Author's Note: I own nothing.

49 Reunion

Jen dragged her grandfather into the kitchen on the pretext of making more tea. She glanced back into the living room.

"Why is Kevin's mom on our couch?" Max shook his head.

"It's a long story." Jen held up a hand.

"No, not everyone who needs to hear this is here." She pulled her communicator out of her shirt and clicked it on, calling Kevin with a tap.

"Jen, where'd you go? Hellen is using Pierce's spike to attempt to play Pin the tail on a cutout of a bad fuzzy photo of Rath. It's hilarious." Jen sighed.

"Haha so funny. Look you and Gwen need to get to my house right now." He stopped laughing.

"What happened?" Jen glanced into the living room again.

"Your mom is in my living room. Grandpa Max knows her. She seems really scared Kev." He hung up on her. She glanced at the ceiling, hoping that if there was anyone out there looking over her they would grant her patience with her socially stunted friend. She didn't even know if he was coming. She sighed.

"How much does she know?" She asked Grandpa Max as she set up the kettle and turned to Max as the water began to bubble.

"Quite a bit. Her husband was a Plumber, he told her everything." A crack came from the side door and Jen grabbed the cast iron skillet on the stove and made to swing it. Only to have it caught by a metal hand.

"You do have a pretty good swing with that thing." Jen grinned as she set the skillet down in its place.

"How many speed laws did you break to get here?" She asked as Kevin and Gwen came all the way into the kitchen. Gwen frowned.

"You know I have a key right?" The redhead asked holding up the broken door handle. For once though Kevin wasn't paying any attention to her. Instead he was staring into the living room, just visible from his spot by the door. He looked like he was blinking back tears. He looked down at himself and closed his eyes.

"She shouldn't see me like this." Gwen took his hand.

"She won't care Kevin." Kevin did not look up.

"I care." Jen pulled the hissing tea kettle off the stove.

"You're an idiot." She opened a drawer and pushed aside a few things before pulling out an ID mask and handing it to Kevin. Then she finished making her own cup of tea and a second for Kevin's mother. Kevin stared down at the mask.

"Albrasix left it here, just in case. He never bothered to pick it back up before he left planet. Now put it on if you must but go comfort you mother." She glared at him a she poured the steaming water into the mugs. Kevin's fingers tapped the inside of the mask reprograming it to the correct appearance. He slipped it on and squeezed Gwen's hand. She could tell he was shaking slightly. Jen went first. Setting the tea down in front of Mrs. Levin. She smiled at the brunette.

"Thank you Jen." Jen nodded.

"Listen I called a few people who should be able to help out with whatever's going on. I hope you don't mind." Moira shook her head using the teacup to warm her hands more than anything else as footsteps came into the room. A throat cleared and she turned. The tea cup slipped from her fingers but Jen had been expecting that and caught it, only splashing a little of the hot liquid onto her arm. Moira Levin shot to her feet. Kevin, standing in the doorway looked about ready to bolt. Only Gwen standing behind him seemed to give him the courage to step forward.

"Hi mom." Moira's hands flew to her mouth as a sob built in her throat. She stepped forward and reached out to cup her son's face. He flinched slightly but she didn't even seem to notice. She pulled him into a hug.

"My boy! Kevin!" She sobbed into his shirt and he wrapped his arms around her. Jen thought she heard a sniffle from Gwen and could tell her own eyes were slightly damp, just when she thought she didn't have anymore tears to cry. Moira Levin frowned slightly. "Why are you wearing an ID mask?" He froze.

"Never could get anything past you huh mom?" She shook her head. His hands shook as he reached up and pulled off the mask revealing the mutated form. Moira cupped his face.

"My baby boy, what happened?" She asked it gently as she pulled him back into a hug. Jen could practically feel the relief rolling off of him. She wasn't afraid of him, as he'd feared she'd be. Jen cleared her throat slightly, partially to clear away the tight feeling there, and partially to explain.

"That would be mostly on me actually." Moira didn't release her son but she did turn to face Jen, her arm wrapped around him. "See, I don't know if you know what the Omnitrix is." Moira nodded.

"Devin and Max heard rumor of it every so often, didn't know it was real now though." Jen nodded and held up her wrist.

"Well it is. And Kevin's been helping me and my cousin keep the peace on Earth for a while now. But we were attacked by a group of bounty hunters and the Omnitrix got damaged. Kevin tried to help me but the blowback did that." She gestured to his multi-media body. Moira looked at her son. He reached into the pocket of his jeans.

