Author's Note: Hello everyone! Sorry for the long wait; thanks once again for putting up with me. This chapter may be a bit slow, but it was important for later chapters. I hope you guys still like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Parks and Recreation in any way; I'm just a fan

Chapter Eight: Little Talks

Ben shook his head in annoyance and impatience. Geoff was chatting with Lisa, the cutest girl in the school, and they both were completely ignoring him. She was standing very closely, her body swaying slightly, a flirtatious smile on her lips. His brother acted like he didn't notice, although Ben could tell that he was secretly pleased.

"So I heard you're running for mayor," Lisa said. Geoff nodded proudly.

"Yeah," he answered. "I thought 'What the hell?' I think it'll be fun." He leaned in closely to Lisa and smirked. "Are you gonna vote for me?"

Lisa shook her hair, the sunlight making the blond strands shimmer, and gave Geoff a smirk. "Maybe, if you prove yourself. After all, being a mayor is a big job. Think you can handle it?" Ben looked between the two and rolled his eyes. Geoff had been into Lisa all year; she was all he would talk about. Ben figured that one of the reasons he was running for mayor was to impress her. Secretly, he thought his brother was an idiot. Why didn't he just ask her out instead of playing all these stupid games? Girls were not worth all this effort.

"C'mon Geoff, I have practice in twenty minutes," Ben complained and Geoff glared at him.

"We'll get there, don't worry," Geoff replied.

"I gotta go anyway," Lisa said with a small shrug. "I told Kate that we would hang out today. See you tomorrow!" She waved goodbye and walked away. Geoff was staring after her, completely entranced by the deliberate sway of her hips.

"Seriously?" Ben asked, scrunching his nose in distaste. "You turn into an idiot every time you talk to her. She's just a girl! You don't have to become mayor to date her."

Geoff laughed and cuffed his ear. "Shut up and believe me; you'll understand when you're not a kid. Now stop pissing me off or I won't take your ass to baseball practice." Ben relented and stayed quiet for the rest of the ride.

Soccer practice went by quickly. Ben enjoyed playing, although he still preferred baseball. It was fun though, and he got to play with his best friend Jacob. The two spent the practice working on endurance, endlessly running around the large field. By the time practice was over, Ben's limbs were aching and his hair was sticking to his skin.

"Our first game is coming up soon," he told his older brother. "Are you gonna come?"

"Probably, but I can't promised anything. It depends on the campaign," Geoff said. Ben glanced at him dubiously but didn't say anything. When they arrived home, Ben quickly cleaned up before dinner. His dad insisted that they eat dinner every night as a family; although sometimes Ben wished he could just grab something and eat in his room.

Dinner was an elaborate routine in their house. Every night, his father interrogated them about their day. It wasn't regular conversation. It was as if his father evaluated each of them, trying to find room for improvement, judging each decision. It made Ben very uncomfortable. Tonight was no exception. Once their meal started, his father looked at each of them and nodded, prompting conversation. His mom and sister Megan prattled about their day, but the biggest surprise came from Geoff.

"I decided that I'm gonna be the next mayor," Geoff announced at dinner. The other four family members looked at him in disbelief.

"You were serious?" Ben yelped. "I thought you were just sayin' that to impress Lisa!"

"Geoff wants to kiss her," Megan giggled and Geoff glared at his younger siblings.

"You two better stop it," he warned. "You shouldn't annoy your future mayor."

"Geoff, honey, I'm not sure if that's the best idea," Ben's mother said in an apprehensive voice. "You're a senior now; you have to take school seriously. This is your last year; you shouldn't be distracted with some hair brained scheme."

"I'll be fine," Geoff replied in a breezy tone. "I mean, how hard can it be to run for mayor?" He chuckled when he saw his mother's dismayed face. "I'm joking. Listen, it'll actually help. How many teenagers apply for mayor? Think of the great college essays I can write!"

"You're not running," their father said in a quiet voice. "You're going to concentrate on finishing high school and then you're going to college."

"I'm running," Geoff contradicted in a tight voice.

