Another story that came to me. I only own Rachel, Russell, Micheal Croden, Sergeant Williams, and Anna. Ben 10 and its characters belong to Cartoon Network and Man of Action.

The Warmth Of Love

Anna put on her white baking apron that was decorated with neon-colored hearts and looked around the bakery one more time. Everything was set and ready for customers and so she opened the curtains and turned the closed sign to open and unlocked the door, ready to start the day.

"Anna, darling? Are you opening the store now?" asked a voice.

Anna smiled as she watched her loving grandfather wheel himself out into the eatery in his electric chair. The elderly man, Michael Croden, had taken in Anna when she had been just a baby and a stranger had given her to the old man, who raised her for almost her whole life.

"Yes, Grandpa," she said. "We're ready for customers."

Just then the door opened and Russell Jocklin stepped in. He owned the store right next door and always came for coffee and something sweet for the mornings. His niece Rachel was behind him.

"Mike," said Russell in greeting. "Good to see you're cruising along in that fancy wheelchair of yours."

"Thank you, Russell," said the owner of the bakery. "I'm thinking I just might see the world soon. This wheelchair is a real goer."

Both men laughed warmly and Rachel stepped forward. "Good morning, Mr. Croden," she said pleasantly. "Good morning, Anna."

"Good morning, Rachel," said Anna. "The usual, today?"

"You know it," said Rachel with a smile. "How are things?"

"Alright," said Anna as the two girls went to the bakery counter to let the men talk. The owner of the Grant Mansion noticed how down Anna felt.

"What's up, Anna?" she asked. "Did some bad news come about your grandfather from the doctor?"

The twenty-year-old green eyed baker shook her head, adjusting the hair net that held her long brown hair back from her face. "No, it's not that," she said. "Grandpa's doing really good. It's about that culinary school I wanted to go to."

Rachel saw her friend's face fall. "They rejected you again?" she asked, feeling sympathy for her friend.

Anna nodded. "Not only that, the Financial Aid also said they couldn't provide me the funds to go to school," she said sadly.

"Oh, hon, I'm sorry," said the blonde girl, remembering how hard she had worked in school to get Financial Aid and to keep it. It hadn't been easy. "Well, maybe you could try again in a few months," she suggested, trying to be positive.

The baker shook her head. "I've been rejected by every school I've sent applications to three times," she said. "This one was the only one that showed a bit of promise until now."

Russell came over, having heard Anna's sadness. "It's alright, Anna," he said. "You and your grandfather have the best bakery in town. If you went to school, we'd lose a wonderful baker."

"He's right," said Rachel. "Your baking always tops mine."

Anna smiled, knowing they were trying to cheer her up. "Your baking is really good, Rachel," she said before ringing up the total for them and they paid it. Rachel walked out with ten boxes full of donuts, smiling as she packed them in her car and headed back for the Mansion. Russell bid Anna and Michael a good day as he left with his coffee and donuts in his hand to his store.

It was about lunchtime that the Falkin boys came to the store. Their father was the owner of a loan company and the boys liked to bully anyone. Their favorite target was Anna because she was different.

Anna saw them come up. "Grandpa, it's those boys again," she said to him.

Michael Croden shook his head. "Those boys need to learn to stay out of trouble," he said as he moved his chair nearby to watch his granddaughter as she braced herself.

"What a dump," said one of the boys.

"Hey, Anna," said another one, the oldest of the three. "Why don't you ditch this place and your old man and come with us?"

Anna straightened herself and looked at the rude boy in the eye. "Two things. One: I don't ditch anything I care about, and Two: I don't hang around losers like you," she said.

Her grandfather chuckled to himself. His granddaughter was smart and could put anyone in their place. The boys got mad.

"You better watch your mouth before we make you shut it," said the same boy that asked her out.

"You better get out before there's a permanent imprint of your teeth on this counter," she shot back, tired of getting bullied by them.

Sergeant Williams came in right then. "You boys need to move along," he said sternly. "Or do I need to drive you back to your father's workplace?"

The boys left then, remembering the first time the Sergeant had brought them to the loan office in the back of his car because he caught them skipping school. Their father wasn't very pleased at all and the boys didn't want a repeat of it, but they were planning some revenge.

That evening, just as Anna was locking the door, she smelled smoke and raced to the kitchen and to her shock, the back door was on fire and the flames were coming in.

Thinking quickly, Anna went to call the police, but the line was dead, making her realize the phone lines were cut. "Grandpa! We need to get out of here! Fire!" she called out.

Michael was already in the eatery. "Hurry, Anna!" he called and they quickly moved to the door, hearing police sirens before the windows shook in an explosion that made Anna stumble and the older man felt his wheelchair tip over, throwing him out of it and on to his back. Anna quickly got to him, but knew she couldn't get him to the door in time to get out.

