Sooooooo...Here you go! Chapter 4 is here! (after like 50 years...)...ENJOY! ;3

Oh! One more thing! I wanted to address some questions I've received in reviews:

Guest: "...do you emulate your characters' emotions on your face before writing them down? Or does it go through like a tv episode in your mind?..."
Me: First of all, you are the most darling person ever! :D Thank you for the wonderful review (you know who you are)! To answer your question, I don't necessarily emulate the emotions, it is in fact more like an episode in my mind, like a movie I'm experiencing first hand. I sort of mentally immerse myself within my vision of the story and attempt to recreate what I see in my mind's eye. I've always loved to emphasize emotion and mental turmoil in my stories, I feel that the characters and their struggles are so vastly important...protagonists who are flawed, who have weaknesses and fears are more real to me. Therefore the reactions, thoughts and sentiments are highlighted. I'm glad you like the story and I hope I can live up to maintaining it as great as you find it(:

Kayla: "Isn't Eon Ben's future self?"
Me: Yes, indeed he is! BUT, the way I have this story set up is in an alternate reality where Eon is a separate entity entirely and the time frame of this sequel before Omniverse. In my story, Eon is not an alternate-dimension version of Ben in the future, he's just...Eon. A creepy time guy who's obsessed with Ben. :D

ben-Kevin-foreva, you are adorable! xD

emodevasdarkfollowing:
Me: Wow, lots of questions, yes, but I just LOVE that you reviewed! I want to say thank you, first of all, and yes, I do read reviews in their entirety(: Let me see if I can cover some stuff... Ben's grandfather does know of Ben's amnesia, but he just hasn't been in contact with him recently. I do believe Max will be showing up later on, just hasn't happened yet, lol. The reason nobody else really knows about what happened six years prior is due to the fact that the incident was kept on the down-low, basically all who witnessed the event were ordered into silence. The bowl of cereal was an implication of Eon's growing power (this will become more clear later on). And you asking all those questions is certainly NOT a bother. I quite enjoyed them! :D

Thanks to all the other lovelies who reviewed! You all kept me going, even if it was a little bit at a time!

Body of Mine

Chapter 4: Memories

He hadn't bothered to dry his hair.

The pillow beneath him was damp; a droplet of water trickled from a lock of hair onto his nose, soon to slip past and off his jaw, causing him to stir somewhat. Ben let out a muffled noise, shifting his head around and pressing his cheek into the pillow, hands tucked underneath. He was in a state of fence: in both slumber and consciousness; borderline equally. Part of him was mildly aware of the couch beneath him, the dull sound of the air conditioning filtering through the vent just above him and the low snores stemming from Kevin's bedroom down the hall. His other half was consumed by a flurry of lights and visions in the waters of slumber.

A whine peeled from his lips.

…

…

The footfalls were lurid, vacillating and strained. He was running through a murky forest, eyes fixated on the hand securing his own. He could hear his own shallow inhalations as he was towed swiftly along, through brush and root, round trunks and thorns. The sense of urgency was absurd, as though it was a life or death flight, but the rhizomes behind it escaped him.

His shuddering vista crept upwards and a mild shock graced him to see that Gwen was the one gripping onto his hand, running before him. Bewilderment swathed him.

Gwen…she was different. Her red hair was short and her body was slim and underdeveloped, board-straight. Why did she look so young? She resembled the ten-year-old Gwen more than anything.

What's more, he realized that, despite the strange age difference, he wasn't looking down at her; he was actually looking level.

Gwen looked tense. Her head constantly whipped around, calculating each step, each route. She'd suddenly jerk his arm one way or the other and Ben found himself unable to hold the gait.

His foot snagged on something. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground…

…

…

Ben's eyes opened as easily as though he had only blinked. Blearily, he stared at the coffee table before him where his drink cup stood abandoned, a tiny ring of condensation bordering its base.

The soft brush of air conditioning danced over pale, exposed skin eliciting a shiver. He pulled the hood of his sweater over his wet hair.

Surprise was nonexistent at the time displayed on the cable box below the flat-screen television.

4:59 AM.

Yet another night.

Was it realistic to think he'd attain sufficient sleep even once?

At least, he thought, his nocturnal visions this time had been mild, however odd and lacking sense they were. Dread was the only emotion sewn into the memories of the horrible nightmares he'd endured other nights. Persistent as the influenza, they whispered in the shadows all around him, bequeathing no prospect of reprieve from gluttonous boughs of sin.

