A/N: I based this story on a BatIM 2D Bendy AU by Shinyzango on Tumblr. Check their work out!

Disclaimer: Bendy and the Ink Machine is owned by TheMeatly. I only own my Ocs.

Family Ties

Part 2

It was late in the afternoon and June told everyone it was time to pack up. Ten minutes, the area was clean and the group began walking back to the house with all their bags and baskets in tow.

The kids were playing tag and chasing each other around as the adults walked at their own pace. Beth was 'it' and she was trying to catch Bendy. That was proving to be a challenge because the little toon was so fast. They ran around a few thin trees and Beth thought she almost had him when her foot got caught on something. She tripped and fell onto her stomach. Bendy skidded to a halt and turned when he heard her groan. He ran back to help her up when a loud crack could be heard. The next thing he knew Beth yelled out in surprise as the leaves exploded around her and she disappeared.

Bendy stood there is shock for a few seconds before rushing over to where he last saw Beth. The toon barely missed falling into the hole himself, his arms wind milling to keep him from toppling over. Sarah ran up behind him just as he fell to his knees to peer over the edge. He could see the girl clinging to large roots that are coming out of a crumbling stone wall.

"Beth!" He called out to her and she looked up at him. Her eyes were large and she looked so scared. "It's okay Beth! Just hold on!"

The little toon stood and gently pushed Sarah back so she didn't fall in too. He cupped his hand over his mouth and called out for Henry and June. Within a few seconds both of the adults were running towards him. He was hopping up and down and pointing at the hole in the ground. "It's Beth! She fell in a hole!"

Henry and June dropped everything they were carrying and they both fell to their knees and looked over the edge. They could see Beth pressed against the wall.

"Damn it! It looks like she fell into an abandoned well. The boards must have been rotten and gave way." Henry was glad the girl didn't fall all the way down. No telling how deep it was, but she had fallen far enough that neither he nor June could reach her.

"Baby! Baby, just hold on, we're gonna get you out of there!" June was distraught. Beth was crying and they could see her shaking. It looks like she was going into shock. They had to keep her calm.

Sarah was standing close to Bendy. She was hugging him and sobbing softly. He was rubbing her back and telling her that everything was going to be alright. It hurt him to hear both girls crying. Beth was pleading with her mother. Her voice was shaky and was sounding weaker by the moment. Bendy frowned. He didn't like this at all.

"Henry! I-I don't have anything at the house that'll get her out of here." June was biting her bottom lip. "Run to the house and call for the fire department. They'll be able to get her out." June was looking down in the dry well, her voice full of desperation. "I'll stay and keep her talking."

"Right! I'll be back as soon as I can." Henry leaned over and called out to Beth. "Just hold on Beth, okay?!" He saw her head bob a little. The poor child had a death grip on the roots. It was making her arms shake.

Bendy heard their plan and didn't like it. He knew he made a promise to Henry that he wouldn't do anything to scare Henry's family, but this was an emergency and some promises were made to be broken. He let go of Sarah, telling her he was going to help Beth. The little girl looked up at him with hope in her eyes. He gave her a nod before running towards Henry.

The man stood up and ran for the house. He didn't get too far because something grabbed his hand. It was Bendy. "Bendy?! Look, I need to get to the house! I have to call for help!" The toon just shook his head. He had a determined look in his eyes.

"Henry, I can help her. I can get her out of that hole!" He had both hands balled into tight fists at his sides. Henry was confused for a moment before realization dawned on him.

"No, no way bud. Let me call for help. Everything will be fine…" Henry could tell by the look on his face that Bendy had already made up his mind.

"There is no time for that! Not when I can do it now. I know I made a promise…but listen to her. She's so scared. Let me do this, please!" The toon was practically pleading with him. Beth's cried of fear and panic was heart wrenching. Henry knew if he ran for the house, Bendy would do it anyway. If he was going to do this, better he stay to calm his sister and the girls down after everything was done. Henry let out a frustrated sigh and gave Bendy a sharp nod. He turned and ran back to his sister's side but not before hearing the tell tale sounds of Bendy changing.

Henry reached his sister and Sarah. He put his hands on June's shoulders and was pulling her away from the edge of the dry well.

"Henry?! What are you doing? I can't leave her!" June began to struggle with him. He was apologizing and holding her tightly. She was yelling at him when a huge shadow fell over them both.

