My Lovely Family
Chapter 5 - Ben and Gwen's wedding
The announcement that Ben and Gwen were getting married shook the whole intergalactic scenario. Some planets allied with Vilgax had been plotting revenge on the heroes for years, but since Earth's guard was reinforced, any attack ended in vain. The biggest leaders of these attacks were under arrest and the order was to don't release criminals while the cousins were getting married. The aliens agreed to wait, as perhaps the best time for an attack was not during the wedding, but wait until Gwen gets pregnant.
Tetrax was at his home in Petropia when he received a small envelope with an invitation by intergalactic mail. The words were written in the language of the Petrosapiens. The same invitation had been sent to all the important people in the engaged couple's life, written in several languages. It seemed like a time of joy was coming, but not everyone was happy with the news.
(Opening theme)
"NOOOOOOO!"
In Bellwood, specifically, there was one person in the Tennyson family who wasn't enjoying this story at all.
"NO! MY DAUGHTER WON'T MARRY THAT BUM, FRANKLIN. I WON'T ALLOW IT."
Natalie didn't see Ben kindly. She thought her husband's nephew would depend on Gwen's work for a living. Admittedly, the superhero job paid no salary (after all, it was a voluntary aid and Ben didn't dare to charge for saving people), but the Plumbers themselves paid a salary to their members, including Ben. Natalie refused to understand this, seeing only that while her daughter was a billionaire living in a nice penthouse in Manhattan, he lived modestly in an apartment in New York.
"Lily, honey, don't think that way," Frank said, trying to calm his wife. "They love each other; let your daughter be happy."
"She won't be happy with him. Do you think it's fair for your daughter to work to support her husband?"
"Ben works too…"
"Oh, sure. Going around, turning into aliens and punching villains, and in the end not making any money… That's a great job." Natalie answered wryly.
"Natalie, Ben earns a Plumbers salary."
"That doesn't even compare to Gwen's income. I'd prefer it if she married Cooper, who is smart and a billionaire just like her. But no, she chose Ben, just the worst possible husband."
As much as Frank tried to convince his wife, nothing changed Natalie's opinion. She was firmly against their marriage. But she wasn't the only one who didn't approve of that situation. Someone else would do anything to stop it.
- FLASHBACK -
Lucy was hanging out with the Lenopan boy she had just bumped into. She had a feeling he could replace Ben in her heart. Suddenly a female voice was heard.
"Psyche! Hahahahahahahaha" the boy turned back into Lenopan and then assumed the form of a human woman. It was Camille.
"Camille!" Lucy was surprised. "How could you?" she asked, full of anger.
"Come on, cuz... I just came to give you a lesson," Camille answered calmly.
"What do you mean 'a lesson'?"
"You think I wasn't suspecting you? Since Joel and I were married, you've been visiting Earth constantly. You always wanted to piss off Gwen, who did nothing against you. The last straw was when you took the form of a girl just to seduce Kevin."
"And how did you find out about all of that?"
"And you still have to ask me? I used your tactic. I took the form of objects and trees so you wouldn't notice me."
"And why you suddenly come to defend Gwen? You're not her mother."
"I don't like injustice, Lucy. If you kept wanting revenge for things that didn't even happen, you would end up becoming a criminal soon."
- FLASHBACK ENDING -
Since then, Lucy has been looking for other guys on her home planet, but she didn't strive so much. She had no interest in taking Ben from her heart. Over the years, her admiration for her cousin-in-law only grew. She thought Ben 10,000 was hot. The marriage proposal to Gwen made Lucy decide to end this couple once for all. But to do that, she needed to find something Gwen would never forgive her fiancée for.
"But who does he think he is? Van Persie?" asked Natalie.
(Note: Robin van Persie, for those who don't know, is a handsome Dutch soccer player who is also a Ben 10 fan)
"He might not be Van Persie, but if Gwen thinks he's handsome, I won't find it bad," answered Frank. "And I hope you treat him well."
Gwen and Ben came to visit the bride's parents. Frank was very excited as Natalie tried unsuccessfully to hide her dissatisfaction. After talking for a long time, Gwen addressed her mother.
"Mom, I know you're not indeed enjoying this, but I wanted to ask you to help me with the preparations. You always knew how to organize beautiful parties and you know me like no one else."
