Maverick Benson

Maverick Chase Benson; that's what it says on his birth certificate, anyway. That wasn't always the case, though. The origins of Maverick's first day on earth remain shrouded in mystery, even to this day. He was discovered as a newborn on the steps of the San Diego Police Department, wrapped in nothing but a tattered towel and a small note tucked beneath him; Please take good care of me. The unidentified child was taken in and turned over to the state of California, where he became a ward of the state and was immediately processed into the foster care system. Upon entering the system, he received an official certificate of birth that bore the name "Baby Boy Doe", as per standard policy in the case of abandoned children. He would be known by that name to the government only until the day of his adoption, which nobody could predict would be. But, the social worker handling Maverick's case was given the privilege of giving the boy a name to go by in the meantime. The name Maverick was chosen, meaning "independent one"; a fitting name for such a small child left alone starting from only hours after birth.

Unfortunately, Maverick remained in the foster care system until he was twelve years old. He moved from foster home to foster home, traveling up and down the state and never staying in one place for too long. Some homes were nicer than others, containing kind souls who truly cared about fostering and nuturing children, while other homes contained individuals who were only concerned about the money that came in the form of a monthly government support check, one check for each child. Various types of abuse is very common in these types of foster homes, and Maverick was not spared from those heart-wrenching statistics. Due to his upbringing-or lack of, really, he was an exceedingly quiet and reserved child. He wasn't really interested in making friends he would end up having to leave behind in a few months anyway, and he remained ever mistrustful of all his fellow foster siblings in every new home he arrived in. He simply never knew who was there to help him or hurt him, so it was better to just play it safe and guard himself as best he could. All that being said, you would most likely find Maverick keeping to himself in a corner silently reading a book, or perhaps writing excessively in a notebook that he always seemed to have with him. Throughout it all though, Maverick still held on to the hope that perhaps someday, he would have a family of his own.

One day, that hope would prove to be answered when a couple by the names of Charlie and Tiffany Benson and their two daughters were scheduled to arrive at the foster home Maverick was living at, at the time. Initially, the Bensons were arriving to potentially adopt an infant boy also living in the home, interested in finally gaining a son into their family. But while their parents were preoccupied with the baby, their daughters Charlotte and Lucy wandered the home and approached a shy boy keeping to himself, writing quietly in a notebook. Slowly, twelve year old Charlotte and eight year old Lucy began to make conversation with Maverick, and before long the gleeful sound of childlike laughter could be heard, much to the amazement of Maverick's foster parents. They stated in an offhand comment to the Benson parents that they had never seen Maverick smile before in such a genuine way, and from that moment Charlie and Tiffany felt drawn to the idea that perhaps adopting an older child was what they had been guided there to do...

Finally, after all the paperwork was signed, the joyful day came where Maverick gained two things; a new last name, and the new family he had always dreamed of. It took awhile for Maverick to become completely comfortable in his new home, but eventually he attained the sense of utter care and safety that every child should have. He grew older alongside his sisters, becoming especially protective of his little sister, Lucy, while his boisterous and vibrant sister Charlotte helped to break him out of his shell, so to speak. Being the same age, Maverick and Charlotte shared similar experiences throughout the remainder of their adolescence, and they forged a sibling bond and friendship that remains unblemished even in the present day.

After graduating high school, Maverick enrolled in a trade school and gained a degree certifying him as a HVAC technician- a very laborious job, but a well paying one. Yet despite having a career that supplied more than enough income to support himself, Maverick still dreamed of something more; he dreamed of his passion, that passion being a form of writing, more specifically writing scripts and screenplays for movies. He also envisioned himself acting in his own creations, but for many years it felt like nothing more than a fleeting fantasy or a pipe dream. Until one day, Maverick decided that unless he tried for his dream, he would never know if it could come true. So he packed up and moved to the city of Los Angeles, where he enrolled in night classes at a local film school, which he attended after working his days as a technician. In the meantime in between work and classes, he still writes and crafts screenplays, hoping one day to see his works on a larger than life screen.

All in all, the love and support Maverick received from his family later in life can be accredited as a major factor towards the man Maverick is today. No longer is the shy, silent boy still around; but rather a charismatic, humble, down-to-earth, ever uplifting, selfless, and gentle soul has taken his place. Which, given Maverick's rather intimidating physical appearance, one might not expect the level of compassion and empathy he possesses. But once you find yourself in his presence, you can't help but inexplicably feel as though you're in the presence of someone you can trust, someone who will keep you safe. And while Maverick certainly isn't always safe from his own demons when they decide to come around and haunt him for a bit, he will never fail to try his best to smile and be one bright light in the surrounding dark.