August 2, 2009

Thomaston, GA; 5:30 pm

"I can't believe it's been a whole year since Joel and Camille's wedding!" Gwen exclaimed from the passenger's seat. "Hopefully, there won't be any Sludgepuppies looking for payback. I had to scrub for hours to get the stains out."

Max chuckled faintly, "No, I think we'll be okay. Most of the resistance has been wiped out, so we should see many more years of peace."

Joel had overheard that the Tennysons were yet again on another summer road trip and invited them to their anniversary dinner. Max and Gwen were ecstatic to see the couple again, but Ben wasn't too pleased. It'd been almost a month since he learned about his cousin's subconscious feelings towards him. For days, he racked his brain around trying to understand what he had learned, and yet, every time he thinks about it, his emotions get the better of him. He'd done well to ignore the thoughts of love and romance, but there's no escaping it tonight.

Joel was waiting for them outside his two-story farmhouse. The neighborhood stood silent with only the occasional sound of the evening crow beckoning. The redwood trees towering over the farmhouse, creating an isolated atmosphere that puts Ben in utter discomfort. He took a deep sigh as his shoulders became hunched over. "This is gonna be a long day." He thought internally.

"Uncle Max! I'm so glad you could make it." He strolls up to them and gives the older man a firm handshake. He glances over, looking down at the two cousins. His eyebrows rise as they turn slightly concerned, "Gwen, I hope you're not still upset about the whole flower girl thing."

"Of course not." She reassured him with a bright smile.

"And how's the savior of the universe holding up?" Joel chuckles while ruffling Ben's hair.

"You heard about that?" Ben looked up at his grandfather, who averted his gaze.

"You kidding? There isn't a plumber on this planet that hasn't heard about what you and your family did last year."

Usually, Ben would let this get to his head and boast about how he's a famous hero. However, he just felt empty. He began to spiral; everything felt numb. The creature back in the mountains brought his deepest, darkest fears to light. The fears that he has tried to shut out comes crawling back. He recalls all of the sleepless nights filled with nightmares, reliving the events with the creature sending shivers down his spine. If it weren't for him messing with the watch in the first place, they would have never gone to Xenon. He was no hero. He was a murderer. The wedding alone was proof of it when he killed Camille's parents. Even if it was to save the wedding and bring about peace, there must have been another way to stop them. He catches himself for a second when he looks down; he notices his fingernails have been chewed at.

Ben kept his head down as he followed his family into the house. Camille came out of the kitchen to greet them. "Max. Ben. Gwen. It's so good to see you all again." Ben avoids eye contact while staring at the ground. She gave them all big hugs before joining her husband's side. It wasn't long before a blonde eleven-year-old came barreling down the stairs.

"Ben! Gwen!" She threw herself from the third step, tackling the two cousins to the ground.

"Lucy! What did I tell you about jumping off the stairs?" Camille shouted angrily.

"But Camille," Lucy pouted while lying on the floor, "I haven't seen my two favorite cousins since the wedding."

"I thought I was your favorite cousin," Camille frowns as she crosses her arms and turns away from Lucy.

"I'm sorry!" Lucy shot up, giving Camille a huge hug. "I've just gotten so used to you being like a big sister or a mom to me; I keep forgetting that we're only cousins." The two hugged it out and looked back at the rest of the family.

"Um Lucy, if you don't mind me asking," Max spoke up, "I thought you went back to your home after the wedding." Her smile slowly became grim as she faintly twitched at the sound of the word "home."

"There were some complications," Joel chimed in, "I think... we'd all rather not talk about it right now." His face seemed defeated and distressed. Max nodded understandingly and dropped the subject.

It was another two hours before Joel's parents, Gordon and Betty Jean, arrived and the dinner started. Gordon made a toast wishing the couple a long and happy life together, Gwen and Lucy talked about school and life as a human tween, and Max enjoyed being surrounded by a loving family. Everyone was having a fantastic time. Halfway through the get-together, Ben had a sudden loss of appetite. He finished his dinner early and excused himself from the dinner table.

The sky became a mixture of oranges and blues as the sun reaches its final destination for the night. Ben slumped over, sat on a rock in the tree line and watched everyone laughing from the dining room window. The laughter echoes ever so faintly into the night. He should be happy for them. If it wasn't for him, they might not be here, and their two species would still be at war. Yet, even considering all that, he couldn't bring himself even to fake a smile.

He has so much he should be grateful for, yet all he could think about were his mistakes. They were pounding in his head like a never-ending loop. The sounds of bones breaking and organs rupturing as he pinballed around inside the giant tick. He was watching the clay-like sludge hardened and crumbled around him as he burst through the giant Sludgepuppies. The smell of rotting flesh being burnt to a crisp. Dozens of screams echoed throughout his head.

