The long-awaited sequel to guestsurprise's story "Understanding What Lies Beneath". :)

Ben 10 belongs to Cartoon Network and Man of Action. Zambanza, Shocks, Maxine, and Madison belong to guestsurprise. I only own Rachel, Zeus, and Apollo.

Family Love That Is Always There

Zambanza and Maxine were about to fall asleep when all of a sudden, a net fell on them and they cried out as the net tightened and Forever Knights stormed the room. "Well, well. If it isn't the Wild Child and the Great Zambanza," the head knight sneered. "The Forever King will be happy to see you."

The girls struggled, but a spray of knockout gas knocked them out and they were soon prisoners of the Forever Knights.

Meanwhile, back at Madison and Maxine's old house, Madison was hiding from the aliens and Rachel, who were searching for her. Whampire turned on his infrared. "There she is," he said.

"I see her too," Zeus said. "Apollo, block the exits."

"Yes, Father," Apollo said while Whampire flew up, catching Madison as she went to escape. She screamed in horror and began struggling, but he held her.

"Madison, calm down, little one," he said gently.

She stopped struggling, but looked up at him. "Madison, where is your sister and Zambanza?" He asked.

"I don't know," she replied, looking away from him.

Whampire gently tilted her chin up to look at him. "But you do know," he said, his claws gently wiggling under her chin. "Perhaps Zeus and Apollo can get you to tell us."

The two Celestialsapiens came in and Madison squirmed to get free of Whampire, but he held her as the two Celestialsapiens began tickling her.

"EEEEEEE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She laughed.

"You know we will keep tickling you unless you tell us where your sister and cousin are," Apollo said with a chuckle.

A minute later, they let her up, seeing she was getting a bit tired. "Madison, we need to know where they are," he said. "What if they're in danger?"

She looked at them. "But Maxine can take care of herself, as can Zambanza," she protested.

"Oh, they can hold their own, I'm sure," Apollo said. "But they could have gotten overwhelmed by our enemies."

Just then, Madison's phone rang and she answered the text message, her eyes widening in fear. "Madison, what is it?" Whampire asked.

Shakily, she handed him the phone and he looked at the text, his eyes narrowing. "Apollo, you and your father hit the nail on the head," he said. "Maxine just sent an alert. She and Zambanza are in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Zeus asked.

"Forever Knights."

Those two words got them all worried and when Rachel heard her nieces were in trouble, she wasted no time. "We need to move," she said. "Rook, pedal to the metal."

The Revonnahgander did so as Rachel took out her Plumber suit and slipped it on, her Proto-Tool revving up. Madison, who was sitting in Whampire's lap, was giggling as the Vladat playfully tickled her, gently nibbling on her ears to make her laugh harder. "Are you still afraid of me, Madison?" He asked, his hands tickling her stomach.

She giggled and shook her head, making him smile as he let her up, but then she looked worried. "Are...Are we going to...get there in time to save my sister and cousin?" She asked.

"We will, little one," Zeus said.

"And we'll give the Knights a good pounding too," Rachel said, her blue eyes on fire.

The Forever King was pleased that his men had captured the Wild Child and Zambanza. He then broke the clown girl's wand, making her tear up as her wand meant a lot to her. "Men, we have gained quite a victory," he said. "Zambanza and Wild Child will now work for us."

"In your dreams!" Maxine spat out.

"Silence!"

Electric rods came close to the cage, making the girls huddle together when suddenly, electricity surged down the rods and into the Knights holding them. The Knights screamed and collapsed, the shock having knocked them out. "KEEP AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER AND NIECE!" A voice yelled and Shocks came into view with Rachel, Rook, Zeus, Apollo, Upgrade, and Hope behind him.

Zambanza's eyes widened. "Mom? Dad?" She asked.

"Daddy!" Maxine called out to Upgrade.

Rachel looked at Rook, who nodded and she turned to the others. "Zeus! Apollo! Get the girls to safety! Everyone else, teach these rejects a lesson!" She called out.

They all leapt at the Knights with war cries, beating them back severely and forcing them to retreat while Zeus and Apollo got Maxine and Zambanza out of the cage and teleported them back to the Mansion while the others leapt into the Proto-Truk and headed out as the Knights' castle fell to the ground, thanks to a few well-placed hits.

"Those Knights better never touch my daughter again," Hope said, her white hair blowing slightly as her hands glowed.

"Feeling's mutual, Hope," Upgrade said.

Rook got a call. "Zeus and Apollo were able to get them home," he said.

"That's a relief," Rachel said.

When they arrived, Upgrade scooped Maxine up in his arms and held her close. "Maxine, you had me worried to death, sweetie," he said.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Dad," she whimpered.

"Shh, shh. It's alright now," he cooed. "You're safe."

Madison ran over to hug her twin sister while Zeus handed Zambanza to Shocks, who held her as she clung to him. "Dad," she whimpered, actually sounding very much afraid.

"I'm here, pumpkin," he said soothingly.

"You're safe here, sweetie," Hope said.

Rachel came over and gently stroked the clown girl's head. "My dress really did get caught on a nail, huh?" She asked.

Zambanza nodded. "Sorry," she said softly.

"Honey, it wasn't your fault," she said. "And...I may have been a little too quick to not believe you."

"A lot of us were," Whampire said. "So we're going to work on that, just like how you're working on trusting us."

His gentle words helped Zambanza and she sniffled before looking away sadly. "The Forever King broke my wand," she said softly.

"What?" Hope asked in shock. A magician's wand was very precious to them and to hear the monster had broken her daughter's wand made her mad.

The clown girl held up the two pieces, looking at them sadly as Alien X came in. He had heard what had happened and decided to help. "May I see?" He asked the young girl. "I bet I can fix it for you."

She looked at him unsurely, but gave him the broken pieces of her wand. "Let us help, Alien X," Apollo said as he and his father stepped up.

Before everyone's eyes, the three Celestialsapiens made the wand good as new, like it had never been broken before. Maxine's eyes were wide as was Zambanza's. "How did you do that?" The clown girl asked.

"One of our many powers, little one," Alien X said, gently pinching her right cheek in affection.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, she reached for him and Shocks handed her to the Celestialsapien, who accepted the young girl's hug, as did Zeus and Apollo. "Thank you," she said softly.

"You're welcome, little one," Zeus said gently.

Shocks accepted his daughter back from the Celestialsapien. "Are you okay, sweetie? Those Knights didn't hurt you, did they?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No," she said. "You guys...got there in time."

"Because Madison got Maxine's text and told us where you guys had been hiding and Whampire found the Knights' heat signature," Rachel said before looking at the girls. "I want you girls to promise us something."

"What?" Maxine asked.

"Please don't run away like that again, no matter what happens," the owner of the Grant Mansion said. "We care too much about you girls and we get worried sick when you go missing."

"But...why do you worry?" Zambanza asked.

"Because we're a family," Hope said. "And our family love is always there for you two and everyone at this mansion."

"She's right," Shocks said. "Not even misunderstandings can tear about this family."

"Nor any moments that cause you two embarrassment will break up this family," Rachel said.

"And to make sure you two always remember that...," Rook said, a smile on his face.

"You and Madison are getting tickled," Hope said with a grin.

The three girls squirmed, but were no match for their family, who kept them laughing and squealing happily as they tickled the girls, showing them that family love was always there, no matter what.

Please leave a review, but no flames!

GoldGuardian2418