Disclaimer: We do not own this except for the characters we create and the plotline. Don't sue the little writers!

Yay! New Fanfic! Ben ten alien force rules! Another joint story with my friend Jojo/Spacewolf! This one is her chapter:

Backbone

Chapter One

It was late at night. The hospital room was dark and two of its inhabitants were soundly sleeping. The last was sitting in a chair staring in front of him into the darkness out of boredom.

He was Kevin (E.) Levin.

The hospital staff let him stay, ushering out Ben Tennyson and the rest of the later visitors out a few hours earlier. Ben was really the only one Kevin remembered. The kid never shut up. It was hard to ignore him. But, at least Kevin got the last of the riot act from everyone. Kevin was used to being blamed for everything, even things needing two. He looked over at the sleeping Gwen Tennyson, Ben's cousin. She had her back turned to him as she was sleeping, curled up and silent. Her red hair was braided up and under the covers. She'd been doing that for a while so she'd have to waist less time brushing her hair. Well, at least since they were at the hospital. Kevin guessed Gwen decided she had to look nice around the doctors and nurses who had to deal with lots of sick and dying people who looked horrible all day. Or maybe she just wanted to make herself feel more normal or prove something to herself and everyone else after going through this.

This was something becoming ever so popular in America, and something that you could expect of Kevin to be involved with, with some girl.

Teenage pregnancy.

But, it wasn't his entire fault. But, everyone blamed him and seemingly just him. It was like they all thought he sneezed on Gwen and gave her some horrible illness. In all reality, it was just an unlucky day with everything gone amiss.

The only person Kevin new who didn't say anything to him at all was his sister, Jojo Levin, Twin, partner in crime, long lost relative now. He hadn't talked to her since she was sick of being a good guy and went off to go back to her old ways. Kevin wanted to do the same thing most of the time but…he couldn't now. Jojo from time to time would send him a message through one of Kevin's forgotten alien technology but she never really talked to long. She wouldn't blame him, she understood him better than anyone most of the time.

After getting tired of fidgeting about in his chair, Kevin stood up. He walked over to the crib. Inside was the sleeping baby girl, Devilyn Eli Levin. Kevin smiled in the darkness and gently picked up his sleeping child in his arms.

Devilyn was so small, so innocent. Kevin wished that she'd stay that way. He already feared she'd like him. He knew he was going to have no chance to stay in her life; he and Gwen wouldn't be together forever and Devilyn would probably be with Gwen for the rest of her life. The thought hurt but, Kevin knew that would be that. He'd have to cherish the time he had with her unless he was lucky and Gwen would let Devilyn visit him.

He sighed.

If only you could start over when you mess things up, Kevin thought, all the way to before I was born would make people happy, wouldn't it?

Kevin looked at baby Devilyn and couldn't help but smile. She didn't seem to mind him like anyone else. Her head rolled over slowly in her sleep and she let out a light breath.

"Kevin," Gwen's voice said quietly from behind. Kevin turned around to looked at Gwen who was now laying in the bed and turned over to face him, eyes open and looking at him.

"Yeah," Kevin asked, "what's wrong?"

"Devilyn's normally awake every few hours…when did I fall asleep?" Gwen asked.

"A little bit after Ben left." He replied, "She's been sleeping to. Devilyn's fine."

"Are you alright then?"

"Yeah…why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been acting…really down since this started."

"It's nothing. Go back to sleep, Gwen."

"Alright…" With that Gwen rolled over again, back turned to Kevin.

Kevin turned himself around, looking at baby Devilyn in the silence, feeling a little bit warmer inside. He remembered, Gwen was real, living, breathing. She could have gotten rid of Devilyn before anything started. Though, Kevin knew Gwen would never get an abortion, seeing as she was into her opinions on everything and being prolife it wasn't in her morals but, still. He must have been getting at, she could have given Devilyn away or just get rid of Kevin himself but she didn't. Maybe she wouldn't be as harsh as he thought.

"Kevin…"

He turned around to look at Gwen, still facing the other way. "Yeah?" He asked.

"I love you…" Gwen trailed quietly.

"I love you to."

*Four Years Later*

Money was tight.

It was always tight.

You had to do, what you had to do.

But some things…some things were too far.

And now, the lights were dim, casting a yellow orange glow over the kitchen dining room, at the dead of night. Dishes were piled in the sink waiting to be washed as an empty box of pizza sat on the counter tops. At the table, Gwen sat; hand in her hair as she tossed bills and checks around. She grounded as she looked over at her school papers. How in the world could they keep this apartment and get her through collage? Kevin, god willing he could get a job, couldn't keep a job. A high school dropout was an understatement; he hadn't even gotten past the third grade. Ask him anything about anything mechanical, he could answer you and basically be right but, without a high school education, he couldn't get far with jobs. And Gwen, herself, she barely had enough money to pay off the apartment. Somehow Kevin scraped up money from the ceiling. Gwen begged that it wasn't what she thought. And surly, footsteps were heard walking down to hall to the kitchen. She sighed.

