Whoa. I didn't expect such a positive response to this story. To those of you who have reviewed, favourited and followed, thank you so much. I honestly was afraid that it wouldn't do well. Enjoy the new chapter.
Chapter 2- Hope's Heart
Ben and Hope had moved from their embrace standing up to sitting down on his bed, where they parted from each other and began swapping stories of what they had been up to since the last time they had been together. Ben recounted days upon days of evil alien attacks while Hope told him of the trials of ruling an entire dimension. When the amount of things to tell ran dry, the both of them turned silent. Though neither of them had said it yet, their greatest worry and fear was that something bad could happen to the other. Ben was afraid that her nemesis Adwaita would make another attempt to overthrow her and take back control of Ledgerdomain; Hope was concerned that one day one of his countless foes would get the best of him.
Hope broke the quiet herself through hugging Ben. Ben startled, still caught up in his private fears, but soon recognised and welcomed the feeling of her. He curved his arms in around her form and kissed her lightly and gently on the cheek, wishing again that their lives could be easy for once. On more times than he could count, when he realised he had fallen for her and even when they started to date, he imagined a life with her; a life with no alien fights, no alternate dimensions, but just of a pair of normal young people being in love. Although he had imagined scenarios like this when he was with Julie or when he was crushing on Kai, they now seemed to have been odd fantasies, because when Hope had entered them in their places, the images became more realistic. Instead of walking through a field of flowers arm-in-arm or stealing secret moments without anyone else watching, there were pictures of him and her having a date at a fancy restaurant, supporting each other through times of upheaval, yelling at the tops of their voices during an argument and making up for the things they said later, marrying and sharing the management of a house, and taking on the responsibilities of being parents. Never before had he dreamt of such things with any girl, but yet here he was, thinking of having a future with a former enemy who was now his girlfriend. Once more, Ben wondered if Gwen had any similar visions whenever he had pictured herself with Kevin. He remembered suddenly with a pang of regret the look on Gwen's face when she reacted to him telling her that he was dating her archrival.
"Ben?"
"Hm," he answered her.
"I know this is going to sound weird because we've only been dating for a month, but I've really fallen for you."
Ben smiled. "Just think of the things about me that turn you off a bit," he teased playfully. "That'll bring you back to reality."
Hope giggled into his shoulder; her chin was touching the patch of soft skin between his neck and the joint of bone. "You mean like your addiction to chilli fries and your unnecessary need to belch after slurping down a drink?"
"Hey!" Ben retorted, flinching back with the feeling that he had just been insulted.
Hope giggled again, covering the smile that had come to her lips with her left hand, until she stopped laughing and brought her hand back down to speak again.
"Honestly, it doesn't bother me as much as it used to."
"Really?" Ben asked, blinking his eyes once. The insulted stare on his face shifted into one of curiosity.
Hope gazed back at him in a serious way. "Ben, I love you and I want to be with you. To do that, I have to take in the things about you that I find bad as well as the things that are good."
Ben blinked again. The curiosity fell away from him as his chest was warming up with the increased pace his heart was beating at. The small 'o' his mouth was forming broadened into a grin. He edged closer to her. She let him come. His arms weaved back in around her. Her hands gripped softly around his shoulders. He pushed inward for the kiss.
"Ben!"
Ben and Hope stopped cold. The intense emotions that were just waiting to emerge out from them withdrew back beyond the barriers that held them in sway. Hope frowned. Ben groaned.
"Yes, mom!" he called back, answering his mother's shout.
"Could you come down here for a minute? There's something I need you to do!"
Ben groaned a second time. Hope smiled at him and lifted her right hand up to caress his cheek.
"It's okay. I'll still be here."
Ben smiled back at her. "Promise?" he asked.
"Unless there happens to be an alien attack here or there's some crisis going on back home, yes."
"Don't joke," Ben replied as he gave her a quick kiss. "It could cause that to happen."
Pulling away from the bed, he strode over to the door and turned to go into the hallway, heading for the stairs. Hope watched him leave, smiling until he was out of earshot, and then let her lips fall into a sad line.
"It's already too late for one of those, Ben," she whispered mainly to herself as her mind swung back onto the real reason she had come to see him.
