Through the Year

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Ben 10. Or Ben and Gwen would REALLY get together.

I might change the rating if you say so.

Bunnies and Eggs: Part One

"Aw, those Easter eggs look so adorable!" Gwen exclaimed, pressing her nose against the glass. I rolled my eyes. I mean, c'mon, eggs? I'd rather collect a whole bunch of Sumo-Slammer cards. But HER idea is to collect Easter eggs.

Thanks Gwen, for bringing us into this mall. Thanks a lot.

Grandpa must've noticed me because then he said, "Ben, I know how irritated you are, but Gwen needs some time to relax, you know, from beating all the bad guys."

"Well, how about me? I beat bad guys all the time!" I scowled.

"Yeah, but you don't seem to mind." Grandpa finished with a sigh. I don't mind beating all the bad guys, really. I mean, if you're not a hero, you're a zero, right?

OK, forget about what I said. So Gwen might not be a total zero, with all her assistance and magic and all that. Oh, fine, neither is Grandpa. But hey, who's the one with the Omnitrix?

I'll just shut up. If Gwen reads my mind right now, she'll think I'm a total jerk. Not that I care.

Oh, I forgot, you're probably wondering why the hell I'm with them now when summer (the summer when I got my Omnitrix) passed last year? Yeah, it was Gwen's idea, inviting me and Grandpa then bringing us here at the mall. In April. In MY holiday.

"Gwen, done shopping?" I asked, burying my hands deep inside my pockets. That's when I felt a squish. I didn't bother checking it. It's probably that old chewing gum I kept from yesterday.

I never actually thought I'd prefer shopping for clothes with Gwen than anything else. I liked making fun of her when she comes out of the trying room with whichever clothes she put on.

That's probably why her amount of clothes was lacking during the summer.

"Nope," she sighed, "I don't know which one to pick that's good enough for everyone!"

I guess she meant which one anyone would care about.

"Don't fret about it, Gwen," Grandpa smiled, "It's the thought that counts."

"Yeah, dweeb," she jeered at me. I stuck my tongue out to her. "When was the last time you gave anything to anyone?" she teased.

"Well how about the time I gave Grandpa his birthday cake for his 60th birthday last summer?"

"First, you forgot about it, second, the future you gave it to the dopey you, so you can take it to Grandpa!"

She's got me. I didn't actually have him the birthday cake. The future me did. Oh, wait, that's still me, right?

"It's still me, right?" I asked aloud. But Gwen wasn't listening. In fact, it looks as though she's out of focus. Her emerald eyes were blank, the light escaping from them.

"Uh, Gramps? What's wrong with Gwen?" I started, waving my hand in front of her face and see if she blinks. She didn't.

"Don't know. But I think it's time we got back to the rust-bucket and investigate," Grandpa said, grabbed Gwen's hand and gently tugged her. She fell face-flat on the ground like a statue. But unlike a statue, her body is still as soft as ever and as light. "Guess I just have to carry her, huh?" Grandpa sighed and scooped up Gwen on his back.

That's when I thought, from Gwen's plastic bag which dangled in her hand, I saw one of the chocolate eggs, glowing purple in the light.

Back at the RV

Grandpa laid Gwen on her bunk, got out a mini-torch and lit it at her open eyes.

"It certainly can't be brain-stroke," he murmured.

But I wasn't completely listening. I started fiddling with Gwen's chocolate egg; the one which glowed purple back then. I wondered what it was. It couldn't be just another ordinary chocolate egg. An alien perhaps? No. Unless it is an alien's egg. Made of chocolate? Couldn't be.

And it struck me. It might be why Gwen is paralyzed (I never thought I knew the word) that way. But I soon found that I was wrong, because back at the bunk, Grandpa yelled in agony; Gwen's fingers were tightly wrapped around his throat.

"Grandpa!" I shouted, letting go of the egg. And I felt something tingling down my arm. Like an electric shock or something. "Gwen! What is wrong with you?" I said, trying to pull her away from Grandpa, although it was impossible since her grip was too strong and Grandpa is slowly but surely dying. Then I bit her arm, which seemed to bring her back to her senses.

"Ouch!" she said and fell back to her bunk. "Ben, what did you do that for?"

"Me?" I roared angrily, "You almost killed Grandpa!" I looked at the old man, breathing heavily for air. Then I looked at Gwen, a horrified expression on her face. But the light seemed to come back into her eyes. She was lost for words.

"I-I did?" she stuttered then looked at her own hands. "I-I'm sorry!"

"So you should be," I snapped and helped Grandpa up. Then Gwen started crying. This kind of surprised me because Gwen wasn't the type of girl who cries. But then again, I'm sure you would too if you found out you almost killed your Grandpa accidentally, by the looks of it.

We waited in silence for Grandpa to re-fill his lungs with oxygen and Gwen to stop crying. I waited for my anger to quiet down and stared absent-mindedly to the chocolate egg I left on the booth.

"Grandpa?" I started.

"Yep?" he rasped. Gwen put her head up.

"I think Gwen is, well, being controlled by someone. Or something," I continued, walked over to the egg and grabbed it in my palm.

"An egg?" Gwen wrinkled her nose, "How can I be controlled by a plain chocolate egg?"

"Maybe it's not the egg, dumbo. Maybe it's what's inside the egg!" I replied and flung it to Gwen, who cupped it in her palms. And once more, it glowed purple.

Beneath Washington D.C.

A woman waded through the dirty waters of the sewer, stopping now and again to check the presence of humans. In her hand was a crystal ball, illuminating pictures of the Tennysons.

"They know," she murmured. Then a smile crept up to her face, a malicious thought filled her mind. Charm caster!

Well? How'd you like it? Please review! But please not too harsh, this is my first fanfic. Oh, and Bunnies and Eggs: Part Two is coming up next.