Despite not approving the groom, Natalie was amazed by her daughter's request.
"Of course I'll help you, honey! Let's have a very fancy party. We have to call the best planners. Good thing we already have the place set. You can count on my help."
After the visit, the couple headed toward Gwen's car.
"Do you think she will ever accept me?" asked Ben.
"Of course she will. My mom makes a scene at first, but she won't stay like that for all her life. She was very excited to know that she will help with the party."
"Your mother indeed knows how to make beautiful parties. I just hope my parents feel good."
"Of course they'll be fine. If you want, you can invite your mom to help too. I know Aunt Sandra has dietary restrictions and it's important to know that."
Immediately a large Lenopan appeared, took Gwen by surprise, knocking her down. Ben became Water Hazard and launched water jets at the alien, who dodged frightened.
"One minute! No water!" shouted the alien before turning back to Lucy.
"LUCY!" shouted the cousins, surprised.
"The one and only," she said insolently.
"Why would you attack us?" Gwen asked angrily as she stood up.
"Well, my methods may have been extreme, but it was for a good reason."
"What good reason?" asked Ben suspiciously.
"You can't get married!" said Lucy firmly.
"Ah, that's great! First Aunt Natalie, now you..." Ben replied. "Who comes next? Kevin?"
"Kevin will be nice compared to me. And if I were you, Ben, I'd be nice to me. I can ruin your marriage before it starts."
"I doubt it! What will you do? Attack my fiancée? Well, know this will be your death sentence."
"Noooooo," Lucy said mockingly. "I have the information you don't want Gwen to know."
"She must be bluffing, Ben," Gwen said. "Let's go!"
"Tell Gwen about the girls with you cheated on Julie when you were dating."
For a moment the cousins fell silent. Gwen remembered that Jennifer Nocturne, an actress who was saved by Ben, caught him by surprise and kissed him on the mouth against his will. But then she invited him to some meetings and Ben went to all. He even took a bath with her in Paris. Julie had been angry at first but forgave Ben soon after.
"He had that affair with Jennifer Nocturne," Lucy continued, "and another one with Eunice …"
"Eunice? You had an affair with Eunice?" asked Gwen, addressing her fiancé.
"This one I saw with my own eyes. And it wasn't Eunice who kissed him forcibly, no. It was them both who couldn't stop themselves and were going to kiss," scoffed Lucy.
"Oh, you little-!" Ben shouted. He was heading towards Lucy but was restrained by Gwen.
"You're going to hit a woman now, Ben?" the Lenopan teased. "This will not change your past. Once a cheater, always a cheater."
"So tell them who I was kissing that day!" shouted a familiar voice from afar.
Kevin and Julie were in the quarter and saw Lucy tormenting the cousins. The boy had repaired his friendship with the Tennysons again. At first, there was a lot of fighting because Ben didn't admit Kevin's cheating on his cousin, but Kevin was determined to pursue a new life with Julie and would no longer be a problem for the couple. With that, there was no reason to quarrel and they agreed to continue the friendship.
"Kevin Levin! Another womanizer in town! Do you have a new girlfriend? It seems that you and Ben have a lot in common: you even share women!"
"You have a very sassy tongue. And I'd love to hang you with it!" shouted Kevin.
Immediately Lucy turned into a huge Lenopan form and began to attack them. Ben turned into Heatblast and threw fireballs at the alien, but it wasn't enough to defeat her. Gwen surrounded her with her magic and fired jets of mana. Kevin took his girlfriend off the scene, taking her to a near street.
"Stay here, love. I don't want you to get hurt."
He quickly touched a pole and absorbed the metal. He was trying to punch Lucy, but the alien's sticky body slipped and she easily threw him away.
"Ben, petrify her!" shouted Gwen.
"I don't want to kill her, love!" answered Heatblast. "I don't want our marriage to happen in jail."
The cousins dodged Lucy's attacks as Kevin ran to help.
"Hahahahahaha. These are the heroes who put an end to the great Vilgax? Can't even beat a simple Lenopan? Hahahahaha," Lucy teased.
