A long, over-due request from guestsurprise, who owns Salwa. Here you go, Amiga! :) Sorry it took me so long!

I only own Rachel, Sergeant Williams, and Judge Forhowser. Ben 10 belongs to Cartoon Network and Man of Action.

Blindness Doesn't Stop Family

"Okay, Salwa, are you ready?" Eye Guy asked.

Salwa nodded eagerly. The many-eyed alien had wanted to show her a trick she could do with her wings in battle and she was eager to see what it was. "I'm ready!" She said, bouncing a little on her feet.

Eye Guy chuckled in amusement. "Okay," he said. "You can use your wings in battle to create confusion, but only if the room you are in is dusty or you are outside. In a clean room, it's a little harder, but not impossible."

"How?" She asked.

"When you flap your wings, dust and dirt are kicked up in clouds and you can direct those clouds at your enemies to temporarily blind them and allow you a chance to escape. In a clean room, you can use the same technique, only you use your wings like a whip. You hit them hard and quick so that it hurts them, but not you," he said. "Try that now. Flap your wings hard, like cracking a whip."

"Okay," she said and tensed her wings a bit before giving them a hard flap.

"Good. Again," said Eye Guy. "Try a bit harder."

Salwa took a deep breath and put all her effort into it, closing her eyes and giving a very hard flap of her wings.

"OW!" Eye Guy suddenly exclaimed, making Salwa stop suddenly and open her eyes to see the alien had his eyes closed and was rubbing them a bit.

"Eye Guy?" She asked and then it hit her. "I hit you, didn't I?!"

"It's okay, kiddo. I was standing a bit too close," he said. "But you've got some length with those wings."

Salwa was in tears as she helped him to Frankenstrike's lab and the scientist examined Eye Guy's eyes. "He's fine," said Frankenstrike. "His eyes just need a little time to heal."

With that, he put some special eye drops in his friend's eyes and placed eye guards over the eyes too. "These will keep your eyes protected for a little while so the eye drops can do their work," he said.

"Thanks, Frankenstrike," said Eye Guy. "But, I'm not going to be able to see for a bit, huh?"

"Sorry, Eye Guy, but yes," said the scientist alien. "At least for a few hours."

"Okay."

Salwa felt horrible and she ran into Rachel, who was mending some clothes in the living room. "Salwa, what happened, honey?" She asked.

"I hurt Eye Guy," Salwa said tearfully.

"What do you mean?" The older woman asked.

"He was showing me how to do a trick with my wings and I hit him in the eye while doing so!" Salwa said, tears running down her face.

Rachel set aside her mending and held Salwa in a hug. "Oh, honey. I'm sure it was just an accident," she said.

"But I still hurt him," Salwa said, guilt eating at her.

"Sweetie, accidently hurting someone and purposely hurting someone are two different things," Rachel said soothingly. "You know that we know you'd never hurt any of us on purpose, honey."

"But…,"

Rachel shook her head. "Your past is just that, honey. The past. Don't let that keep coming back to haunt you," she said.

"Salwa! Are you around, kiddo?" Asked a familiar voice.

Rachel smiled. "Sounds like Eye Guy wants to talk to you," she said.

Salwa shook her head and took off. Rachel sighed and shook her head. "I wish her past would stop rearing its ugly head," she said.

"I hear that," said Eye Guy as he walked in, feeling around to make sure he didn't bump into anything. "Which way did she go?"

"I'm not sure," Rachel said and then looked at him. "Eye Guy, do you think Salwa's past will not come to her mind so much if she's adopted?"

The alien saw what the young woman was getting at. "If she had someone who cares for her like a parent, she might believe us when we tell her that she doesn't have to feel guilty over accidents?" He asked.

"Yeah," said Rachel.

Eye Guy nodded. "I think so," he said. "Do you know of anyone who's looking to adopt her?"

"Some of the aliens have been discussing it, but they also agree that Salwa needs someone to be her parents, or at least have one parent," she said. "In fact, one alien has been asking me many questions about Salwa and researching her on the Plumber databanks. I think he's very serious about wanting to adopt her."

