Give and Take
Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10 and/or Ben 10: Alien Force and/or Ben 10: Ultimate Alien and/or any and/or all concepts and/or characters. They are copyrighted to Man of Action and Cartoon Network Studios. I am a mere Fanfiction author. With far too much time on her hands and no social life.
Rated: T
Author's Note: Um, okay this is a response to "Forge of Creation" and was written while under duress by distress so if it's not up to par with my usual quality I'm sorry.
Part One: Assuring
The doorbell rang, making Mr. Yamamoto stumble to it, rubbing his eyes.
"Sorry Sir." A green blur sped past him and he heard tennis shoes hitting the stairs and his daughter's door open and close.
"Ben?" Julie yawned, seeing her boyfriend enter her room. He grabbed her, hugging her to him tightly.
"Ben, what happened?" she demanded, pushing him away. He seemed to have aged a good ten years and his eyes seemed haunted. And he was soaked to the bone.
She gasped, horrified, covering her mouth with her hand, "Gwen?"
"No," he laughed a hollow laugh, "no. Though that would have been merciful…"
Her mind jumped to his dark comrade.
"He's not dead," he said as he saw comprehension on her face, "not really…it's complicated…"
He collapsed to her bed, putting his head in his hands, "It's all my fault Jules, all my fault…"
"No, no it's not…" she sat beside him.
"I-I've never told you how we first met him have I?" he looked up at her.
"No…"
He inhaled raggedly, "It was six years ago, my first summer with the Watch, the original one. We were on a cross country vacation with Grandpa, me and Gwen; god we couldn't stand each other…and we made a stop in New York City, for a Sumo Slammers game release…"