My Lovely Family
Chapter 10 - Talitha
It was a beautiful night in Bellwood. Sandra was on the phone talking to her sister.
"Oh, Sandra! Congratulations! Wow! Five grandchildren!"
"Yes, exactly! Five grandchildren. Gwen and Ben said that if all goes well the baby is born in November."
"Congratulations, Grandma! I hope everything goes well..." the sister remembered a very important subject to talk about. "Hey, Sandra... is everything ok with Ben?"
"I think so, why?"
"Because... look... I need to tell you. Do you know that reporter who's always cursing Ben on television?"
"Yes, what about him?"
"So, Sandra, the other day he was cursing both Ben and Gwen for horrible names. Even I was embarrassed. I think they should sue because this is going overboard."
Hearing her sister's words, Sandra's face took on a melancholy face. She was very shocked. At such a happy time for his son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters, a journalist desperate for attention would slander them for something that was none of his business. She felt she needed to do something.
(Opening theme)
The next day, Sandra was waiting outside the ultrasound room next to her husband, Carl. She was trying to erase the conversation she had with her sister and focus on hearing about the child Gwen was expecting.
"Is everything ok, love?" asked Carl.
"I'm trying to calm down..."
"Don't be nervous. We've come here four other times. It's going to be alright!"
"Sure, honey. It's just that I'm uneasy because I have to tell Ben this news, but I don't want to ruin the moment."
"Hey, love…" Carl took her hand and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry about it now. Ben and Gwen are adults, and they've been through a lot worse. For now, just focus on our little grandchildren."
Sandra smiled. The doctor opened the door, allowing the grandparents to enter. They found Cassandra, Gwendolyn, and Gabriella standing in front of the monitor, stroking the screen. Kenny was on Ben's lap and doing the same.
"It's a girl! It's a girl!" shouted the three sisters.
"Ohh, a girl, is it?" asked Sandra excitedly.
"Yes," answered the doctor. "It's a girl."
Everyone was very happy with the news. Once again, Natalie suggested that Gwen choose the baby's name.
Ben and Gwen's parents were invited to spend a few days at headquarters. The tower had many rooms, facilitating their accommodation. While Gwen and her parents took the children to sleep, Carl and Sandra went to the kitchen to talk to Ben. They feared that an emotional shock would affect Gwen and the baby.
Carl brought his wife a cup of tea, visibly very nervous and trying to avoid crying.
"Thank you, honey!" Sandra kissed him on the cheek. "Ben, my love, what I have to say is very important."
"I understand from your nervousness, Mom." Ben took her hand.
"Benjamin... honey... I... I..." Sandra couldn't stand it and burst into tears. The son thought that maybe someone had died.
From downstairs, Natalie could hear her sister-in-law's cry.
"Oh, who's dead?" she asked dismissively.
"Mom, be more sensitive," Gwen replied, pushing a button to isolate the sound (sometimes the system allowed the sounds of neighboring floors to be heard so the couple knew what was going on).
"Oh, these people are such crybabies," Natalie continued. "for everything they have to cry... Oh, give me a break..."
Carl and Ben tried to calm Sandra, who was already red-faced.
"I won't allow such a thing…" she said, her voice barely audible from the crying. "Why there must to have bad people in this world, my God?" she cried again.
Sandra had suffered a lot from neighbors' evil comments since Ben and Gwen were married. In Illinois, where Bellwood is located, there is a ban on cousin marriage, unless the couple is 50 or older or at least one of them is infertile. The attacks worsened when Gwen first became pregnant with Cassandra. Unlike Natalie, who humiliated offenders by rubbing in their faces that her daughter was a billionaire while these people were poor, irrelevant, and unhappy, Sandra didn't dare to respond to her neighbors. She pretended not to hear, but came home and cried.
"This Will Harangue must be arrested," she continued. "Imagine... talking these things about a pregnant woman and an unborn child... I can't take it anymore, Ben! Every day a cretin comes to tell me that my grandchildren came from incest and that this is a punishment for my past.…"
"When these people die, they'll have to explain their actions to the Lord. And then we'll see who will be punished," Ben said, trying to calm his mother.
"Honey, just don't tell Gwen about that," asked Sandra. "She's pregnant and can't be nervous. But do something, for God's sake!"
"I'll help you, Mom. If you want, you can stay with us as long as you need us."
"Oh, my son... won't we bother?"
"Of course not! We love you, and when dad and mom need help, it's their kids must help. I'm going to talk to Gwen and tomorrow we'll get the rest of your stuff."
"Oh, Ben!" Sandra hugged her son. "Thank you so much! God bless you!"
"Amen! It'll be alright, Mom! I promise you!"
The next day, Ben woke up very early. Gwen was still sleeping. He went to a computer to watch the video of Will Harangue. While searching on YouTube, he found the title 'Will Harangue demolishes Ben 10,000 and his family'. He put on the headphones, clicked on the video, and braced himself for the worst.
