Rockabye •Descendants

rockabye •thirty

...

Ben walked through the forest with his bag of clothes on his back. Frankly, he was getting tired. Almost three hours since he left his home and ventured west to get to the seaside kingdom of Ariel and Eric. He couldn't talk a car, someone would question were he was going and insist on taking him there. A bus was too public that people would be able to recognize him. His face was, after all, plastered all over the money and walls. Walking was his best bet, better to collect his thoughts and think about what he was going to say.

He did admit to himself that he was scared. It didn't end well when he last saw his daughter and that was his fault. She wasn't ready, and to be honest, neither was he. But now, now he can make it right. He just hoped it wasn't too late.

Suddenly a honk broke Ben out of his thoughts. A farm truck slowed down and Ben stopped walking. Cars did pass by him earlier, but never stopped to ask if he need help. Inside the truck at the driver's side sat a young man, probably no older than eighteen.

"You alright, friend? Need a ride?" He asked Ben. Ben surveyed the truck. The back of the truck was full of crates carrying fruits, vegetables, and all sorts of produces.

"I don't want to talk up your time." Ben waves his hand out and stepped back. The driver scoffs and beckons him back over.

"It's all good. I've got many stops and pick-ups to make, so I'm sure I can drop you off near were you gotta be. The farthest I'mma be going is to a 'Weasel Town', " He reads the name from the notepad in his hand before shaking his head "or something like that?"

"If it's no trouble..."

"Not at all." Ben gives him a nod before slowly opening the passenger side door and getting in.

"My names Joaquin, by the way."

"I'm... Florian?"

"Is that a question, friend? It's alright, you don't have to tell me."

"Sorry, it's just... I'm not suppose to be here."

"Taking a spontaneous trip, that's cool. My brother does that too by visiting us. He likes to get away from his palace with my dad and they talk. They make crazy inside jokes 'bout a llama and some crazy purple cat-lady. Everyone in my family seems to understand it but me..." Ben let Joaquin rant on about his own life. He was so engrossed in his own story, Ben felt as if his was weighing his heart down. Everything was still nerve-racking—"So, why are you in the middle of nowhere—if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm meeting someone." Ben says. Joaquin looks at Ben was a grin and lets out a chuckle.

"Ahh. I get it." He nods before adding, "So, who's the lucky girl?"

"Huh?" Was all Ben could let out. How could Joaquin even guess who Ben was going to go see.

"Ohh come on, man, no use denying it. Normally people aren't venturing on foot just to enjoy the country air. You're either running away or going over to see a special someone. And to be honest, you don't seem like the kind of person to just up and leave, especially with so little you packed." Joaquin says, eyeing Ben's back that now he felt like he didn't pack enough.

"What? No, I'm not running away. You're right, I am going to meet up with someone." Joaquin gave Ben a smirk and jokingly wiggled his eyebrows up and down. "Not in the way you think! I'm going to see my daughter."

Joaquin nods in a very understanding way.

"Daughter, huh? Well, she is one lucky little girl to have a dad that would walk miles just to see her."

"Yeah I'm not sure she wants to see me, but I want to make things right between us." Ben adds, looking down at his hands.

"Is the mother getting in the way? Telling lies, bad mouthing 'bout you?" Joaquin asks. Ben immediately shakes his head.

"No, not at all. It's my fault and my ex was just trying to protect our daughter."

"Why is that?" Joaquin asks. Ben sat in silence debating whether or not to say anything about it.  Joaquin lets out a sigh. "You know, it's helpful to talk about your problems with strangers. You look like you've got a lot you wanna say, but with no one to talk about it with."

Ben nods at Joaquin's assumption. Perhaps he would feel better talking about it. After all, they don't know each other.

"I... I wasn't there for Serena—my ex-girlfriend, when she was going through everything. I let everyone around me decide what was best for me. For three years, I wasn't in my daughter's life. When I saw her for the first time, I wanted to be there to see her grown up. I thought that if I just give Serena time to tell our daughter about me, everything might go right in the end. I let so many people get between our problem, I let their talking get to my head and I made a bad call in the end."

"Which was...?"

"I up front told my daughter I was her father and she told me she hated me."

"Jeez, that was a bad call. Sorry, I'm not one for sugar coating." Joaquin adds when he saw the sadden look on Ben's face. "I just think you couldn't approached it in a different way. I'm going to assume your kid and her mother are close."

"Yeah."

"Well, put yourself in her shoes. All your life you have been watching over by your mother who has loved you from day one. In that time you didn't need another parent there because you had your mother by your side. Then, one day, a stranger appears into your life and tells you they are your father, so many things flood your mind, many questions. Where has he been your whole life? Why did he appear now? Why did he leave? Did he not want me? Did he not love me? She must have been scared because she thought you would take her away from the one person she has always felt safe around ."

"I would never do that." Ben protests.

"You know that, but she doesn't. She has to know that you wouldn't drag her away from her mother and everything she knows." Joaquin finishes. Ben sat in silence for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"You're right."

"Of course I'm right! I give the best advice about almost everything. You know, a graduated at age 14 from Kuzco Academy but colleges wouldn't take a pre-teen in. My brother tried to bribe the Dean but I just said I'd wait 'til I was eighteen—" Joaquin ranted on again and Ben just sat back and half-listened.

Soon he'll meet with Serena and make things right.

SORRY ABOUT HAVING NO UPDATE IN AWHILE BUT I PROMISE TO DO AS MUCH AS I CAN WITH THIS.

ALSO JOAQUIN IS MY OWN OC BUT HE IS RELATIVES TO A CERTAIN DISNEY CHARACTER. CAN YOU GUESS WHO? *wink wink*