Spoiler Alert: Watch the "Ben 10: Ultimate Alien" episodes "The Forge of Creation" to "Absolute Power, Part Two" before reading it!

*breathe* This is it: the reason I signed in here. It is probably the longest story I will ever write for Ben 10 and I really hope you like it. I read many FFs about "what happens after Kevin turned back to normal" and I think, yes, this mutation must've effects on his body.
And what about Gwen and Ben? How do they cope with the fact that Kev hurt them and was nearly killed because of it by Ben? What changes, what doesn't?

Disclaimer: I do not own "Ben 10" or any related series. I don't own the song "What hurts the most" by Rascall Flats
Claimer: The way the characters are composed (aka "the storyline") is my intellectual property.


*I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house
That don't bother me*

"All's well, that ends well", my cousin Ben once said to me, when I broke my leg because of Elena. This is a very clever saying.

Especially for someone who does such stupid things as my cousin.

Though he isn't stupid, he is just…trying to cope with the burden of the Ultimatrix. Most of the time such sentences come from me, Gwen Tennyson, cousin of the Ben Tennyson. I'm the voice of reason, I take the responsibility for our mission to succeed. Otherwise Ben and Kevin would overreact and just rip our enemies into pieces.
That's when he's not so clever. In contrary to those words.

I disagree with that. Because now it came to this. All we've been through is worth nothing, has just been easy nut-jobs compared to what happened. I know how to deal with it as always. I thought this through. This is the only possibility. The very last decision, the last proof. I will love Kevin till the end. And further.

(Flashback)

"Kevin!" My heart skipped more then one beat. He was himself again! His mind, his body were freed from that monster. I ran to him. Drank in his scent, his warmth and the love that was ours. I had him back, only because my plan was successful.

I merely noticed that Darkstar tried to get the left-over power for himself and Ben stopping him. All my thoughts were with the man I held in my arms. As he stood up, I felt a cold breeze due to the lack of his body.
Then I came back to reality.

If I would have said that I was happy then I couldn't name the wave which rushed over me, as I came to my senses. "You saved his life!" I ran to Cooper and kissed him on the cheek. I owed him big time. We all did. But he was just too modest to leave all the fame to himself.

"Ben figured out Darkstar's plan and told me what to do." Sure, Ben saved the world. Still, I would have to talk to him afterwards about his plan to "take Kevin down for good", as he stated it. By now, all that counted was Kevin being human again. At least the half he was supposed to be.

"Hey, since you're kissin' people...", he pointed at his cheek. As if he didn't know, that he was my one and only.

Slowly I walked over to him, put my arms around his neck and kissed him. Warm and soft, but still blissfully light. Like a "welcome home", after a long trip.

*I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out

I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while*

I pushed myself away from him, when I heard something I never expected in my whole life to hear: "Wasn't me this time, it was all of us," Ben said.

Kevin and I looked at each other. In his eyes I could see that he was overwhelmed by the mood of relieve too.

"Listen," he started towards Ben. "When I was...uh...outta control, I said some things..."

"No need to apologize", my cousin cut him off with a smile. "We're both kinda jerks, that's why we get along."

Whoa, time-out. If they only got along because of being jerks, then why did I get along with them this well?! I walked over to them.

"I'm not a jerk."

"Good point." Ben got it. "If I were you, I'd apologize." That was not…never mind.

"Yeah, well if I were you, I wouldn't have been such a wuzz," Kevin challenged Ben. There they went again. Quarreling like ever.

"Wuzz!?" The expression on his face clearly said: What the…

"If you ever lost it, like I did, I would have taken you down right away."

"And if I had, you wouldn't be here to call me a wuzz." Good point, cuz.

"So it worked out great." Kevin said with a smirk. This was his way of thanking and apologizing to Ben. Nearly naming him a good-hearted hero. At this point I had to say something, before the two of them started up again.

"Who wants to go with me and explain to my folks, what happened to their house?" I suggested. That was what to do now, cleaning up the mess and after that we could go to...

"Mr Smoothie?" Kevin ignored me and spoke to my cousin only.

"You're buyin'?"

Startled I watched as they went off, and left me with all the others.

*Even though going on with you gone still upsets me*

"So..." I cleared my throat, signaling I wanted to speak to all of them. "Julie and Grandpa, can you take our...guests home?" They nodded. I looked at the now free aliens. "In Kevin's name I want to say sorry for what happed to you, we really thought the plumbers took you home." Ra'ad nodded, Bivalvin and Pan'dor crossed their arms over theirs chests and Galapagus and Andreas walked over to me.

With a big, nearly bone-crushing hug Andreas called me "friend." As he released me, Galapagus took my hand. Lightly, as I assessed gladly.

"I really am thankful to all of you, you did the best you could to help us. I hope we can keep in touch with Ben Tennyson and his great team."

I only smiled at him. Then they were gone, leaving only Cooper and me. Michael got away during the happenings.

The blonde came to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked.

Suddenly the tiredness from all the fighting kicked in. The adrenalin must've worn off. I sat down on the next box I found.

"Yeah, just exhausted, that's all."

*There are days every now and again I pretend I'm okay

But that's not what gets me*

As he went to get me a glass of water or something, I covered my face in my hands. What a day! The whole week has been a real mess, but today was just…disastrous. I still couldn't believe what happened. Aggregor, the five aliens stranded, Kevin turned into a monster, me seeking desperately for help…after all, I was still a high school girl. Born as a normal girl, turned into a heroine by just one event. If Ben hadn't found the Omnitrix five years ago, would I have discovered my powers? Would I have gotten to know Kevin? I doubted it.

But for now, I just cursed Azmuth and his stupid invention.

I could have lost everything: Kevin's sanity, my trust in Ben, my own life.

*What hurts the most

Was being so close*

"I already started the engine. Come on, I'll take you home, Gwen." Cooper handed me a bottle and put a delicate hand on my shoulder to guide me to the jet.

u-_-u

A/N: Not much is new, I know. Promise for next week: it will be sth you never read/saw...

Waiting for your revs (stay polite!-),
Sunny Ice