They knew the Lenopans were very easy to kill. At Joel and Camille's marriage, Ben was forced to put an end to three of them and Max killed another. But now, as a member of the Plumbers, Ben had more responsibilities and knew that if he killed Lucy, a big controversy would come along. Many would defend him, but his enemies would use all manners of hypocrisy to make him a villain. He was already under pressure from the media as he rekindled the debate about allowing cousins to marry around the country. He didn't want to have his reputation tarnished and destroyed by an unloved woman like Lucy.
The three continued to attack but had no guarantee of success.
"Ben, how did you beat Vilgax, really?" asked Kevin.
"I used Atomix. But I won't waste his energy on this..." Heatblast was interrupted by a strike from Lucy that knocked him to the ground.
But what she didn't realize was that the alien would petrify her hand. She quickly dropped Heatblast, who attacked her again. Gwen took advantage of Lucy's distraction to throw a large ball of mana, which temporarily petrified the Lenopan's head.
"Ben! Turn into Water Hazard and get it over with!" shouted Gwen.
Heatblast soon did what she told him. Feeling the water touching her body, Lucy immediately retreated and fled. In the middle of the escape, she was caught by a Plumber ship. Rook cuffed her and carried her into a containment cocoon that held her in human form. Max got off the ship and hugged his grandchildren.
"I wonder how much trouble this little brat has given you," he said.
"What are you going to do with her?" asked Gwen.
"Ahhh, she won't bother you anymore. She will be placed in a cell in the Null Void's maximum-security prison. She'll not be able to turn into anything and will be expelled from the Plumbers."
"Thank you, grandpa!" Ben said. "Please do your best to make sure she can't go after us anymore."
"We'll do our best, Ben" Max answered. "Now you and Gwen have a lot to talk about."
That night the cousins talked in Gwen's room.
"... And that was it" Ben explained. "I shouldn't have cheated on Julie. I know I was young, but it doesn't justify that."
"Ben, I know what it's like to be cheated on. But I also know when a person indeed repents," Gwen said. "You weren't happy with Julie. Not that it justifies it, because you shouldn't have started a relationship that you knew that wouldn't work. But I doubt that with me you would do the same."
"I will never cheat on you, Gwen! You're the woman I love. The wife I chose to be my mate and mother of my children."
"And you are the man I want to spend the rest of my life with" Gwen smiled. "But don't ready anything."
"I'm more afraid of you and Aunt Natalie in this case than Vilgax" joked Ben.
The cousins laughed and spent a good time together. A week before her wedding date, Gwen went to try on the dress. Natalie had hired the best designer on Earth to make the model and the material was imported from Monaco. The bride came with her mother, mother-in-law, and Rook, who was guarding them.
The dress was white, with lace sleeves, a long skirt, and gemstone details. Her veil was embroidered around. It was a dress worthy of a princess. Gwen was beautiful in it. Natalie and Sandra were thrilled.
"You rock, miss Tennyson!" exclaimed Rook. "I am almost taking this dress for myself!"
They all laughed.
The great day has come. Guests headed to Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, a fancy New York address. The aliens, such as Tetrax and the Galactic Enforcers, were wearing human party costumes made for their bodies. It looked funny at first, but they were a lot better than the clothes from other planets.
The church was packed with guests. They were relatives and friends from various places. All the people Ben and Gwen met in the summer vacation who became their friends were invited. Of course, some who had already harmed Ben and Gwen were not invited, such as Sunny, JT, Cash, and Will Harangue.
"You will have many challenges on your way, but you will be satisfied with your future. You will give an heir to my son."
Julie stood in front of a Catholic church in Bellwood, accompanied by her father. She wore a beautiful white dress with a very voluminous gypsy bridal skirt. Mr. Yamamoto was a witness to how much Julie devoted herself to studying the customs of the Gypsy people, giving up her tennis career to stay with Kevin.
When the doors opened, Julie entered the church with her father. Kevin was waiting for her at the altar in white wedding clothes. The guests were divided between the bride and groom's family members. Some of Julie's relatives were amazed that she was marrying a gypsy and had opted for a Gypsy ceremony rather than a Japanese one. Although Kevin had no contact with his relatives, he wanted a marriage like his parents, so he asked his mother to invite them.
The priest decreed them man and wife and the couple kissed.
