1CHAPTER 1: Incest R Us
It started out as a regular day for Gwen as usual. Ben had just finished beating up yet another alien in yet another city they drove through. It was the afternoon now, and Gwen was alone with Grampa Max in the RV because Ben went out to check if everything was really okay. Gwen was on her laptop, writing in her online diary. "Dear Diary," she wrote.
Today was an ordinary day. Well, ordinary for us at least. Ben beat up yet another alien in yet another city we drove through. It's the afternoon now, and I'm all alone with Grampa Max in the RV because Ben went out to be an idiot as always. I hope he chokes on a peanut.
Gwen giggled, thinking she was being smartly witty by adding the peanut part. She decided to go into Grampa's room to check on him. When she opened the door she found Grampa sitting on the end of his bed with his head in his hands.
"Grampa?" Gwen called.
"Oh, Gwen. Come in," he responded tiredly.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Actually, I have to tell you something." Gwen sat next to Grampa and looked up at his face expectantly. "Well, Gwen, I have to tell you something."
"You already said that," she complained. "What do you have to tell me?"
"I can't keep it a secret anymore," Grampa sighed. "Gwen, I love you."
"You ARE my Grampa," she pointed out.
"I mean, I really, really love you."
Gwen blushed crimson and a million thoughts ran through her head. 'Grampa loves me? More than a Grampa should? Ohmigod, I have to tell Ben. No, I can't tell Ben, he'll be weirded out. More than I am. What are we having for dinner? I hope it's not chicken again. Oh god, oh god, this is so messed up. I am so screwed. Maybe I should just run away now. Oh wait, I'm a klutz. I'll probably just fall down right when I get up. Ok, ok. Just look at him like you're totally oblivious to what he just said.'
"WHAT THE FUCK?" she screamed.
"I knew you'd be weirded out," Grampa sighed.
"Weirded out? Grampa, I'm so freaking grossed out it's not even funny even if I screamed WHAT THE FUCK again!" She was breathless, it seemed like she was hyperventilating. But then she noticed something about Grampa she never thought she would notice about him. She saw him for the kind, gentle man he's always been. He's helped out Gwen and Ben countless times, he was her hero. He always comforted her when she was afraid, escpecially when Ben went to fight dangerous aliens. She gazed up into Grampa's eyes with a new expression: Lust.
Grampa saw the change in her behavior and smiled. He brushed his hand through her hair. He couldn't help himself. He leaned in toward Gwen just as she started leaning in toward him. Suddenly, the door flew open and Ben stomped in.
"Oh man! That was so much fun! You guys should check out the arcade--" he stopped dead in the doorway. He stared at Gwen and Grampa in shock. "Um..wh-what are you guys doing?"
"Ben, just wait a second. I can explain," Grampa pleaded.
"Explain what?" yelled Ben. He turned around and headed toward the front door of the RV. Grampa started to get up to follow him, but Gwen held him back.
"No," she said. "He's my cousin, I should go talk to him."
Grampa nodded and let her go. Gwen stood up and fell down. She got up again and ran toward Ben. She caught him just before he turned on the corner of the street.
"Ben! Wait up!" she called. Ben hunched his shoulders and didn't stop walking.
"Wait up for what? To watch you and Grampa make out?" he scowled.
"Look, Ben, I know it was probably totally weird for you to witness that, but it was totally weird for me too. It was stupid."
"You're right!" he yelled, twirling around. "It WAS stupid. Just like you!"
"Ben.." she started, but Ben cut her off.
"How can you be so blind, Gwen?" he asked. Gwen thought she saw a teardrop forming in the corner of his eye.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Gwen, no matter how many times I've made fun of you or called you names...I've always loved you. I love how you're always right, and I love how you're so smart. Even if you're not half the time. Because, for the record, I am smarter than you." It seemed as if Ben was choking back tears.
"Ben, I.."
"Just forget it!" Ben sprinted off leaving Gwen as puzzled as ever. She stood there, wide-eyed with shock, gaping at Ben as he ran. After what seemed like five minutes, she turned and walked back to the RV.
