Hmmmm, I have my muse back! Yay! And what do I have to thank for it? Why, WE The Kings: Secret Valentine of course.

DISCLAMER: Screw this, just read the story and review please.

Lawyers: Mmmph!( Help Us!)

Ben and Gwen: Shut up!

There comes a time in a person's life where they realize a number of things. It could be how to solve a problem in work, though that would most likely be in the early stages of life. It could be the realization that if you do something, there is most likely going to be a outcome or separate effect that is undesirable, or just plain unwanted. But the one most people experience in their lives are regret. It comes in different forms, different types, and different kinds. Closely related to guilt, and can lower someone's ego big time, or just make a person depressed. But the regret Ben was feeling right now was not that of guilt, or anything close to that. It was fear.

'Uh oh.' Why did he have to get her to eat that breakfast?? He kept asking himself that, but the only thing his mind could come up with was a mental image of his ten year old self. What the hell did that have to with anything??! Before he left, as kids, he learned a very valuable lesson that all boys would be bound to learn sooner than later. Though it would be in their best interest to learn it sooner, lest they experience doom by a girls hand. That lesson was: Never piss off Gwen. EVER. Sure she wouldn't do anything serious while Max was around, and eventually he was good enough at holding her back, but what about the times where he wasn't? Well, those times, weren't very fond. They ended up with her sitting on him choking him or ringing his neck, playfully but most of the time it was violently. But back then he didn't mind the sitting part one bit. Hey, he's a boy. Go figure.

But now, he could only stare. Her clothes were ruffled, and her eyes were droopy as if she hadn't gotten much sleep. She hadn't vomited at all, much to her dismay. The eggs were raging a storm on her stomach, creating annoyance which she was happily going to take out on who? Why Ben of course. The dark brown haired boy had numerous ways to avoid any sort of bad outcome of this situation at hand. One of them was to try to make a run for it and hide some where, but no, she would find him. 'Hmmm, face the consequences? Hell no! Think Ben Think!' She started pacing back and forth in front of the doorway, so he couldn't get anyway out. The bad thing for her was that she couldn't use magic. The good thing was that this was Ben. Good ol' predictable, easy to fool, Ben. 'Wait… I got it!'

He walked forward, in a surrender like manner, his hands up as if he was a thief that was caught red handed. "Okay dweeb. Ya got me. Take your hit. But I warm you, you get two shots. Then all bets are off." A scowl gratefully formed on Gwen's face. Just who did he think he was talking to? Apparently he had no idea he was talking to the girl who got her black belt in Tae Kwan Do last year. Gwen was really confident in her fighting prowess, though it might not be the best, it sure as heck got the job done during her classes at the local plumber facility. She wasn't going to let him live this down when she flipped him on the back and pinned him to the floor just like old times. Putting down his hands, he forced himself to hold back a smirk. Just what was he planning? Gwen charged forward, not running, more like pouncing at Ben with her hands out. Too bad she didn't notice what he just grabbed be hind his back and gripped tightly.

The next events left her awe struck.

1) He moved to the side, and grabbed her wrist.

2) He had been gripping a discarded shirt from the boxes and at her face, covering her head, blinding her.

3) He pushed her into the pile of empty boxes and clothes on the bed and ran the hell outta there!

Well, Ben didn't exactly spend two years away doing nothing. There were Plumber facilities everywhere, and if it wasn't for the plumbers, he would have his arms being pulled behind his back right then. Knowing his victory was short lived, he held the door knob so she could not pull it open. 'Whew. God bless the toilet cleaners…' Those 'toilet cleaners' as he affectionately named them, kept his classes from reaching the other Tennysons. They felt it was best that he come back with a couple of, 'surprises'. "Ben! Ben!! Let! Me! OUT!" The sound of her trying to pull the doorknob in her direction interrupted her yelling, that all the while made Ben cringe. "Just like old times right Gwen?!" He had to yell as a result of the jingling getting louder. And then, it suddenly… just… stopped. He wondered why and took a peek through the crack of the door frame only to see a purple light glowing from the confines of the room.

Piecing it together he widened his eyes. For those who do not know, Gwen is part anodite like Ben, but she has the 'spark'. Anodites can manipulate energy, and/or use magic. Gwen part anodite + using magic = a big no for Ben. "Oh. Crap." He broke off running again just in time to avoid being thrown in the other room which had its door open, from the aforementioned door that he had been holding Gwen in. Splinters flew everywhere as Gwen's hands lost there purple hue, but her eyes still retained a 'playful murderous intent. He turned around to face her, only to see her running at him with her hands out ready to choke the poor boy. 'Crap…come on come on come on!' Finding exactly what he was looking for, he pressed the fateful watch on his armed and a green light blinded Gwen, and it disappeared in time for her to see a dinosaur like thing in a bodysuit with that all too familiar symbol on it.

