Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Ben 10

Chapter 10 – Melancholy

The wind whistled as it blew through Ben's slightly opened window. The warm wind blowing the curtains as it moves towards him brushing his skin with its warmth. Ben sat alone in his room, looking at the opposite wall while thinking of nothing but Gwen. He had already been home for about an hour but he was still to receive a call or some form of contact from Gwen to know what has happened with her talk with Aunt Natalie.

"I shouldn't have left her alone." Ben told himself as he fisted both hands in anger. He felt stupid to leave the woman he loves at the time she needed him most and he felt that he should have stayed even if Aunt Natalie insisted that he left.

"I should go back." Ben thought to himself as he stood to grab his jacket.

He quickly made his way down the stairs and quietly through the hall towards the front door when suddenly a hand grabbed his shoulder. Instinctively he shrugged it off and then quickly turned around. Ben was surprised to see his mom standing in front of him with her hand across her chest.

"And where do you think you're going?" Sandra asked as she looked at him questioningly.

Ben stood frozen in his spot as he saw his mother's authoritative figure in front of him. He tried to think of a good excuse but somehow the truth came out before he even thought of it.

"I need to be with Gwen." Ben told her before turning to leave. Before he could make a single step though, Sandra had already caught his arm.

"What do you mean by that Benjamin Tennyson?" Sandra asked in a stern voice. Ben's body relaxed as he moved back to his spot in front of her.

Sandra was lost at what he was both showing and saying to her. Ben had always been independent of them but this was the first time that she was really clueless at what her son was feeling. First he came home all depressed after coming from Natalie's house and now he was acting this way.

She gently pulled him closer to her and then locked him in an embrace. She hugged him tight and made him feel safe, telling him that he could confide in her his problems. Ben pushed her, a good distance so they were facing each other once more.

"I think you should sit down." Ben told her as he gestured her into the living room. A lot of question was running through Sandra's head as this was totally out of character of her son. She tried to think of the possible reasons but she was saved the trouble once Ben confessed everything to her.

"I love Gwen Mom." Ben told her outright making Sandra gasp at the revelation. She was prepared for a girlfriend or even worse, a pregnant girlfriend but this was something different all together. She couldn't muster up a response as no coherent thoughts were formed in her head right now.

"I have... Ever since that summer Grandpa Max took us out with him." Ben confessed. Sandra wanted to say something but no words came out of her mouth. All she could do was listen as Ben continued on with his story. "I thought before that it must be because I'm an only child that I look at Gwen that way. I thought I looked at her like a sister but after some of the things that happened recently, I figured out that I love her more than life itself."

"I love her and I don't think I can live without her." Ben told Sandra as he laid his head on her lap. All she could do was brush his hair with her hand as she tried to think things over. She knew that it was definitely wrong for him to feel that way about his cousin but knowing their family, nothing had ever been normal.

"I honestly don't know what to say Ben." Sandra admitted as Ben raised his head to face hers. "I love you and I don't want you hurt but this is wrong and I know you know it." She added. Ben stood up as soon as she finished her sentence. He knew she was right but he felt she was wrong. He turned to face the door and slowly walked towards it. Upon reaching the front door, he turned and faced his worried mother. He knew that what he was doing was selfish and that they would be hurting a lot of people but Ben knew he needed to follow his heart.

"I'm sorry Mom." Ben told Sandra before disappearing behind the door.

Ben drove his car around the town as he tried to clear his head. He knows he loves Gwen and that he wanted to immediately go to where she was but the thought of hurting their family was stopping him from doing what he wanted.

After a couple of minutes of driving he decided to stop and rest at the Smoothes store. Thinking about his and Gwen's situation really takes out everything in him. He got out of the car and slowly walked towards the shop when something crashed in front of him.

The dumpster lay on the ground half buried while another flew in the air. Ben quickly dodged it and rolled forward to get a sprinting start against whoever it was that was throwing the dumpsters at him. Once he had finished his roll, he sprang back up only to be surprised by the sight in front of him.

"Kevin?" Ben said in a surprised tone.

Kevin stood in front of him, Body covered with steel. Ben could see mixed emotions in his face, telling him that he must have learned about him and Gwen.

"I'm sorry Kevin." Ben told Kevin as he tried to approach him. Kevin stopped him in his tracks as he used a lamp post to draw a line in between them.

"I don't care what you say Tennyson." Kevin started as he threw the lamp post a side. "I love Gwen and I won't just hand her over to you or anyone else."

"I don't want us to fight Kevin." Ben told him as he tried to inch closer.

"Too bad then." Kevin replied as he reformed his right arm into a sword. "I guess this is goodbye."

Author's Note:

I hope I got the emotion through.. . Well this is Ben's resolve and dilemma.. Next chapter, I'll show you Gwen's side of the story.. ^^ I hope you liked this chapter even though it's a bit short.. I promise to make up for it on the next chapter.. Thanks for the support and happy reading..