Whoa…Been Awhile Eh? I'm so sorry! I've just been so caught up with work and then my other stories and AMVs (Videos for Youtube) that I just haven't gotten around to typing this chapter up.
Even now I am doing so at work hehe.
Disclaimer: you know the deal.
Thank you so much guys for liking my story and this chapter goes out to all of you reviewers and especially KitsunexMaxwell whom is a fellow writer and supporter of the GwenBen relationship for what it truly is!
But there was no urge to run to him, to take comfort in him, to kiss and love him. Only when she looked at Ben did that feeling arise in the pit of her stomach, throughout the veins of her body and core of her heart and soul.
"Edwin…" she let out breathlessly. Grabbing hold of her he called back to Max and Ben.
"You two go on ahead, someone needs to stop them, I'll care for Gwendolyn, we'll catch up." As he held on to her she watched Ben and all the emotions that ran through his face. At first it was worry when it looked like she was going to collapse again, then anger and jealously as she breathed out her fiancé's name as he caught her, and then regret and unwillingness as he turned to leave and save the world.
"Here Gwendolyn…let's lie down." Placing her on the couch comforter of the main room he placed the back of his hand on her forehead. "It seems you have a fever and-" Looking up to see why he stopped his diagnosis she scrunched her eyebrows in worry.
"Gwendolyn…where's your engagement ring?"
X
"Gwen?" His hands had become shaky, and she couldn't reframe from staring at them. Was it anger, complete rage that he was holding back? Was he worried, so deeply concerned that the prospect of their engagement really was a sham? His hands just keep on shaking…by his side now, she wants to cry.
"I…" she looked back down at her ring less finger and her eyes subconsciously, unintentionally, darted across the hall towards Ben's room, where the ring was last left at. Edwin started to follow her gaze but stopped short of finding their destination when she quickly recomposed herself and responded hastily.
"Cleaning-Yeah, you see, maybe that's why I got sick too…too much bleach with cleansers…" Edwin gave her a skeptical look.
"You don't like to clean though….in fact, you never clean." She sweat dropped at the obviously blunt statement that he sometimes wished she was more of a homemaker wife than a crime fighting superhero. Sighing she tried to sit up but quickly ceased her movements when pain shot through her again, Edwin, despite the previous occurrence of accusations subtly being thrown about, caught her with worry.
"I should place you in bed, you don't seem fine at all-maybe you do have a good reason for not cleaning." He chuckled lightly; it was forced, obvious to the two, but he was doing his best to make light of the situation and not cause any more pain to her already throbbing head.
"No…no, really, I'm fine, we should hurry and help Ben, knowing him he probably went headstrong against Charmcaster again and she caught him in a binding spell-he's going to need me to get out of it…" Moving to get up Edwin held her shoulders firmly.
"No, I won't allow it, Benjamin will be fine…and since when did you start calling him 'Ben'?" He held a frown on his face and his grip on her shoulders were loosening. "You have been rather…distant lately, I don't know what's going on Gwen, last night I wanted to go out for dinner but you said you were busy…and-"
She grimaced, remembering vaguely what had 'happened' the night before, the night before all this started…and yet, it had already started, didn't it? She had already been living this life for many years, but to her, in this moment, in this instance, it started all this morning, just a couple of hours ago.
The phone was ringing and she stared at it idly, not wanting to pick it up but not wanting to worry the person she certainly knew was on the other line. Hesitantly she had to lean over a limp figure that was sleeping soundly to reach the phone, once obtained she picked it up and tried to sound as perturbed as she possibly could.
"What? Who is it-"
"Honey, it's me, what's wrong? You sound irritated." Taking a moment to breathe she looked down at Benjamin and smiled, he was awake and now wrapping his arm around her torso.
"…huh?" she tried to swat his hand and he only grinned at her. "Wait-Edwin? Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm really swamped do you think we can chat a little later, I'm going over some…ancient scriptures, I think I may be able to find something to further our advantage over Charmcaster…" Benjamin released her and placed a hand over his eyes, biting his bottom lip to keep from laughing; he had to admit, Gwendolyn was always great when thinking on her feet.
"Oh…so I guess you're too busy to go out for dinner huh?" his voice was deflated compared to the concerned high pitched voice upon answering, she frowned slightly and muttered a 'sorry' before carelessly hanging up the phone and falling back upon the pillow case and fluffy bed. Benjamin wrapped his arms around her body and slowly allowed one hand to graze down her thigh, making little rubbing motions to soothe her.
