newbienovelistRD asked for this one. Here you go, Amiga! Enjoy! :)
Ben 10 belongs to Cartoon Network and Man of Action. I only own Rachel.
Trust In Your Family When The Worlds Weighs Down On You
Rachel had been working on her computer in her office when she saw Ben stumble into the Mansion, looking as if the world had come crashing down on him again. This made her worried as she knew that someone had to have said something or done something to make Ben wear that look on his face. A broken look that clearly said his confidence had been shattered. Wondering who it could have been this time, she got up to go see how Ben was doing.
The hero was in his room and he was pacing the room. "Man, I really wish I could give the Omnitrix to someone else," he said aloud, speaking to himself. "Or even change the past, if that was possible."
He sighed. "But…I'm the only one who can handle the Omnitrix and I can't change the past without negative repercussions," he continued, still talking to himself. "Everything here would be gone and that wouldn't be fair to everyone here."
Rachel paused by the door, listening. She recalled when Ben had felt the same way sometime back and had even asked her if she had felt that she had been deprived of a normal life because of him and the Omnitrix. She had told him that a normal life hasn't been the happiest for her and she had only gained happiness after finding out about the aliens and accepting them into her family. They had helped her to find happiness again. But there were days when the world was weighing on her shoulders and her family stood by her to help her. "Guess Ben's having another one of those days too," she said softly to herself, listening again as Ben continued talking to himself.
"The Plumbers are too weak to fight their own battles without me, which forces me to take on the job of saving the world and not have an opinion of my own," he said and then sighed again. "And today, I was just trying to contribute and they not only questioned my wisdom, but those know-it-alls decided to micro-manage me. Even my own partner."
Rachel gasped softly at hearing that. Rook had tried to micro-manage Ben? She knew her fiancée liked to follow the book without question, to which Ben had been helping him over the years to not be so rigid, but to hear that he was doubting and questioning Ben made her heart ache for the young man she considered to be her brother. That didn't sound like her fiancée at all, but she decided that whatever battle they had been going in had been tough and perhaps in the frustration afterwards, the Plumbers were being short with everyone, including Ben.
"It's too late to change my life," she now heard Ben say. "And there's nothing I can do about it."
She heard it in his voice. He was becoming depressed. It never went well when someone in her family felt that way. She decided to have a talk with Rook when he got home and decided to let Ben rest for a bit. After he had rested, she was sure that the aliens currently at the mansion would be willing to help the hero out.
Rachel went back to her office and did some more work and soon heard the door open again and Rook peeked into the room. She looked up at him and saw that he looked like he had just done something to hurt someone he cared about. "Hey, honey," she said softly. "What's wrong?"
"Is Ben here?" He asked, going up to her as she stood up and were soon in each other's arms.
"Yes, he's here," she said before sighing. "And feeling like the whole world's worries are on his shoulders. Again."
Rook winced a little at that and sighed, leaning his forehead on Rachel's shoulder. "It was a hard battle today," he said. "We had to pull back and try to form a plan, but were frustrated and a bit short with each other, but especially to Ben."
She shook her head. "Honey, I understand battles can be tough, but questioning someone whom you've told that you trust and then micro-managing him makes him feel…like you lied to him," she said, the words hitting him hard despite her saying them gently. "Ben's in his room and when he walked by my office, he had a look that clearly said his confidence was shattered."
He winced again. "I'm not a very good partner to him, am I?" He asked.
"You're a wonderful partner to him, my love," Rachel said, her voice gentle. "But you've got to show that even if what he suggests doesn't seem like the best route, he's trying to help in the best way he can. He already does so much using the Omnitrix for good."
Rook nodded. "Yes, he does," he said. "Sometimes I wonder if you said yes to a fool when I asked you to be mine."
The blonde-haired girl chuckled softly. "Oh, Rook," she said. "You shouldn't feel that way. And neither should Ben."
He smiled at her and pulled her into a loving kiss, feeling lucky to have her in his life. He then knew that Ben needed cheering up and decided to seek out some of the aliens for help.
Grey Matter, Tetrax, Four Arms, Heatblast, and Wildvine immediately agreed to help the hero and they went up to his room, seeing him laying on his bed and looking very depressed. "Ben?" Heatblast called to him softly, making him turn to them. "Can we come in?"