"Be quiet, Devilyn's sleeping." Gwen murmured, looking over her shoulder at Kevin who stood between the kitchen and the living room, dropping his jacket on the couch and making the toothpick in his mouth bob up and down with his tongue. He nodded and reached for his jacket. Gwen sighed. "If you want to smoke, Kevin, get your cigarettes and go outside." With that, Kevin's hand went back. He turned and took a step toward Gwen.

"S-" He started. Gwen cut him off, looking back at her collage of papers.

"What are you doing to get this money?" She asked, looking at the table.

"What happened to being quiet?" Kevin asked, lowering his voice.

"Answer the question, Kevin. What are you doing to get this money?" Gwen repeated sternly. Her face was serious but hidden to Kevin, who had the expressions of a wounded child. He stood still, as if unsure how to answer her.

"You know…" He trailed, sounding weaker as he went on, "…ways."

"Kevin, you can't do this." Gwen said, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head. "Not again…"

"What else do you want me to do?" Kevin's hushed shouting replied. "We can't even pay for this crappy place, you had to go to school, even if we both had jobs I'd lose mine in about…three days and we'd still have no money!"

"So you decided to go back underground and go back to selling alien Tec?" Gwen asked. "By what extent of the imagination did it occur to you that was going to solve anything! You're going to get arrested or killed first."

"Says you. I know what I'm doing." Kevin replied, his face getting angrier. "Would you rather live on the streets?" He asked.

"I'd rather you're not out and about with the scum of the universe!" Gwen cried.

"I don't know what your plans are to get money and go to school, but I'm getting us money." Kevin replied, his voice getting quieter. Gwen took a deep breath.

Quiet.

This argument had to be quiet.

"Kevin, just because it's getting us money doesn't mean its right." Gwen said.

"Gwen, just let me do what I want." Kevin said.

"No! I won't! This is hard enough as it is without you making it harder on us! Who knows what's going to happen! You're not just getting money, you're putting yourself in danger and you're putting Devilyn in danger." At that, Kevin's expression went blank. "And I know you love that little girl more than anything." And then, his face drooped and he looked at the ground. "Everything has consequences but you've never seemed to understand that, no matter how much we tried to slam it in your scull. IF you understood that, then m-" Gwen started. He looked up.

"There it is again. You're blaming me for Devilyn." He said, shaking his head. "You're the one who said you were on the pill. Turns out, you weren't that day. And yet you blame me for everything. God forbid you do anything that isn't perfect! Because, you're Gwen! You're a genius! You know everything! And me and Devilyn, face it, we're not your perfect family. Face it; we are never going to be Gwen! I'm not going to be the perfect guy with a hippie dippy hair doo and some business suit, going off to my job as a lawyer!" Kevin was getting louder, throwing his arms up into the air. "I'm not perfect. I've never been to school. My dad's dead. I grew up on the streets of New York City as a thief. I've been your enemy. I've been some mutated freak for half my life. And you still don't get it. I'm not like you. I'm not like your cousin. I'm not like you and your hippie dippy family. And I never will be." Kevin dropped his arms to his sides.

"Just…just leave Kevin. Just get up and leave. If you're going to do this then leave." Gwen said quietly. "Go and waist your l-" Then Kevin noticed someone clinging to the corner. Devilyn looked at her parents, eyes wide and curious.

"Oh no…" Kevin breathed. Gwen looked over and widened her eyes lightly.

"Oh no…" She repeated, even quieter. Kevin looked at Gwen then over to Devilyn and got down to her height.

"Daddy, your home." Devilyn said, getting happier. She hugged Kevin the best she could with her four year old arms. Kevin laughed lightly, gently hugging Devilyn back.

"And you should be sleeping." Kevin said, picking Devilyn up and going to her room. Gwen went back to her mass of papers, a mess of emotions, Sorrow, anger, frustration, the most puzzling, envy, Envy of Kevin, envy of how Devilyn loved him so much, not noting anything else about it.

Kevin brought Devilyn into her room and sat her on top of her bed. He went over to the front of her bed and rearranged the pillows and picked up Devilyn's teddy bear in his hands with a smile. Devilyn was facing the opposite way, swinging her legs back and forth.

"Daddy, you're going to be here when I wake up?" She asked worryingly. Kevin looked at Devilyn. He walked over to her and gently gave her the teddy bear.

"I promise." Kevin said. He looked around and saw a blanket on the ground, Devilyn's. She tended to drag it then drop it before leaving a room. He walked over and picked it up and turned back to Devilyn. "You should be going back to sleep, it's late." Kevin said, walking over to Devilyn. "Come on." He pealed back the covers on Devilyn's bed and she quickly crawled into the space. Kevin draped the blanket over her and pulled the rest of the covers over Devilyn. She rearranged herself under the covers, until she was comfortable. She looked at Kevin who was sitting next to her bed, looking at her with a smile.

"Story daddy?" Devilyn asked.

"What one?" Kevin asked.