Bare feet found the cool floor and linens plunged off the couch as he stood. Fatigued as he was, his feet took life of their own and, when finally he procured full note of his whereabouts, he learnt himself outside Kevin's bedroom. The door was slightly ajar. There seemed a potent lure to enter. His whole body sought to shake the forlorn sensation devouring him at that moment, but did that justify his want to be near someone at such a time? Was he overstepping unseen boundaries?

Why…? Why had he dreamt of Gwen and himself six years into the past? Any relevance to the vivid illusion escaped his comprehension. And, somehow, part of him felt obliged to suppress any hint of it…

Proceeding several minutes of hesitation, Ben gingerly spanned the ingress, quivering fingers pressing against the wood of the door to allow him entrance. His feet padded lightly on the floor, taking him to the edge of the older male's bed.

Fretful hues stared down at the other; emotions colliding behind each iris. His hands found his chest, gripping the fabric of the hoodie lent to him and, with a quiet sob, he sank to his knees, forehead resting against the edge of the mattress.

"I don't want to fight with you," Ben whispered, fat tears teeming from his grieved eyes. "I hate fighting with you." I'm sorry. He shook his head a little, hands lifting to obscure his mawkish face, trying to control the inadvertent sounds from his cries. "Please…don't be mad with me…"

You're my best friend…

"Hey…Julie?" Gwen started, staring dully as the Asian girl tried on a new pair of tennis shoes.

"Hm?"

"Why did you decide to break up with Ben?" The other girl let out a brief cry of surprise, face flushing. "Did I say something wrong?"

Julie chuckled blithely, shaking her head and took a seat next to the ginger. So direct… "No, no. It just took me by surprise, really." She smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair from her cheek.

"I know," Gwen remarked somewhat abashed, "but it was just so…"

"Sudden?" Julie offered, earning a nod. The athlete's grin stretched wider. "…Does this somehow relate to you and Kevin?"

It was Gwen's turn to blush. She shook her head aggressively, remarking, "No! Absolutely not."

"Oh?"

"It's just…you and Ben seemed good for each other. I mean, yeah, Ben can be an egoistic idiot most of the time, but the both of you somehow managed to make it through so much…What happened?"

In all honesty, Gwen had thought that the relationship between Julie and Ben marked a new chapter in the boy's life. She'd hoped it would ground him a little and give him something else to focus on outside the hero business. But when Julie pointedly ended their romantic affiliation, Gwen was left wondering what went wrong.

Dark hair bounced lightly as Julie leaned back on her hands, chocolate eyes looking slightly hazy, distant. Her smile did not falter, nor did it reach her eyes. "It wasn't meant to be is all."

The anodite frowned. What kind of vague, uninformative answer was that? Just as she was about to voice her thoughts, Julie cut her off.

"How well do you know your cousin, Gwen?"

She was mildly stunned Julie would ask such a thing. How could she not know him? They'd been together for a large part of their lives. He was her dorky, inane, stick-of-a-cousin with a hero complex—in sum. Of course, she knew about a number of his more personal and psychological involvements as well; that alone had her on edge many a time. Inclusive of all that, she felt relatively confident in her knowledge. "I'd say very well."

"Is that so?" came the innocent rebuttal.

Gwen's frown deepened, not seeing where this was heading. "Okay, so not in the mood for jokes," she complained, becoming mildly peeved.

"Haha, sorry," Julie chuckled, looking apologetic. It was weird for her to behave like this. The Asian girl was typically direct and bluntly opinionated, but at the present she seemed to dance around the topic as though a straight answer was a betrayal to some secret.

"So? Are you going to tell me why you left him?" Gwen was being pushy today.

A sigh parted the tennis player's lips. "Ben didn't do anything wrong. In fact, I actually think it was me." Green eyes watched, puzzled. "I don't doubt that he cared about me; he very much did, in fact. The only problem was…he could only ever love me like he would a sister or a cousin."

What?! What is Julie talking about? The anodite mused, brows merging in her lack of understanding. "Julie, I don't—"

"It's okay. I should have realized it from the start. What I would want from him…he wouldn't be able to give me." Julie reached down, undid the laces from her sneakers and tugged them off, setting them in their proper box. "The best part," she continued, seeming sarcastic with the intro, "is that he isn't even aware of it. He can't love me like I loved him. So, I broke up with him." She paused, thinking a moment before turning her cat eyes on Gwen with an afterthought, "How bad did he take it…?"

Green eyes shifted. "He cried for almost two weeks straight. Withdrew from everyone for another three."

"I see." Julie looked pained. She'd never wanted to hurt Ben, but she figured the situation would only worsen if she'd stayed with him longer. "Is…he better now?"

