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*OK here we go again! 'Nother new chapter! Hope you're all enjoying the series still and how things are progressing with Ben and Chris as they try and survive a week on their own! *

Chris scowled at the floor, much like he'd been doing the past two hours. It wasn't his fault, it wasn't his fault at all. Marcus had deserved it. The feline had hurt Ben, made fun of him--there was nothing right about that. He'd even laughed at Ben having an asthma attack. The fur deserved to get laid out; hell, mostly all the students agreed with him, at least the ones he saw as he walked out of the principal's office.

So why was he in trouble? Why was he getting three days of in school suspension, having to sit at a desk for four hours and do absolutely nothing? Hell, why wasn't Marcus being sent to jail--that was as good as assault! Ben had asthma, the tabby had attacked the bear, he should go to jail, not to the nurse!

The thought of it still made him growl in agitation at how he was being painted as the bad guy in all of this. He stalked back and forth in the room, Ben's room. He quickly looked over at the bear's desk, but Ben was nowhere to be seen. No, the bear was still gone, still talking with the principle about the matter.

He wished he could be there. He didn't know why he wasn't there. He was just as much welcome to be there after all, he deserved to be there and talk with them. Somewhere in his mind though he realized it was rather silly, that he was still just a student and they wouldn't see him as a real adult in the matter.

And they wouldn't be wrong, would they? After all, his reaction had been to punch a fur instead of being calm and in control. His paw felt a bit bruised, and he closed and opened it a few times, testing it out.

A small smile played over his features at the memory. He'd knocked the cat out--a pure clean one hit K.O. Jake would surely want to hear all the details and would probably have a snarky comment about it as well. Then again, he didn't know if he'd see the jaguar for quite sometime, well, at least outside of class.

The most important part however, was that the bear was OK. Ben had whizzed a bit as he sent him out of the room--telling him to go the principal's office in the most commanding voice he imagined the bear could manage at the time. The visit had not been a fun one. When he'd entered the room the principal had thought he'd come to report something, apparently not even having a thought he'd have done something against the rules.

The disapproving glance, and even more somber look, he got when a note finally did arrive detailing what he'd done--written in Ben's own paw--was much worse. And the lecture. It was stupid. Chris knew he shouldn't have hit the cat, that he should've done something different, but he didn't feel convicted to feeling guilty about it.

There was nothing to be sorry for.

Or at least, he thought that was what he would think. But the fear had crept--well, no, it had surged--in as he passed Ben on the way into the room. The bear had told him to wait for him, that he'd be back soon. The fear came when he told him he should be expecting a call from his father at somepoint.

Time had passed and nothing had happened yet though. He kept staring down occasionally at the phone in his paw, waiting for it to light up. It might be a blue tint, but when it happened he almost expected it to be blood red with hell's fire seething from it. The image was funny in his mind, but he couldn't' laugh.

Even if he tried to, it died the second the fantasy became reality. For a few moments he simply stared at the icon, not sure he wanted to face what came next--though he was sure not answering would bring far far worse consequences. Slowly, Chris answered and brought the phone to his ear where he was silent for a few moments. Finally, he spoke. "Da--"

"Not right now Chris," Marion's voice came in like a growl. There was a moment of silence, "What did you do Chris?"

"It's nothing, I just..."

"It is something when I get called by your principal saying you've been in a fight!" his father barked at him quickly, "Are you alright? Please, tell me you are. I'm packed an--"

"No! I'm fine! We're fine," Chris barked quickly, the idea of his father returning making him feel ashamed--he hadn't messed up to deserve having his father return already, as if he couldn't get by even a few days.

"I've not even been gone for a few days and this is what happens? I--Chris...I raised you better than this...we've raised you better than this!"

The sting was more than present even without calling his mother by name. He hadn't thought what she would think of his actions. He--he hadn't thought his dad would be angry. Why would his dad be angry that he got in a fight because someone was rude to Ben? He'd done the right thing! "I--"

"You are lucky I am not there, and you can sure as hell expect punishment when I get back...I might just let Ben deal with this,"

Chris felt his jaw drop. The bear would not punish him, would he? No. Ben had told him to stop, had disciplined him with strict words in front of the class, but that had been as a teacher, right? There was no way Ben would side against him.

"Speaking of, where is Ben?" Marion asked, shaking his head. He knew the pup couldn't see it, and was rather glad. Even under his black fur he was sure there were traces of red from the anger in his features.

"He's still talking with the principal,"

"You did not start a fight in Ben's classroom did you?"

"He...he w--"

"Chris!" Marion growled quickly, causing the pup to stop in his tracks, "What on earth is going on in that head of yours!? No, no...don't tell me, because there is no way you could've been using it!"

"He...he was laughing and he hit Ben!"

"I don't care what someone di--wait...what?" Marion stopped, his ears flickering against the phone rapidly. "I...what? What exactly did you get in a fight for?"

"Marcus was acting up in class. Ben told him to stop, but he wouldn't...I didn't do anything, but...Marcus threw the eraser at Ben and he started having an attack. I ju--" he was explaining before the door opened, the bear lumbering in quickly.

Ben glanced at Chris, then to the phone, "Is that Marion?"

Chris nodded.

"Let me speak to him,"

"I--"

"The phone Chris," Ben said, holding out his paw, not quite in the mood to argue or ask more kindly. Soon enough the phone was in his paw. He gave his best smile to the pup, though it was strained at the moment. "Now...wait outside for a moment please, I want to speak with your father alone,"

Chris's ears lay flat on his head as he moved out of the room.

