Ben 10: Cold Winter's Night

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Ben 10 Or Any Of The Characters

A/N: Hello and welcome to my new Bwen one shot! This isn't going to just be one chapter. It'll be seven or eight chapters, maybe more. I really don't know yet. This is an idea I came up with about a month ago and I wanted to release the story now, as the winter holidays are pretty much here. This is an AU version of Ben 10, where Ben never got the Omnitrix. He and Gwen are just normal human beings, for the most part. I will say that even though one of the genres of this one shot is romance, but until the end, it's mostly hurt and discomfort.

Towards the end, it will get better for both Ben and Gwen, I'll say that. This one shot is rated M for a reason, but it won't be a mature story until after a few chapters. Anyways, if you enjoy the first chapter of the story, please don't forget to favorite and follow the story if you like the first chapter. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Ben 10: Cold Winter's Night!

Chapter 1: Mid-Summer Night's Dream

Gwen

I was reading my book at the table inside of the Rustbucket, as my annoying cousin, Ben Tennyson, sat up front with our grandfather, Max Tennyson, who was sitting in the driver's seat, listening to the radio.

I heard Ben giggling, but I didn't even bother to look up to see what he was laughing about.

"Ben-" our Grandpa Max began to speak, but Ben interrupted him.

"Oh, stop it Grandpa. I know what I'm doing." he said.

"If you do this, I cannot help you talk your way out of this one." Grandpa Max said.

"Please. It'll be fine." Ben replied.

I still didn't bother looking up, but a few seconds later, I wished that I would have. Seconds later, something exploded against my book, soaking me in ice cold water. The cold of the water shocked me at first, but I quickly became angry.

"Ben, you brat! That was my favorite book!" I exclaimed in anger.

"Oh, come on! You have more books at home, don't you?" Ben asked, as he laughed.

It didn't matter. Ben was just such a brat. He had no respect for anyone in the family, especially me.

"You are such a brat, Ben Tennyson!" I exclaimed. "I wish that you had never been born!"

Ben looked back at me from the front of the RV and it actually looked like he was hurt by what I said. He quickly got up from his seat and ran to the door of the RV, opening it and running outside.

"Gwen, that was harsh." Grandpa Max scolded me. "You should go apologize to him!"

"I don't care, Grandpa!" I spat with anger. "The little brat deserved it!"

"He was just joking around. I admit that it was a little too much, but you shouldn't have said that." he said.

"I'm not going to apologize Grandpa. He deserved it. He probably ruined my book!" I exclaimed.

"I really think you should apologize. You may think you shouldn't now, but later on in your life, you may find that you should have apologized and then, you can't." he said.

I don't know why, but what he said sounded very eerie. It was just then that it dawned on me that the water had completely soaked me.

"I'm going to go chance into different clothes, Grandpa." I said, as I got up from the table.

"You do that, honey." Grandpa Max said from the front of the RV.

Minutes Later

While I had been changing, I began to feel some guilt for what I had said to Ben. I blocked out the guilt and went back to the table, back to where my book was sitting. I got a towel and did my best to dry off the book, and eventually left it there to dry out on it's own.

I decided to get onto my laptop to do some research for a while. I began to google the desired topic, when the feeling of guilt became overwhelming. I closed the laptop and quickly got up, much to Grandpa Max's surprise.

"Grandpa, I'm going to go look for Ben!" I said, as I moved towards the front door of the RV.

I looked at Grandpa Max, before I opened the door, to see him smiling warmly at me.

"I think that's a great idea, Gwen." he said.

I tried to frown at him, since he had kind of gotten the last laugh, but I ended up smiling back at him. I opened the door to the RV and stepped outside, Ben being nowhere in sight.

"Ben!" I called with concern.

I didn't get an answer. I walked around the campsite, but I couldn't see him any where near the site. I looked around the campsite for hints to where Ben could have gone, when I noticed footprints in the dirt. I noticed that the footprints led into the woods.

I followed the footprints into the woods and kept going, wondering if this was actually the way that Ben went after he left. Eventually, I came to a clearing in the woods, where I saw Ben, sitting on his behind, with his legs drawn to his chest. I slowly snuck up on him, so that I could get a better look at him.

Before he noticed me, I noticed his eyes were red and puffy. Probably from crying.

"Ben?" I asked, finally breaking the silence.