Gwen pushed herself off the bench, looking down at her friend with a small, reassuring smile. "Still a bit upset over it, but nothing too serious." He always tries to be so strong. "He still cares for you…"

Julie nodded slowly, processing what the other had said.

"I still don't know exactly why you left him, Julie," Gwen continued. "All you've told me is that he couldn't love you as much as you wanted. What's that supposed to mean?"

A sudden smile pulled at the athlete's face. She stood and placed a hand on the older girl's shoulder. "You'll find out eventually." With that, she walked off to the clerk with her new tennis shoes in hand.

"Morning, Kev!" came the chirpy greeting as the teen languidly meandered into his kitchen in search for something to eat.

At first, he simply ignored the call of his name. Perhaps if he pretended not to hear, the other would get the hint that mornings were not his thing and quietly turn his attention back to the television screen. It seemed like a decent plan of action until he curved away from the fridge and nearly slammed into the very thing he was hoping to avoid: Ben.

The brunette tilted his head, a lazy smirk resting on his lips.

Kevin looked horrified. Dear God…I think he wants to talk to me…

Ben reacted to the look. "What's your deal?"

Levin remained still, a carton of eggs gripped in his hands, sleep-dusted mind still trying to process the idea that people could actually converse with one another in the morning hours. Sure, he could communicate adequately before noon, but typically that was after he'd had breakfast, showered, had a small morning workout and performed his routine check on his car. Seeing as none had yet to occur and he hadn't slept very much—or well —the night before, he was much less capable of rotating into full wakefulness.

"Too…early," he deadpanned, circumnavigating the younger teen and setting the carton of eggs next to the stove. His movements were almost robotic, lacking any mental effort it seemed as he prepared his breakfast. All the while, wide green orbs trailed his every move. Eventually, Kevin reached his limit and turned his shoulders to face the other, a brow rising in question. "Can I help you?" A quick shake of the head served as his reply. Kevin snorted. "Then would ya' mind elaborating on why you keep lookin' at me like I grew two heads?"

Ben went a little red. "Um, about…about yesterday—"

Kevin waved a dismissive hand, cutting him mid-sentence. "Water under the bridge, Benji."

"But…I'm really so—"

"I said don't worry about it," the osmosian huffed, irate. "We both lost our cool and had a bitch fit. No biggie." Ben couldn't help the small, demure smile forming on his lips.

"Want scrambled eggs?" The brunette shook his head, even though Levin's back was to him, trying to contain the wave of emotions he felt. Kevin wasn't mad at him. The childish relief he held at that paltry fact made him squirm. He wasn't mad!

The seventeen-year-old nearly spilled his breakfast when Ben leapt onto the counter adjoining the stovetop, twisting his body until he sat happily looking down at the ex-con, feet kicking lightly against the cabinets below. "Smoothie?" the boy proffered, smile domineering his entire face, eyes sparkling blissfully.

"You've got to be kidding me…"

"Nope!" Ben sang, producing a set of keys and jingling them before Kevin's face. "It's the breakfast of champions!"

Gwen checked her phone yet again, green eyes seeking any indication of outside contact. Kevin hadn't called—or texted for that matter! Granted, according to their previous agreement, the fact that he hadn't called indicated that nothing ill had developed for Ben…but that didn't mean he had to be such a guy and not keep her posted on her cousin's wellbeing!

A hand suddenly snapped her phone shut. She looked up instantly into Julie's annoyed scowl. "Why'd you do that?" she questioned, mildly peeved herself at the other's brashness.

Julie gave her a look. "You've been obsessing over that thing all morning. What's the deal?"

Gwen sighed, pushing her phone into her back pocket. "Sorry…just worried about Ben."

At this, the Asian perked up, almond eyes looking alert. "Worried? Why? Is something wrong?"

The anodite felt her heart chill. "Uh—n-no! It's just…he, well, I haven't talked to him…in a while…" she faked lamely, feeling thoughtless for slipping up.

Clearly, Julie was not convinced. "You're a really bad liar, you know? Almost as bad as Ben."

The two girls stared down for a moment, sizing the other up before Julie let slip a giggle.

"You know," she continued sweetly, brushing aside a lock of black hair, "in the end, I'll find out whatever it is you're hiding, Gwen."

The other frowned at the statement, turning away and proceeded to make her way to the entrance of the Mr. Smoothie they'd walked to, leaving Julie to stare at her back. The last thing she needed was Julie prying into things that didn't concern her.

