Grandpa looked back angrily
"What do you mean Ben is drunk?"
"I found him drunk" This was not any of her fault
Grandpa Max felt Ben's temperature it was high
"Gwen, go prepare dinner"
"Grandpa… can I help somehow"
"Now, Gwen!"
'What is up with him, Gwen looked at Grandpa he was holding Ben gently, he looked real sad. She suddenly felt like not being in the room anymore.
Downstairs she went to the cupboard to see what she could make. Yesterday they had lasagna so she could make pasta today. She took out a pan and filled it with water.
Gwen placed the pan on the stove, 'it would take a while to boil' and went to the living room to pass the time. She heard Grandpa upstairs, running the water in the bathroom
Grandpa Max wet the towel in the bathroom and squished all the water out. In the bedroom he went and placed the wet towel over Ben's forehead. 'This should cool his fever down' what was he suppose to tell Josh, that his son had gotten drunk. 'No, they would not know of this'
Grandpa Max sat on the chair next to the bed. His hand rested comfortable on Ben's head, brushing it back and forth. The towel felt cold against his hand. He caressed Ben's face gently and went to warm the towel.
Ben lay on the bed facing the ceiling, his eyes shut, and his body limp.
Downstairs Gwen went through Grandpa's small library that he had on the living room. She went through the books there not caring what she read. She pulled out a book on mechanics, swimming, and accounting. When she reached down she saw Grandpa's old photo album.
It was very old, 'Grandpa probably had it way before she was born. 'Mom why don't we have any pictures of me as a kid" Long time ago she had asked, at school they were doing a picture project. "Honey remember that fire, we were not able to save many things"
Gwen opened the album and searched franticly for her face. She had thought at least Grandpa would have a picture of her as a kid. There was none, except pictures of Ben (his first birthday, first teeth, growing up) there were pictures of her but when she was older, around 4 or 5 years old. Gwen closed the book. There was probably a better explanation of why pictures of her as a kid didn't exist. The fire that burned everything away she did not believe. Her mom, Mildred said it was because she was so traumatized with the incident that she could not remember much before the fire.
Speaking of fire, she could hear the water boiling. Gwen went to the kitchen and finished making the pasta. Once she had drained the water out, she added pasta sauce to the food and made a plate for her and Grandpa. Today they would have corn for vegetable.
Upstairs Grandpa got Ben comfortable
'Gwen is probably done making dinner.' Grandpa kissed Ben forehead before leaving the room.
"Grandpa?"
Ben woke up to see his Grandfather's moving foam leaving and drifted back to sleep.
Downstairs Grandpa Max found Gwen in the dining room; she had fixed a plate for him and herself.
Gwen looked up from the pasta she was eating and greeted her Grandfather.
"Hi Grandpa, is Ben okay?"
"Yes he is fine" Grandpa Max picked his next words carefully
Gwen did not take being reprimanded very easily
"Gwen… next time something like this happens, call me as soon as possible"
"I am sorry Grandpa, I should have called you it is just that I fell asleep" Gwen looked down sad.
"Gwen… I still trust you; I know I can always depend on you" Grandpa looked at his grandkid 'he could not ask her to keep an eye out for Ben all the time, she is a kid and deserves her own life'
"This food tastes delicious Gwen" Grandpa said, to say something nice
"So what is going to happen to Ben is he grounded?" 'Like for how long a year the rest of his life, eternity. Getting drunk is not something you do and get a slap on the wrist.
Ben ending up like this is his entire fault. "Actually no, I was thinking of taking some time off work so I will be here a lot more"
"Taking off?"
"Yes, I have some sick days and I could be here for Ben.
Gwen remembered when Grandpa asked her to come stay at his place, he had said "Ben needs you" she has not been there for Ben at all.
Grandpa noticed Gwen's demeanor change "I am not saying you have not done a decent job, keeping everything normal is very important." "Ben came here so that he could get away from everything that was happening. I want Ben when he thinks back to his mom is with good memories and not like she is now" 'a woman dying slowly, wretched with guilt'.
Gwen looked down at her food, she was almost done. "Grandpa I checked your small library and could not find pictures of me when I was younger"
"What do you mean?"
"Well…um"
Grandpa took that time to look around the room anywhere but at Gwen 'now was not the time to deal with this'
"They are probably in the basement" his look told her she would find none
"Gwen what are you trying learn?" 'Was it curiosity or has she figured something was up
"I have some transcripts that could explain our family history"
"Never mind its okay Grandpa"
Its not like any of it can explain why there are no pictures of her from a baby to four
'They could not have just disappeared'
"Gwen are you sure?" Grandpa Max looked at his Grandkid and closed his eyes
'I am adopted, why can't I remember anything before the fire, what happened during that time,
these were the questions Gwen probably wanted to ask next, but the one bothering her the most, was ... something he can reassure her will always stay the same,
"Gwen, I will always be Grandpa"
Gwen looked at Grandpa Max 'maybe the truth'
He was offering to tell her what she wanted to know
He loved her and wanted them to always be a family
She looked deep in his eyes and Grandpa moved back hesitantly.