June gasped and pressed herself against Henry. There was a huge, black creature towering behind them. It had thick, crooked horns on it's head, one visible eye and a strange grimace on it's face. It had long, thick arms with massive hands and long legs. It was looking down at her with an expression she couldn't read.

"H-Henry, what is that thing!?" She noticed how it seemed to flinch when she called it a "thing".

"It's not a thing. It's Bendy! He's going to help Beth. Go get her bud!" He nodded his massive head and walked passed the two adults.

Sarah was rubbing tears from her eyes when she noticed the huge figure looking down in the hole. She blinked and tilted her head to the side "Bendy?" He turned his head in her direction and gave her a big grin. It was him! She ran up to stand next to him and peered carefully into the hole.

Bendy leaned over and reached down into the dry well. As soon as his large fingers brushed against Beth's back, she screamed and pressed herself against the stone wall even more. Bendy whined softly. He didn't mean to scare her. Sarah seemed to understand and she called out to her sister.

"Beth, don't be scared! It's Bendy! He's going to get you out!"

Beth was shaken but she managed to turn her head slightly to see the large hand behind her. She looked up to see a familiar smiling face. "B-Bendy?" He nodded and grunted. She turned back to his massive hand and gulped softly, her throat felt dry all of a sudden. She held onto the root with one hand and reached out with the other. She grabbed onto his massive thumb. She could feel his fingers curl around her and she completely let go of the wall. She fell into his waiting hand and he lifted her out of the well.

Bendy leaned back and pulled his hand up until Beth was at eye level with him. She was sobbing and her body shook. He murmured softly to get her attention. She looked up at him with wide eyes and tear streaks down her cheeks.

"Bendy? Is it really you?" He nodded as his grin grew wider.

"Bethany!" Bendy flinched and looked over to see June running towards them. He turned his whole body to face her and he slowly lowered his hand. June rushed to look her daughter over before lifting her out of Bendy's massive hand. She backed up a few steps, never taking her eyes off of him.

"Thank you, Bendy." June said sharply. His smile slipped at the look she was giving him. She looked scared and suspicious. His shoulders sagged and he loose gurgling sigh. He knew this might happen but it still hurt.

"Sarah, come here." The little girl jumped at her mother's stern tone. She looked up at Bendy and noticed how upset he seemed. Was he in trouble? Why? He saved Beth! It didn't make sense to her.

"But mama-"

"No "Buts"! Come here NOW! We need to get Beth to the house." June held out her hand. Sarah brushed her tiny fingers against Bendy's leg as she walked by. She took her mother's hand the woman practically dragged her along.

As June got closer to Henry, he tried to talk to her, but she cut him off. "We will talk about this later." She hissed and marched passed him.

Henry sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He knew he didn't tell her everything about Bendy but he honestly didn't think this would come up. He should have known better. He heard the leaves shifting behind him. When he turned to look, he saw Bendy had returned back to cartoon-ish self. His smile was gone and he was looking down at the ground.

Henry walked up to him and knelt down. He put his hands on the little toon's shoulders. "Hey buddy, you okay?" Bendy shook his head and refused to look at him.

"Henry? Do-do you think I did the right thing?" Henry squeezed his shoulders.

"Of course you did! Beth is safe because of you."

"Did you see the look Mrs. June gave me?" He was wringing his gloved hands together. "She was scared. She looked at me like I was going to hurt Beth and Sarah. I would never do that! I would never do that…" His voice trailed off and Henry could see the ink on his head running down the side of his face.

"Listen bud, I'm going to talk to her. I'll explain it to her." He sighed and shook his head. "My sister doesn't like surprises and we kinda dropped a doozy on her." Bendy reached up and wiped the stray ink away from his face.

"C'mon bud, lets head to the house. We need to check on Beth. I know she'll be happy to see you." Henry gathered up everything that was dropped. The toon just sighed and followed Henry to the house. He wasn't looking forward to facing Mrs. June again, but he was more worried about Beth and Sarah.

A few moment later, Bendy was standing in the corner of the living room. He was watching Beth get bandage up. She had a few cuts on her hands and knees from being scraped against the stone wall. He decided to gives June some space while she worked. She hadn't said a word to him or Henry since they got back to the house. As soon as she was done, she packed up the first aid kit and headed for the kitchen. Bendy took this opportunity to check on the girls.