Meanwhile, Ben had turned into XLR8 and was running as fast as he could out of the city. He soon found himself in a neighborhood, transformed back into his regular self. He sat on the corner of a sidewalk and wept.
"Stupid Gwen," he sobbed. "Stupid Grampa."
Once the Omnitrix recharged itself, Ben turned into Fourarms and began hitting mailboxes with last names that started with a G.
Gwen decided not to tell Grampa what happened with Ben. She was sure it would only cause more problems. Instead, she told him he was just freaked out to see them in the bedroom together. Grampa seemed to accept this explanation becauses he nodded and said "Maybe we should just keep it a secret."
Gwen was fond of the idea of a secret relationship, and then wondered what she would tell Ben. It was just a 'caught-in-the-moment' thing? It seemed reasonable. If only she knew where Ben was. She told Grampa she was going to go out for a while, and then set off to find Ben. It didn't take long to find him since he only ran in a straight line. She found him lying in front of a broken mailbox belonging to the Gaines family, crying.
"Ben?" she whispered comfortingly. "I'm really sorry, I was just caught up in the moment. It's over now." That wasn't completely a lie. She WAS caught up in the moment. Seconds before she kissed Grampa she was thinking how utterly wrong it was.
Ben looked up at her with red eyes, almost smiling. "R-really?"
Gwen nodded. "Really."
Ben quickly jumped up and said exuberantly, "LET'S GO TO THE ARCADE!" Gwen sighed and rolled her eyes but agreed to go anyways.
When they arrived at the arcade Gwen saw that the whole place was filled with DDR.
"Um, this whole place is filled with DDR," she said.
"I know," Ben answered with a huge girn.
"Weirdo," Gwen muttered under her breath.
"What was that?" snapped Ben.
"Nothing."
Ben and Gwen played DDR until Gwen's feet were covered in blisters.
"Ew, blisters," Ben observed insensitively.
"Shut up and carry me home," Gwen ordered.
"We don't have a home. We live in the RV, remember?"
"Whatever."
Ben picked up Gwen and carried her home. Ben gazed lovingly into Gwen's eyes the whole way to the RV, almost running into everything in front of him. Gwen shuddered. When they arrived Ben put down Gwen and held her hand.
"Gwen, can I tell you something?" he asked.
Here we go again, she sighed. "What is it?"
"I need to tell you something."
"Yeah, I get it. What do you need to tell me?"
"I love you," he breathed.
"You already told me that," she complained.
"Yeah, well, now I want you to go out with me."
"Um..." she hesitated.
"Well?"
"Sure, why not. We're only cousins."
"YES!" Ben whooped. "Just don't tell Grampa. He'll think it's weird." He opened the door for her and then walked in after her.
"Hey, kids," Grampa greeted them. "What'd you guys do?"
"We were at the arcade," answered Gwen. "What were you up to?"
"Oh, just reading this book," he said, holding up a book whose title was 'How to Make More Money When You're Old.' Ben was suspicious of the casual behavior between the two, and imagined the book's title to be 'How to Make Your Ten Year Old Grandchild to Fall in Love With You and Make Your Other Ten Year Old Grandchild to Become Jealous.'
"I'M GOING TO BED!" Ben shouted. Gwen and Grampa watched with puzzled expressions as he laid on the floor where he was just standing and started falling asleep.
"I guess I should go to sleep too," said Gwen. She climbed onto the couch and quickly fell asleep. The day had tired her out.
Gwen dreamed a disturbing dream that night. First, Ben was coming after her with chainsaw in the shape of Grampa's head. Then, he transformed into Wildmutt and started licking her. When she woke up she found Ben on top of her licking her face.
"BEN!" she screamed. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!"
"Licking your face!" he exclaimed, as if it wasn't obvious.
"Get off!" she barked.
"What are you kids doing?" yelled Grampa from the front of the RV. He was getting ready to depart the city they were currently in.
"Well I'm li-" Ben started to explain, but Gwen put her hand over his mouth.
"Nothing. Are we leaving?"
"Yep," said Grampa. "We're leaving."
And he drove into the sunrise.