Hoax // Benjen Stark

12. Memory Lane

Benjen stared around wide eyed. This was nothing like Winterfell. Lights and colors so vibrant and blinding, the clothes... he was boiling in all his furs. He looked to Donna and noticed she had pulled off her cloak leaving it abandoned on the ground, Benjen followed suit, it was too hot for all these layer.

"I'm starving," Donna remarked as they got to a street. The light was green and Stephen started walking across the crosswalk, Donna grabbed his cloak pulling him back as the cars sped by, Benjen stood perplexed.

"What are those?" Benjen whispered.

"Cars. Like carriages but faster and more deadly." Donna told him.

''So green is stop?' stephen questioned at the green arrow

'And red is go' Donna confirmed as the light turned red and everyone started moving. 'Weird right.' They crossed the street following the traffic. "Electricity is also very cool." Donna told Benjen as they moved. "No more candles and blazing fires... at least in most places."

"Everything is so... vibrant." Benjen remarked.

"Stick with me, I'm a pro at interdimensional travel" Donna remarked. "Not getting places I want but navigating once I get here.' Donna clarified keeping a tight hold of Benjen.

'How are we ever going to get home?' Stephen questioned taking his eyes off Donna and Benjen for a second and they were gone. "DONNA!" Stephen called out frantically. "DONNA! DONNA!"

'Hey,' Donna said nonchalantly coming up behind him, Benjen was licking his lips

'Where were you? You scared me! I thought I lost you!' Stephen told her letting out a relieved breath.

'I was hungry.' She said simply holding out a plate of food.

'How did you pay for that?' Stephen questioned

'Food is free in most universes its actually really weird that its not in yours.' Donna told him.

"This is really good." Benjen said eating another pizza ball, ooey gooey, cheese melting on his tongue with every bite.

'Hey you didnt pay for that!' the vendor called after her.

'Shit maybe its not free' Donna said running down the sidewalk pulling Benjen with her.

"Donna we have to get home." Stephen reminded her.

"I don't know how to. Lets find the stephen strange of this universe, maybe he can help." Donna suggested.

"That's actually a good idea." Stephen agreed.

"I'm a Strange. I'm brilliant." Donna teased as they walked stephen activated a memory lane holograph. Donna stopped and stared.

'Memory lane. We remember so you don't have to.' the robotic voice said as Stephen walked onto a round disk on the sidewalk he turned to the screen as the contraption scanned his mind. Stephens memories play of him and christine on a date. She gave him a watch. The broken watch he kept hidden away. He stepped off and looked to Donna.

"Every you I meet is in love with her." Donna admitted and Stephen sighed.

"Any of them get her?" Stephen offered.

"Not that ive seen." Donna admitted. Benjen stepped up, it scanned his mind pulling from his youth.

'Keep your sword up I'm gonna wring your head again!' Ned told Benjen.

'Stop showing off-' Benjen called

'Lyanna,' Ned said as lyanna rode circles around them on her white horse.

'Would you get out of here,' Benjen told her 'we're sparring!'

'Who are you going to spar with when Ned goes off to the Erie?' Lyanna questioned

'I don't know' Benjen admitted

'What about him?' Lyanna asked and they turned. 'Willis!' Lyanna called.

'Come here then!' Ned said and little Benjens face dropped. Current Benjen's face though held a smile.

'But he's got Giants blood!' Benjen told him

'And you've got training.' Ned informed him 'sounds like a fair match to me'

'I know when he's going to Dodge to M'lady' Willis was telling Lyanna.

'You leave the fighting to the little lords!' Willis's mother said 'come along now this is no place for you.'

'Look at the size of him!' Ned said 'if you ever learn to fight he would be unstoppable!'

'Well he's never going to learn to fight because he has a stable boy.' his mother informed them 'so leave him be.'

The memory faded and Benjen took a step off.

"That was my sister... Lyanna." Benjen remarked. "I forgot all about that.'' he admitted as Donna grabbed his hand. "Your turn?" Benjen asked and Donna took a deep breath moving to the memory lane disc.

It scanned her mind and she knew where it was bringing her before it began.

"Donna!" young Stephen yelled and Stephen looked to Donna presently standing before him. This was the stephen that saved her, risked his life for her. "Donna you are out too far!" Stephen begged taking slow steps on the ice. "Come back... slowly." Stephen begged.

"It's fine." Donna assured but she took small steps back to him. "Stephen...' she said worried as the ice started to crack beneath her. "STEPHEN!"

He ran, he ran on the crumbling ice to her, pulling her to him as the ice cracked pushing her and she went sliding along the ice landing on the snowy grass.

"STEPHEN!" Donna screamed out as he went under. "STEPHEN!" he pounded on the ice but the current took him too fast. "STEPHEN!" Donna screamed tears in her eyes, stephen looked to Donna watching it happen again and tears dripped down her face a heavy weight settled on her. Benjen grabbed her hand as the memory went on.

"STEPHEN!" Donna took a step back onto the ice, still screaming his name, still crying out for him. "STEPHEN!" then she felt a rush from behind her. "STEPH-" a portal her first portal, she screamed out as it sucked her in, arms flailing as it closed up behind her. Donna landed with a thud. She had blinked her eyes trying to clear her blurry vision as she stared up at a boy, staring down at her.

"Are you alright?"

"That's me." Benjen said softly taking a step closer to the image.

"Do you need help?" Little Benjen asked. "I'm Benjen Stark..." the memory faded and both men looked at a teary eyed Donna.

'Was that the first time you... made a portal?' Stephen questioned as Benjen brought a gentle hand up to her cheek wiping at her tears.

"Yes... I had lost you, Stephen... I was so scared and then... I met Benjen, the first of many Benjen's." donna remarked softly. Benjen hugged her to him and she held him tight, his shirt soaking up her remaining tears.