Beth and Sarah were sitting on he couch. They were speaking in hushed tones and poking at a few of Beth's bandages. She noticed Bendy heading their was and her eyes lit up. "Bendy!"

"Are you okay?" Beth nodded her head vigorously. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just cut my knees on that wall. The branch I was holdin' onto cut my hand a little bit." She scooted over enough to create a space between her and Sarah. She patted the couch with her small hand and Bendy took that as an invitation to hop up onto the couch. As soon as he did, little arms were wrapped around him from both sides. He stiffened for just a moment before relaxing and wrapping his arms around both girls. He was glad they weren't scared of him.

"Thank you Bendy." Beth said softly and it warmed the little toon's heart.

Henry watched this all go down with a soft smile on his face. He was glad the girls didn't see his friend any different. He knew Bendy was worried about that. He turned towards the kitchen and could see June watching the little group. She had an unreadable look on her face. He really needed to talk to her before something happened. He walked into the kitchen and asked her to step outside in the back with him. She was going to argue but he told her that they wont be long. She shot him a heated glare before stomping out the back door.

Henry found her sitting at the picnic table. She was rubbing her temples and looking stressed out. Henry sat down next to her and placed his hand against her back. She was quiet for awhile but Henry had no problem waiting for her to talk to him. The silence was broken by her first question.

"Look! The only thing I wanna know is: Is he dangerous?" Henry looks offended by the question.

"C'mon June! You know I'd never do anything to harm you or the girls. No, Bendy isn't dangerous." Henry should have known she'd asked this but it still frustrated him.

June was staring down at her hands in her lap. "I know. I know you wouldn't." She groans and runs her hand down her face. "But what happened back there?!" She looked at him, showing the anger in her eyes. She pointed at him. "Don't tell me it's a cartoon thing because it's not!"

"June…" Henry ran his hand through his hair, looking very tired all of a sudden. "Do you remember when I told you how Bendy helped me get through the Studio?" She looked a little confused but nodded.

"He literally helped me. He saved me life using that form… and others. I would have never made it out of that place if he wasn't watching my back."

She didn't say anything but he could tell she wasn't completely convinced. Henry proceeded to tell her about the first time Bendy changed. That's when he figured out that he was still the same lovable toon on the inside, no matter what he looked like on the outside. He told her about the first time the toon lost control and was guilt ridden after he snapped out of it. They learned to be more careful after that.

June was just shaking her head, a look of disbelief written all over her face. She couldn't believe her brother still trusted the toon after all of that.

Henry told her about how he managed to help Bendy not only escape the Studio but the 2D realm he was stuck in. He told her about the first time they both realized that he could still change forms when a child fell out of a tree. The toon didn't hesitate to try to catch the child and just like that, he caught him in his massive hands.

"Turns out, the kids weren't even afraid of him. You know, just like Beth and Sarah." He shot her a pointed glare and she had the decency to look guilty.

Henry put his hand on her shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this before." He looked her in the eye. "I trust Bendy with my life. He wouldn't hurt anyone."

June just stared at him, not saying a word. Then she tilted her head to the side and the suspicious look returned.

"Henry, what's this really about?" he looked genuinely shocked by her question.

"What are you getting' on about?"

June shook her head slowly. "This trip is more than just a "Meet and Greet". What's going on?"

"I just wanted you to meet Ben-" She held her hand up, effectively cutting him off.

"C'mon bro! Don't try that with me! I know you better than anyone. Ever since you got here, I've had this feeling you weren't telling me everything."

Henry sighed and ran his hand down his face. She was always good at reading him. He looked at her and she was quietly studying him. It was best to get everything out of the open now. He was really starting to feel his age now.

"June, if there is one thing I learned during my time in the service and running for my life in that damn Studio is this: Life is short. You never know what might happen." She narrowed her eyes at him and was about to say something but he cut her off.

"You're right. I had another reason for coming here." he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had rehearsed this in his head a thousand times but now he had the hard time finding the right words.

"June. If anything happens to me… I need you to look after Bendy." The look of shock on her face would have been funny if the situation wasn't so serious.

"Wait! What are you talking about? Nothing is going to happen to you!" She was trying not to shout, but this conversation was scaring her.

"Sis, life is full of surprises. I know you don't like hearing that, but it's true. I'd feel better knowing that if I couldn't be there for Bendy, someone I trusted would look after him." Henry looked down at the table and winced. "I couldn't stand the thought of him being left alone."