The young man nodded, feeling really too depressed to ask them to leave. Besides, they probably wouldn't have taken 'no' for an answer anyway. Then again, there was the old saying that misery loves company. Rook sat beside his friend and looked saddened. "Ben, I'm sorry," he said. "I know you were trying to help earlier."
"It's no big deal, Rook," Ben said softly.
"But it is, Ben," said Four Arms and sighed. "Maybe…the Plumbers do rely on you a little too much, but…you've always had our backs and have saved our skins more than once."
"You've even suggested strategies that have worked better than what normal protocol dictates, which is why Magister Tennyson is trying to work on the protocol so that there's some wiggle room," Heatblast said.
Ben looked at them. "Yeah, but no one's tried my suggestions. They only questioned them," he said quietly.
They all winced at that. "Yeah, sometimes the other Magisters…don't like it if someone comes up with a suggestion before them," Wildvine said.
"One of the reasons I was reluctant to join the Plumbers before I met my wife," Tetrax said. "When I married her and the children came, I knew I needed something a bit more than my background as a bounty hunter for hire."
"But I think we digress a little," Grey Matter said gently and they all nodded. "Ben, how exactly do you feel right now? Besides feeling depressed."
Ben sighed deeply, sounding troubled. "I…I feel like I can't have a free will of my own anymore and I can't enjoy life now that I'm getting older and have to be completely responsible," he said.
"Ben, that's called growing up," Four Arms said gently.
"Maybe, but…it's hard to enjoy life when…you're the one who caused trouble to come to Earth," he said.
"I'd hardly say that you brought trouble to Earth the day you found the Omnitrix," Heatblast said gently.
"And you proved you were worthy of it," Tetrax said. "Most wouldn't have been as unselfish with it as you have."
Ben shrugged. "Just means I've got a lot of weight to bear," he said quietly.
"Ben, are you really depressed, or just feeling the weight of growing up?" Wildvine asked gently.
The young man sighed. "Honestly, I'm not really sure," he said. "But…I guess it would be growing up with the amount of responsibility I have to face. It's kind of depressing."
"Maybe a little, but you shouldn't let that get you down," Grey Matter said.
The aliens then looked at each other and Rook smiled. "Now, where's my partner who tries to get me to loosen up and got me hooked on chili cheese fries and smoothies?" He asked.
"Where's the kid that proves all aliens can exist peacefully?" Wildvine asked.
"And where's the kid who needs a big tickle torture right now?" Four Arms asked.
Ben's reaction was a little slow with that last question, which the aliens took advantage of and teamed up to tickle the young man.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HEY!" Ben laughed as he squirmed, but was unable to escape them, especially when Wildvine restrained his arms and legs so that he couldn't escape.
"I think I see him starting to return," Heatblast said with a chuckle. "Better go for his two tickle spots that he can't stand."
"You guys do that," Four Arms said. "I'll get his feet."
"I'll help," Grey Matter said.
Ben couldn't even think straight with them tickling him like crazy and he finally gave up escaping, but they made sure they didn't go overboard with the tickle torture. When they finally stopped, the young man was smiling, despite trying to catch his breath. He looked at them. "Do…Do you guys really think…I'm just feeling the stress from growing up?" He asked.
"That and it doesn't help when someone who says they trust you questions you later," said Rook.
"Come on, Ben," Wildvine said, gently poking his side. "You know you can trust your family when the world weighs down on you."
Ben smiled. "You guys have proven that more than once," he said. "I sure wouldn't have such great friends if I hadn't met you guys."
"Though you were terrified of us before?" Tetrax said teasingly, ruffling the young man's hair playfully.
Ben gave him a playful glare. "Dude, you were 'hunting' me before," he said without heat, making them all chuckle before Tetrax caught him in a headlock and gave him a playful, but gentle noogie.
Rachel smiled as she stood beside the door, watching them before she entered and Ben smiled at her. "What's up?" He asked.
"I had a little 'talk' with your grandpa and he straightened out those Plumbers," she said.
The young man chuckled. "Thanks," he said softly.
"That's how family stands by you when you need them," she said, smiling again.
"True words, my love," Rook said, giving Rachel a smile that she returned.
Ben chuckled, feeling better now that his family helped him by not only shouldering some of the burden, but by being there for him too.
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GoldGuardian2418