Adwaita had returned to Ledgerdomain, seeking again to take the throne, only this time he had come in force with an entire army at his behest. She, of course, had fought back against him and succeeded, but the new war was being waged on too many fronts for even her to handle. The enemy sorcerer kept on pushing and pushing to the point that all of her kingdom was now under siege. But for now though, the conflict was at a standstill after her recent near-fatal duel with Adwaita. She had beaten him, even wounded him, but it wasn't enough to make him want to retreat or ultimately give up. Instead he was recovering back at his camp, waiting to regain his strength for the next battle.
One that Hope did not think she would survive. Because she wouldn't, she thought, reminding herself of what she had learned from the duel. Adwaita had switched priorities. Gaining rule of Ledgerdomain had become his secondary objective. His primary one in this new attempt of his was to kill her.
Ever since knowing that, she had been scared. Usually with her enemy's priorities, her capture or death was the one that came in second and gaining the throne that was first, but now it was the other way around, and when he declared he wanted her dead, she sensed he meant it. But why, she pondered on her often-asked question, what could possibly have changed?
She gave herself the same answer she had given before. It didn't matter. All that did was what she had to do now. She couldn't involve Ben and his team; the war was too far gone in Adwaita's favour for all them to get out of it alive, let alone succeed in battle. So she had to do the thing that was best, or so she had believed.
Face the threat alone and break up with Ben in case Adwaita won.
But that was not what she wanted to do anymore, not after remembering how badly he had felt after Julie broke up with him, how happy she made him, and the fact that she was so in love with him that she couldn't bear to break his heart.
But I'm going to break his heart anyway, she harshly told herself. Because if Adwaita does kill me, he'll be so hurt.
Growling quietly in frustration about her dilemma, Hope stood up from the bed and turned towards Ben's small desk. Beside the television set were four photo frames. She moved in for a closer look. All of the pictures encased in them featured Ben with at least one other person. The first on the left had him with Gwen outside Mr. Smoothies; Ben had one arm slung around Gwen's shoulders and a smoothie cup in his other hand while his cousin was making an amusing peace symbol with a friendly smirk. The second had Ben, Kevin and Gwen all on a roller coaster ride at a theme park; Ben and Kevin were both whooping for joy, Gwen was shrieking in terror. The third was a family photo of Ben and his parents outside the front of their house. The last one was of Ben and his grandpa Max standing beside the old RV. Smiling at how happy Ben looked to be in each one, Hope turned her eyes back to the first one, picking it up in her hand and examined it further. With her keen eyes, she saw the inexplicable bond between her boyfriend and her old rival, something she reminded herself that she had been blind to in the times she had confronted them before as their enemy. Back then, she had often wondered why they were so difficult for her and her uncle to defeat, but in recent months she had come to see why. The two cousins were a perfect team; both had completely different personalities and lifestyles and could very easily get on each other's nerves, but they shared many similarities like going out of their way to care for their loved ones, being the voice of reason, support and encouragement to the other, and were driven by a passionate desire to keep the innocent safe from harm. The both of them knew each other so well that they could act in sync on anything with little effort and to be there if the other one of them fell.
Sometimes they act and seem more like they're siblings than cousins, she noted wryly, but the smile the thought gave her wore away from her face as she recalled Ben's description about the way Gwen had behaved towards the news about the two of them dating. She was hoping that Gwen would in fact take it well so she could be a source of comfort for Ben if things did not work out at Ledgerdomain, but now it appeared that Gwen was likely not to care at all.
Hope put the picture down back in its place and stepped over to the window. She looked out across the distance to where Gwen's house was located and sighed.
"Gwen," she spoke quietly. "If things do turn out okay, or they don't, please, please accept that Ben and I love each other. I've…never felt so different before in my life ever since I realised I have feelings for him."
Her eyes tensed as her plea went unheard and eventually closed, mentally probing as to why there had been no answer. She found Gwen's father in the living room of the house and her mother in the kitchen, but there was no indication of Gwen being at home.
Unless she's blocking me.
"Hope?"
Startled, she turned around to face Ben. "Oh, you're back," she exhaled, quickly calming down.
"Yeah, what made you think I wouldn't be?"
Hope shook her head in amusement. "Nothing," she answered, taking a step closer to him. "I tried to speak to Gwen telepathically."
The smile that was on Ben's face when it hit him he had taken her by surprise jerked and curved down into a thin line.