June was struck speechless. She couldn't believe what her brother was asking of her. If he had asked her earlier, she wouldn't have hesitated, but now, she just wasn't sure she could do what he asked.

He must have felt her apprehension because he reached out and grasped one of her hands. He noticed it shook slightly. "You don't have to make up you mind tonight, okay?" She gave him a stiff nod before getting up from the table and heading for the back door. She told him she needed to get dinner ready.

She reached out for the doorknob and stopped. She said in a soft voice "I'll think about it."

"That's all I'm askin' June-Bug."

Dinner was quiet and a little awkward. Tension filled the air and even the girls could sense it. They kept looking at their mother who looked lost in thought. She was barely eating as she just pushed the food around on her plate. She didn't even look at Bendy and the toon wondered if that was a good thing or not. He looked at Henry and the man was staring at his sister with sympathetic eyes. Whatever they talked about must not have gone well. It made a pit form in the little toon's stomach.

After dinner the girls didn't even wait for dessert. They grabbed Bendy by the hand and headed up to their room. They needed to get away from whatever had the adults in a foul mood.

June cleaned up the kitchen. Her face was disturbingly blank as she moved about automatically. After she was done, she plopped down on the couch and put her head in her hands. Her mind was running in circles and she didn't know what to do. She felt a light tap at her shoulder and when she looked up, she found her brother standing there with a two beers, one in each hand. He gave her one and she took it gratefully. He sat down next to her and they spent the rest of the evening sipping on their beer in companionable silence.

When she was done, she got up, and threw the bottle in the trash. She felt really tired after everything that happened today and headed upstairs. As she made her way down the hall, she stopped at the doorway that lead to the girls' room. She smiled softly. It looked like she wasn't the only one worn out by today's events.

Bendy was laying in their makeshift tent with each girl on either side of him. What surprised her was the way he had his arms protectively around the girls as they snuggled up against his sides. They really weren't afraid of him. She turned her head slightly when she heard Henry coming up the stairs. Their eyes met for a split second before she bid him a goodnight and headed for her room.

The Last Day

Henry wasn't surprised that he was standing in the kitchen alone. He had wondered if his sister got any rest last like. He put on a pot of coffee and waited for anyone else to come downstairs.

The kids came into the kitchen a few moments later and sat at the table. Henry asked them what they wanted for breakfast and they told him just cereal. He noticed how quiet they all were but didn't say anything.

Soon June wandered in and said good morning to everyone. She still looked tired as she made herself a strong cup of coffee. She took her cup and went to sit in the living room.

Bendy watched her as she shuffled towards the couch. He was really worried about her. He got up from the table and followed her to the couch. She was sitting there, sipping on her coffee and staring into space. He cleared his throat to get her attention. She looked like she hadn't slept all night.

"Umm, Mrs. June, are you alright?" She didn't answer and just stared at him. Her stare was making him nervous. Suddenly she shook her head and Bendy could feel that pit in his stomach growing larger.

"Don't call me that." The toon looked up at her with confusion written all over his face. She scowled and shook her head again. "Don't call me "Mrs. June"." Bendy's eyes grew wide and he felt like he just got punched in the gut. He didn't want to leave this place without at least talking to June, but now he wished he had stayed in the kitchen.

June sighed and her features softened a bit. "It's "Aunt June" to you." She didn't think his eyes could get any bigger but he managed it somehow. His mouth kept opening and closing like a fish. It took the toon awhile to find his voice.

"Aunt… June?" She leaned to the side, placing her coffee on the end table before looking him in the eye. "Well yeah! You're my nephew after all."

Bendy got really quiet after that. He lowered his head so she couldn't see his face. His shoulders shook and June began to worry. She reached out and laid her hand on top of his head. "Bendy? Sweetheart, are you alri-" She didn't even get to finish when the toon launched himself at her. She was caught by surprise when he wrapped his arms around her neck. She could feel something wet dripping on her shoulder and she realized he was crying. She wrapped her own arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Oh sweetheart, it's okay. It's okay" She began to rock him as he sobbed softly into her shoulder.

"I-I thought *sniffle* that you were mad at me." His voice came out a little muffled. "I thought you were afraid that I'd hurt the girls. I swear, I would never do something like that!" June felt guilt fill her chest. She realized her poor reaction to what happened was causing the toon's mini breakdown.