"I'm a Plumber, an official one." He held out his badge to her and she smiled and pulled him close again. Jen grinned at Kevin, it was still small by her usual standards but she was genuinely happy for him.

"I'm so proud of you Kevin!" Kevin held his mother close and sniffled slightly. To cover his tears, things she knew he didn't like to share Jen spoke.

"You should be, he helped me save the universe." Kevin glanced up at Jen as his mother held him a bit tighter.

'Thank you.' He mouthed at her and she nodded to him. Max and Gwen snuck around the two and sat down. They let Moira Levin hold her son for another few minutes before Max cleared his throat.

"You were telling me what happened Moira?" She nodded pulling Kevin onto the couch looking like she wasn't going to let go of her son anytime soon. She took a deep breath and explained about the break in at her house. Kevin tensed holding his mother close. Max frowned.

"As happy as I am to help you and Kevin reunite Mrs. Levin, I'm not sure I see how this is Plumber business." Jen said as gently as she could. Moira looked up at Max.

"They didn't take anything, because they didn't find what they were looking for." Max frowned.

"He hid it well then?" Moira nodded.

"Even I don't know where it is." Kevin frowned.

"Where what is mom?" Max and Moira shared a look and she nodded. Max sighed and set out on the story of how Devin Levin had died. By the time he'd finished Kevin had gone stiff. He turned to his mother.

"We need to find somewhere safe for you to stay." Jen spoke up again.

"She can stay here, in the spare room. The whole place is rigged, no teleporter's getting in." Courtesy of the Plumbers after the last stubborn delegate wanting a word with Jen had simply teleported into her room. Gwen nodded and spoke up for the first time.

"I have some magical wards up too. But I can strengthen those in a minute." Kevin nodded. Moira raised an eyebrow.

"I'm so sorry with everything that's happening I didn't catch your name." Gwen smiled and went to introduce herself but Kevin beat her to it.

"Mom this is my girlfriend Gwen. She's a Plumber too." Jen took a sip of her tea.

"Also one of the most accomplished Magic users on Earth and my cousin." Moira smiled at her son.

"She's beautiful, you have good taste son." Kevin still somehow managed to blush though his face wasn't made of skin anymore. Jen held in a chuckle. She frowned slightly as she thought of how badly Ethan would have teased Kevin for this. She shook her head and stood.

"Grandpa you stay here with her, we'll go after Ragnarök."

It really could have gone better, Jen contemplated as the escape pod Kevin had tricked the girls into landed just outside of Bellwood. Gwen scrambled out first Jen followed. She wasn't so sure she wanted to see how this panned out. Kevin had been out for blood, no questioning that. And the scumbag deserved it, deserved to rot in the Null Void until he died. But Jen didn't want Kevin to do it, she was also familiar with the face of someone who wasn't planning on coming back. She'd had that look more than once. So when the ship blew she felt her heart twist as Gwen cried out in fear and distress. She pulled her cousin into a hug as she began to sob. Tears slipped down her face too. Her boyfriend and her best friend within a month of each other, she hated her life.

"Well it's good to know you both really do care." Kevin quipped as he steeped out of the trees. Gwen raced into his arms, her tears turning to relief. He glanced at Jen and seemed to realize how badly he'd just messed up. "Short range teleporter," he held up a device in his hand, "Cooper wanted to test it. He's hoping they can be standard issue soon." Jen nodded as she scrubbed at her face.

"Next time no jokes, just tell us you're ok." Jen said, her voice slightly strained. Kevin nodded holding Gwen a little tighter, still careful as though he might break her like glass if he held too tight.

"I'm sorry." Jen nodded.

"Yeah I know." She waved him off. "Ragnarok?" Kevin shook his head. Jen nodded. "Right, let's go check on your mom." Gwen stepped away from Kevin and walked toward town. Jen turned back to Kevin. "Oh and," she swung her fist and knocked him off his feet, a crack signaling that she'd once again broken a finger or two on his jaw.

"Don't ever pull bullshit like that again. We're in this together god damn it. I'm not losing my best friend too." She turned away as Gwen pulled Kevin to his feet. He rubbed his jaw. Gwen raised a hand to it, her fingers glowed and the pain receeded.

"She's right, we're in this together. Let us help you." Kevin pulled her close.

"I promise." Gwen smiled at him and they followed Jen back toward town.