"Didn't go so well?"
"No. Either she's not at home or she's blocking me."
"Or she's with Kevin, which could be anywhere really."
"True," Hope nodded, her eyes moving sadly down to the floor.
Ben moved to her and gave her a soft hug. "Hey. Don't be so hard on yourself, and don't let Gwen make you feel guilty. It's what she usually does to make people see things her way."
"But, the two of you have always been so close. I don't want to get inbetween that."
"You're not getting in the way of anything," Ben argued. "Gwen will understand. We just need to give her time to settle on it."
"You think so?"
Ben hesitated for a moment, replaying the words Gwen had told him and the threat she had made, and recalled the ferocity and determination with which she had said them.
"I'll make you go through hell if it makes you come to your senses."
"I'd like to, but I don't really know," he answered her finally. "Let's just wait and see what happens."
Hope raised her head back up and looked into his eyes. In them, she found a sense of uncertainty but nevertheless there was a firm belief that it would turn out all right. She smiled warmly in reply.
"Okay," she said. "And if that doesn't work, we'll prove it to her another way."
Ben grinned happily, winking one eye. "Exactly."
The two shared another kiss, cementing their agreement, before Ben relayed his mother's invitation for Hope to join them for lunch. Hope accepted.
:*:
Lunch with Ben and his mother was, to put it in a single word, delightful. Over the meal of ham, egg and cheese rolls with a choice of a bottle of soda as a drink, Sandra chose to speak of the times when Ben was a baby and was doing something silly or mischievous. Hope had listened attentively, taking various moments to glance out of the corners of her eyes and smiled as Ben was going brick red in the face and pretending to put all his focus on eating. She had giggled only once; it was enough to cause him to notice she was sneaking looks at him and he turned away out of embarrassment. Hope and Sandra both raised an eyebrow, then Sandra winked slyly at her. Hope winked back, signalling she had got the gist. She revolved around in her chair, angled her head carefully in, and applied her lips gently to Ben's cheek. Ben blinked as he felt them touch and push inwards and knew that as the kiss lingered, the redness of his skin was flushing away to be replaced by its normal tone. Then Hope pulled away, and he turned back to her and his mother in the desire of wanting more. Hope saw the pleading in his eyes and answered, this time with her lips connecting to his. Just out of their sight, Sandra was smiling at them in a glad way.
Hope left soon afterwards, heading through town towards her uncle's house. Throughout the walk, her mind often fell back on her leaving the Tennyson home. Saying goodbye had been the worst thing. At the door, she had looked at Ben and Sandra's cheerful faces and was tempted to smile as widely as they were smiling, but all she could manage was a small one. The thought that she should at least tell Sandra the truth of what was going on back home had briefly entered her mind, but she pushed it away, knowing her boyfriend's mother would be as equally heartbroken as he would if the worst occurred. So she went out through the door with the small smile still on her face and waved goodbye. Regret was spilling from her heart as visions came to her imagination of what would happen if she never came back. Ben sitting down on his bed, endless tears streaming from behind clenched eyes. Sandra at the dining table, questioning why she could have been so thoughtless. Gwen nastily sneering at them both, saying "I told you." Ben being so distracted in a battle with Vilgax that he ended up being - - -
No!, she snapped at herself, cancelling out the image before it had a chance to conclude. I will come back.
I will come back to him.
:*:
Hex had sensed his niece's approach as well as her inner turmoil and was waiting at the front door of his home, holding it open for her. As she came within view of the house, she looked up, saw them there, and sighed. Hex's normally hard eyes softened.
"Did you tell him?" he asked as she reached him.
Hope shook her head quietly, her eyes trembling with water.
"Then, did you at least ask him to help?"
She closed her eyes and shook her head again. Hex groaned, placing his hand over his brow in frustration.
"Silly girl," he grumbled. "Come in and tell me everything."
Hope walked in past him. Hex shut the door and followed her as she went into his study. There, she turned to face him. He halted and stood ready to hear it.
"I couldn't," she sobbed. "I couldn't break up with him or tell him the truth. Breaking up with him would shatter him. And if I told him the truth, he would want to help me."
"Of course he would," Hex replied sternly. "The boy loves you."
"I know, but if he and the others come with me, they'll more than likely get killed. It's gotten so dangerous back home."