"Oh sweetheart, I am so so sorry. I wasn't angry with you. I was just… overwhelmed by everything that happened. I didn't mean to make you feel that way. Do you forgive me?" She heard a soft "mmhmm" and felt him nod against her shoulder. She hugged him a little tighter. "Thank you."

Sarah and Beth ran over to see what was wrong. They could hear his sobs dying down to soft sniffles as he calmed down. They asked their mother if he was okay.

"Everything will be fine. I really hurt your cousin's feelings and I was apologizing."

Beth was the first to catch it. "Wait, did you say "Cousin"?"

June just smiled. "Well yeah, he's apart of this family after all." The girls looked so excited and cheered.

"Oh good, because I've been wanting to call him that ever since he got here!" Sarah declared. Bendy looked at her a little surprised. "Really?"

"Well, yeah! You're with Uncle Henry, so of course that makes you our cousin." Sarah said this as a matter of fact and Beth agreed. June just shook her head. Child logic was an amazing thing. It was so simple and never bogged down by cold hard facts that adults had to face day after day. Bendy was their cousin. It didn't matter if he wasn't human. The girls accepted him anyway. June had forgotten what that was like.

"Cousin Bendy." He liked the sound of that. He wiped away a few stray tears and graced everyone with a dazzling smile. His family had just gotten bigger and he was so happy. The pit that was in his stomach was gone, replaced by a warmth blossoming in his heart. He felt like the luckiest toon in the world!

June could see Henry standing close by. He gave her a warm smile and mouthed the words "Thank you." She smiled back and gave him a slight nod. It was at that moment she realized, she would be more than happy to take Bendy in if the that need ever came up.

Time seemed to go by too quickly. It was soon time for Henry and Bendy to hit the road. The girls were sad to see him go, but they knew they would see their cousin again. Their mom would make sure of it.

Henry was throwing his bag in the back seat. June was handing him a stack of photos she took over the weekend.

"Now you can start your own family photo album."

"Thank June-Bug"

"I expect to see you back here more often! I don't even mind taking my nephew in for a week or two."

Henry smirked and gave her a mock salute. "Yes Ma'am." She laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. "I'm not kidding!" she yelled between chuckles.

"I know. I promise, we'll be back."

June had a mischievous glint in her eyes and yelled out "Group Hug!" before wrapping her arms around her brother. He chuckled softly and returned the hug. The girls ran up to them. Henry picked up Beth and June had Sarah in her arms. They were holding onto one another when June felt a huge presence behind here. A pair of large, thick arms wrapped around the group. She looked up to see Bendy smiling down at them.

"Hey buster, that's cheating!" She smirked at him. "You're suppose to be in the middle of all of this, not the other way around!" The now, not-so-little-toon, just shrugged his massive shoulders and gave them all a good squeeze. This was something she needed to get used to.

Bendy returned to normal and was chatting with Beth and Sarah. Henry was giving him a few more minutes but they really had to go.

"C'mon bud. We're burnin' daylight. We have a ten hour drive and I have work the next day."

"Ten hours!? You really do drive like an old man." June laughed. "I can get you home in at least seven!" Henry just shook his head.

"No, thank you. I'd like to get home without getting a speeding ticket in every state I pass through." He felt satisfied when his sister began to sputter.

"What!? That happened one time!" Then she stopped and thought about it. "Okay, maybe two or three times…" she looked a little sheepish. Henry smirked. "Uh huh."

Bendy gave the girls one last huge and began to head for the car. June stopped him by placing her hand on his shoulder. She pulled him to the side so she could talk to him.

"Bendy, I have a favor to ask of ya."

"What is it?"

"I need you to look after Henry. I know he acts like a tough guy all the time, but even he needs someone lookin' after him too." The toon placed his hand over his heart and looked her right in the eyes. "I promise I'll always be looking out for him, Aunt June." She leaned over and gave him one last hug before walking him back to the car.

June stood back with her girls as she watched the car pull out of the driveway. They were waving at Henry and Bendy as they drove off and kept waving as they disappeared down the road. Their family just got a little bigger and a little weirder, but June didn't mind. That just made things more interesting.

Bendy watched through the rear view mirror as his new extended family waved 'goodbye'. He was so glad he came. He was starting to miss them already, but he knew he'd be back. He just knew that if Henry didn't keep his word, Aunt June was going to give him a piece of her mind. That thought alone made him chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

Bendy looked at Henry with a huge grin on his face.

"Nothing, nothing at all."