"Ugh! What is that?"

"Um, a smoothie?"

"I meant what kind?"

"Cucumber-melon-siracha-garlic-and-marshmallow."

Kevin made an exaggerated sigh as Ben got back in the car and slurped his drink. Gwen had to admit, if she gave it enough thought it sounded utterly disgusting. Ben had always been a bit weird... But then again he wielded an advanced piece of alien technology that allowed him to manipulate his physical form into any of nearly every sentient species in the universe; so perhaps that was a given. Either way, his taste in smoothies was always odd, but - to be completely honest - the flavors he'd been getting for over a year now had gone past 'outlandish' and right into 'freaking nasty' territory.

Gwen could still remember the smell of last week's nightmarish concoction. A spinach-tofu-wheatgrass-onion Piña Colada smoothie. Really, the employees of the Mr. Smoothie outlets across Bellwood deserved awards or at least some kind of recognition for putting up with Ben's orders alone. She shuddered at the idea of having to put together something like that.

"I really don't understand how you can stomach that stuff," Kevin said.

"Well, you don't have to like it; you're not the one drinking it."

"I realize. But I'm honestly more concerned for you. I mean really, Cucumber-melon and siracha? Ben that is some crazy pregnancy-craving-level stuff."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Gwen knew he regretted them. In the mirror she could see Ben gently put his drink in a cup holder, and deftly began to fiddle with the Omnitrix. It was as if he was deciding how best to rip Kevin a new one. And he probably was. She was about to try talking her cousin out of it when an epiphany struck her.

"That's it!"

"What's it, Gwen?"

Kevin was very desperately trying to avoid whatever violence Ben was already planning.

"I think I've figured out why Ben likes all those crazy mix-and-match flavors."

At that, Ben stopped and turned to Gwen with a perplexed stare; still fiddling with the Omnitrix.

"Explain."

"Well remember how when you had the kids, you were eating weirdly?"

Ben gave her an annoyed look. Even ywo years later he was still very sensitive about the kids.

"Yeah?"

"So, maybe all the hormones addled your tastebuds."

"I... beg your pardon?"

"I'm serious, pregnancy can permantly affect someone… maybe having the kids left you with a really weird taste in smoothies?"

Ben sat back in his seat to think about it, meanwhile Keven let out a silent sigh of relief. Thankfully, he was relieved enough not to crack any jokes lest he rouse Ben's ire once more. Ben looked thoughtful and slowly flushed darker with every second that passed. Eventually, he turned to face his cousin, blushing cherry red up to his ears.

"But that was almost two years ago! Shouldn't I be- I don't know! Back to normal already?"

"Not really," Gwen said apprehensively.

"What do you mean 'not really'?"

"Like I said, pregnancy can permanently affect people. Kenny said that when he was little Mom loved grapefruit, but after she had me she couldn't stand to look at them."

If it was possible, Ben turned even redder. He sat back in his seat, suddenly no longer interested in his drink. Kevin and Gwen shared looks of concern before turning to look at Ben. Ben's blushing didn't settle and he could feel the other two staring at him. Gwen finally tried to speak up after a minute.

"Uh, Ben-"

"Just take me home."

Kevin complied, not wanting to upset him further. The drive to Ben's house was quiet, Gwen staring at her cousin in concern and Kevin glancing at him every spare second. Ben remained quiet, the flush never fully leaving his face. When they arrived, he left with a curt goodbye and barely refrained from slamming the door.

He left his smoothie behind.

Ben entered the house without a word, going up the stair two at a time. He kicked off his shoes, yanked off his jacket, and threw himself onto his bed. He put his pillow over his head and tried not to think about it. Not to think about that time, the fuzzy memories consuming metal; the blurry recollection of nesting; the vague sensation of egg laying; and the only moment he could remember with some clarity: when the eggs finally hatched. It was like a faint dream, though whether it was sweet dream or a nightmare he could never quite decide. He wanted; he wanted so desperately to be proud. After all, they had come from him, why shouldn't he be?

But then why wasn't he? He should be talking the ear off anyone who would listen about them; but aside from those who had witnessed their hatching, he hadn't told anyone and swore the others to secrecy. He hadn't even told Grandpa Max about them! And he couldn't even hear Kevin bring them up. He couldn't take it.

