A Gift From The Stars

Author Notes. I do not own Ben 10.

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Chapter One: Unidentified Object

Date August 1, 2028

The stillness of the Summer night echo loudly through the mind of Earth's greatest hero Benjamin Tennyson as he walked through the empty hallways of his head quarters leading to the command station.

His stance was heavy and slow as he passed through the main entrance and along to the central computer. He glace quickly to the digital clock on his left. The bright neon green lights flashed a burry 2:34 AM to his tired eyes.

Normally the late hours of the night did not effect him. In his younger years he had pulled many all nighters as a child playing video games, with as little as three hours of sleep a night to sustain him. Now at age of thirty-one saving innocent people as a hero with the power of the Omnitrix. His body now demanded at least six hours of sleep a night. A luxury he was denied by the many recent space pirate attacks around the Milky Way, Inching closer towards the Earth's Orbit.

As a result he had requested to The Galactic Enforcers if they would patrol around the Galaxy for the next year hunting down the pirates and other rebels. When he had made the request to Ultimos Ben was a bit taken back by the leader quick yes and overjoyed look upon his face. Ben was certain once he had left the room the Specimen Prime would be shedding tears of joy.

That thought had at the time sent a pang of guilt to his body. In his twenties before the meeting with his past self, Ben 10,000 had been an over arrogant and selfish hero. He constantly took over any situation that arise leaving the other heroes with nothing to do but clean up duty.

The opportunity to travel around space hunting down the bad guys again must have been a dream come true for Ultimos and his teammates. Pushing aside his thoughts on the Galactic Enforcers he focus on the task at hand.

His fingers move quickly over the computers keyboard entering the codes to perform one more orbital scan around the Earth before calling it a night. The robotic voice of the central computer echo off the walls of the command center "Performing Orbital scan. . .1 complete remaining time till completion fifty-nine minutes and 21 seconds" pulling a nearby chair behind him he sighed heavy as he sank his tired bones into the soft cushion.

He rub his hands vigorously over his clean shaven face trying to rub some life back into his shallow eyes. He gaze at the computer scene with an hour of waiting ahead of him, he found his fingers rubbing absently at his bare chin. The curve of a smirk beginning to show as his thoughts brought him to the conversation between Gwendolyn and himself which resulted in his now naked chin.

Flash Back

The glow of the Time Portal had completely evaporated, taking with it the past selves of the young man and woman in the room. The much older man looked back and forth between his two grandchildren and an gentle smile crossed his lips "Well that visit certainly was one of the best presents I've ever received" the older man Max said as he turn to his granddaughter "Thank you once again Gwendolyn." He half whispered looking her straight in the eyes.

The woman Gwendolyn, Eyes soften as she gazed at her aging grandfather and smiled at his words of appreciation " Oh, Grandpa it was-" Gwendolyn started to say but was cut off by the loud blowing of a party horn.

"Hey you two! Lets cut this cake already, I'm starving!" the young man Benjamin a.k.a. Ben 10,000 exclaimed with added eagerness as he rub his left hand in circler motions around his stomach.

Gwendolyn let out a halfhearted" humph!" shaking her head in a 'No' motion at her cousins rude interruption. The first thought that enter her head was to give Ben a speech on conversational manners, but seeing her Grandfather and cousin together at the far table cutting hurriedly into the birthday cake, laughing and smiling together like old times. The sight made her chest a bit lighter and she decide to forget about any speeches "It is Grandpa's Birthday after all" she mused closing her eyes to burn the memory of a laughing Ben and Grandpa into her mind.

"Here." a rough voice called to her breaking her concentration and snapping her eyes open to stare at Ben, who was standing right in front of her now hand out stretch towards her holding a plate of cake in his right hand and in his left his own piece still (surprisingly) untouched. He gave her a shy grin and said in a joyful tone of voice "Ladies First" gesturing to the piece of cake he was offering to her. Gwendolyn narrowed her eyes and peered to the side of Ben to look at their Grandfather. He had his back towards her and she assumed was gathering his own piece of cake. She turn her attention to Ben again. Looking him up and down, that grin still on his face which she thought grew a little wider as she took the plate from him.

"Ben Tennyson showing some manners? Has it been ten years already?" Gwendolyn asked playfully as she and her cousin made their way towards the table. She glace at him from the corner of her eye to see a mock look of hurt play across his face as he spoke "Hey I'm not that rude kid we just said goodbye to anymore. I have adaptive some manners over the years you know." he huffed out as they took their seats. Grandpa max at the head of the table with Gwendolyn and Ben together on his right side.

Gwendolyn's eyes widen a little as she looked at her cousin "Have you? Then you really fooled me theses past few years with your 'Get out of my way! This is my business' attitude" She said with a tried mock interpretation of the alien XLR8 voice.

Ben turned to her with a look of irritation and a mix of pain " I relies that now, and I apologize for my behavior" he said in a hard voice. He soften his eyes and tone looking back and forth from Gwendolyn and his Grandfather adding "I promise I'll make it up to you, to both of you."

