A/N: Well, I received a surprising amount of reviews (yeah, yeah. I know. 6 reviews ain't that special but I was all like WOOO! WOOO! WOOO! LET'S THROW A PARTY MY FWENDS!) for "So Close, So Close and Yet so Far". So for Botan and Kurama Lover here is a sequel, and for Chibi Hime I hope this answers a few questions. Well, I hope it will… I kinda don't know the answer to them myself. XD And for Cute in Purple, have yourself a cookie for being my first reviewer! So here is the sequel to "So Close, So Close and Yet so Far"!
Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10. But I need to say. That if I had the ability to bring a character to life, it would SO be Kevin walking outta that machine.
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Isn't it funny how even when someone is completely surrounded by family, friends, and a supportive atmosphere, they can feel so alone. So, completely and utterly alone. To the young woman sitting on the ground at the outskirts of a small forest, these thoughts just seemed so mind boggling to her. How was it with not only her supportive and helpful parents, her amazing cousin who never seemed to feel the need to scold her, an energy being for a grandmother who was always popping up, and not to mention all the plumber kids who were her friends, that she could feel so alone.
"Of course you know why, stupid." Gwen muttered to herself as she looked up through the branches to the stars. She suddenly found herself wondering again that forbidden taboo thought as she looked up at the galaxies swirling above her.
"Where are you?" A look of sadness lined her face as the red head searched the skies. In the past, was it really only a few months ago?, the look she had worn when she looked up into the heavens was one of desperation and hope. Now, it had just become a habit, for her eyes to flick across the dark sky filled with a brief flash of hope, before returning to her surrounds with a look of depression upon her face.
Slowly and gently the girl trailed her fingers down to her bloated stomach. The huge bump could be seen even through her massive sweatshirt. It was so peculiar, the feeling of having something living within her. Feeding off of her life force. The strangest feeling was the idea that if something happened to her, the innocent little being inside would suffer. Gwen had never felt this way before. Even those closest to her wouldn't die if something happened to her.
"You're running out of time."
A single tear leaked from her eye and fell slowly down her cheek as the girl stood. With one last glance at the sky Gwen headed towards civilization, and home.
--
The rain fell lightly on the window, pitter-pattering quietly. The gray, dismal sky seemed to be radiating the exact opposite emotions than the atmosphere inside the small living room of 124 Lambert St. In the small, cozy living room a fire was roaring cheerfully, attempting to keep the cold January afternoon from ruining the fabulous party going on. Blue and pink streamers hung from every corner, and banners seem to weigh the ceiling down. If it were not for the massive amounts of balloons no one would be surprised if the roof suddenly collapsed.
Upon a table sat a huge, three tiered cake that was covered in excess amounts of frosting. Next to that was a bowl of punch, a bowl of potato chips, some pickle juice that seemed to be lacking pickles, and about ten containers of different types of ice cream.
In the small, close quartered room people milled about, greeting each other, laughing, smiling, joking, no one seemed to be wearing a long face despite the way the weather had turned for the worse.
"Sorry 'bout the rain." A tall young man laughed, brushing his messy brown hair out of his face, a slightly hectic and crazed gleam in his eye. "After all that preperation for an out door party. I thought I was going to kill someone when we had to move all the decorations inside." He smiled down at the young woman who was the star of the party. It was the first time in a long while he had seen her so happy, and so well put together. Instead of her usual bulky sweatshirt and sweat pants she had donned one of the few maternity outfits she actually owned. In her lap sat a smaller bowl of potato chips that had been doused in large amounts of pickle juice with three huge scoops of ice cream sitting on top.
"It's ok, Ben." The woman laughed, patting his hand before returning hers to her stomach. "You really didn't have to do all this." She waved her hand as if referring to the baby shower going on around her, and then used it to lift a spoon full of the confusing combination into her mouth. "Plus, thanks to the rain the invitations are so much more literal now!"
"Yeah, yeah. Well, at least everyone got here on time! That's a plus right?" Ben began to laugh, but then quickly turned it into a hack like cough when he saw Gwen's reaction to his words. The smile that had been playing happily on her face had suddenly become frozen, fixed onto her face. Suddenly the young woman's face seemed to crumble right before her cousin's eyes, as the smile continued to stretch ever tighter, the rest just seemed to droop considerably. He was rather impressed with her, really. She kept the hurt from showing very well. If it wasn't for the fact he was close enough to her emotionally to be in Ken's shoes as a brother he never would have noticed how much suffering she had suddenly just gone through.
He placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Listen, Gwen," He whispered. "Its going to be all right. He's going to come home. He probably just got… distracted… and lost track of time. He'll be back soon. I promise."
