Hey everyone! So here's the first story. I'm prefacing this story to tell you that this story is actually continued in the seventh story. So when you get to the end, it'll start where this story left off. :) Enjoy!

It was lonely.

That was the one thing she would definitely concede to.

"If there's anything worse than a woman living alone," her housekeeper had once told her, "it's a woman saying she likes it."

No one really knew why, at the age of thirty-eight, Gwen was still unmarried and currently single. Sure, she went out from time to time, but when you're thirty-eight and dating, you're looking for something more: commitment.

And that was something Gwen couldn't give.

"I'm worried about you," Ben would tell her. Of course Ben was worried about her. She was thirty-eight, unmarried, and living in a large luxurious apartment all by herself. Compared to her cousin, an all-around family man, Gwen was close to a recluse. "I wish you'd try dating a guy for more than three weeks."

"I just don't want to be tied down," Gwen would tell him. "I'm so busy with work."

"You've been busy with work for fourteen years," Ben would say sadly. She knew what he was talking about. They never spoke of it explicitly, but she knew. "Can't you be busy with your own life for once?"

She didn't need his concern. She was fine with the way things were. Well, maybe not fine. But fine enough. Yes, Gwen was always "fine enough".

She hadn't always been though.

"Get away from me."

"No."

"Leave me alone."

"No again."

"I hate you," she had said through racked sobs. How had this happened? It had started with periodic research trips to the Null Void. When she had located the one and only Kevin Levin, human crime lord of the Null Void, she hadn't expected him to be so docile. Sure, he was sarcastic rude – everything Gwen had expected…except that he wasn't violent.

"I've got no business killing you," he'd told her. "I guess my anger wore off with my mutation."

"Liar. You're still mad."

"Yeah," he'd admitted darkly. "I'm still mad." He paused. "But not at you."

She'd come back, not telling anyone about her meetings with Kevin, and the two talked, relating to each other more than Gwen had thought possible. Kevin knew a lot about how things ran in the other dimension. And Gwen knew a lot about earth. They shared stories, information, and after awhile, soft touches and sweet smiles.

And after even longer, they began to share more: stolen kisses, fingers through hair, lusty whispers in each other's ears. Gwen didn't want to admit she was in love – especially with him. Him of all people.

He'd complain of wanting to get out – to be with her all the time. And she had, after awhile, agreed.

A secret rescue operation later, and she and Kevin were together back on Earth. They made love in celebration, screaming out their ecstasy not only in the moment of their passionate love-making, but with the knowledge that they had the rest of their lives to spend together. They were free.

But their relationship had to be kept a secret, and Gwen made an effort to make sure that Ben was never even mentioned, let alone seen.

Because Kevin was still mad.

Nearly a year later, Gwen was pregnant and took a "special overseas project" to get away from everyone. Kevin and she went to Italy and rented an apartment with a balcony. She loved that balcony; Kevin would come to her in the evening and slip his arms around her waist (which got harder as the months got by – but he did it anyway). And then they'd watch the sunset.

"We have to tell him," she'd said as the two held their new baby boy – Devlin – in their arms. "Ben'll find out sooner or later. And I'm tired of pushing him out of my life."

He'd agreed, albeit reluctantly. And when they went back to America, and Gwen had shown up at the door with her new baby and his father, Ben had been surprised to say the least.

"He's different now!"

"How long were you planning on keeping all this a secret?! Didn't you trust me?!"

"It wasn't you – it was—"

"I don't care what you were – or weren't – thinking!" Ben had shouted in his cousin's face. "I don't want to see him ever again!" he pointed savagely at Kevin, and Kevin sneered.

"The feeling's mutual Tennyson!" Kevin barked. "You think I want to look at your sorry face?"

"I've got ten thousand aliens that are ready to kick your sorry ass if you so much as think about hurting my cousin!"

"I've picked up a few new tricks in the Null Void too, Benji," Kevin remarked, clenching his fist. "So I'd think twice before you assume you're dealing with the same Kevin Eleven!"

"Just stop it you two!" Gwen insisted, putting herself between the two. "Ben, you're wrong about Kevin! He's not going to hurt me – or anyone else anymore…he's different."

Ben frowned at his cousin's significant other. "I'm watching you, Kev."

"Like I'd expect anything else, Benji," Kevin scoffed, grabbing Gwen's hand. "C'mon Gwen…"

Gwen looked after Ben, her eyes pleading with him. She didn't want her lover and her cousin to be at odds with each other anymore. There was no point. The conflict between the two was long over and done with. They didn't have to be enemies anymore. After all, Kevin wasn't against Ben anymore. Kevin could be trusted.

Or at least, she thought he could.

It wasn't another month until Kevin had gotten mixed up with a group of Alien big businessmen and was running scams for them behind Gwen's back. She'd stay up late, sometimes well past two A.M., waiting for him to get back from "the job" he had been telling her all about. Funny, she couldn't think of any Null Void research job that required its employees to stay into the early morning.

Gwen wasn't stupid. It only took her a few more days to figure out the truth – the money Kevin had been bringing back was from some dangerous alien criminals, and Kevin was one of them.

It had all happened too fast – a screaming fight, Kevin running out on her, his alien friends paying her a house call, Kevin kidnapping Devlin as Ben and she fought off the alien criminals.

Ben hadn't even offered her one "I told you so". It was too cruel. He had just held his cousin as she had fallen to the ground, dissolving into sobs, as the man she loved and her son fled from her life. A couple of weeks later, Ben had tracked down the alien criminals, including Kevin, and thrown them all back into the Null Void. There was no sign of Devlin. And after all that Kevin had done to her, Gwen couldn't shed one tear for the man she had once called her love. Why should she after what he had done to her?

She had been betrayed – used.

So why had he come back?

"Let me go!" Gwen insisted, trying to muster up magic in her hands. But it wasn't working – she couldn't focus her energy. She tried to pull away from Kevin, but it was no use.

"No!" Kevin finally shouted, and pulled Gwen close to him, kissing her roughly. Gwen's eyes widened, and she pulled away, cursing herself for enjoying the kiss ever so slightly. She couldn't help it – he kissed the same as he did all those years ago. "Gwen…"

"Why are you doing this to me?" Gwen asked. "I thought…I thought Ben and Kenny trapped you in the Null Void again—"

"I had to get out. I had to see you," he said, keeping her tightly against him.

"Why?" Gwen asked. "Y-You're nothing but a liar!"

"Gwen…"