"It'll be okay Gwendolyn…It'll be okay."
She slowly shook her head, restraining the tears that threatened to fall.
It was never going to be okay.
"You…know I was busy and what I was busy with, I've been working really hard lately Edwin-"
"And I haven't Gwendolyn? I feel like you're a stranger to me, I hardly get to spend time with you anymore, I spend more time with your grandfather for God's sake!" her mouth hung agape for his voice was growing more with fury, with more intensity, she needed to find a way to calm him and then hopefully get him to allow her to leave to catch up with Ben, help him if she could, and more importantly get a glimpse at Charmcaster and Kai.
"Edwin…" she paused, her eyes darting across his face in consternation. "H-Honey…My love, I am sorry, I really am, I know I haven't been myself, crime fighting business takes it toll, I promise…I'll make it up to you." She started to rack her brain; does she do with him what she does with Ben? Do they…surely the must, right? They were engaged.
Slowly, with a flurry of blushes she reached out to stroke his hair before grazing his skin with her fingertips in a cool and seductive manner. "I promise I will make it up to you later…" His eyes widened and upon seeing this Gwendolyn withdrew her hands immediately and replaced them upon her face, an ill attempt to hide her embarrassment.
"Gwendolyn…what is with you?" She was still on the couch comforter, as where he left her when he got up and turned his back to her. "You said you wanted to wait till marriage to do…that." He sighed and his shoulders visibly slumped in depression. "I don't know what's going on, I'm worried…but I trust you with all my heart Gwendolyn, I only hope you do the same with me, and when you're ready, you'll tell me what's really going on."
Leaving her to sulk she laid back down and stared at the ceiling momentarily. Why were things so complicated? Why must she hide her feelings, keep this secret that was destined to ruin and destroy so many individual lives...Guess the answer is within the question huh? Eyes widening at the familiar tug of her heart, Gwendolyn as quickly as possible without causing too much pain to her body, jumped off the couch and went to where Ben was calling for her.
"Hexus Remento!" Glowing hands, outlined with a goldish glint was raised as the words were shouted, the paralyzing technique enfeebling the four armed, red skinned alien in front of the woman whom cast the spell.
"Oh Benny…you are losing your touch…too much on your mind?" her grin was filled with malice, her dark hair stripped with lines of navy blue, her eyes hollow and tainted.
There was nothing but grudge and hatred within this woman.
She cackled maliciously as she tossed Benjamin's body aside, now aiming her sites on the mini transportation device leading to the Null Void. "With this…I'll send you and your cousin to the darkest depths of the Null Void where you with face of all those you are just loooooonging to see, hahaha! Take this! Rependus Mendento!" Constricting his limbs, his four arms being tied amongst one another and his body being hurdled across the ground to which they fought on, Ben was suffering from excruciating pain when Gwendolyn arrived.
"Ben!! Benjamin!!" not even surveying her surroundings she ran to the befallen man and pulled his body into her arms, when Kai grimaced and then growled in rage, about to pull off another spell Gwendolyn snapped her head towards the dastardly woman and with eyes filled with rage she shouted a disarming spell.
Kai did not take too kindly to the attack but was more aware of how Gwen was hovering over Ben's body protectively.
"Why you-Stay away from him-!!!"
"You stay away from him!"
"Tch, haven't you had enough of him, he's all yours already, won't even think about being with another girl! You caused all this you know! Look at him; he's weak and pathetic, caught off guard easily because he's preoccupied with thoughts of you! Thoughts only of you! You caused this!"
"…why you…" Summoning up a higher disarming spell, one that would paralyze her, she faked an attack before launching her spell.
Once that was accomplished, Kai's hands being physically able to not move, her mouth sealed shut, unable to utter a spell or even call out for help, Gwen placed Ben's hurting body gently about the floor, his Omnitrix timing out and revealing the sweaty weakened form of her cousin. Rising she turned towards the even increasingly worried Kai, her lips forming into a straight line she examined the woman.
Her long black hair was even longer than from when she was a kid, the streaks of blue darkening her features even more so than her skin tone of natural shade; her eyes were vacant, void of any real compassion or feeling.
"Kai…"
"Mmmh-hmm" Gwendolyn couldn't help but smirk at this. "Cat gotcha tongue?" At the sudden trashing about from the antagonist from the situation, Gwendolyn went out into a full on laughing riot before being stopped abruptly with a hit to her back. Scratching her hands and knees due to the unpredicted blow, she gripped what she could of the dirt filled floor and raised back up to face her assailant.