"The bear one, with the bear family." Devilyn searched for the word.

"The Bernstein Bears?" Kevin asked.

Devilyn nodded. Kevin smiled and got up and went searching for one of the picture books. He picked up a paperback of one of the books and walked back over to Devilyn. He sat back down and opened the cover.

"Alright…" He trailed then began to read.

*12 years later*

Almost summer. It was almost summer, almost, almost, almost. I walked down my street in the heat, my back pack over my back and the sun beating down on me between the giant homes on the street. I hated it, too rich. Way to rich. I did not like rich, all the proper and primped rich girls and boys with their fancy lives. They all lived down this street. Then there was me, creepy little me. I stood out with the perfection running down the street. Goth didn't fit with preppy. I walked down the side walk, one hand gripping my back pack and the other dangling by my side in the summer sun, my bangs falling over my face in a deep red clump over my green eyes. I was wearing my normal white zip up jacket with the black insides and stripes down the sides and a black skirt and boots. Not that Goth to you right? Well, not to everyone else on the street. I was the creepy one you didn't hang around to these rich people. I turned down into the long driveway uphill to my mom's massive house. She was a top selling author of a book I would never read. I groaned as I saw her boyfriend's car in the driveway. I hated that guy. Say whatever reason why but I hated him anyway, and his little, annoying kid to. I turned over to the back door and unlocked it. I eagerly was begging for summer to come, a summer away from richville with my dad. That's fun. I swung the door open and walked in, shutting it after. I turned around and stood still at the fact boxes were in the kitchen.

He better not be moving in, I thought.

Too bad for me.

Not even before I set my bag down, Mickey, the torment sent on me by hell by my mother, came running through the room and around me.

"Hey Devil!" He announced. The kid was ten and shrimpy to me. He had blond hair and blue eyes like his father who was to perfect to be real. He was wearing a gray t-shirt and some tan cargo looking shorts with socks on, probably to slide around on the tile floors. Mickey, as we all called him, was the opposite of perfect.

"My name is Devilyn." I hissed, pushing him lightly when he stopped in front of me. "Start talking. What with the boxes and were the hell is your dad and my mom better be home or else I'm kicking your as-" I started, pointing at the door but, of course someone else came into the conversation.

"Devilyn, watch your language! He's ten!" my mother snapped. My face grew grim. Great. Why did she have to walk in now? "I need to reconsider sending you off with your father." She muttered quietly to herself. I opened my mouth but that was when Mr. Perfect walked in. Tall, Hercules like in the face with his blonde hair all primped in perfection on top of his head and blue eyes. He was wearing a sports jacket and some fancy, rich people pants. His name was Mike Morningstar. I thought it was the most ridicules thing ever and my name even rhymed. Apparently something was messed up with this guy and he couldn't remember a thing from when he was seventeen on down. I guessed he got a concussion or something. Who knows? I honestly couldn't have cared less about Mr. Perfect and his annoying son.

"What's going on?" He asked my mom. I didn't give her time to answer for herself.

"Why are there all these boxes?" I asked.

"Didn't I tell you?" My mother asked. "Mike and Mickey are moving in with us."

If my soul could have died in any moment in time, that would be it. My eyes widened and my face grew blank.

"What!" I screamed.

"Devilyn, why are you freaking out about this?" my mother sighed, rubbing her forehead. "It's not that big of a deal." She said. I was hardly listening to anything other than 'not' and 'big deal'.

"Yes this IS a big deal! You're moving in this guy while my dad lives in a beat up trailer!" I cried. "Why not get him a house?"

"Your father likes his beat up trailer." She muttered, crossing her arms.

"So!" I cried. I opened my mouth then shut it and shook my head. I stormed off. "Whatever. Don't ask me anything or even warn me." I muttered before storming upstairs through the bright halls to my room. I slammed the door and slumped onto my bed. I pulled out my cell phone from my pocket and pressed the speed dial for my dad. I needed to talk to him. I pressed the phone to my ear, closing my eyes tight. The two of them had to get out of my house. I listened to the ringing until the all too familiar and loved New Yorker accent came over the phone.

"Hello?"

"Dad, I got to talk to you." I said. "Really, really bad."

"Devilyn, what's wrong?" I heard screeching in the back ground and almost laughed. "The police will need to deal with me parked here." I heard my dad mutter. "A trailer can't be that big of a problem on the side of the road. Now, what is it?"

"Moms boyfriends moving in." I said sadly.

"She didn't ask you anything, did she?" Dad asked. I shook my head, pulling my legs up to my chest and wrapping one arm around it.

"No. When does she ever bother to talk to me?" I asked. I heard him sigh.

"Devilyn, you're a Levin in there, you can tough this out." Dad said. "If anyone can, you can. You can deal with whatever is shot at you." I said nothing. I wasn't feeling like I could do much of anything at the moment. "Devilyn Eli Levin, say something."

"Do I have your back up if I want to kick them out of my house?" I asked.

"Yes," Came my dad's reply, "Yes you do." And I smiled.

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