Gwen's eyes began to nervously flicker back and forth from the window she was sitting besides and her loving cousin's face. "When was the last time you talked to him?" For the past eight months Ben had been the only one able to keep in contact with the one guest who hadn't made it to the party yet. And possibly the only guest anyone actually cared about seeing, besides Gwen and her little – well, not so little – baby bump of course.
"A month ago. He just, stopped answering his communicator it seems." The young hero nervously patted her head soothingly, hoping to keep her emotions at the level they were at. "But, I'm sure that's nothing to worry about. Maybe he's just been… busy."
There was a long, awkward silence as Ben continued to just pet his cousin's red head soothingly. "Where was he when you talked to him?" Gwen finally managed to say, but she spoke so quietly it was hard to hear even for Ben.
"The colonies on Saturn." Ben ran a hand through his messy hair again and let out a deep breath. Gwen was starting to turn a sickly pale color. He was certain that over stimulated emotions at this time period of her pregnancy was probably not good for the baby.
"So far away." She muttered, tracing light circles on the arm of the chair. "He'll never make it in time."
"Now, now see you don't know that." Ben nervously patted her shoulder and looked around. He was sure that Verdona was going to kill him if something happened to Gwen's baby. Grandmother or not that energy being was a crazy bitch. "He could be traveling all this time, and that's why I couldn't get in contact."
Gwen looked up at him, a sad smile tugging at her lips now. "Stop trying to kid yourself Benny. He's not coming back. It- it was all a big lie. He doesn't want to see me again. Or the baby." She could feel tears welling up in the back of her eyes but she desperately fought them off.
Ben noticed immedietly and turned to the crowd. "Hey everybody," he called loudly, "I wanted to say thanks for coming, but I'm thinking now would be the best time for everyone to hit it. Ms. Hormones over here says she's tired. And don't we all know what Gwen's like when she's tired?" He let out a carefree laugh, and Gwen felt envy boiling inside her. How could he just hide everything he was thinking so suddenly? It seemed like such a hard thing to do!
After a little bit more coaxing and pleading, the two finally managed to kick, as gently as possible, out all of the guests. As soon as they were gone Gwen collapsed into Ben's arms.
"Now, now Gwennifer." Ben teased lightly. "Don't do this. You and I both know he's coming back. He's just a… few months late…"
Gwen sniffled a little as she felt her cousin's arms around her. "No, no. There's no point in denying it anymore. He probably, probably never even wanted me. All that he ever told me was a lie. He never loved me. All those sweet nothings? Crap. I can't believe I ever fell for that jerk. And then to say yes to him. That was the worst of all. When I knew he wasn't going to follow through with it anyways!"
"Wait, what did you say yes to?" Ben stiffened slightly, "Besides the obvious of course."
Detaching herself from his arms the red head slowly waddle-walked to the desk crammed up against the wall, between two overflowing bookshelves. With another sniff she began rooting through one of the drawers as she spoke.
"And, he isn't even going to be here to help, or at least pay child services. It's the least that he could do. I mean, the plumbers can only keep me on maternity leave pay for so long. And without that paycheck I won't be able to keep even this house. Despite the smallness. Here." She had finally found the small velvet, inconspicuous box crammed way back in the drawer. Without even glancing at it she shoved it into her cousin's hands and turned away.
"Oh Gwen." Ben didn't even need to open the box to know what was probably inside. "Gwen, I just don't know what to sa-" He was cut off by a harsh knock on the door that repeated itself a few times. The visitor must have been impatient because he rang the doorbell as well.
Gwen froze and looked down at herself in horror, her face showed she was in no way prepared to see another visitor.
"Go clean up, I'll get it." Ben mouthed before moving to the entrance 'hall'. The visitor must have been very persistant, or just rudely impatient, because he or she continued to ring the doorbell insesitently.
"Yeah, yeah." The brunette called, grabbing onto the doorknob and opening the door, revealing a tall, strangely familiar figure. "I'm comin. Hold your horses. Also, the shower is already ove-" He froze as his brain finally translated the sight his eyes were sending him.
Before the young hero stood a tall, drenched, muscular man. He seemed barely a year older than Ben but his eyes seemed to scream out that he must have lived a thousand lives. Those deep-set eyes stood out next to his hooked nose. The young man's raven colored hair was brushed quickly off of his face and dripped steadily down onto his already soaked black shirt. His pale skin glittered in the rain.
The brunette's eyes narrowed as he took in his old friend. "You are way late." If looks could kill the dark haired man would have been stabbed multiple times by now.
"I know." His voice seemed sad, but Ben had known him to long to believe what his ears were telling him. "I-I just couldn't get a ship here in time."