"Geoff, perhaps you are unaware of this, but to become mayor you have to be an intelligent adult who is capable of governing. You are in no way qualified. You have no money to campaign and you have no support. You have no idea how to even run a campaign. People will look down on you as an idiot kid whose parents should have taught better. Have you really thought about this?"

"Not really," Geoff shrugged, his mouth quirking in humor. He continued to shovel meatloaf into his mouth and ignored the appraising eyes studying him. It was clearly the worst response. The flippant answer made his mother wince and his father stiffen. The older man was looking at Geoff as if he was an enigma, something beyond understanding, as if he was a stranger. Ben glanced back and forth but he didn't know what was going on. Megan seemed completely oblivious.

"We'll talk about this later," his dad said gently. His tone was tinged with disapproval and distaste. Geoff opened his mouth to respond but his mother shot him a look and he promptly closed it. The rest of dinner was uncomfortable. Ben knew that his brother and dad were being careful about what they said. It was as if they had their own private language. His mother was watching both of them nervously; clearly she too felt the tension.

When dinner was done, Ben instantly headed up to his room. He didn't want to see the fallout of whatever was happening downstairs. He finished his homework and then played videogames until it was time to get ready for bed. He changed clothes and crawled into bed, tired from practice, and he could feel himself start to fall asleep, when harsh voices woke him up. Curious, he got out of bed and sneaked out onto the upper landing. He could see Geoff and his dad in the living room. His dad was towering over Geoff, glaring down at him, but Geoff was staring right back. They were right up in each other's faces.

"When you finish college, you are free to live your life as you see fit but right now you are obviously incapable of making the right choices. So you will forget about this stupid plan and work on graduating high school." His dad's voice was cold.

"It's what I want to do!" His brother shouted explosively. Ben's eyes widened; Geoff NEVER spoke to their dad like that. He must have been serious.

"THIS is why you shouldn't run," the older man spat. "Your level of immaturity is a goddamn disgrace! You have the mindset of s child, a little boy, and you will not shame this family with your stupid idea!"

Ben glanced between his father and brother, unsure what to do. His skin was itching and Ben knew that he had to do something but he was frozen. His body wouldn't move. He looked at his brother, trying to get a clue, and he could see that Geoff was struggling with something.

"I'm the disgrace? Are you fucking kidding me?"Geoff scoffed. His father's hand shot out faster than Ben could see. The smack of flesh against flesh reverberated around the silent room. It was the first time that Ben had ever seen his father hit anyone. It made his stomach cold and he had to stop himself from calling out.

"Enough. I don't want to hear this," his dad growled. He didn't look at Geoff, clearly dismissing him from the room. His brother was glaring at his father, lips tight and knuckles white, and for a second Ben thought that there was gonna be a fight. But Geoff turned away and stomped angrily up the stairs.

Ben scrambled away from the stairs, afraid of getting caught, but before he could make it two steps his brother caught hold of his arm.

"Ben! What the hell? Why are you up?" Geoff whispered in an angry voice.

"I heard you guys fighting," Ben explained, his voice quivering slightly. "Geoff, are you okay?" His brother unconsciously touched his cheek and nodded.

"I'm fine. You know what Dad's like, he just likes to…overact. It's not a big deal, I'm alright." Ben couldn't really read Geoff's expression, but he didn't like it.

"I should have come down," Ben muttered. He didn't mean for Geoff to hear but he did. His brother gripped his arm tightly and shook his head.

"C'mon," Geoff said gruffly and he shoved Ben towards his room. The two quietly entered the small bedroom and Geoff watched at Ben climbed into bed. He was about to turn away when Ben stopped him, unable to hold in the question.

"Dad loves both of us," Ben said in a small voice. "So why did he hit you?"

"Listen, don't think too much about what happened. It's something between me and Dad, but you're right, he loves us. He's not gonna hurt you, I promise." Geoff replied and he looked away. "It's just different between us."

"What are you talking about?" Ben scrunched his face in confusion but his brother didn't answer.

