Dreams and Premonitions
Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10 and/or Ben 10: Alien Force; all concepts and characters are copyrighted to Man of Action and Cartoon Network Studios. Likewise the character of Morpheus (AKA Dream AKA The Sandman AKA Lord Of The Dreaming AKA…) is one of the Endless and as such is from The Sandman graphic novels written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. The plot is mine.
Ben couldn't sleep; this wasn't new. For the past few months he had been unable to sleep; he possibly would not be able to for the next eighteen years. Instead he contented himself with watching his wife sleep and patrolling the lands their homestead was situated on.
It had come as a surprise, the pregnancy; they were only in their twenties and had always been so careful about taking precautions. Ben was always terrified that any child of his would accidentally kill her during gestation but, by some miracle, everything was going along normally and smoothly. Yes Julie was an immortal but that didn't mean she couldn't be killed, just that she wouldn't die naturally for a very, very long time.
But he stayed up, unable to sleep, to monitor her. He would never forgive himself if he, or something he caused or did, harmed or killed her even inadvertently.
She was sleeping soundly on her side; her rounded belly of five months prevented her from her preferred position of sleeping on her stomach. She looked content.
He sat in a chair across from the bed, watching her.
His eyes began to droop and he fought it but he was dragged into sleep.
He was in a corner of a hospital room, watching himself be a useless idiot as Julie gave birth. He rushed over her free side to try to aid her or a least soothe some of her distress, because the other him was still being useless, but as he moved to take her hand his went through hers.
"You are a phantom on this plane," a monotone spoke and he spun to find a tall being. The man was very pale with pitch black hair. His eyes burned with the fire of stars. He was dressed in a cloak of the blackness of space.
"Morpheus," Ben groaned, "I shoulda known. You gotta let me wake up; I've left her unguarded…"
"The human woman is well protected," Dream replied, "My most loyal of minions are guarding her as we speak. It has come to our, my siblings' and myself, attention that you are unduly worried about her future and of the child's whom she now carries…"
"Yeah, but I still don't understand why you've shown me this scene…"
"My brother Destiny has granted me permission to show you the future that is certain. Look now as your daughter is born…"
"AAAIIIEEEEEE!" Julie screeched before a crying filled the room. The doctor allowed Ben to cut the cord before the baby girl was cleaned up and handed to her mother. The baby was human.
The Ben of the present, our Ben, watched silently crying tears of joy and pride.
"Is she healthy?" he asked Dream in an awed, hushed whisper.
"Yes," the Endless being replied, "and more powerful than you can even imagine."
"Is Julie okay? No complications?"
"She is perfectly healthy as well, no complications. The child left behind some of her power which allowed…Julie is her name?...to heal much quicker than a mortal."
"Thank you, for showing me this…"
"I have done what I must. Now wake up."
He did and grinned. He kicked off his shoes and got into bed; the movement woke her.
"What time is it?" she asked slurredly.
"Mid-midnight." He replied as he rested his back against the headboard.
"There's no such thing as 'mid-midnight' Ben," she chuckled as she moved to rest her head against his chest.
"Sure there is," he argued good-naturedly, "It's halfway through the midnight hour, not yet morning but not the night either."
"I still thi—Oh!" a hand flew to her stomach as he eyes widened with excitement.
"What?!" he demanded worriedly, visions brought by an anthromorphic personification of an element of the universe be damned, things could still go terribly wrong, "What's the matter?! What's wro—Umph!"
She had clamped one hand over his mouth, to shut him up, and took his other hand in hers, placing it on her abdomen.
Almost instantly a sharp nudge hit his palm and his eyes warmed, a smile claiming his lips beneath her hand.
She let go of his jaws, shifting ever so slightly to have her cheek again his breast.
"Go to sleep Koishii."
She laughed quietly, "Five years of Japanese lessons and that's the only word you remember…"
"It's my favorite, by far," he defended himself, "so is Aishiteru really. Other that all I remember is anime related words."
"Aishiteru Ben."
"Aishiteru Julie, Aishiteru."
And so for the first time in months Ben Tennyson slept; secure with his newfound knowledge of the future.