(This idea really got to me, and I can't get it out of my head. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little idea of mine. Ally Drewood, and Fancine Foxter and the Gold Stars middle school belong to me. Rachel Jocklin and the Grant mansion belong to GoldGuardian2418. Ben 10, Rook Blonko and Omnitrix aliens mentioned in this story belong to Cartoon Network and man of Action.)

Nothing Cuts Friendship

Ally Drewood was happily skipping along through the park, for she had had the best day of school over at Gold Stars middle school. Today, she had entered her artwork, a painting of a dove flying across a blue sky with tiny birds flying uderneath its wings, in a contest that would be up against the other students who entered in the contest, and she had won and as a reward, she got a blue ribbon anda free pizza for lunch with refills.

Her stomach and spirit felt so happy, that she thought that this day just couldn't get any better.

Unfourtunately, she had no idea that her rival (even though Ally never consider this person a rival since she had no dislike against her artistic abilities) Francine Foxter. She hid amongst the bushes as she waited for Ally to come close, a pair of scissors in her hands.

Ally was busy smiling and giggling with happiness as she chased after some butterflies, when Francine came out. "Hey, what are you doing, loser?" Francine taunted, getting Ally's attention.

"Francine?" the little girl turned and gasped.

"You think you are so special with that so-called artistic talent of yours, that you think it's okay to prance about while I sulk in the back row at class?" Francine growled as she approached Ally.

"Please, I don't want to get into this. I thought you did good, as well as the others who participated." Ally tried to make peace, but it wasn't getting anywhere with the angry teen.

"Don't try to get me to vomit rainbows, you just want to see me fail, you pathetic orphan." Francine spat as she slapped Ally across the face.

"Ow! Please, stop it!" Ally sniffled as she felt the sting on her cheek. As she got up and tried to run, Francine grabbed her long, black hair and pulled Ally back painfully.

"Say, you never had your hair done. How about a hair cut, Rapunzel?" Francine cackled as she pulled out the scissors.

"No! No!" Ally shrieked, but it was too late. the scissors sliced through one length of her hair and Francine grabbed another lock of hair and proceeded to cut off more. Ally tried to break free but could not, due to Francine being taller and stronger.

Finally, Ally managed to break free and ran for her life, the mad girl running after her. "Get back here, Pocahontas!" Francine shouted as she chased Ally.

Rook Blonko was driving his Proto-TRUK to pick up Ally when he pulled to a stop as he noticed the figure of what appeared to be Ally running down the hillside.

There she is, but why is she running like that? Rook thought, but then he noticed another girl was chasing after Ally, and gasped when he saw the bigger girl grab Ally and pulled out something sharp. "Oh my god! Ally!" Rook gasped as his protective instincts kicked into over-drive, as he opened the door and leapt out, his Proto-Tool in his grasp as he ran to Ally's aid.

Ally was screaming as Francine grab more locks of her hair and sliced them off, shouting at her. "Let's see how you like being bald for the rest of your life!" She shouted at the crying girl on the ground.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" shouted an enraged, frightening voice and suddenly Francine felt a sharp push from her side as Rook Blonko shoved her off of Ally and held his weapon, pointing it at the terrified teen. "GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!" He ordered and Francine screamed in terror and ran off, not looking back.

Breathing hard and fast, Rook's behavior went from anger to concern as he turned and saw Ally curled into a ball, trembling and crying, her hands feeling her head.

"Ally! Ally, are you alright?"he cooed and hushed the little girl as he lifted her in his arms, rocking her, but she would not answer for she was crying hard with fear and sadness over the loss of her long hair. "Do not worry, I will take you back to the mansion."

"No! They can't see me like this!" Ally defiantly cried, but Rook was already bringing her to the TRUCK and buckling her in.

"Do no worry, I will call Rachel and she will take you home. You will not have to go inside the mansion." Rook cooed, as he hugged her before he buckled himself in his seat and drove away to the Grant mansion.

Meanwhile, Rachel was busy sweeping the floors of the kitchen when the phone rang. She went over answered. "Hello?"

It was Rook, and he sounded distressed and upset.

"What's wrong, baby? ...What?...Is she okay?...My god!...I'll be in the drive way as soon as I can...I'll let her parents know. Thank you for saving her." Rachel said through the telephone and as soon as Rook hung up, she called Ally's parents to let them know what happened. Her parents said that they would let the school know about what Francine Foxter had done and that the school would take care of it.

The sound of a car horn got Rachel's attention and she ran outside, the Proto-TRUCK pulling and Rook pulled to a stop and ran out, helping Ally out of her seat and cradling her.

"Here she is." He told Rachel as he handed the girl over.

"Again, thank you, Rook. Oh, come on, baby girl, let's get you home." Rachel thanked Rook and softly spoke to Ally as she brought her in her car and drove away. Rook only stood outside, watching the car disappear over the horizon, concerned for his fiance's little cousin.