"Who?" Eye Guy asked curiously.

Rachel shook her head. "He asked that I don't tell anyone until he's certain," she said. "Sorry, bro."

He nodded. "I understand," he said. "Right now, let me see if I can go find Salwa."

That proved to be a bit more difficult that Eye Guy had thought it would be. He knew he wouldn't be able to see her, but he used his sensitive ears to listen for her and find her that way, but she didn't make that easy either.

After about half-an-hour of chasing after her, Eye Guy finally perked his ears up to listen carefully and hid where Salwa wouldn't see him right away. He suddenly heard her coming and jumped out, wrapping his arms around her firmly. "Gotcha!" He said.

Salwa gasped and stiffened, afraid to struggle because she might hurt him further, which he sensed. "Aw, come on, kiddo," he said, holding her affectionately. "I'm okay. My eyes will heal."

"But…," she began and then started crying. "Eye Guy, I'm so sorry! I hurt you and I…!"

"Shh," Eye Guy said gently, rubbing her back and then rubbing her wings gently. Salwa instantly calmed down and hugged him hard as he rocked her to comfort her. "Salwa, it's okay. I know you didn't mean to hit me with your wings."

She didn't say anything as she cried into his shoulder for a bit before she pulled back a little and he gently tilted her chin up to look at him. "Salwa, I'm okay," he said gently. "Now, come on. Give me that beautiful smile of yours."

She smiled, but he could tell it was a sad smile. "You can do better than that, kiddo," he said. "But it looks like you need a little help with it."

Salwa felt Eye Guy's fingers wiggle into her side and she began laughing and felt him pull her into a hug before tickling her shoulder blades.

She squealed as she found out her shoulder blades were very ticklish and he chuckled in amusement. "Why are you giggling, Salwa?" He asked. "Hmm? What's tickling you, kiddo?"

His teasing words only made her laugh harder before he began tickling her stomach like crazy, making her laugh like crazy. "Cootchie, cootchie, coo! You're just a little wiggle worm caught up in a world of giggles!" He said teasingly.

Salwa tried squirming away, but Eye Guy then began tickling her feet and she couldn't escape as he held her legs under one arm and then tickled her calves and knees. She squealed with more laughter as he did that.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Salwa laughed harder now as Eye Guy blew raspberries in both her neck and stomach while one finger tickled her belly button like crazy and she grabbed his hand. "Uncle Eye Guy," she gasped out.

He chuckled. "Okay, kiddo," he said, knowing she reached her limit and he picked her up, holding her as she recovered and he noticed his eyes felt better. "Hey, can you help me remove these eye guards? I think my eyes are better."

"Okay," she said and helped him, happy when she saw his eyes were okay.

"See? No harm done, kiddo," he said, holding her in a warm hug and she hugged him happily.

Meanwhile, down in the kitchen, Rachel was talking to the alien who was interested in adopting Salwa. "You're absolutely certain?" She asked. "Salwa doesn't give her trust so easily. You're going to have to earn it."

"And that's what I'll do," said the alien. "I want to help her, Rachel. She's still so young and has been through enough pain from the Knights."

"True," said Rachel. "She knows she has our trust and she trusts us, but her past keeps haunting her a lot."

"And I hope to change that by becoming her father," the alien said. "I can help those memories to not resurface, but only if she allows me to."

Rachel nodded. "Okay, but before I call Sergeant Williams and Judge Forhowser, you might want to spend some time with Salwa and see what she thinks about you and if she'd be willing to have a new father," she said.

"I agree," the alien said as he stood up. "Thank you for the chance, Rachel."

"Thank me if Salwa accepts the idea of having a new father and when the adoption is official, bro," she said, hugging him and sincerely hoping that what she and her brother had been talking about would become a reality and Salwa would have a true father soon.

It was all up to Salwa now.

Okay, I know a lot of you are curious as to who is going to adopt Salwa and I have someone in mind. So be on the lookout for Salwa's adoption story. I'll give you all a hint: it will be the sequel story to guestsurprise's story "Never Replaced". :)

In the meantime, please leave a review, but no flames!

GoldGuardian2418