"Drop it," Geoff ordered. "Everything is fine, go to sleep. And don't mention this to Megan, she wouldn't understand." He got up and left the room without another word. Ben was tempted to go to his room to keep talking but didn't. He lay on his bed, thinking about Geoff and his Dad. They clashed all the time but tonight had been different. Why didn't his dad want Geoff to run for mayor? Most dads would be proud…right? His dad tended to be strict, Ben knowing firsthand the pressure that his dad exerted, but thinking about it he had to admit that Geoff got the rougher deal. His dad was always on him about something. Ben had seen hushed arguments between the two.

He wondered, for the first time, if he really knew his dad and brother.

"Ben?" Ben jolted, startled out of the memory, and looked at the speaker. His mother Margaret was watching him with a wary expression and he could see the anxiety in her eyes. Her skin was white, almost transparent, except for the dark shadows under her eyes. He hated seeing that.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I was lost in my own world." Ben reached over and grasped her hand tightly. Her skin was so cold that it started to seep into his own fingers and he shivered involuntarily. Now wasn't the time to get lost in long gone memories. He had to concentrate on the present.

He had been home three days. After his mother's phone call, Ben had left work in a complete and utter panic. Truth be told, he could barely remember what happened. His entire trip home had been a haze and before he knew it he was standing in front of his childhood home.

It looked exactly the same as when he was a kid. While it wasn't huge, the house was a comfortable size. It was a stark white, which contrasted nicely with the rich dark brown roof. A small winding path lined with petunias led to the front door and a large oak tree situated on the front lawn provided sumptuous shade. The sight had made Ben feel both happy and uneasy. He had avoided coming home for years; he had only made the obligatory phone calls safely from his own house or on the road. He had been a teenager the last time he had stepped through those doors. Did the ghost of his brother still haunt those hallways?

Later, he had called Laura later and explained the situation; she had been sympathetic and understanding. Ben decided to take a short leave of absence, although he wouldn't have much time in Partridge; maybe two weeks and only because he had begged and used some vacation time. His mother had protested, saying that he should go back sooner, but Ben knew that she was secretly happy. His mother needed support and Ben wanted to be there for her. Megan was home too; she arrived the day before he did. For the first time in years, the whole family was reunited.

"Oh, it's time for lunch! Ben, can you bring this to your father?" His mother asked, handing him a tray of food. Ben nodded and went upstairs to his parent's room. His father had been resting since he had come home from the hospital, much to the man's chagrin. The forced rest was unwelcome and made his dad even more argumentative than usual.

"Not that shit," his dad Matthew snarled as soon as Ben entered the room. Ben sighed, trying to keep his annoyance at bay.

"Dad, you need to eat something."

"Well I would, if your mother wasn't trying to starve me!"

Ben looked at the plate, arrayed with various veggies. "You do realize that I am in fact bringing you food? To eat."

"I can't live off this rabbit food," his dad scoffed.

"Dad, you almost died of a heart attack. The first thing you need to change is some of your lifestyle choices, especially your diet. You can't live off of only red meat," Ben said patiently. Every day they argued about food and Ben had already found tons of treats and candy stashed in secret around the room. It was a bit ridiculous.

"You are my child; It's not your place to decide what I do," Matthew's voice was cool, a slight edge to the tone, as if daring Ben to keep arguing. Ben sighed; every time he talked his father, he felt like a ten year old again.

"Are you picking on poor Benji again?" Megan asked from the doorway. She smiled and walked over to give Matthew a hug. His father had a wide grin and Ben had to look away. It made his stomach tighten uncomfortably.

"Of course not," their dad said, but dark humor laced his voice.

"Well stop, you need your rest for tomorrow. We're gonna leave for the hospital at 9, okay? Mom wants to make sure we're gonna be there in plenty of time," Megan reminded him.

Matthew needed bypass surgery and the event was putting a lot of strain on the entire family. Matthew was moody and snapped all the time. Ben knew that he was scared and he couldn't blame him, although it was tough to remember when his father was biting his head off. Matthew Wyatt had never been a warm or happy person, but he was particularly volatile now. They had been warned by the doctor that he would be emotional since depression, fear, and anger were common after a heart attack. Both Ben and his mother were generally the targets of that anger; his sister was the one exception.

