Title: After the Match
Rating: K+
Summary: Takes place immediately after "Grudge Match." Gwen reflects on Ben's ordeal on the Megacruiser.

A/N: "Grudge Match" is one of my favorite episodes from the original series. It's very powerful, and I was incredibly moved by it.

Gwen had nearly cried when Ben finally told her and Grandpa Max all that had happened on the Megacruiser. Okay, she actually had cried later, after Ben and Grandpa Max had fallen asleep. She was astounded by the choices that he had made and the maturity and wisdom he had shown. He'd been in a terrifying situation with one of his worst enemies, and he'd managed to stay calm and collected the entire time. A 10-year-old boy. With the Omnitrix timing out every few minutes and needing to re-charge, he'd had to rely mostly on himself.

Slix Thigma had enslaved dozens of aliens on his ship to fight like Roman gladiators. It was barbaric – shock collars, bloodthirsty audiences, robot guards everywhere with shock sticks, and vicious alien monsters ready to devour the hapless losers.

Ben had been forced to fight against some of the strongest, most powerful aliens and robots in the universe even though he hadn't wanted to. He never fought unless he really needed to.

Kevin, on the other hand, fought even when he didn't have to. He relished chaos and destruction. Kevin was angry at the world and constantly seeking revenge. He blamed all of his problems, unhappiness and disappointments on other people, even when it made no sense to do so.

On the Megacruiser, they were all subject to the whims of Slix Thigma, who would do anything to increase his profits at their expense. Slix had decided it would be more entertaining for his audiences with Ben and Kevin fighting other aliens while shackled together. They had been forced to work as a team since the shackles guaranteed that if one was injured or killed, the other would be too.

Through teamwork, they had managed to defeat the champion, Technorg. But Kevin never just wanted to defeat his enemies. He sought to annihilate them. He enjoyed cruelty for its own sake. Kevin didn't care about right or wrong, nor did he value the lives of others. He was unable to empathize with anyone and only cared about himself.

Ben had stopped him. He had shown mercy and spared Technorg's life in battle. It had not been a calculated move to gain allies. Ben had simply been doing the right thing, as he usually did. Though sometimes Gwen had to remind him, she knew that he knew what to do. He knew what was right and what was just. Ben had done what most would or could not – shown compassion and generosity even when confronted with the possibility of his own destruction. He was a true hero.

That was what made him different from Kevin and even so many ordinary people. He could be so selfless and giving, always thinking of the greater good. He could see beyond himself and his own needs. Even in the face of gravest danger, he risked his life to help others.

When they were declared the new champions, Kevin had basked in the glory and forced the other aliens to acknowledge his supremacy. It had made him feel powerful. He wanted others to admire and fear him for his power.

Ben hadn't cared about the applause of the audience. It had sickened him. He hadn't wanted the other alien gladiators to fear him either. He had just wanted to go home. He knew that if they worked together, they could all be free. He had learned the value of teamwork from Gwen and Grandpa Max.

Ben had convinced the aliens to band together to defeat their captor. He had understood that these aliens were innocent, and he had been determined to save them. He had even been willing to sacrifice himself to secure their freedom.

Kevin had the opportunity to escape as well, but he had been blinded by his need for revenge and chose to stay on the ship to destroy Ben. Fortunately, Technorg lived by a code of honor – a warrior's code – and had also unexpectedly stayed behind on the ship to defend Ben. As a result, Ben had been able to escape before the Megacruiser had warp-jumped to a distant galaxy.

For that she was truly grateful.

And after all that he had been through, he had asked her if she was okay. He'd been concerned about her.

Was it any wonder that she loved him so much?

She didn't know why Ben kept wanting to believe the best of Kevin, when time and time again Kevin showed his true colors. He was full of bitterness and hatred, and he never showed remorse or empathy for anyone. She had known from the start that Kevin was no good. She'd been suspicious of him from the moment she'd met him. Ben had thought Kevin was so cool because he had busted the arcade machine to get him free tokens. She had known it was wrong. It was stealing. She'd told Ben as much, but he'd been in a defiant mood and had refused to listen to her. Then when those hoodlums had attacked Kevin, Ben had helped him out because he felt like he owed him. Gwen had been certain that there was a good reason why they were after Kevin, that he couldn't be innocent of wrongdoing. And she'd been right.

She hadn't been able to do anything to stop Ben, though. She couldn't believe he'd gone so far as to break into a warehouse to steal videogames. She'd been convinced it was because of Kevin's bad influence. She had felt very worried then. It was a slippery slope, she knew. She had feared Ben might slide over the edge and never be able to come back.

Fortunately, he'd realized that it had gone too far and come back to her and Grandpa Max before it was too late. She had despised Kevin for leading Ben down that path. Kevin was a sociopath and a cold-blooded killer. Ben was not like that. For all his flaws and mischief, she knew he had a good heart and would always do the right thing in the end.

He was so impressionable and trusting, though, and didn't always recognize when others were trying to manipulate and exploit him. Sometimes he was too eager to please and just not cautious enough. She was forever looking out for him. Somebody had to. Ben sometimes didn't recognize the magnitude of the power he had with the Omnitrix. It didn't occur to him that others might try to take advantage of him and his powers. She wanted to protect him from the consequences. Getting in trouble with Grandpa Max was nothing compared to getting in trouble with the police, or worse.

Though she hated to admit it, the experience had shaken her faith in him somewhat and left her uncertain.

Later, when Kevin had re-surfaced and was committing crimes in alien form to frame Ben… She hadn't truly believed that Ben could be behind it, but the evidence had been so compelling, she hadn't known what else to think. And she'd been so sure she could reason with him and influence him for good the way she always did, that she'd charged headlong into a dangerous situation. He'd had to save her from Kevin's wrath. She had been extremely relieved to discover that Ben had been telling the truth. But she had hated Kevin for making her doubt Ben that way. That should never have happened.

She often worried what would happen to Ben if she weren't there to be his conscience, the voice of reason that kept him on the straight and narrow. She trusted him to do the right thing, but sometimes he was reckless and didn't think things through. She and Grandpa Max often gave him a hard time about his attitude, telling him that he needed to be more considerate towards others and be more responsible.

It turned out he'd been listening all this time after all. They had only been telling him things he already knew. Of course it helped to be reminded, but deep down he knew what was right and wrong, and what he had to do. When he'd been alone, fighting for his life on the Megacrusier, he'd been resourceful, cunning and methodical. He'd had to rely on only himself. She'd taught him the value of that. She had no powers, no Omnitrix, and yet she was always able to do so much help him. And she had so much faith in him, as himself, and not just as an alien or as Ben 10 with the Omnitrix. Even when she wasn't with him, he still carried that knowledge with him. It had strengthened him and given him the courage he needed to go on.

He wasn't able to say this to her, not in words, but she knew.

She knew.

The End