"As I warned you it would," Hex stated flatly.
Hope ignored his remark and went on. "I don't want to hurt Ben, but I have to go back."
"No, you don't. Adwaita may be a tyrant but he is content with just having Ledgerdomain."
"How could you say that?" Hope exclaimed. "He killed my father and my mother, your brother and sister-in-law!"
"I know that!" Hex shouted, suddenly raising his voice. "That's precisely why I've always been against you going back there. Adwaita took everything from me but you. Don't you understand? You're all I have left, and you're risking yourself on this worthless endeavour."
"It's not worthless, uncle. Under my rule, our people are safe and happy."
"Until Adwaita comes back again to take it all from you, like he is now."
Silence echoed around the room after Hex made his statement. Hope paused on making a comeback reply as she knew that there was some truth in his words. Every time she had defeated Adwaita, even with the added power of the Alpha Rune at her command or even with help, she was never strong enough to destroy him. Because of that, he was free to keep on coming back and endanger her people. It was the same thing over and over again since she had first regained her father's throne. Adwaita returning and placing everything she was rebuilding under threat; she fights back and wins; Adwaita retreats and regathers his strength and power, and comes at her again with another attack.
Until now, a small voice reminded her of her recent battle. Now he is fully determined in killing you.
Hope shook her head a third time, throwing away all the thoughts that were plaguing her mind.
"I… I can't give up."
"Yes you can," Hex spoke again, stepping close to her and placed his free hand on her shoulder. "It is difficult, I know, but he will never give up. If one of you doesn't, it will end up destroying either one or the both of you, or much worse than that, destroy everything and everyone around you."
Hope turned her tearful gaze up into his eyes. Hex smiled fondly as he recognised the emotional defiance in her spirit.
"If you would realise just how much you're like your father. He too valued the peace that he upheld, that Adwaita came to destroy, and he wouldn't let go of it, even at the end. Your mother and I were different though; we could see that Adwaita was prevailing, just like he seems to be now. She begged him, begged of him to flee, but you and I both know the course he chose to take."
His black-and-yellow eyes started to glimmer with the wet sadness of tears as the memory of that dark day came back to haunt him, the day that two of the most precious people in his life had been taken from him.
"I don't want you to make the same sacrifice. Please, just stay here; if not for me, then for Ben."
Hope closed her eyes, clamping the lids shut on droplets of tearwater which then cascaded down her cheeks. In heart and in mind, she began to struggle. The responsibility of caring Ledgerdomain and its people met head-on with her growing guilt about how Ben would react to whatever form the future could take. The logic of her mind surrendered quickly to a choice, one that her heart instinctively disagreed on and redoubled its efforts. But somewhere deep within all that emotion was a great urge to listen to and follow her mind. Eventually, she did. Hope withdrew from her uncle.
"No. I do want to stay, you have no idea how much. But I can't just leave them to him."
A low sigh issued out from Hex's lips. The tears in his eyes locked back behind them as he bowed his head in defeat. His outstretched arm fell silently to his side.
"Too much of your father, not enough of your mother," he muttered.
"Uncle Hex, that's not - - -
He held up his hand to silence her and offered her a dim smile. "When did you become such a selfless hero?"
"When did you become so sentimental?" she joked back.
Hex chuckled, bringing his arm down again. "Well, I expect that if we can change once, we can change again, hopefully for the better."
Hope nodded, agreeing with him, but the consequences that her choice had the potential of creating troubled her again.
"If…if anything happens - - -
"I will make sure to tell Ben everything and apologise on your behalf, as long as you ensure that you do everything you can to keep yourself alive so that I do not have to."
"Believe me, uncle," Hope spoke with certainty. "I will come back."
She turned away from him to summon the portal to get to Ledgerdomain. The gateway appeared out of thin air and opened, revealing her throne room at the other end. Hope glanced back again to share an unspoken goodbye with her uncle. Hex replied with a wistful smile and a curt nod. She returned both and walked into the tunnel. The gateway closed behind her, vanishing away before Hex's eyes. The smile the sorcerer had descended into a worried frown. Again, he bowed his head and uttered the prayer he spoke every time Hope had gone back to their ancestral home.
"Bezel, keep her safe."
Next up, we return to Gwen as she begins to put her plot of 'making Ben see sense' into motion.
