Chapter 9: Future and Past

As the four left the old police station Kevin took in what was left of Bellwood, it reminded him of a movie he watched once at Ben's house. Nothing looked like he remembered. Buildings were falling apart and boarded up.

"How long has it been like this?" he asked as they headed down small back alleys as they came to the old town hall. "It's been like this for only a year. Paradox believes that if it goes on any longer than this and it could be very bad." She said.

Kevin walked into the building with the others "So you had him bring me here so I can see what will happen. So what happens to me in the past?" he asked

Gwen and Paradox looked at each other "Kevin you're going to stop him so there is no need to know what happens. Why don't we show you the rest of our base here" Paradox said trying to change the subject.

Not wanting to push the subject for too long Kevin followed the others till they came to a staircase that led down into the basement.

When they got to the bottom of the stairs Kevin almost gasped at all the alien tech all over the walls. "Gwen… why did fall you for him in the first place?" Kevin asked he needed to know the truth.

Stopping in her tracks Gwen looked at her friend "You disappeared and he took your place in the group, I really thought he had changed and it looked like he had. He was there for me after Ben died so it was bound to happen that we would get married." She said walking over to a chair and sitting down.

Kevin growled lightly "The only reason I disappeared was because you had him bring me here" he said pointing at Paradox. "So in a sense it's your entire fault all this happened. You could have just sent a message. So I wasn't there to keep you from ruining your life." Kevin remarked as he walked back toward the stairs. "You're going to send me back soon aren't you so that you won't end up like this" he spat going up the stairs and sitting on a window ledge in the main lobby.

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Ethan followed Kevin and shoved him from the ledge till he was sprawled on the floor. "I've heard stories about you for years. The great Kevin Levin, I was given your middle name as a type of honor, but to tell you the truth I actually hate you. If you just had a spine then my uncle wouldn't be dead and my mother wouldn't be dying right now!" Ethan said swinging a kick at Kevin.

Catching the kid's leg Kevin flipped him over so he could get up and look down on him. "You better explain right now." He said.

"Last month she was in the hospital, they don't know what she has but they just know she's dying. I think it's a broken heart, when my father took over everything he broke her heart. So you better fix this or I will come back into the past and kill you myself." Ethan said kicking up and hitting Kevin in the knee and bringing him down.

Kevin caught himself quickly from falling "Before we both end up killing ourselves just know kid I'm going back to my time and I'm going to make sure this world doesn't happen. I'm going to show Gwen how I feel and that pompous jerk is going to learn everything about how I feel about him too. Like my fist in face." Kevin said laughing a bit "You have nothing to worry about kid. You know you remind me of your uncle a bit. He cared a lot about your mother like you do." He added.

Paradox looked over at Gwen "Are we going to be send him back soon?" he asked looking at his watch

Gwen nodded her head and looked at her hands. "He's right though it was stupid to bring him here since giving him a message would have worked just as well" she said softly.

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"Gwen he's been missing for months, he broke out of jail and ran away. We should just forget him, he's not coming back. If he were still here we would be celebrating his birthday with him." Ben said sipping his smoothie as he sat across from Michael and Gwen.

Sighing softly Gwen nodded her head "I know, but I just have this feeling that he will come back some day. Or at least I hope he will" she said as Michael put his arm around Gwen's shoulder and pulling her close.

The blonde gave an inner smirk that his rival for Gwen's love was gone; he hoped that Kevin never came back.

I haven't worked this hard to lose her... and I'm not going to let him take her away if he ever comes back. Michael thought as kept his girlfriend close.

"I need a refill can I get you something else Ben? Gwen?" the blonde asked getting up from his seat. Both teens shook their head and waited for the blonde to leave them alone before speaking.

Ben looked at his cousin "Gwen, I know some how Michael has something to do with Kevin going missing; I know you don't like hearing that but your boyfriend is not what he says he is. He is still the same guy we fought in the past I just know." the Omnitrix user said sucking down more of his mango smoothie.

Gwen looked at Ben. "If you remember correctly Kevin was the same way when we were kids or don't you remember that. He changed too just like Michael has" she said looking at the top of the table. "To tell you the truth though, I miss Kevin so much. "Gwen added softly.

"So you do care about him, come on just admit it Gwen I'm not going to make fun of you for it just say it out loud for once." Ben said trying to play match maker.

Gwen rolled her eyes "fine you want to know the truth, yes for a long time I had feelings for him but he never seemed to notice them or if he did notice them then he never acted on them. " she said and stopped talking when Michael sat back down beside her.

"Gwen we should hurry or we're going to be late for our date, it's one I'm sure you will love it" he said as he started to lead Gwen to his sports car.

Ben sat there "Oh man Kevin where are you, I'm getting sick of this guy" he said to himself as he stood up and headed for Julie's house. Walking down the street he actually prayed to hear Kevin mock him for something stupid even.

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"Kevin when we send you back we're sending you back at a very crucial moment in time, when you get there it's going to be very important that you find me and Michael" Gwen said handing Kevin a journal that she had kept.

Flipping through the book a bit Kevin looked up at Gwen and Paradox "So what is so special about this moment?" Kevin asked.

Gwen sighed "It's where he asks me to marry him, so you need to hurry up; you're only going to have forty minutes to get to where we are and to interrupt us. So you need to hold onto that journal it will help to convince the past me that she can't trust him" Gwen said smiling at Kevin

"I know I can trust you Kevin, One more thing good luck you are really going to need it" the red head said softly.

Ethan looked at Kevin "You better not screw this up or I'm going to have Paradox bring me into the past so I can kick your butt now get back into the past and set things right." The kid said as Paradox walked over to Kevin.