"Who wants to get their butt kicked magically doofus." He tapped his head with his fingers and waved, before a burst of wind came and he wasn't there any longer. Gwen sighed, turned to the bedroom door, well what was left of it, and rubbed her head, pushing her orange hair out of her face. "Just like old times alright."

"He's back isn't he?" The voice was feminine, and it bounced off the walls and windows of the empty alleyways in one of the more quiet parts of Bayville. The weather had calmed down, and the sun appeared, but that didn't mean it gave out it's heat. It was oddly cool, and brisk. The feminine voice originated from a woman, in a violet cloak, with her white hair hanging down past the hood of the cloak, which was lined in black. Her eyes were a sharp purple, and seemed to stare into what was standing in front of her. "Yes he is… Verdona." Verdona Tennyson. The anodite that revealed Gwen's true powers, was not the perfect grandmother. Not the perfect wife. And even though she didn't try to be, she loved her family with all of her heart. Her son, her husband, and her grandchildren. The last one was the most true of all. She would do anything for her grandchildren. Anything. And it hurt her to no end that she had to play favorites for the good of one of them. She wasn't the most perfect person, and she never would be. That was that.

"You should go visit them. I'm sure they mi-" She glared at the man, her eyes speaking tremendous volumes of how she would tear him a new one if he even tried finishing that sentence. "No they don't! She does. Not him. He could care less." The words could have been sharp to the end, but the last ones softened her voice, and her facial features against her will. "It's not your fault Verdona. It never was. You just did it to protect him. No blames you for that." Her eyes darted to him, pleading for a better answer. But her mouth had other ideas. "You have no idea what you're talking about! I blame me okay? All their lives I stood by in the shadows, missing birthdays, report cards, celebrations Max! And then when I finally got the chance to do what I wanted to. To see them… You know what I did?" The former plumber sighed knowing exactly what she was going to say next. "I played favorites Maxwell! I shunned one, for the other! Because of some idiotic rule! You should have seen the look in my eyes when he showed me that watch! Disgust… It was disgust!" He walked forward, wind rushing pass them, blowing her cloak backwards, and her hood down. Embracing her in a hug, he whispered peacefully in her ear, "It's not your fault Verdona, he doesn't know. And now that he's back, we'll tell him everything, and straighten everything out. I promise."

She pushed away from him, a stray tear sliding down her cheek while her face became nearly emotionless. "That's not something I look forward to Maxwell. Not at all." When he tried to brush the tear away she slapped his hand back and back away further, shaking her head. "Have a nice day, 'sweetie'." Pulling her cloak up again, she walked past him, both of them staring forward, with her cloak swaying with the wind. Max sighed sadly, looking down at the ground, and walked forward as well, not looking back. 'If he only knew…'

Outside of the alleyway, Verdona felt a gush of wind go past her down the street, and knew exactly what it was. More tears fell as she stopped and slumped against a nearby wall, closing her eyes. "I'm proud of you Ben." Was all she wanted to say to him the most. The one that mattered as much as 'I love you.' All she wanted to do was hug her grandchildren as much as she could, but she knew only one of them would hug her back. "I'm so proud of you…" And with that, she sobbed quietly, with no one around to watch, against the cold brick wall of a building, when her grandson went past her.

Ben walked out of the school building toward the dormitories of his highschool, after a detention that he seemed to have every other day. But he stopped, shocked, when he saw his grandmother standing in front of him, with a smile on her face.

"So this is were you've been for the past year huh Benjamin? It's good to see you." A look of utter contempt appeared on his face, that wiped the smile off of hers. This, wasn't the same Ben she remembered at all. Walking toward him, her smile appeared again despite the scowl accompanying his already less than pleased expression. She hugged him, only for him not to hug back.

"They miss you."

She wasn't surprised at all when he pushed her away, but it did surprise her how much it hurt. Ben knew what she was going to say next, so befoe she got a chance, he cut his grandmother off.

"Verdona, I'll come back when I want to. Get away from me." It was hard for him to tell if he was sorry for doing this, but, the feeling he got from it was good. Too good. And the words came out hard, and cold, just the same as the look in his eyes. With that, he walked away, disappearing behind the corner of the school building. But what he didn't know was that she didn't want to say, "Come home", no, she wanted to say aloud:

"I'm so proud of you."

That moment she hated what her race was more than ever, it was their fault it was like this.

I told you guys I'd make it better!! Sorry for the O.d.-ing on the angst, but it had to be done. Review please!