"I know," Matthew sniped. "It's not as if I could forget. Now if you two would leave, I'm in the middle of something. THAT you can bring back to your mother." He pointed at the plate still in Ben's hands and without another word he opened his book and resumed reading. Megan and Ben looked at each other and left their father on his own.

"One minute he complains of being lonely and mistreated, the next he's kicking us out of the room," Ben complained. "There's no pleasing him."

"He's just freaked out about the surgery. Don't let him get to you," Megan said. She patted him on the arm and Ben smiled at the gesture. "C'mon, let's eat lunch."

His dad's fear slowly spread through the house and infected everyone. An air of apprehension filled each room until Ben's head was about to burst and he felt like tearing his hair from his scalp. He just couldn't relax. He tried to read, watch TV, anything to pass the time, but he couldn't concentrate. All he could think of was the possibility that his father might very well die the next day. His father had already been lucky once, surviving his heart attack, but would he be lucky twice? He was a high risk for surgery but it needed to be done. The thought of losing his father made his mouth go dry. Ben didn't always like his dad, most of the time he couldn't stand to be in the same room, but the man was still his father. He still loved him, in spite of everything. So many things were unsaid between them but Ben could never say them now. Too much time had passed and those wounds had never healed properly. He spent the entire night twisting in his bed, trying to fall asleep, and his stomach in complete knots.

XxXx

The three waited anxiously in the waiting room. Megan was flipping through a fashion magazine, Ben was going through emails, and his mother was mindlessly watching the television. They didn't really talk to each other, but it was comforting to have his sister and mother at his sides.

Most of his emails were spam but he saw a couple from Leslie and he couldn't help but smile. He opened the first one which was just a quick email asking how he was. The second one was a bit longer.

Ben, it's been a while since I heard from you. Are you okay? Maybe you're just busy with work. My Harvest festival is proceeding very nicely, let me tell you. You would probably be horrified at our budget but I'm confident that we can make it all back and more. We're gonna have a huge corn maze, a Ferris wheel, and even Li'L Sebastian! He is a national treasure. Everyone at the Parks and Rec department is very excited.

You're about to be very happy. My daughter Emily started watching Doctor Who, after your recommendation, and she absolutely loves it. I can't get her to stop! She's completely entranced by the Doctor and all she talks about now is traveling in space. It's gonna be a little tough to tell her that unfortunately we can't get a Tardis.

Really, if anything is going on, you can talk to me. My number is 720-8862. Hope to hear from you soon!

Ben was very surprised and the tiniest bit of unease crept up his spine. That was unexpected. They had never remotely talked about exchanging numbers. Their emails were already personal; having her phone number seemed oddly intimate. Before he could think more about it, a nurse stepped into the waiting room and called out "Margaret Wyatt?"

His mother jolted slightly and instantly got up. Ben and Megan followed suit and approached the young nurse.

"Your husband is doing fine," The girl Ashley assured them. "His surgery went very smoothly. If you want you can sit with him and the doctor will be there shortly to talk to you." Margaret thanked her and hugged Ben and Megan. Ben could feel her shoulders shaking slightly and he realized exactly how scared she had been. He hugged her back, relief seeping into his bones, and pressed a kiss to his mother's cheek. It was all over.

His father was reclining in a hospital bed and Ben instantly noted that he looked pale. He could see the lines in his face and his skin had an odd pallor to it. Illness still clung to the older man's skin and made him seem older than his years. However, the important thing was that he was alive.

"Matthew," Margaret said, her voice full of love and warmth, and she wiped away the tears that had sprung in her eyes. She pressed a gentle kiss to her husband's forehead and brushed back his light brown hair.

"I'm glad you're okay," Ben said and he placed his hand on his dad's shoulder.

"I'm fine," Matthew said and he shrugged out of Ben's grip. "Stop acting like a concerned son, you've been doing it for days. Why are you pretending that you care about this family?"

"Matthew!" Margaret rebuked.

"Dad!" Megan exclaimed, her eyes wide in surprise, and she stepped in front of Ben. "Of course he loves you! How can you say that?!"