Growling she muttered Charmcaster's name before preparing to attack, she stopped herself though when she found Charmcaster smiling.
"Your looking well Gwendolyn, too bad I can't say the same about Benjamin here though…" lifting her hand sinuously, like poetry in motion she used her invisible grip around Ben's body to protect her as she placed his hovering form before her.
"Let him go!-" "Un-ah-Uh Gwendolyn, I don't like it when people are shouting, my hand might slip…and if my hand slips, well then, I'm not sure how Benjamin will fair…" Brows scrunching in anger and consternation, Gwen reminded herself to breathe and analyze the situation before heading straight into whatever traps laid out before her, like Benjamin usually did.
"Now, be a good little girl…oh my, can't say that anymore can I? Well, who cares really- you're always going to be little in my eyes…" laughing softly she returned to her demand. "Let Kai loose, I don't like my apprentice being so quiet."
"Let Ben go first."
"Oh?...so you can attack me together? I think not."
"Oh and letting Kai go is sooo much better, yeah right!" Gwen scoffed before noticing Edwin's and Grandpa's figure behind Charmcaster's form. Staying quiet she returned her sights back to Charmcaster's inquisitive eyes, quickly she knew she had to pay the distraction.
"Aren't you still bent out of shape that I have more magical talent that you? That you need an apprentice, a bad one at that if I do say so myself, just too even attempt to beat me? I mean come on Charmy, dont'cha know when to call the quits? Your uncle sure knew."
"Why you…." Lifting Ben's body into the air, Gwen's eyes widened in fear. "I'll make you regret your words!! Levitus Dementius!" Watching as Benjamin's figure was thrown across the air, Gwen knew she had to try to catch him, knew that Charmcaster would be distracted.
"Grandpa, Edwin, NOW!" As she spun around on her heel, quickly casting a "momentum incredio" spell to quicken her running speed, she reached Ben's falling form and quickly using her martial arts skills to jump to an abnormal height, caught Ben gracefully and hovered to the ground below cautiously, where he slowly moved away from her grip and placed his feet steadily upon the floor.
"Gwen….dolyn, Ugh, damn that smirks…" She smiled up at him, him being much taller than herself and sighed in relief.
"I was worried; you weren't waking up or fighting back…not like you at all Benjamin, what was up?" He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head before winking.
"Just wanted to see if you'd come and save me, that's all."
"Benjamin Tennyson!!!" About to reflexively smack him, she stopped herself before smirking deviously. "Repelso Argumendo!" A short blast of golden light formed between Ben and she and Benjamin soon found with each time he tried coming near Gwendolyn he was repelled back at least three feet. Grudgingly he muttered a 'no fair' while he sulked all the way back to the rest of the team.
The site was as expected, Charmcaster wrapped in a magical binding chain, Kai in toll, Gwendolyn's spell still in effect from earlier. Edwin was eyeing the cousins curiously but spoke not a word as he called up the military police to come recapture the escapees.
"Are you alright Ben?" Benjamin nodded and gripped his grandfather's shoulders.
"Yeah old man, why don't you say I treat ya to a nice hot cup of tea?" Max smiled and then laughed.
"I hope you are offering more than just tea, I'm starved." Ben laughed along with his grandfather before turning back to the engaged couple. "You two coming?" Edwin frowned at Ben conspicuously before turning back to Gwendolyn. She looked torn between the two but knew what she had to do.
"I think I'm going to go have dinner with Edwin, thanks for the offer…Cuz." The latter part of her response was void of any real conviction but she said it to try and convince her fiancé, she seemed to have done as such when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her temple lightly.
"Finally, let's go to this nice little town house restaurant I saw a couple of streets north." As they left Ben stared at their retreating form, the moment Edwin stopped chattering Gwendolyn quickly glanced back at him and frowned an apology, he seemed to accept it. It was after all, what they were use to.
"Hey Ben, I think we should go to that diner down the street, they have some good burgers…Ben?"
But it still didn't make it hurt any less.
"Yeah…sure Gramps."
I know lame chapter, and nothing of when they were younger, I kind of just wanted to get the confrontation between Charmcaster/Kai and Gwen out of the way before I focus back on the problem within the triangle and the shifts in present and past. Please bare with me and Review to show your support! –hugs-