"No!" Kevin's body contorted and twisted in the bed. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't move, and he had no control over his body. It was one of the many nightmares he'd been having for the past weeks, something he refused to admit to anyone. And especially Gwen.

The scenery around him changed once more. He was in the middle of the dark street, with one light illuminating and shining a path ahead of him. Ben was there, his eyes focused and determined and the anger on his face chilling and terrifying. Kevin tried to scream for help and warn Ben to run away, but he couldn't do anything.

"Don't stand in my way, Tennyson," Kevin called out. It wasn't him.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Ben said. His Omnitrix lit up and Ben pressed it. "Swamp Fire!" he called out. Raising his hands forward, a fire beam shot right at Kevin, but there was no pain. Kevin's body absorbed it and he felt a chuckle escaping his mouth.

His body twisted towards Ben's, his hands shooting forward and preparing for an attack. An energy beam shot from his arm and landed on Ben's body. It went right through him. Hurting Swamp Fire should be impossible, yet Ben returned to his human form, falling to the ground.

Kevin tried to gain control. He could see Ben in front of him, he could feel his body moving and his head calculating ways to kill him, but no matter what, he couldn't stop. Ben was moaning in pain, staring at Kevin with hatred. Kevin stood over Ben, and he laughed—it was a deep, arrogant, and terrifying laugh that sent chills up and down his spine.

"I told you not to stand in my way. Now you'll pay." Without hesitation, Kevin shot a diamond arrow right at him, impaling Ben's skinny body and killing him. A pool of blood gathered around, and Kevin found himself savoring the smell and wanting more. More energy. More killing.

"Ben!" Gwen's voice echoed through the area and Kevin turned his gaze, smirking.

Please, not her. Anyone but her.

But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't stop. He was going to kill her.

Gwen's eyes widened as Kevin's screams of despair echoed from the bedroom. She dropped the phone in her hand, running toward the room in panic. Were they being attacked? Was he injured? She projected two mana balls, preparing for any scenario possible, and kicking the door open.

As she entered, she braced herself for an attack. But what she saw broke her heart into a million pieces.

"Stop, I don't want this," Kevin yelled out.

He was in his bed, cold sweat dripping from his half-naked body. The white sheets were on the ground, and he was taking deep breaths as if struggling to breathe properly. His face was pale and his arms moved left and right, trying to wander off some imaginary enemy. Right away, she spun into action. Sitting beside him on the bed, she placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently.

"Kevin, it's me," she said quietly. "I'm here, you're okay."

His movements seemed to calm slowly, his muscles relaxing. The incoherent mumbles and deep breaths continued, but his demeanor changed. His aura was catching a break and he would come to his senses soon enough.

"You're okay, it's okay," she continued, whispering. She held one of his hands on her own, rubbing soft circles with her thumb.

"Gwen?" His eyelids fluttered open and he rubbed his eyes, adjusting himself to the light. "Are you okay?" He raised his body, their eyes meeting.

"Am I okay?" she asked. "The question is if you're okay. You were screaming in your sleep."

"Uh…" He gulped, rubbing the back of his neck. Silence followed and Gwen knew what was wrong. Although he hadn't opened up about it, she knew what haunted him day and night. The guilt he felt was apparent, and it killed her knowing he was keeping it all bottled up inside. And for what? Both Gwen and Ben had tried to reach out to him, but he always found a way to blame himself and use that dreaded word: 'monster". The nightmares were simply proof of his pain.

"We need to talk about it," said Gwen. "I can't stand seeing you like this."

"We don't need to talk about anything. I'm fine, and—"

"You're not! Stop being a stubborn jerk and listen to me," Holding his shoulders tightly, she turned his body toward her. "You're not a monster. You never were. None of this is your fault. I was never angry at you, and neither was Ben. Whatever happened is in the past. You—" She placed a hand on his chest. "Saved us all, so stop...Please."

Kevin's breath hitched, almost as if he didn't know how to react. "I keep dreaming the same thing over and over again," he continued. "I can never control myself-I always end up killing Ben and then when you show up, I calculate everything carefully. And I'm about to kill you. It's always the same…"

He stared down at his hands, his eyes shutting tightly. It was the first time he went into so much detail, the first time he opened up about it.

"You would never do that," she said. "It's your mind messing with you and creating all these…stupid scenarios. The Kevin I know would never do that."

"I almost killed you!" he yelled out. "I lost control once, who's to say it won't happen again?"

"Me. I'll know how to help you this time and I'll be there for you, just like I was before. But you need to believe in yourself, Kevin." She wrapped her hands around his body, burying her head in his chest. "You're not a monster."

He hugged her, supporting his chin on the top of her head. "Obviously you would say that."

"I mean it," she said. "No one blames you for what happened, you know. If anything, we're glad you're back."

Kevin inhaled through his nostrils, kissing the top of her head. "I don't mean to be sappy, but you're the only reason I can live with myself after this…Thank you for believing in me."

Gwen smiled, pulling back. "Sappy is good, you know."

"It definitely is." He inched closer, holding her chin with his fingers, and kissing her softly. He laid down and pulled her next to her, as Gwen rested her head on his chest. "Stay with me?"

"Okay, I will."