He turned around to face me, tears coming from his green eyes. I was expecting him to yell at me for intruding, and I was going to speak, when he beat me to it.

"I'm sorry." he said, as he wiped his eyes.

I was completely and utterly confused.

What was he sorry about? I should have been the one apologizing. Grandpa was right. I had said something awful and I had to apologize.

"Why are you apologizing?" I asked. "I'm the one who said something mean to you."

Ben shook his head, as if he were refusing to allow me to apologize. He got up, wiping his face of tears again.

"I"m done trying." he said.

"You're done trying what?" I asked.

"I'm done trying to get your attention." he said.

"My attention?" I asked in a confused tone. "What do you mean?"

"For the whole summer, I've been trying to get your attention. All I've wanted is to be your friend. Yes, my methods to do so have been weird, but I get it now." he said, confusing me even more. "It hasn't been more clear than right now, that you hate me. So, I give up. I'll leave you alone."

I was in shock.

He had been trying to get my attention? All he wanted was to be my friend and I've been such a jerk the whole time!

Ben turned back around, sitting back down. I walked up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Ben-" I began to speak, but he cut me off.

"No. Just leave me alone, Gwen. Go back to camp." I said. "I'll return on my own accord."

Being left with no choice, I walked back to camp, leaving Ben alone as he requested.

Later

Ben eventually returned to the campsite. Right now, it was almost dinner time and once again, Ben was nowhere to be found.

"Grandpa, have you seen Ben anywhere?" I asked with concern.

"No. I'm sure he's fine, Gwen." he replied, as he continued working on dinner.

"I'm going to go look for him." I said, as I moved towards the door of the RV.

"If you insist." he said, before I opened the door.

Ben

I was lying on my back, on the roof of the Rust Bucket, looking up at the starry night sky. I heard the sound of the Rust Bucket's door opening from beneath me.

"Ben!" I heard Gwen call out.

I didn't say anything nor did I do anything. I just continued staring up at the sky, as I took a breath of air. After a few seconds, I heard the sound of someone climbing up the ladder to the roof of the RV.

"Hey, what are you doing up here?" Gwen asked, with a curious tone.

I didn't answer her. She got up onto the roof and sat beside me.

"Ben?" she asked, in a concerned tone.

"It's hard to think that all of those stars up in the sky, far away, they're just a part of other galaxies." I said, without looking at Gwen.

"Ben?" she asked, in an even more concerned voice.

"I've looked up at the night sky for a while now and I've finally realized it." I replied. "I don't know why I didn't realize it sooner. Looking up at the night sky just now, it makes me think, what if I don't belong here, on Earth?"

Gwen didn't say anything, so I turned my head to look at her. She was staring at me, with a look of shock on her face. Eventually, she smacked me on the cheek.

"Ow!" I exclaimed in surprise, covering my cheek with my hand. "What was that for?"

Gwen glared at me.

"How dare you?!" Gwen exclaimed. "How dare you say that, Ben Tennyson?"

"What do you care?" I shot back. "You hate me and you'd be happy if I was gone!"

Gwen slapped me again.

"Jeez, Gwen!" I exclaimed. "It's true and you know it! Once we get back home tomorrow, your life will be that much easier!"

"You're wrong!" Gwen exclaimed.

"No, I'm not." I said. "Tomorrow's the last day of summer and then I'll be out of your hair."

"I don't understand." Gwen said.

"No, you don't." I said. "Why don't you just go eat dinner? I want to be left alone."

Gwen just looked at me.

"Go." I said in a firm tone.

Gwen looked at me, with a scowl on her face. She got up from her place beside me.

"Fine." she said, in an angry tone.

She made her way back to the ground by way of the RV's ladder. I laid back down on the roof of the RV. I hooked my hands behind my head and continued to look up at the sky.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait to go home tomorrow." I said.

The Next Day

The RV pulled up outside of my house. I let out a sigh of sadness. I had been so grateful about returning home yesterday, but now, it seemed sad to me.

"Well, now or never." I said, as I got up, with all of my bags and followed my grandpa and cousin out of the RV.

I stepped out of the RV onto my front lawn and dropped all of my bags, looking at the house that I hadn't seen in months. I was about to say something, when I was pounced on by my dog. I started laughing, as my dog got up to my face and began licking me.