Ben leaned in closer. "Bull shit." He hissed. "Both you and I know what the real 'reason' it took you so long to get here. Do you know how badly you've hurt her? Can you possibly comprehend how hard it has been for her?"
Kevin sighed and tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling of the small porch. He took a deep breath and attempted to step into the house but found himself blocked by the smaller brunette. The mutant looked down in surprise. "I want to see Gwen."
"Give me a good reason to let you through this door." Ben growled. It was, of course, at that moment that Gwen decided that she was stable enough to take guests…
--
Kevin's Point of View, kinda
Kevin could feel the anger starting to build as he faced his old friend, and once nemesis. He didn't want to fight the younger man, but if it had to come to that he would. He most certainly would beat the crap out of his friend if it meant being able to see his girlfriend, hopefully more by now, and his soon to be child.
He had to admit, when he finally tracked down where Gwen had established herself after leaving her parents, apparently she just couldn't force herself upon them any longer the damn goody two shoes, that he was very surprised. If Bellwood could possibly have a ghetto, that was where she was. Not exactly in the trailer park area but he was pretty sure that it was smaller than garage in his house. The house he had bought upon arriving back on earth. A house that was big enough for them to live comfortably, if she would take him back.
It was then that the alien hybrid heard her voice, for the first time in eight months.
"Whose there Ben?"
Sure, she sounded tired, and weary, and something was definitely off with her tone, but to Kevin, that one sentence sent him to cloud nine. It was as if the past eight months had never happened. As if he had never left. Never run away. He corrected himself. The mutant had long ago come to terms with the fact that it had been fear that had made him stay away so much longer after his mission was complete. That had made him run into that other girl. That other…thing. It was as if nothing had ever happened.
Every moment that he had been gone he had punished himself. He was weak. Running away from his mistakes. His follies. And forcing them upon the girl that he loved more than life itself. How could he do that? And then Zelna, no. He would not even think of that distraction. That horrible mistake he had also forced upon himself.
And then she appeared in the doorway, standing right behind her cousin. And that just about did it for Kevin. Just the sight of her made him crazy. Even in her disheveled state she was beautiful. But some fool had decided to put her hair up. Who on earth was crazy enough to let such beauty be pinned up? It must be a sin. Must be.
Both froze as they made eye contact.
"Kevin." Gwen muttered, almost more to herself than to anyone else. "Ben, is that Kevin?"
Ben shot the dark haired young man an evil look. "Yeah. Its him. He finally got here."
Slowly the red head reached her hand out and shoved Ben back behind her and stepped closer to the wet person. When she was right in front of him, they're feet both touching, she looked up into his face. It looked paler, drawn, as if he hadn't smiled in ages. And his eyes. Those dark mysterious eyes she had always loved. The ones that convinced her to do things she never would have done without him to guide her.
Tension hung in the air as she continued to inspect him, while he simply enjoyed standing in her angelic presence. Her baby bump was so large that he could feel it pressing against his stomach.
And then the last thing Kevin ever expected to happen, of course happened. Her long, thin arms wrapped around his body and they were hugging. Hugging. He was touching her again. His muscular arms wrapped around her and held the young woman close to him, but being careful of yonder child in the womb.
"I missed you." She muttered into his shoulder. He felt his shirt becoming damper as tears began to flow from the red head's eyes.
"You have no idea." He responded with a weak smile. After a long moment he finally pulled away, much to her frustration.
"Wha-what are you doing?" Gwen whimpered slightly, but the dark haired man took her small hand in his larger one and rubbed it soothingly.
"Don't worry." He murmered. "I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere." He gently placed a hand on her stomach. "I'm never going anywhere. But, I do believe that we have to go get out of the wet. We don't want the baby getting sick. And I do believe I need an answer to my question." They shared a warm smile and walked through the door together, Gwen just barely leading.
"And I do believe I have one."
The door shut before Ben, who was still standing frozen in confusion on the porch, could enter the house again. When he finally did thaw out he decided it was… best... to leave the reunited couple alone despite his anger to half of the whole.
And as Ben was walking slowly down the street in the dripping rain, Gwen was wondering one thing. How it was so amazing how when there was nobody around except for the one person you truly love, it was like heaven was shining a spotlight down on you and you alone. And how it felt like she would never be alone again.
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A/N: I know it ends awkwardly but people were saying that they wanted to hear why Kevin left and yadda yadda and sorry it was kinda rushed at the end. It was starting to bug me. / Oh wells. I hope yous alls likes it. Flames are welcomed. Its hard to make s'mores without them after all!
ALSO with the whole potato chips in pickle juice with ice cream, I was reading a blog and someone was like, yeah my mum ate potato chips in pickle juice with chocolate ice cream on top. And I was all like, THAT'S PERFECT FOR GWEN!