"Ben! Snap out of it!" A hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his daze. Lucy was visibly worried as she tried to get his attention.

He was drenched in sweat and his scalp stung from a clump of hair he pulled out. Looking around, he could see that the sun had long since set, and the dining room window was empty.

"They got worried, so I said I'd come looking for you." She sat down next to him and began rubbing his back. "You know what the worst part about being the hero is? You can't afford to show a moment of weakness." Ben looked up at her, confused. "It took a couple of weeks before we could get a ship back to my home- I mean my planet."

"When we arrived, it wasn't a happy reunion." Lucy's face grew pale. "My parents weren't too thrilled about the peace treaty and attacked us." He could see a single tear fall down her cheek before being wiped away. "That's when Camille and Joel took me in. The entire time, Camille had this look of determination as if she was going to protect me no matter what. But late at night, when she thought I was asleep, I could hear her crying from down the hall." She was having trouble breathing; her voice barely a whisper. "We lost so much from that wedding."

Ben could feel the panic rise again with tears forming. His heart raced and he was struggling to breathe."But if it wasn't for you," Lucy wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled into his back, "I would have never had the chance to be a part of such an amazing family."

The realization hit him like a semi. Ultimately, he was a hero, and sometimes, heroes have to make tough decisions. Learning to live with those decisions just comes with the territory. He stood up and wiped the tears from his face. Striking a hero pose, he shouted, "Who's your hero?"

"My hero?" Lucy giggled. "I hope Gwen doesn't mind if I take you for myself then." She planted a soft kiss on his cheek, causing them to redden like a tomato.

"What!? We can't; we're cousins!" Feeling frazzled, he wasn't sure which cousin he was talking about.

"Really?" Lucy enjoyed watching him spazz out, but something caught her eye. "You of all people should understand that love will always find a way." She brought her hand to his chest as she emphasized the L-word. "Just look at Joel and Camille, a Lenopan and a Human. Both had been at war for decades and now they've been brought together in holy matrimony."

"That's different!" Ben yelled frantically.

"Joel's parents wanted to kill Camille and me, but they still wanted to support their son." She pulled him in closer. "If they can find love, then anyone can, Ben. Just give it a chance."

The blonde pulled away and made her way back towards the house. She stopped halfway and looked to the tree in the middle of the yard before walking inside. A few moments later, Gwen stepped out from behind the tree.

"How long have you been out here?" Ben asked, feeling his mouth become dry.

"Long enough to see you smooching." A pinch of irritation bled through, causing Ben to grow anxious.

"It's not what it looks like…"

"Oh, so I didn't look like you had our cousin all over you!?"

"Yes, but no wait-"

"Forget it, Doofus!" She turned her back to him. "I won't tell anyone… Your dirty little secret's safe with me." She started walking back to the house but was pulled back. "Let go of me, you freak!"

"I don't like Lucy like that…"

Gwen tried to look at his face, but he averted his gaze. "I get it! Now let go of me."

"No!"

"Ben, I mean it-"

"She's not the one I like!" The two were silent. Ben could feel his heart pounding a mile a minute. His mouth felt dryer than the Mojave desert and his palms were as wet as the ocean. He tried to find the words, but they wouldn't come. Thinking was the Dweeb's thing. Ben, however, believed that actions spoke louder than words.

"Ben let go of-"

He kissed her. The two stared at each other, not knowing what to do next. After what felt like an eternity, Gwen was the first to move.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!?" Gwen screamed. Ben sat on the dirt floor, nursing his jaw after a punch that makes Vilgax look like a toddler. "If this is your idea of a joke, it's not funny, Ben!"

"It's not a joke!" He stood up, prepared to be knocked back down.

"But we can't- We're cousins, Ben."

"I don't care!" There was no running away anymore. He looked deep into the emerald jewels that mirrored his own. "If Joel and Camille can be happy, why can't we?" He reached for her hands, causing her to flinch away.

"You're the one I like, Gwen. It's always been you."

He held out his hand once again. "Please." Gwen hesitantly reached her hand out and grasped his. Ben rubbed his thumb across her skin. "They're soft," not realizing he spoke aloud.

Gwen pulled her hand away but didn't hit him again. Their faces were almost as red as her hair. "I mean, I guess we can try..." Ben felt a knot in his stomach come undone. A stupid, giant grin formed on his face before she smacked it away. "And you better take responsibility for stealing my first kiss, Doofus!" She stormed inside while he rubbed his cheek. Somehow, after being knocked on his butt twice, he felt like he was back up in space.


AN: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If it feels different from my previous ones I had some help writing it and I may have them help me with future chapters. I'll try and have the next chapter out soon but it's hard when life keeps kicking me while I'm down all the time.