Suddenly, she felt something grab her and she turned to see it was a strange person in a containment suit with a helmet that had three slots in it and he grabbed her grandfather. "Hold on!" the person said in a thick Russian accent as he jumped through the open window and over some nearby flames as the fire department worked on controlling the fire. Anna felt tired and passed out.

A cool cloth was the first thing she felt and she opened her eyes, seeing her grandfather's and Rachel's worried faces over her. "Anna, are you alright, my little sugar cookie?" asked her grandfather.

She nodded. "I'm okay," she said. "Are you?"

"Yes," he said.

"I'm afraid the bakery took a bit of damage though," said Rachel. "It can be saved, but it's going to take about six months to repair from what we've been told."

Anna felt tears come to her eyes. The bakery. Her and her grandfather's home. Rachel placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You and your grandfather can stay here with us until repairs are done," she said.

"Okay," said the baker, grateful for her friend. "But only if you allow me to use your kitchen to bake. We may not have the bakery, but I can still make the sweets and sell them, since Grandpa and I know what everyone orders."

Rachel nodded. "You got it," she said with a smile.

Suddenly, the man Anna remembered rescuing her and her grandfather came in, standing by Rachel for a moment and the girl turned and smiled at him. "What's up, NRG?" she asked him.

"I was wondering how Mr. Croden and his granddaughter were doing," he answered in his thickly-accented voice.

Smiling, Rachel turned to her friend and the elderly man. "This is NRG, one of my good friends. He was on patrol when he saw the Falkin boys set your back door on fire and he called Sergeant Williams and the fire department, but when he heard the explosion inside, he went in and saved you two," she said.

Anna looked up at NRG. "Thank you," she said. "For saving us."

"Yes, thank you," said Mr. Croden.

NRG gave a single nod in acknowledgement. "I'm glad I was nearby to call for help," he said.

A few months later found Anna returning to the Mansion after making a big delivery for some families who had started a collection and everyone donated money to help fix the bakery, including Mr. Falkin, who was very upset when he learned his boys had caused the fire and had seen them off to the Corrections facility, although it was a bit hard as they were his sons, but he didn't condone what they had done.

Anna counted the money they had and it was all adding up to pay for the repairman to fix the bakery. She heard loud footsteps and turned to see NRG come into the kitchen and she reached into the fridge and pulled out two cherry jam-filled donuts. "Here you go, NRG. I made two just for you," she said.

"Thank you, Anna," he said. "Will you join me?"

Smiling, she nodded and they sat down with coffee and the donuts. NRG sat in the chair in his true form and Anna thought he was very handsome in either form.

One morning, Rachel was up early and drinking some hot chocolate to warm up when NRG came up to her as he had also gotten up early. "Rachel, I need your opinion," he said.

She was a little surprised. "Okay, I'll do my best," she said. "What's on your mind?"

"Anna," he said truthfully. "Do you think she could be my other half?"

Rachel smiled and chuckled a little. "I'm afraid only your heart can answer that one," she said honestly. "But in all seriousness, you and Anna make a lovely couple."

NRG nodded. "I love her, Rachel. Do you think she loves me the same way?" he asked.

Rachel gave it some thought. "Well, she makes you your favorite donuts every morning," she said. "She always looks happy whenever she's sitting next to you and we're all watching a movie and I've noticed lately if someone mentions you to her, she gets starry-eyed."

She then shrugged. "Those sound like pretty good signs that she's in love with you too," she said. "But only she can answer that one for you."

That evening, NRG and Anna were standing by the window, enjoying each other's company as Mr. Croden wheeled himself in the living room in his new electric chair Charles and Joseph Jocklin had built for him.

"NRG, I have the box you asked for," said the elderly man, giving it to the alien.

"Thank you, sir," said the alien respectfully before he turned to Anna and kneeled down on one knee before her. "Anna, you have done so much for this town and for your grandfather, despite what others said. Over the past few months, I've thought about you constantly and you have truly captured my heart."

Anna smiled and blushed a bit and let him continue. "Anna, will you make me the happiest alien in the world and do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

The girl was stunned and looked at her grandfather, who smiled and nodded, which encouraged her to answer the alien she loved. "Yes, NRG," she said. "I will."

He picked her up and spun her around, his happiness evident as his helmet moved back and he kissed her. Anna kissed him back as she heard her grandfather chuckle.

"You both have my blessing," he said. "I couldn't be happier than I am right now."

Anna hugged him and then let NRG slip the ring on her left hand and kiss her again as the warmth of love filled them and the rest of the house, making everyone smile.

And another couple joins the Mansion. This wedding's going to be huge!

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GoldGuardian2418