Gwendolyn looked at her cousin with a shocked impression upon her face at his declaration. She had been simply teasing him before in hopes of starting up one of their old childhood arguing matches.

She open her mouth to explain when the load gruff voice of their Grandfather cut her off "Gwendolyn how about taking a bite of that cake so us men can have some hmm?" Ben seemed grateful for the distraction as he quickly jump in "Yeah Gwendolyn my mouth's watering!" he added licking his lips.

Looking back and forth between the two most important men in her life who were at this moment looking back at her expectedly. Gwendolyn sighed in defeat of ever continuing the last conversation(at least for right now) as the next words out of her mouth that they wanted to hear were about the cake. Tennyson men were stubborn like that.

She picked up her fork and cut of a small piece of the pink frosted cake. Popping it into her mouth she chewed it slowly enjoying the strawberry favor icing. She grinned at the two of them and after swallowing proclaimed "tasty!"

A while later after everyone had had their fill it was time for Max to open his gifts "Why Ben 'The Fisherman 7x5' this is some pole!." Max said with a look of awe as he exampled the high-tech fishing pole his Grandson had bestow upon him. Ben had a look of pride on his face clearly glad to see that he had picked the perfect pole "Yeah, the sales man said this one the newest model out. Umm. . I was wondering now that I'm going Ben maybe one of theses days you and I could. . .go on one of those old Tennyson men fishing trips, like how we use to before the Omnitrix and all" the last part was said in a shy uncertain voice.

Max looked up from the fishing pole to his grandson a bright smile on his face "I'd like that Ben." A slow sigh came out of Ben most likely a breath he had been holding before. Gwendolyn watch the scene before her. At this moment it truly felt as if the as if 'The-Tennyson-Three' (A nick name Ben had bestow upon himself, Gwendolyn, and their Grandfather when they were 'Kicking alien butt' during the summers from age 11 to 15) were back again. She turn to her Grandfather "Grandpa why don't you open my present now?" she suggested handing him a small package.

"Gwendolyn you really didn't-" Max started to say before Gwendolyn cut him off with a mock commanding tone" None sense, Now open your gift" . Max obliged and unwrap the small box " A razor?" Max held up the newly open box questioningly, Gwendolyn giggle nervously "well...Grandpa now its only an suggestion but I saw this last week and its one of the new models with lasers so no need to worry about cuts. . ." by now she was rambling so Max held up his hand to try and stop her "heheh. . .Its okay Gwendolyn I think I get what your saying" he stated rubbing his fingers into his beard hair.

She looked at the older man gratefully. She wasn't quite sure on how she was going to approach the topic of her Grandfather's. . .furry addition. Seeing as how the older man had taken goodheartedly to the more then implied suggestion maybe she could kill two birds with one stone. . ."You know Ben now that your going 'Ben' instead of XLR8, I can get you one of those laser power razors too." she said turning to face her cousin with an innocent (at least she hoped) look on her face.

Ben looked at her with a face that told her he was clueless as to what she was suggesting. His eyes were wide and the confused "Why would I need one?" confirmed he had not catch on to the conversation Grandpa and herself were having just a moment ago. Gwendolyn sighed some things never change. . .she reach out with her right hand her index finger wrapping around several strains of his beard. Ben's eyes were wide like a deer caught in headlights. He stared at her motionless his still eyes never leaving her twinkling ones. She grinned feeling like the ten year old girl she once was and said "Well doofus you would need one for that hairy monster that's slowly consuming your face!" with a quick tug at his beard she got up from her seat and walked over to her grandfather "Happy Birthday Grandpa." she said giving the old man a kiss on the cheek and then walking out to the balcony.

Ben's eyes followed her while he slowly rub his beard. The next day Ben Tennyson's face was cleared of any 'Hairy monsters".

End Flash back

He was snap out of his memories by the robotic voice of the central computer "Warning! Unidentified object entering Earth's orbit." Standing up with enough force to over turn the chair he was sitting on he quickly ran up to the controls. Punching in the codes he tried in vain to get an identification of the object. "Damn it!" he cursed as the only information he could receive was that the object would be landing just outside South Dakota in twenty minutes.

He could go to the area right now as XLR8. With the powers of the Omnitrix there weren't many treats he couldn't handle, But he reminded himself the object could not for some reason be identified by the central computer and that was a dangerous thing. The object could easily turn out to be harmless space junk or it could turn out to be mother ship full of those pirates or rebels.

Against a ship full of Pirates or rebels there was only one person he would have fighting by his side. Opening up the communication channel he called out. . .

"Gwendolyn!"

To Be Continued. . .

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End Author Notes: Well this is my first Ben 10 fan fiction and I hope I have kept everyone sort of in character. I have always had troubles with that aspect. I have not seen all the episodes of Ben 10 so if later in this story I make any mistakes please correct me.

This story is a Ben/Gwen story. I really enjoy this couple no matter the relations between them. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter and Please leave a review on your way out.