She looked around as she crossed the threshold of the establishment. It wasn't very busy right then, just a few people here and there, so it didn't take her long to ascertain that what she sought was not present.

The tennis player walked in a minute later, watching her friend as she approached. "Guess he's not here?"

"No," Gwen sighed, following Julie back out to sit at one of the picnic tables outside. "I thought he might come by, seeing as he practically lives here."

Chocolate eyes slid past the anodite, catching a glimpse of Kevin's car rolling up. Speak of the devil… She smiled then, gaze refocusing on the other female, leaning forward onto the table, tilting her head and resting her cheek on her palm. "I don't know," she mused lazily, "perhaps if we wait long enough, they might just pop out of nowhere." She received a strange look from the other, but only smiled wider as the girl fretfully glanced at her phone, apparently thinking she was being discreet about it.

Julie suddenly felt a thrill fly up her chest. How long had it been since she last saw Ben? Her lip twitched, feeling strained with the smile; a cold, empty feeling swathed her at the realization: she hadn't seen or spoken with him since she dumped him four months prior…

It took outstanding effort to not let the unexpected turmoil show on her face, her straight-cut bangs concealing her slightly creased brow, which betrayed her. An abrupt urge to leave nearly lifted her from her seat, but she lamented. However uncouth of her to completely shut Ben out without apt clarification, she'd felt it necessary to make the clean cut; it allowed her to come to terms with her judgment and him time to heal.

Now, with a deep breath to calm her nerves and a renewal of her smile, she knew enough time had passed. She could handle this. She could keep her cool and be civil to her past love. And even though her heart thrummed in her breast as the doors to the car opened, she fortified her resolve.

Ben's form popped out of the car in a flurry and gazed happily at the establishment, not yet seeing Julie and Gwen. He looked a tad bit thinner than she remembered and his hair had grown an inch or so, looking more windblown, unkempt, giving him an even younger look. His green eyes were just as large and fetching as when they were when she first met him and the tiniest twinge of want flickered in her heart…but it just wasn't meant to be…

"What are you looking at, Julie…?" Gwen asked, finally looking up from her phone and following the tennis player's gaze. The anodite gasped upon seeing the two teens approaching Mr. Smoothie and shot out of her seat. "Ben!" she shouted, catching the attention of the two and swiftly rushing over to embrace her cousin.

Ben smiled happily at his cousin and reciprocated the hug, greeting her with a simple, "Hey, Gwen."

The redhead exchanged a look with Kevin, Julie noticed, before asking Ben how he was fairing and doting on him.

While the two cousins spoke, Kevin's gaze slid over and caught sight of Julie, who had made her way over and stood quietly several feet away. He immediately frowned and shot her a glare, to which Julie smiled awkwardly at and looked at her shoes. Of course he would be mad at her too.

"The hell are you doin' here?" he growled, feeling no need to hide his anger; the tennis player winced.

"Kevin!" Gwen cut in, offended at his blatant rudeness.

"What's going on?" came the curious voice as Ben leaned around his cousin to look. Julie felt herself flush with a cacophony of emotions as the Omnitrix bearer made eye contact with her…But the color drained from his face instantly, his lips stirring slightly as he whispered breathlessly, "Julie…"

The raven-haired female smiled sheepishly. "Hi there, Ben. It's been a while, huh?" she spoke softly, stepping forward.

Ben inadvertently flinched back when she moved closer, but was able to face her once more in a civil manner. He took a breath to calm his mind and body and replied nervously. "Y-yeah…" He bit his lip. "How, um, how have you been?"

Guilt swathed her in waves. He was struggling to speak with her, still obviously awkward and disturbed by her presence. He was such a sweet boy, trying so hard to be normal about it despite her dumping him all of a sudden with only a vague reason.

"I've been…fine. Thank you," she replied softly, watching as he brought trembling hands across one another to cling to his triceps, as though he felt cold, and shifted his eyes away. He clearly had not made a full recovery…

And suddenly Ben turned on his heel, breathlessly expressing his want for a smoothie before taking off toward the building and away from his friends, looking sick, as though he would pass out at any given moment.

There you have it!
I'm not the happiest with how this chapter turned out...I struggled to write it and I couldn't find the motivation to push through at times. Decided to post it as it is and ask people for their opinions on how it turned out; besides, it's been so friggin' long since I've updated...*mutters apologies about school, work and family draining the creativeness...and about quitting her ADHD medicine*...

Either way, I hope you enjoy the new chappy! Please review and tell me what you think, like, dislike and any pointers/questions you have! :D
Muah~