"Down boy, down!" I exclaimed, still laughing.

While I was downed on the ground, I caught a glimpse of Gwen. She had her arms crossed it looked like she was rolling her eyes. We never talked to each other after the talk we had last night. And whenever we did have to look at each other, we looked at each other with anger and hate.

I gently pushed my dog off of me and sat up, as I saw my front door open. My mom and dad had finally seen or had heard the activity from the outside.

"Ben!" my mom and dad said in unison, as they both lightly jogged over to us.

I stood up and when my mom got to me, she got on her knee so she could hug me.

"How was the trip, son?" my dad asked.

"It was okay." I said.

"Your cousin didn't give you too much trouble, did he Gwen?" my mom asked.

Gwen didn't speak for a second.

"No. He wasn't much trouble." Gwen said, sporting her "Miss Perfect" smile.

"That's good." my mom said.

"Hi, son." Grandpa Max replied, addressing my dad.

"Father." my dad said, looking at Grandpa Max with a stern gaze.

"Oh, look at the time!" Grandpa Max exclaimed. "I promised Gwen's mom I'd have her home a half hour ago. We need to get going!"

I eyed Gwen for the last time that day. She walked up to me, probably to hug me like a normal cousin would. Of course, I didn't consider her a normal cousin and I doubt she did either.

"Well, I guess-" Gwen began to speak, but I interrupted her.

"Yeah. See you around." I said, as I stepped closer to my house, silently telling her I wasn't interested in talking.

Gwen just looked at me, with a sad look on her face, before turning around and getting back onto the RV. Grandpa Max followed her, after saying his good byes to me and my parents, and closed the door. The RV started and took off down the road.

I walked to the side of the road, as the RV drove away. I saw the curtains at the back open up and I saw Gwen, sitting there, with a longing look in her eyes. She probably wanted to make amends for all of the trouble she'd caused me that summer. But it was no use.

She had made it clear that she hated me. I just wanted to leave her alone, just as she always wanted me to. I wasn't completely over how mean she had been to me. Of course, then, my dumb ten-year-old self probably didn't fully understand what was happening.

"I'll be in my room." I said, as I picked up my bags.

"Just as you left it, Ben!" my mom called.

"Cool." I said, under my breath.

I walked into my house with my bags and headed towards my room. I opened my door and saw that my mom was right. My room was a mess, just like it was the afternoon I had left with Gwen and Grandpa on summer vacation.

I sighed, as I dropped my bags and flopped down onto my bed. I rolled over onto my stomach and put my head into my pillow. I don't know. I should feel happy that Gwen and I were separated now, but I wasn't. I felt sad. I rolled onto my side, as I felt the urge to cry.

Was it possible that she was really sorry? Did she really want to be my friend and start off on a new leaf with me? Was I really the idiot here?

Still thinking about it, I eventually drifted off to sleep.

Seven Years Later

I laid on my side, on my bed, as I continued thinking. I sat up, and yawned as I stretched.

I rubbed my eyes, after waking up only seconds later. I didn't usually take a nap after school, but today was an exception. Being the first afternoon of Christmas Break, I was really stressed out.

Today I took my Calculus final, and I had no idea if I passed. That was the stressed part. Being as dumb as my school's curriculum was, grades were mailed out to parents the 27th of December.

I was hardly relieved that the first semester was over. Sure, it may have been the twenty first, four days to Christmas, but that didn't mean anything. Gwen and I were reuniting after three years. And, unfortunately, the last time we saw each other, we fought again.

And seeing her on Christmas Eve was almost certainly sure to be hell on Earth. I looked over at my wallet, full of the allowance I had collected over the last year. All of it wasted on a girl. Oh, the irony.

I hope it works out.

"Oh, it's going to be a long week." I said, as I fell over onto my bed.

A/N: So, what did you think of the first chapter of this fic? Like I said in the first author's note, this story is going to be more hurt/discomfort than it is romance, at least until the last two or three chapters. Also, another reminder, Ben never got the Omnitrix in this story. I lied when I said that Ben and Gwen are normal people. Gwen is still an Anodite. It's just a subject never touched on in this story. The actual plot of the story begins in the next chapter. And I will continue updating over the course of the winter, the story probably ending in the late Spring of 2018. The next chapter will be up in two to three weeks. Hope you enjoyed!