto climbing. “That Dad bod won’t be able to handle five years of cross-countrying on a motorcycle.” Speaking of which… he glanced between the three people and pressed his lips together. He might have to rethink that whole pick-up thing… but ok, trouble for later, because…

“Ok, so, maybe not Pete, I’m about to maybe make things awkward depending on where you end up on that Pete thing, but I can only hold off this impulse for so long.” He shifted his weight enough to open up an arm and moved forward to hug the other man.

Peter took a breath in. That fragile exterior caved easily once a simple truth hit home: this was Ben. Somehow, someway, the divide was bridged and of all the realities and worlds out there… this was the one that Ben had been hiding out. It wasn’t that Ben was gone. Ben had just been here.

The breath was let out. Benjy was shifted in his father’s arms, and Peter swung his free arm around Ben so that the squirmy toddler was comfortably lassoed between them.

“It’s been a year, Ben,” Peter managed, though his voice was small and strained. “No note, no anything…”

Ben let out a breath of his own at Peter returning the gesture, his arm tightening around the other man as his eyes shut tight. Maybe they’d get talking and realize later that they were one or two steps off from each others’ universes, but for now… As much as the statement pained him, it also just added fuel to this being his Peter. Talking like he’d left. Disappeared. Not the usual reaction he got from everyone else across the universes.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, tone matching Peter’s. “Sending out a text wasn’t really an option and my cellular plan isn’t that great…” Of course, some more humor, but there was a lot to unpack, right? So much that he could probably have just clung to Pete for at least an hour, but he could feel May squirming as she was already done with this whole hug thing, despite being a little off to the side.

“You’re squiiiiishing meeeeeeee,” came a plaintive cry that won the little girl a hiccup of a laugh.

He loosened his grip, but only enough so he could blow a raspberry against May’s cheek. “What? Uncle squishes aren’t good ‘nough for you anymore?”

May wrestled herself free, only to cross her arms and put on her best rendition of a scowl. Suddenly, she remembered something. “You missed my birthday!” Which was, in preschooler law, unforgivable for at least two weeks. And with that abrupt turn, she ducked around her father’s side and sat on his foot.

“She’ll come around, Ben. Don’t worry,” Peter quietly told his brother, as he reluctantly pried away to stoop forwards and over at the brooding child on his modest size 10 sneaker. “I’m sure your Uncle Ben didn’t mean to, kiddo. The important thing is that we’re all glad to see him, right?”

May scrunched up her face more. Never mind that initial hug. No, she was set on this.

“So you don’t want to get out of here to get… dinner?” Peter squinted at a wall clock. “Lunch with him?”

“No.”

“Not even if we get grilled cheese sandwiches?”

“...No.”

“Really?”

It was clear that the little girl was struck with the notion of a gooey cheese sandwich, but pride was trying to stand its ground. She glared at her shoelaces. There was a small nod of ‘yes’ after two more seconds.

Even if there was that sting of getting the full on pout and scowl turned on him, Ben couldn’t help the fond smile. Because, really, he would suffer through May hating him for years if it meant that they were there. Plus, well, she had good reason for the pout fest anyways.

“I’ll make it up to you,” he said and then glanced over at Pete. “All of you,” he amended in a quieter voice before he crouched down in front of May. “First with grilled cheese however you want it and then… well we can work from there.” His head tilted to the side in ‘innocent’ contemplation. “I mean, I have a dog now who I’m sure would love to go on some adventures, plus I’ve heard there’s also a unicorn that wanders around these parts… I might have some inside info on where to see it…” He raised an eyebrow as he held his hand out to the girl, his pinky finger extended. “Does that sound like a good start to a ‘make up for being a bad uncle’ promise?”

Peter eased back, leveraging his grip on Benjy while he hoisted the small boy a little higher. Benjy, who had taken in about all his body could handle and had sailed off into a drooly slumber against Peter’s shoulder. It gave May a larger window with her Uncle for a moment.

She eyed the pinky, but there was a lot lined up in that promise. Dog? Unicorn? Food? And in total misunderstanding of how to seal a deal, she grabbed Ben’s pinky with her hand and gave it a ceremonial tug. Close enough. “Does that mean mom’s coming?” What followed was a searching glance backwards towards her dad.

“We’ll see, Mayday,” Peter answered, offering his best everything-is-fine smile. Maybe if he held onto it long enough, he’d started to believe himself. MJ’s presence would’ve made a world of difference right about now. Barely a few hours into this situation, and Peter could already feel that slow panic that it might be some time before he got to see his wife again. If Ben had been here at least a year, then… Peter tried to shake the thought.

“How ‘bout it? Lunch? Grilled cheese? Any other demands on your uncle while he’s at your mercy?” Then, Peter leaned in to whisper in a too-loud-to-actually-be-a-whisper voice. “I think you should demand a side of fries. The fancy ones.” He placed his hand atop her already tousled red hair and gave it a loose fluff, prompting a giggle and a drawn out, “Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!”

Ben kept a reassuring smile on his face as he turned his hand enough to give May’s a squeeze. “She’s probably just taking the scenic route here. That wormhole really is bad about good road signs.”

Standing up, he rolled his eyes. “I guess there can be some fancy fries too. Maybe. Because I missed you for some odd reason.” Pulling out his phone, he blew out a breath before nodding. “But yeah, we can get some food in you guys. Have these guys just text when they got an address for your place all set.” Scrolling through his contacts, he made a face. “I just need to… uh… upgrade my transportation.” He shot Pete a sheepish grin. “Unless you all really want to try and balance on my bike, but I’m guessing the Dad senses are screaming ‘no!’ to that.”