The next day, Ally arrived at the Grant mansion, but wanted to be alone, as she hid her face from the other aliens, who were perplexed by the way she was avoiding them. Heatblast was the most concern, since he was the one that cheered her up, but she refused to show her face to him or even talk to him.

Rook saw Heatblast outside of Ally's room, seeing that he was knocking on the door and speaking to Ally, but she refused to talk. Rook went over to the pyronite and asked him what was wrong.

"She's been in her room almost the whole day, and she won't say a word. I;m very worried for my little girl." Heatblast explained, a worried look in his eyes.

Rook thought about the situation before he saw the reason why Ally hid herself away from her friends. "I think I know what it is. Wait out here, and I will check on her. She and I will come out when she is all better." Rook said as he opened the door slowly and entered inside.

Ally was on her queen-sized bed, sitting on the edge, her head hung low. But, what was different about her was that her hair was shorter, for yesterday her parents took her to the salon to help even out the cuts that were viciously done by Francine, and as for Francine, she was given a suspension for a week. But, that didn't make Ally feel better, and Rook had to know why.

"Ally, it is me." rook whispered softly as he sat next to her, but she moved away, turning her back to him. "Come now, Ally. What is the matter?" he asked gently.

"I don't want to talk about it. Please leave me alone." Ally sniffled as she held her elbows with her hands.

"Ally, your friends are worried about you, especially Heatblast. I, as well as the other want to know what is bothering you. Please, tell me." Rook cooed softly as he pulled Ally to his chest, rubbing her back to help calm her down. "Does this have to do with what happened yesterday?"

Ally looked up, her eyes full of tears, and saw that Rook had a soft look in his eyes. She sighed, and told him. "Well, yes and no."

"Yes and No?"

"Yes, being that it deals with yesterday, and no for another thing that doesn't do with what happened yesterday." Ally explained as she sniffled again. "What did I do to be bullied by her? I never did anything wrong, so why did she cut my hair?" she said in sadness as well as anger.

"I wish I knew, but you do have a point there, Ally. That girl should never had done that, nor did she have the right. The reason for cutting your hair was unforgiving and wrong, but I wish I knew the answer about why she had chosen to dislike you. You never did anything wrong as you have said, but I suppose that is how she must see things, she must have lived a life of glory before you came, but you did not do so purposely. She may have taken that the wrong way and has chosen to stick to that theory." Rook explained but tried to sound positive, but it was very hard to do so, for Ally was still crying softly.

"I suppose you are right about that, but that's not the only reason I am upset." Ally went on after Rook finished. "My mother used to have long hair, before she disappeared in the fire. Her long hair and her face was all a could remember from that day, when I lost her and my father. She was so beautiful," she whimpered as she reached up to her now short, black hair and caressed it. "..I had long hair to commemorate her, to honor her. Now that it's gone, I feel like I've disgraced her, and I don't even know who I am now, without my long hair anymore."

Rook felt so touched that Ally honored her mother with her long hair, but he also knew that Ally was missing something. So, he patted her head to get her attention and she looked at him as he smiled warmly. "Ally, I am proud that you would commemorate to your mother, but you must know this. Even though your mother is no longer here, I believe that she would love you no matter what your hair looks like. Just because it is no longer long, does not mean that you have disgraced her in any way, for mothers love their children no matter what they do."

"Do you think so, Rook?" Ally asked, now understanding what Rook meant.

Rook hugged her close to him and said, "I believe as the humans say: I know so."

From outside the bedroom, Heatblast listened from behind the door and smiled, knowing that Ally was now going to be okay. He just couldn't bear to see his surrogate little sister feel so depressed.

Just then, the door knob turned and Rook and Ally came out, and Ally no longer looked sad anymore.

"You feeling better now, little sis?" Heatblast asked as he picked her up in a warm hug.

"Yep, thanks to Rook." she pointed out as she hugged Heatblast back.

"I am glad to helped. Now, why don't you love birds head downstairs and I will join with you?" Rook chuckled and Heatblast carried Ally downstairs and Rook followed after him. As he came down the stairs he heard the happy laughter of Ally and Heatblast as the pyronite tickled her and the little girl was struggling to get away, but he was too strong.

Rook knew better than to interrupt, for the two best friends were having a bonding moment, even though it was a tickle torture. As he went into the next room, Rachel came up and he wrapped his arms around her. "Ally is doing fine, my love. She and Heatblast are having a moment."

"Then by all means," Rachel smiled as she kissed him deep. "..Let's give them some time alone."

So, Rachel and Rook left to wait for the tickle torture to end before they went in and joined Ally and Heatblast for a quiet moment by the fireplace, snuggled close to each other and feeling the warmth of not only the flames, but also the warmth of their hearts.

*Authors Notes*

(How was my story. Comment and let me know. Sparkling Lover out.)