In New York, the entrance of bridesmaids and groomsmen began. Ken, the bride's brother, came in with Becca (Gwen's friend whose name appears in an invitation in the episode " Camp Fear" of Ben 10 season 2). Next came Cooper with Emily. Then came Alan and his wife and Jimmy and his girlfriend. After the groomsmen, the bride's mother came in with the groom's father. Natalie was wearing a salmon dress.
Ben walked in with Sandra, who was wearing a navy blue dress. The groom wore a black suit and a green tie. Natalie mentally criticized them both.
"Navy blue. Where does Sandra think she is in? At the bingo? And Ben always tacky: green tie with a black suit. And not even to remove that beard... Oh, my God…"
The flower girl and the ring bearer came together. She was a little red-haired girl and he was a little boy with brown hair. Both had green eyes.
Gwen had a curled hairstyle and wore makeup that left her with a gorgeous virginal face. When Mendelssohn's Bridal March rang, she stepped in beside Frank.
Everyone stood to watch the bride's entrance, the most beautiful in the universe. Max and Verdona couldn't hold their tears. When they reached the altar, Frank handed over his daughter.
"Dear friends and family, we are here tonight to celebrate the union of Benjamin and Gwendolyn in sacred matrimony. We are witnessing not only the meeting of a man and a woman, but of two loving souls, and the beginning of a new family. We hope you have a life full of happiness and face tough times together. And remember that your souls were already predestined by the Lord, who inserted you into the same family like cousins, and now you will build another together."
The vows began.
"I, Benjamin, take you, Gwendolyn, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."
"I, Gwendolyn, take you, Benjamin, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."
Ben put the ring on Gwen's finger and she did the same.
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
The bride and groom kissed as the guests applauded. At the exit, they were covered by a rice rain, launched mainly by Isaac (Becca's fiancé and Gwen's shareholder) and Ben's Israeli friends. Everyone went to the ballroom.
After the church ceremony, the guests went to the party. Julie arrived for the celebration wearing a dress with a big skirt, but this time red. Gypsy flamenco was played and Kevin danced with his fiancée. But curiously, he visualized her as Gwen wearing the gypsy wedding dress and dancing with him.
The party took three nights, and it was only on the third that Kevin and Julie had a moment alone. After that, one groom's relative gathered the guests and showed them a sheet with a bloodstain. The bride's family found it a disrespectful invasion of Julie's privacy, but they didn't create fights because they knew it was a tradition and she had chosen this life ever since.
There was a lot of luxury, but Carl and Sandra had taken part in various rehearsals so they wouldn't be embarrassed. There was a lot of music and dancing. Ben and Gwen danced their waltz. Natalie commented to her sister that Gwen had taught her cousin to dance because if it depended on his parents, the groom would look like a country dancer. Then, when the real party started, a band started playing "Accidentally in Love", a song that resembled the couple's conditions. After all, from two fighting cousins they turned into husband and wife.
After the celebrations, the couple went to their wedding night in a luxury hotel. Ben carried Gwen in his arms. She went into the bathroom to change and heard Ben praying.
"Thank you for everything, Lord! Thank you for allowing me to marry Gwen. And thanks for finally having my first time."
"Are you a virgin too, Ben?"
Ben started and turned to Gwen.
"Yes, I am."
"So, though you had all those girlfriends…"
"I didn't have sex with any."
They smiled at each other and Ben went to get ready while Gwen prayed and thanked God for everything. Then they consummated their marriage. They slept embracing, waiting for the morning when they would leave for Monaco. Neither of them would forget that night.
Author's Notes
Becca and Isaac are recurring characters in "Perfect Couple" and "Tennyson Tales", spin offs of "My Lovely Family". In "Perfect Couple", is revealed more details about the preparatives of Ben and Gwen's marriage, including why Becca entered in the church with Ken.
As this site does not allow weblinks, you can see Gwen and Julie's wedding dresses on the original chapter (in Portuguese). Access (www. spiritfanfiction. com) /historia/my-lovely-family-13410564/capitulo5 and go to "Notas Finais", where you can find the weblinks.
My friend csgt made a beautiful photo about Ben and Gwen's wedding. Though the clothes are different, it is a good way to imagine how it was. The web address (on Deviantart) is this: (www. deviantart. com) /csgt/art/Ben-10K-and-Gwendolyn-The-Wedding-806124982