"Dad," Ben stared at his father in shock.

"Well you can stop. My surgery is done and I'm gonna live so you don't have to keep acting like a dutiful son. You hardly call, you never come home. It's clear that you cut yourself from our family a long time ago," Matthew said. His blue eyes were hot in anger. "Hell, you never even paid respects to your brother since you got home. A goddamn disgrace…" He turned away then and Ben stood completely still, his limbs heavy, while his mother and sister stood silently.

Ben bit his tongue so that he wouldn't say anything stupid. You hypocrite.

XxXx

The cemetery was exactly as he remembered it. Small headstones dotted the wide expanse of land, dark rows covered with bouquets and other keepsakes. The cemetery was isolated due to large trees surrounding the entire perimeter which made it feel as if you entered a different dimension when you stepped onto the property. Even before Geoff's death Ben had hated this cemetery. It was too eerie, too unnatural. It was like something from a horror movie. After the fiasco at the hospital, Ben had driven straight to the cemetery. His father's words rang in his ears and he knew that he see his brother.

No one else was there. Ben wandered for a couple minutes, trying to remember where the headstone was located, and he eventually found it. He looked down at his brother's name, Geoffrey Alexander Wyatt, and took a large gulping breath.

"Hi Geoff, I know it's been a while. I'm sorry I missed your anniversary," Ben said awkwardly. The words were catching in his throat, uneasy and unnatural. "I was busy with work and I couldn't get away." He hadn't talked to Geoff for years, although his memory had plagued him longer than he could remember.

"Dad just had a heart attack," He continued. "I really thought he was gonna die but he managed to pull through. Mom was really upset; you should have seen her at the hospital. She was so pale that she looked like a corpse. I was worried that she'd have a heart attack herself. Of course, HE'S shaking it off, acting as if we're overacting. Hell, he's eating as much junk food as he can just to spite us." Annoyance crept into his voice, despite his effort to remain calm.

"Megan is here too. It's nice to see her," Ben said. "I know that she's visited you a few times, probably more than I have." Megan always invited him to go with her but he never had. He knew that she hated him for that but he couldn't do it.

"I just remembered the night that you said you were gonna run for mayor. I always thought you were so effortlessly cool; I was jealous of you the entire time I was growing up. I was always compared to you and found lacking. Of course you would run for mayor. What other eighteen year old would even think of it? But that was the type of guy you were. Of course I thought you were an idiot too, but you were so confident that it was hard not to get swept up in your enthusiasm." He smiled slightly.

"I never told Dad that I saw him hit you," Ben admitted. "I know you told me not to, but I really was gonna talk to him about it. I figured that he could tell me what was wrong and I could fix it. I was…very naive. But in the end, I just didn't have the courage. You know how scary dad could be. That morning, I had walked to him, determined to ask, but then he gave me that look and I couldn't. I didn't really see you guys arguing after that. I thought maybe after you won he decided to be proud. But…I don't know."

Everyone had been proud of Geoff. No one could believe that an eighteen year old kid could actually run for mayor and win. It was such a remarkable event. Every writer wanted an interview with the brilliant high school student and every person wanted to be his friend. Parents would talk about Geoff and seethe with envy. Ben could still remember the whispered conversations about how cool and inspiring he was and those words had filled Ben with pride. Even when Geoff was impeached, he was proud of his older brother.

"I was proud of you. I was, even after everything; none of that mattered to me. I should have told you instead of letting you think you were a failure." His past was a collection of odd moments, wrong paths, and things left unsaid. Looking back, he would have handled it differently. Geoff hadn't realized that he loved him no matter what. If he had, would he still have committed suicide?

He pulled out his phone and dialed the number before he could over think it.

"Ben?"

Leslie's voice was happy but it also held a note of confusion and fear. This was not a normal occurrence between them; she obviously knew that something was the matter. Ben opened his mouth, trying to find the words. He should explain why he was calling but he couldn't.

Instead he broke down into guttural sobs.

I'm not really sure what would happen after a heart attack. I did some quick research but in no way am I an expert, so I'm sorry if I got anything wrong. Thanks for reading! Please review!