"Marion," Ben began, letting out a slow sigh.

"What the hell happened Ben?" Marion asked off the bat. "I wasn't told you were involved in the fight! Someone hit you? What happened? Chris is OK? You are OK? You're bo--"

"We're both fine Marion," Ben said quickly, realizing right off the bat he was going to be playing the mediator for their talk. On another time Marion would've been the comforting one--but only if he had been here. Away, out of the state, the wolf needed all the reassurance things were OK he could give.

"What happ--"

"Just...just please let me speak Marion," Ben interrupted quickly, sighing a bit. When the wolf gave no sign of speaking again he started off the story, "Don't be hard on Chris. He...I'm sure he thinks he did the right thing....damn it, I told Mr. Hanks leaving a voicemail for you was a bad idea......I should've left it,"

Chris stared at the door to the bear's room, catching the occasional mumble or word from the bear but not quite understanding anything that he heard. It had been silent for a few minutes though. He wanted to start moving around again, wanted to work out his anxiety, but also wanted to be present the second the bear came by. A moment later his patience was rewarded, as the handle twisted.

"I love you too Marion....yes, yes...here he is. Yeah...I know...don't worry...it's OK...yes..." Ben smiled at the pup and even made a 'yapping' gesture with his free paw, "OK...OK...OK... here he is,"

Chris reached out for the phone and quickly put it up to his ear. "Dad?"

"Hey there Pup," Marion started, sounding much better than at the beginning. When Chris didn't reply he continued, "So...first off, I should tell you...all I got was a voice mail, I was in a meeting...Ben explained what happened...though I think I'll still be writing a letter to your principal about better explanations when he calls parents,"

Chris's ears burned with embarrassment--that was one of the last things he wanted. He could see it, his father acting a bit self-righteous and trying to lecture the principal about the best way to inform parents on their student's performance and such.

"I'm still upset with you," Marion added quickly, not wanting that fact to go understated, "But...I'm not disappointed in you,"

That was it. From the corner of his eye Ben noted the pup's tail wag just a little, and he imagined he knew exactly what the elder wolf had said.

"And I'm not coming home yet...I still have the entire week to see out," Marion continued with a small laugh before stopping. "Chris...you there?"

"Y--yeah, I'm here,"

"OK, Good...you aren't saying anything,"

"I...I'm sorry Dad," he mumbled, looking at an interesting mark on the floor--or well, interesting enough while he tried to avoid looking at anything else, "I just...he...he hurt Ben and made fun of you two a--"

"I know exactly what happened now Chris," Marion said soothingly, "And I'm sorry you had to hear that, but...I don't want you to just punch anyone who says something to get under your fur or such. Me and Ben are both big enough to take care of ourselves," he explained, though coudlnt' deny there was a bit of an oddity to it seeing as Ben had been the one brought down by a student--even if it was due to an asthma attack.

"I'm proud of you Chris, proud you stood up for Ben....maybe not the method you chose, but I'm glad you stood up for us. I love you son, and I know you've had a rough day...we'll talk more about this when I get home, but know I love you, OK?"

"I know...I love you too," Chris mumbled.

"I'll talk to you later, OK?"

"OK..."

Ben stood up as soon as the pup did, giving him an encouraging smile, "Nice talk I hope,"

Chris shrugged his shoulders.

"Ready to get out of here?"

Another shoulder shrug. That would have to do. Ben shouldered his bag and nodded towards the door, not quite minding the silence. He didn't really know what to do himself, and was guessing Chris was in the same boat. He let out a sigh at the thought, noting the pup's ears twitch as he did so.

"Are you OK?" Chris asked, hearing a small wheeze under the bear's breath.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ben replied quickly with a smile, "It'll fade with time. Like I said, just not my best day...mostly why getting that chalk upset me, on any other day I'd have been fine. Though if I can tell you...better I did get an attack, else I might've picked him up by his scruff,"

Chris smirked a little at that--not minding the picture it gave.

"And thank you Chris,"

That made the pup's ears jump.

Ben shot the pup a small grin, "I won't say that in front of Marion, but I was, well, not glad to see how you handled it, but...compared to the idea of nothing..." he said and stopped for a moment, wondering how to best word himself, "I...well, why exactly did you punch Marcus?"

The question took him by surprise, and for a few moments he struggled how to answer, "Because...he...he made fun of you and Dad. And he hurt you,"

Close enough. Or well, as close as either of them were to telling the other that they cared--for now. Ben smiled and reached over, putting an arm around Chris's shoulder and pulling him to his side in a half-hug, "Thank you for that...but next time let me handle them...after all, I've got more muscle,"

And then he jumped, or well, a little. The pup didn't pull back, in fact he seemed to move a bit closer even. And I can't pull back now if he actually did n--nestle...did he nestle closer? No, no...it'd just be move closer...yeah, of course...but...I can't pull back, that'd freak him out if I did, but what if he just moved closer because of a normal step and such...and now I should pull back? I...uhmm....crap crap... He pulled the pup a bit closer, deciding to be brave and let it known it was a hug, even if still with one arm. And then, he drew on all the courage he had left, "So...where do you wanna eat out tonight? Cause I'm guessing you never want to taste my cooking again,"

Chris laughed.