Title: Heartbreak to Mend
Author: Otaku Maiden
Summary: Following the battle against Charmcaster, Ben checks on how Gwen is feeling after her fall-out with Kevin.
Rating: Teen, just to be on the safe side.
Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force or any of its affiliating characters.
Heartbreak to Mend
'Okay, Ben...you can do this...just consider it as training when you have kids and they need someone to talk to after a heartbreak'. These words were repetitively running through Ben's mind as he knocked on Gwen's bedroom door.
"What?!?" The voice behind the door was filled with venom, yet there was a tone of sadness.
"Gwen, it's me." Ben slowly opened the door. Gwen was lying on her bed, her back to the door. Ben closed the door behind him, and sat by the edge of the bed. "I just wanted to see how you were feeling..."
"How do you think I feel?" Gwen's voice was almost a whisper, like she was holding back tears that desperately wanted to fall.
"I know you're hurting right now, Gwen." Ben said in a soothing voice. Diplomacy wasn't his strongest characteristic, but he was hell-bent on helping his cousin who, on many occasions, has done the same thing for him. "And I don't want to say something cliché like 'maybe this is for the best' or something more lame, but maybe this is a sign that you and Kevin should re-evaluate your relationship..."
"Huh?" Gwen finally moved to a sitting position on her bed, looking at her cousin with bewilderment in her eyes.
"What I'm trying to say is...this is a time for you and Kevin to build a friendship that could strengthen whatever relationship you were developing..."
"Ben, you're not making any sense."
"Gwen, answer this honestly. When we met Kevin again after five years, what was the first thing that came to your mind?"
"That he was hot, why?" Then Gwen's eyes went wide. "Oh my God, Ben! You don't think I'm that shallow, do you?!?"
'This was what I was trying to avoid.' Ben thought. 'I better quickly find a different approach. It's bad enough she thinks that I think she's shallow...I have to spin this right; I'm suppose to make her feel better, not worse.'
"I'm not saying that, Gwen." Ben tried to keep his voice calm. "When we got together as a team, I could tell that you and Kevin had an undeniable attraction...but your emotional connection was...and still is...weak. Instead of building a friendship, you two were basically playing cat and mouse; you were pushing Kevin into asking you out and Kevin was pre-occupied in playing the 'bad-boy that all girls want'. What I'm trying to say is: in order to have a solid relationship, you should try to strengthen your friendship."
"In all honesty, Ben," Gwen let out a tired sigh, "I'm beginning to think that maybe me and Kevin are a bad fit..."
"Gwen..." Ben felt like his heart was breaking for his cousin.
"I mean, even before all this crap with Charmcaster..."
"Gwen, Kevin did try to apologise."
"I know, but it still hurts..." Gwen got up from her bed and moved towards her window. "Granted Charmcaster had controlled his mind when she kissed him, but what about the stuff he's done? He was the one who gave you the idea to hack the Omnitrix that caused the accident in the first place; when we went to that blue-red planet to stop the war, he was busy swindling the people with Argit; and let's not forget the fact that he kept the ship from that guy on the moon base."
"Okay you have some valid points..."Ben slightly conceded. "But he does have some redeeming qualities that you always focus on."
"Like what?"
"The accident," Ben stated, still feeling guilty that it was his stupidity that caused Kevin to mutate, "even after I told both of you to run and protect yourselves, he still tried to help me; when Grandpa Max was mind-controlled by that Highbreed, Kevin helped us save him; and when Sunder tried to steal the Omnitrix and I ended up in the Null Void, Kevin gathered whatever electronics he had to create that retriever thing to get me back on earth."
Gwen sighed. She returned to sit on her bed, across from Ben. "Yeah, I guess those are redeemable qualities...but it still hurts though."
"I know. Kevin is hurt by this too."
"How can Kevin be hurt?"
It was Ben's turn to sigh. "Before coming here, I took Kevin to the beach to clean up. He was obviously still upset by not being able to return to normal."
"And let me guess, he blames me." Gwen said, a tone of depression in her voice.
"Well, yeah. But I had set him straight."
Gwen was confused. "Huh?"
"I let my emotions escape me, knowing how hurt you were...I called him a giant rock-faced jerk and that you have been spending all of your free time searching every spell book you could find to find a cure for him."
"Thanks, Ben." Gwen hugged her cousin.
"After the number of times you've helped me, I had to help you somehow." Ben answered, hugging Gwen back. "Since I don't have a magical aura, helping you on an emotional level is the best I could do."
Gwen slightly pulled back from the hug, a small smile on her lips. "How did you get so insightful? Are you pregnant again?"
Ben scoffed at the small joke. "Oh, sure. One of my aliens gets pregnant once and you make a jab about it now. See if I come over again to cheer you up."
"Sorry, sorry. But you have to admit, this was definitely a 'mom comforting her child after a bad break-up' moment. " Gwen giggled, moving back in the hug. "But seriously, thank you. I do feel a little better."
"Anytime, Gwen." Ben was about to pull out of the hug, ready to leave, until Gwen stopped him.
"Ben...I don't feel like being alone right now." Gwen whispered. "Could you stay for a little longer?"
"Sure." Ben answered.
Ben knew that he was close to breaking curfew and might get in trouble with his parents; but who cares? His cousin needed him right now. And Ben knew that it was his responsibility to help Gwen take the time to heal her mending heart.
Fin.
Author's Note: I was inspired to write this after watching "In Charm's Way" last night. I figured that after cussing Kevin for hurting Gwen (and laying on a guilt-trip), Ben would visit Gwen to lift up her spirits.
I'm in process of writing an alternative to "Time Heals" (I'm attempting my first multi-chapter story), and this would be a one-shot prequel to it. Hopefully I'll have the alternate "Time Heals" mostly posted before the series ends.