"[...] The international press is agitated by the announcement of the fifth pregnancy by Gwen Tennyson, wife of the pseudo hero and intergalactic threat Ben 10,000. This man who only brought misfortune to our planet, and allowed aliens to invade and modify everything we know, now wants to populate the world with his offspring. If the four children weren't enough, derived from an incestuous relationship between the cousins Tennyson, now the couple hopes that another future threat to world peace will be born. Remembering that Ben 10,000 has the typical mind of a criminal: he's attracted to disgusting relationships, such as incest. What to say what he does with his own children? These children will grow up in a home where they will be taught that destroying the lives of others is normal and acceptable. They are as abominable as their parents. Don't delude yourself with the beauty of Gwen Tennyson. This woman is hot, but she's putting her offspring to destroy our lives. Even criminal Kevin Levin himself tried to end this promiscuity by trying to abort Kenneth Tennyson while still in his mother's womb. It's our duty as US citizens to strictly combat the Tennyson family. They're not heroes. At most human beings. They're responsible for the world's problems and need to be wiped out. "
When the video ended, Ben had stomach cramps. He put his hands on his face and wept. He asked God to help his family and to do justice to all victims of treacherous tongues like Will Harenga's. Even Natalie looked like a saint near that nasty man.
Ben promised not to tell Gwen anything while she was pregnant.
On Channel 3, thousands of letters arrived, calling for the expulsion of Harangue. "This speech is typical of the greatest monsters humanity has ever known," said an outraged viewer. "The Tennysons save the world and you take the opportunity to defame them? Dismiss Will Harangue "asked another. "The people are with the Tennysons" stated another message.
"You went too far, Will," said the channel director. "The station has received countless letters, all criticizing your attitude."
"I won't change my way!" shouted the journalist. "The Tennysons want to censor me."
"How would you feel if I told you that you are a threat to the world and deserve to be wiped out?"
Will didn't answer.
"You're a hypocrite! A coward! An envious! A biased! A disgusting one!" shouted the headmistress. "We give space for contrary opinions, but we'll not allow your disgusting statements. You are fired, Will Harangue! Our station will no longer protect your prejudice and your hatred! We'll not accept a coward who attacks an innocent family and children."
Ben received the news that Will Harangue was fired. When she showed her mother, Sandra was very happy. Everyone at the base of the Plumbers and headquarters celebrated the news.
"Thank the Lord!" said Gwen as she placed her hands in prayer form. "Justice always comes!" she hugged her husband and kissed him.
That night the Tennysons went out to celebrate. When they returned, while everyone went to sleep, Ben and Gwen were getting ready to have their couple time.
On November 19th of that year, the Tennyson's fifth daughter was born. Gwen and Ben were waiting for the baby with their children. The newborn had dark blond hair, like Cassandra's. Her eyes were green, like those of her siblings.
"She looks like Cassandra," said Gwendolyn.
"God, it's true!" said Ben. "So you are repeating yourselves?"
The children laughed as they approached to see the baby more closely. The relatives entered.
"What's the name?" Natalie asked.
"Talitha" answered Gwen.
The maternal grandmother was thrilled. Again, the joy and excitement of the family were shared with the world news. Talitha would grow up like a patient, kind girl. She had Sandra's hair, like her older sister, but unlike her, she had her mother's face.
Two months later, the alarm sounded, indicating danger in the J-alpha-4 sector. Ben ran as XLR8 to save people. Arriving there, he was surprised at how many people were running from a huge Incursean technology robot. Will Harangue controlled the machine, as Psyphon had done five years ago.
"Ben Tennyson!" shouted the villain. "Finally I can destroy you once and for all!"
XLR8 turned into Cannonball and hit the robot, which retaliated by firing laser beams. Soon the hero changed his form to the Spitter and threw him a jet of slime, then electrocuted him with Buzzschock. However, the robot threw water at the alien, making him weak. Ben returned to his normal form but lying on the floor.
That was when two female voices, one adult and one childish, cast a spell.
"NOKTIA OBJECTIA"
A spell came towards the robot and completely disassembled it. Will Harangue fell seated and his ID mask dropped, revealing the mutant alien form he had acquired in the past. Apparently defeated, he drew a revolver and fired at Gwen and Cassandra. But they made a big sphere of mana to protect them. Ben turned into the Four Arms and started punching the villain.
"NEVER ATTACK MY FAMILY ANYMORE!"
With Will Harangue unconscious, the Plumbers arrived to arrest him. Rook approached with a knife and cut the bandit's tongue before handcuffing his hands.
"You will never unleash your poison on anyone!" said the Plumber after that.
When they arrived at headquarters, Max told everyone that the US authorities asked for the death penalty to Will Harangue. He was behind a network of intergalactic crimes and had been convicted in the court of several planets.
"But torture him before," joked Ben.
"Hahaha, he's deserving it," Gwen noted. The children laughed.
Ben never showed the video of the offenses to his wife, and gradually even he was forgetting those horrible words. The station, as an apology, devoted a full day of its programming to extolling the achievements of Ben and Gwen Tennyson and wishes many blessings in the lives of their children. Also, all money from Harangue's accounts was handed over to the couple. Since the "journalist" had no heirs, the court ruled that compensation would be paid to the family. All celebrated the tragic end of the villain and the victory of the heroes. The deserved fate might take a long time, but anyone who messed up with the Tennysons would pay a heavy price for it.
Author's Notes
Talitha is the penultimate child of Ben and Gwen. The next chapter, their last child will be born.