Paradox put his hand on Kevin's shoulder "Let's hurry up now; you're going to be late" Paradox said bringing Kevin back to the past and leaving before Kevin could ask anything.

"You better have not messed with my car Tennyson" Kevin said crossing his arms over his chest, the journal in his back pocket.

Ben turned around and looked at the older teen, in a moment of weakness he ran forward and hugged Kevin in a bear hug. "I am so glad to see you Kevin; oh man Gwen is going to be happy to see you"

"That's why I'm here, so where is she at this very moment I have to tell her something very important" Kevin said

"You finally going to tell her how you feel?" he asked chuckling and pulling away from his friend "I think they said something about going somewhere I wasn't listening." He said rubbing the back of his head.

Kevin groaned and grabbed the journal from his back pocket and flipped through the pages till he found the right one. "I need my car where is it?" he said "I have to get to where they are in thirty-six minutes" Kevin said looking at his friend.

"It's in your garage Gwen and I got it out of impound three days after you disappeared, don't worry I haven't sat in it or drove it anywhere." Ben said as he ran to catch up to Kevin who was running down the road at top speed.

"Where are my keys?" he asked looking back at Ben. "In my pocket, I've been holding on to them for you" Ben said taking them out and throwing them at Kevin, after catching the keys

Kevin sped up and ran up to the garage door of his house and absorbed the cement from his driveway and broke a hole in the door.

Jumping into his car Kevin started the car up and plowed through the door not bothering to open it and took off down the road.

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Michael kept driving down the road "Gwen what's bothering you?" the blonde asked reaching over and taking her hand in his for a moment. Gwen smiled "No I was just thinking about something is all, don't worry about it" she said softly.

As they pulled into the parking lot of the amusement park Gwen looked around from the passenger seat. "What are we doing back here?' She asked as Michael got out of the car and led her to the lobby of the castle where he had kept her when he had kidnapped her.

"I thought the sentimental air of the place would be good for this date, when you were here you showed such a fire that I realized that I cared for you and that's why I wanted to come back here today." Michael said as they looked around.

"I bought this whole park, and I'm having the rides taken down and all of this redone as a residential area so this castle would be a home. It's going to take a lot of time so." He added looking around at some of the damage from the fight that had taken place months ago.

Michael smiled and got down on one knee. "Gwen you're perfect and it was only after that you came in my life that I changed from stealing energy and being evil to realizing that other people matter and you taught that to me. So Gwen I want you to marry me" he said smiling and pulling a ring out.

"I want to be with you, no one else has changed me in such a way that you have in just these few short months" he added.

Gwen was in shock, she knew that Michael meant that they would marry when they were older. "Oh Michael this is so sudden, I don't know what to say" Gwen said looking at the ring as she smiled.

On the outside Gwen was blushing and happy, on the inside a small voice was screaming, telling her to say no and wait for Kevin. Kevin Levin was the one guy that made her smile with his rough way of doing things; he wasn't full of himself like so many of the guys she went to school with. Michael on the other hand was smart and also a great guy to be around.

I don't know what to do…if Kevin really did care about me he wouldn't have just vanished like he did. Michael really has changed for the better maybe with a long time to wait we'll see how it goes. Gwen thought as she tentatively nodded her head saying she would marry Michael.

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Kevin drove right through the closed amusement park till he came up the sports car parked near the familiar castle. Getting out of his own car Kevin absorbed all the metal off the door and slowly made his way up the small flight of stairs to the front door.

Taking in a deep breath Kevin went over the plan in his mind, I break down the door go over to her and show her the truth and make sure that Morningstar gets what's coming to him. Kevin thought as he tried to time it just right.

Raising his leg he place a firm kick to the giant wood door and sending it crashing inward as it landed on the stone floor. As the dust swirled around the raven haired teen walked forward covered in the metal he had absorbed.

As he got closer to the couple he slowly started to lower the armor from his body.

Reaching the couple Kevin grabbed Michael by his arm and threw him aside, Kevin moved closer so he was standing in front of Gwen.

With an intense gaze Kevin looked at the red headed girl, it was like time was moving at a glacial pace as Kevin put his arm around Gwen's waist and pulled her close to him. Leaning down he swept away the hair that was covering her face with his hand before kissing her with such a passionate force that it made Gwen weak in the legs. Reaching up Gwen grabbed onto Kevin's shirt to keep herself standing during the kiss.

Gwen didn't waste any time as she kissed Kevin back, she had millions of dreams that were like that very moment she hoped and prayed that this wasn't just another one of those dreams. She finally pulled away from the kiss for air, her cheeks were flushed and her lips were dark red from the kiss. "Kevin you really are alive, I thought you ran away for good" Gwen said resting her head on Kevin's chest as he kept his arms around her shoulders.

Kevin kept Gwen close to his body, he liked how it felt to hold her close, and it was comforting to him as well. "I never ran away, I was called upon to help a friend that needed me. But I'm never leaving again." He said softly placing a hand on Gwen's back.

The blonde growled and slowly got his feet his head was spinning from flying across the room.

"You think a fancy movie style entrance and sweeping Gwen off her feet like that is going to stop me from making sure you don't get in the way then you are mistaken. I'm not going to let you just walk in here and steal Gwen from me" the blonde said as he shot a beam of energy at the ceiling above Kevin and Gwen.

The black energy hit the ceiling, large cement stones and wood fell right at Kevin and Gwen. Kevin pulled Gwen out of the way and shielded her using his body to keep her from getting hurt.

"Leave Gwen out of this, this is a fight between the two of us" Kevin said standing up.

The blonde looked at the two "fine then Gwen can watch from the side lines while we fight. The first one to stop breathing loses." He said coldly as he created two energy beams and shot them both at Kevin who dodged them by the skin of his teeth.