She could see he was growing more old and tired. His eye lids were working over time just keeping him awake. She had a feeling that there was no way his stressed out mind could not handle the questions she was about to throw at him.
There was not going to be a 'every thousand year when the eclipse turns 30 degrees south and the wind is blowing 20mph at exactly 3:45pm, when your eyes reach up to look at the sky you experience hallucinations' argument. She was not even outside but could still convince herself that by being next to the window it had cause her to have some effects.'
Gwen sighed and tried to eat up the rest of her food. Give Grandpa time to come up with something. After minutes had passed and nothing was said, It was clear that 'the great Grandpa' could not come up with a way to convince her the grass is blue and the sky is green. No scientific, logical way to bring them together, show the entire world 'this was her family'
"Grandpa…" His eyes were begging her to leave things as they were
'say something
anything'
There was no way he would tell her the truth.
'he wouldn't'
He loved her and would never tell her anything that would hurt her.
"Grandpa I know something is up what are you hiding?"
Grandpa Max folded his hands and looked at his grandchild. He had hoped everyone would be around when the truth was finally revealed. 'It was past time she knew"
"Gwen there is something you need to know…"
Gwen looked at Grandpa a little surprised 'he was actually going to tell her '
So much for he wouldn't bring her world crashing down with 'the truth'.
"um Grandpa is uh Ben's mom okay, I know she is your daughter and you also hurt a lot"
"Ben's mom?" Grandpa asked startled with the change in subject
"Alice is okay, her health is the same as the last time I saw her"
"You must be sad Grandpa, which is why you looked distracted when we were talking"
Gwen looked at Grandpa Max with sincere and understanding eyes "Grandpa go to sleep
you are worn out, I will do the dishes, things will be better tomorrow,
Aunt Alice is a nice person and I don't believe she can go down like this"
"thanks Gwen" Grandpa Max got up and left. He knew he was vulnerable and if he spend any more time with Gwen he would end up revealing something, something forgotten. Gwen was his Grandchild and he would be damned if he allowed anything to say otherwise. Whatever issue was bothering Gwen, he would work around them and convince her without a doubt this was her family. Tomorrow he needed to talk to the family.
Gwen looked at Grandpa as he left. This was the time to push him. She had a feeling he would not make the mistake he had almost made.
"the truth maybe it was not so bad"
Why does she even care
She already has enough prove to believe she had a family,
Whatever worries she would work out on her own, find something here and there that she could patch up and make herself feel more at home
Diamond Head turned around so Ben would not choke in his sleep.
When he saw the crushed toys, the mess in the room, everything torn to pieces
They all stared in shock.
Their master was sad these days
They would find a way to help him, but first they needed to clean the mess. Diamond Head collected what was considered trash and threw them. Once Diamond Head reached the dresser and moved it to collect some broken toys stuck there. There was a note that Gray Matter sported and asked Diamond Head to stop moving. Grey Matter took the note and read it
'…I there is no easier way to say this, I like you do you by any chance like me' There were several papers on the ground, with the same message written over and over. With the many times it was written it must be important. Grey Matter could not understand the content. He could read it but didn't understand it. 'Ben loved Gwen they were family' what was the point of the notes.
Grey Matter gave the note to Four Arms to observe it. They all understood that he was the master's favorite and might be able to understand what the note means. Four Arms remembered that time that Ben worked with the Galactic Enforcers and they met Tiny.
She looked at him differently. It was not with friendship but one of desire.
Upgrade showed himself. He knew a lot of information and wanted to make himself useful.
Desire: to have a keen interest in someone.
Maybe that was what the master felt. He knew he loved the master very much.
Wild Mutt went on the bed and burrowed deep in the blanket.
'This won't work'
Wild vine thought. There were slurps all over the blanket. Wild vine took the blanket to the bathroom. Rip jaw offered to wash it but ended up playing in the water. Heat blast dried up the blanket. Back on the bed, Ghost freak tried to read Ben's mind.
All he thought about was Gwen. They watched Ben divert back from desire to guilt to shame. They needed to find a way for Ben to express his feelings, before they destroyed him. Gwen has to know that Ben loves her.
A/N thanks for reading
let me know if you would read the next chapter when it comes out and why
I know this fic is long and I need to know if it interesting or boring.
I wanted to do something original, something that has a chance of actually happening for real.
People lets face it Gwen is stubborn and her falling inlove with Ben can't happen in one sentence
"she looked at Ben and fell inlove with him"
This in a way is a reality fic.
thanks for reading
bye