Why?

Knocking.

"Ben, honey, are you alright in there?"

"Yeah."

"I'm coming in."

Sandra opened the door and saw her son hiding from the world as best he could. She could tell something was wrong, he hadn't done that since the incident with clowns when he was a small child.

"Ben, can I talk to you?"

Ben froze. He didn't know what to do, what to say. What could he say? His parents didn't know about the children, didn't even know he bore the Omnitrix again until months later. How would his mother react. Ben panicked and the first thing out of his mouth was:

"Mom, what was it like having me?"

Sandra Tennyson was thrown for a loop. She had expected silence, maybe a request to leave, a confession of some of what was bothering him at best. But that particular question? She had not expect that really. Not at all, actually. Sandra slowly approached the bed and sat down, letting the question soak in before attempting to answer.

"May I ask where this is coming from?"

Ben's only response was to squeeze the pillow down further. Sandra smiled fondly but sadly and answered.

"Having you was… the second hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I was terrified and excited all at once."

"Second hardest thing? What was the first?"

"Is the first, you mean. Raising you."

The answer caused ben to peek out from under his pillow with a wry smile, which Sandra matched with a happy one. It might be the hardest thing, but in her opinion, it was more than worth it. Then her son hit her with yet another curveball:

"Was I planned or was I an accident?"

Sandra blinked in surprise. Her son was really keeping her on her toes today, it would seem.

"Well, the short answer is accident but I think you ought to hear the long answer too,"

Ben finally removed himself from under the pillow.

"I'm listening."

"Well, your father and I were sure we wanted children, but we just we're sure about when. Next week? Next year? Five years from now? Tomorrow? We just didn't know. Then I found out I was pregnant and that was that. You made the decision for us."

Ben nodded, putting the pillow in his lap and gripping it. Ben looked away, the wall suddenly seeming very interesting.

"One more question."

Sandra braced herself.

"Do you ever regret having me?"

Sandra couldn't help but gape. Never in her life did she ever expect to hear those words in that order out of her son's mouth. Yet there they were; the question in the air. For a split second, Sandra wondered what she could've done to prompt this. When had she ever shown her son that she didn't love him? But she pushed her own doubts aside and put her hand on his face, coaxing him to look her in the eye.

"Not for one second."

In that moment, an epiphany struck Ben. The tangled mess of emotions regarding his children were finally beginning to unravel and make sense. And the first thing he finally came to understand was guilt. The overwhelming sense of guilt. Guilt over the embarrassment, guilt of that singular tinge of regret over having them, guilt over feeling ashamed of them. All at once it came crashing down upon him and Ben found himself doing something he hadn't done in years.

He cried.

Ben broke down in sobs and held fast to his mother as if for dear life. Sandra only hugged him, pet his hair, and rocked him as much as she could until he settled. She was so focused on him; she didn't hear the sound of footsteps approaching.

"What's going on?"

Of course, Carl heard the commotion and ran upstairs, wondering just what on Earth would upset his son so much that he was crying in his mother's arms. He rushed to them and aided his wife in attempting to sooth Ben. After a some time, perhaps minutes or maybe an hour, Ben pulled away and spoke. He told them everything. The fears of another shift going rogue, asking Julie to watch over him, the interference of Gwen and Kevin, and the Babies. He tried his best to explain it, but at some point, the words became so garbled between his sobs that a part of him wondered if he was even speaking English anymore. When he finally finished, his parents gently coaxed him to sleep. He rested his head and dropped into sleep in moments; clearly drained. Carl and Sandra shared looks and quietly tiptoed down the stairs. Sandra started to make some green tea to try and calm down.

They had a lot to discuss.

-OMNITHEORIES-

[A/N] So… This one may have ran away with me a little (a lot). If you can't piece together the theory, I don't blame you. I just started writing and didn't stop. Basically, I wanted to tie together Ben's absolutely wild taste in smoothies with him having the kids, since pregnancy can and does permanently affect people who conceive and give birth. And then I kinda added to why they never came up after "Save the Last Dance".

Please leave a review and tell me if you want me to write and post the continuation of this specific theory/story and I'll get on that.

Meanwhile, I hope you wonderful human beings have had a wonderful 2019 and will have an absolutely marvelous 2020!