Category: Humor/Drama

Ratings/warnings: G

Pairings: none

Spoilers: none

Disclaimers: Alliance owns them. But I decided to do a story on a young Ben Fraser anyway.

Don't Judge a Book

by Marian

Ben Fraser went to school on Valentines Day. It was his first year at a public school. He was trying hard to get used to the stuff they did for the various holidays.

He knew that this was Valentines Day and that it was named for a saint that helped poor girls get married by giving them money. He did not quite grasp how this applied to him but he wanted to join in anyway.

He wasn't sure what to do so he asked his friend Steve.

"Steve, what am I supposed to do for Valentines Day?"

" Oh, no Ben please don't do anything for Valentines Day. It's such a girly day and girls are gross. If you give a girl a valentine then it means you like her. Then she might want to play with you and kiss you.

That's no fun. The bigger and prettier a valentine is shows how much you looove someone. You'd better watch it or a girl will say "Ooooh Benny, darling, kiss meeeeee.""

Steve then wrapped his arms around himself and made sloppy kissing noises to show his

contempt towards the whole Valentines Day idea.

Ben wasn't sure girls were as bad as Steve said. He had vague memories of his mom giving him a paper shaped like a heart. Though he couldn't read it at the time, his mum told him that it said how much she loved him. He put it away but he was sad when it had later gotten lost in the move to his grandparent's home.

But Steve had three sisters, so maybe he knew more about girls and this Valentines Day stuff.

Later that morning Ben found two envelopes on his desk. Remembering what Steve had told him he first opened the bigger and prettier of the two. He hoped it was from Mary because, though he'd never tell Steve, he kind of liked her.

The valentine inside had lace and glitter hearts on the front and when he opened it he read:

BE MINE, VALENTINE

It was signed: "Forever Yours, Celeste Montgomery."

Ben knew Celeste because her father owned the general supply store that his grandparents shopped at.

The second envelope he opened had a valentine made of red construction paper with pink construction paper hearts glued on the front. It read:

"Roses are red"

"Violets are blue"

"You're my good friend"

"Be my Valentine too?"

It was signed, simply, "Mary."

Ben was confused. He liked Mary but her valentine was smaller and plainer than Celeste. If what Steve said was true then Celeste must like him more than Mary

When Ben joined his friends for lunch Mary came up to him.

"Ben" She asked, shyly, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Okay, Mary."

"So, did you get my card?"

"Yes" He answered politely

" Do you want to be ...well...er..my Valentine?" She finished asking in a rush.

Ben didn't want to make Mary feel bad but Celeste clearly liked him more and his Grandma said honesty is the best policy.

"I'm sorry Mary but I am already Celeste's Valentine" Mary's lip quivered for a moment,

"Oh, uh.. okay. Well, see ya." Mary turned and walked away.

When Ben returned to his desk, after lunch, saw Steve standing there.

"Ben, wanna see what I got. A Valentine from Celeste. It's sooo girly. I think she needs to have a special Valentines Day nightcrawler in her hair."

Ben saw a card just like his in Steve's hand. Looking around Ben saw all the boys had similar cards.

When school let out Ben caught up with Celeste.

"Don't you like me?" he asked.

"What do you mean" she replied.

"I thought if you gave someone a pretty valentine it means you like them a lot."

"I do like you Ben."

"But you gave Valentines to the other boys."

"Of course I did. You're supposed to give valentines to everyone in class so no one feels left out. I even gave valentines to the girls. Did you know my dad bought these for me? They came from New York. Mrs. Johnson said we should make ours but I thought everyone would like the store-bought ones because they are made by professionals. Ooh, there's Jerry. See you, Ben. Jerry did you get my valen..."

Her voice trailed off as she moved away from Ben.

He sat on a bench in the hall to pull on his boots. He then stopped and stared at the floor.

Their teacher, Mrs. Johnson, found him there and, sitting by him asked, "Is there a problem Ben?"

"Well, Mrs. Johnson, I don't like Valentines Day."

"Why is that?"

"'Cause it makes it makes more people sad than it makes happy."

"Oh really. What do you mean?"

In a rush he said" Well, I like Mary but she gave a small , homemade valentine. Then Celeste gave me a big store-bought one that was really pretty and so I 'm supposed to like her more but she gave one to everybody so no one would feel sorry...."

"Ben stop. Where did you get the idea that bigger and prettier is better than homemade?"

"Steve said that's how it works."

In an effort to make the boy understand, she said:

"Do you remember, on my birthday, there were two cakes brought to class?"

"Uh huh"

"The vanilla cake had fancy frosting with pretty flowers. It came from a store. The chocolate one just had frosting on it and was homemade. Now I know you liked both cakes since I saw you had a piece of each."

Well I liked the chocolate one better. Ah ha! So you are saying that homemade and smaller is better."

"No Ben."

"But you said..."

"I said you liked both cakes. The reason you liked the chocolate one better is that you like chocolate more. Not because it was homemade and the other was not. A person either buys or makes something because they feel they have to or because they want to. Do you understand what I am trying to say?"

"I think so. Celeste was only trying to be nice."

"And?"

"And, maybe, Mary really wanted me to be her valentine."

Inspired by that thought Ben grabbed his coat. "I gotta go, Thanks Mrs. Johnson."

Mrs. Johnson smiled at the boy caught in the throes of Valentines Day.

Ben ran to the pond where the local kids skated after school. He knew Mary was usually there.

"EEEEEEEEKKK." Ben jumped out of the way, as Celeste ran by pulling a nightcrawler from her hair.

"Happy Valentines Day, Celeste." Shouted a laughing Steve. "Ben, there you are. C'mon, let's skate."

"Not yet, Steve. Have you seen Mary?"

"Yeah, she's pouting over there. I'm glad she was smart enough not to give any guys a valentine or I'd have to give her the nightcrawler treatment. Maybe not, though, since she's kinda okay. For a girl that is."

Ben went over to where Mary sat. She looked like she was trying not to cry.

"Mary?"

"Go away Ben. Your Valentine, Celeste, is over there."

"But."

"I know you like her better."

"Mary. I really like you better. I just didn't know how Valentines Day works, 'cause I never did one before."

Looking at Ben in shock Mary replied "Never?"

"No, never. Maybe you could show me how?"

With a beginnings of a smile; she instructed " Well, first you have to ask me to be your Valentine. Then you give me something that has a heart and then we hold hands."

"Awww Mary, Steve will tease us if.."

"Silly, we only have to hold hands today, okay? If you like me you would do it."

"Alright I'll do it" Ben said in an aggrieved tone. He still wasn't sure about the mushy cootie factor involved.

Soon Ben realized he had nothing with a heart to give her. Hitting upon an idea he scooped up snow, made a ball, and then formed it into a heart shape.

Giving it to her he asked " Mary, will you be my Valentine?"

"Yes, Ben, I will."

"You want to skate?"

"Yeah."

Strapping on skates, the two youngsters slid out on the ice, hand-in - hand. Mary had the snow heart in her right hand.

They cringed in embarrassment when they heard Steve's voice taunt:

"Benny and Mary, sitting in a tree

"K.I.S.S.I.N.G."

Ben and Mary Frowned at him. Mary lifted her snowball but, remembering it was special, she stopped. She cast Ben a frustrated look that he returned with a nod and a grin.

"First comes love then comes marr..."

[SPLAT]

The couple skated by Steve as he wiped snow from his face.

"Thank you Ben. That was the best Valentines Day gift ever." Mary said and giggled.

She quickly kissed Ben's cheek and sped away on the ice.

"Hey" Ben shouted and sped off after her.

The End