Chapter 2

A year has gone by. Kevin and Gwen laid on her bed, wrapped in each others arms and just staring at the ceiling.

"Y' know, that's one of the things I could do forever and still it wouldn't be long enough." Kevin whispered.

"How poetic." Gwen smiled. When she'd thought he had changed a year ago, she now merely saw a thing of the ravellous kid he has been once.

"I can be…sometimes –don't laugh, I'm very nuanced." He placed a kiss in her red crown, still smiling.

"The last time you said that, you referred to your childhood." It was quiet for a while. He didn't talk much about his past- not even to her.

*I'm out of touch, I'm out of love*

He sighed. His hand, formerly lying on Gwen's waist, went rubbing his eyes.
"You sure, you wanna hear it?"

Gwen nodded. He was ready now, she couldn't ruin the moment.

"After my father passed, it was a really hard time for my mom and me. I still remember that I was hiding on the stairs, as Max came in and talked to my mother. He told her that a guy named Ragnarok wounded my father deadly.

Your Grandpa must've known that I was near, because he used the right words – I didn't understand a thing until my mom began to cry. I've never seen her…" He cleared his throat. "That was the moment I realized dad will never come home. The name of that creature was burned in my head ever since, and I swore that day that I'll become a plumber just like my father. The thought of revenge came later when I was out on the streets." he sighed heavily. "I got there after my mom remarried. In her opinion I needed a father." He laughed bitterly.

"I never needed anybody as a father after my real one passed. And for sure it wasn't that creep of a guy. He ruined our already broken lives. One day, when he saw me repairing the kitchen counter with my powers, Harvey freaked out. He called me a monster, a creature they should lock away and throw the key into hellfire." Kevin swallowed. He hadn't thought that the feeling of hate thrown against him lasted that strong in his memory. As he felt a warm hand stroking his chest, he went on, taking that hand and holding it like an anchor.

*I'll pick you up when you're getting down*

"I ran out of the house, thought that I really was a monster and no one will ever be able to truly love me. I never came home again. I didn't want to hurt my mom, and yet I did. When I met Ben and you after years I recognized your Grandfather. And because he was with my father on his last mission, I blamed him for his death. Firstly, I didn't intend to hurt your cousin, but…" He faded.

"The only way to get to Grandpa was through Ben." Gwen finished. Kevin let go of her hand and laid his arm over his eyes. As if talking to himself, he continued:

"I started projecting all my anger on him, and soon enough I lost myself in the power the Omnitrix gave me incidentally. It was just the feeling of being invincible, the possibility to get rid of all the ones who hurt me. It was-"

"I know, how that feels" Gwen whispered. Her words caused a smile on his lips, his fingers entwined with hers.

"But nobody except for Kwarrel even considered the fact that I was helpless even - no especially- with all that power at hand. He trained me and for the first time since long, I started to have faith in someone. Then he died. And if it wasn't for him- I'd have lost my head again. From that time on, I made my way through the galaxy – doing jobs for whoever offered money or a transport without asking much questions. I really made my way." He laughed hoarse as if it was just a ridiculous memory of someone else.

*and out of all these things I've done*

"Then I met the two of you again…at first I thought Tennyson had brought it to a quality girlfriend, but as I looked into your eyes it was like travelling back in time and getting a better way out of this mess. I tried several times to get you out of my head, but you stuck in there like…I don't know, just like the pictures of you and me at our own breakfast table I have since you brought me back from losing myself again in the power. I never even considered about living in a house with a breakfast table again." He lifted her head and kissed her.

* I think I love you better now *

They just laid there in silence as Gwen let her thoughts travel. Suddenly a knock on the door pulled her back to reality. She went to open it.

"Dinner's ready, Gwen. Does Kevin eat with us?" Her mom asked.

Gwen turned to Kevin, now sitting on her bed.
"I don't want to be a bother, Mrs Tennyson, I think I better-" Natalie raised one hand to stop him.

"I got used to your face next to my daughter's. I'm still not happy about it, but I got used to it." Was that the trace of a smile in her face?

"If that's it, then –Thank you, I'll gladly stay." He did smile.

"Two minutes. And the door stays open." With that she was heading downstairs. Kevin smirked.
As if a thought just hit her, Gwen ran after her mother. The boy heard her talking from downstairs. Slowly- knowing this was none of his business they were talking about- he followed her. All he saw was Natalie being hugged by a more than happy Gwen.

"Oh, thank you, mom!" Then she saw him at the bottom of the stairs. "Do you have anything to do until tomorrow?" She asked, smiling as brightly as the spring sunshine outside.

"Uhm, nothing that I know of. Why?" Instead of an answer she put a blanket in his hands.
"You're going to sleep here tonight."

"O-kay, but why?" He was really confused about her talk.

"You wanted us at a breakfast table- you'll get us at a breakfast table." Kevin saw the sparkles in her eyes as she explained that he could sleep on the couch and in the early morning hours her parents were going to go shopping, so he and Gwen could have the breakfast he was telling her about. Well, not exactly, because he pictured them in their own house, but never mind- she tried to make him happy and succeeded.

When he went to bed that night he still saw her eyes glowing, her lips curling in that smile she had.

*I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind*

He realized how madly he had fallen for her, when all he could think about was her, even –or especially- when she wasn't around.

Although up the stairs in the same house wasn't that far, he still felt her parents' presence as some kind of wall. Even if he didn't intend of doing anything but holding her in his arms until she was sound asleep, he wished this could be their house. One day he'll wake up with them sharing one bed in their own house. Years ago he'd have laughed about a thought like that, but now…she'd done so much for him, he already would never be able to pay her back.

*I'll do it all for you in time*

He owed her and her cousin for changing him to the better. With her smiling face on his mind he fell asleep- dreaming of the first kiss they shared.

*And out of all these things I've done
I think I love you better now*

Gwen and Ben laid defeated on the ground. Aggregor stood laughing next to the Celestial Sapiens Baby. Kevin was unable to move- everything hurt so much, most of all his shoulder. They underestimated Aggregor, and now they have to pay the price. ``I have to save them, save all…of them…´´ Hasty footsteps cut him off his rambling mind.

"Kevin, you have to absorb the Omnitrix." was all he heard. No! Not again that nightmare of losing the connection to reality. Kwarrel wasn't there any more, he couldn't bring him back. And now an Osmosian tried to get all the power to control everything, even if there was nothing left to be controlled afterwards. Nothing Kevin knew, at least. His friends, his mom, Gwen…slowly Kevin got up. Every muscle in his body hurt more than he could have ever imagined. That was not for the universe, he did this for the ones he loved.

"In that case, I'm goin' for the A-game." He stated, moving towards the elder Ben.

* Don't hold me down*

As the power flooded him, he hoped that he wouldn't give in, that he could restrain himself this time. That he wouldn't be that monster he really was again.

"Hands off the baby." As he touched Aggregor's hand, he felt the temptation. The other one had so much power, and his need to have more and more of that was about to wake up. Why not stop him and gain more power? He focused on absorbing the aliens inside Aggregor. His screams were like a cheer for Kevin.

*I think my braces are breaking
and it's more than I can take*

That was the moment the Kevin Ben and Gwen created got locked deep inside the newest Kevin- Ultimate Kevin, a more dangerous evolution of Kevin 11.

"That's enough, Kevin!" he heard Ben shouting.

``Yes, let's focus on what Kwarrel said.´´, the real Kevin shouted inside the monster's head. ``"Like rain on a window glass the materia falls off my body"…Why can't I do it?´´ He started to panic. He couldn't loose himself. He had changed, he didn't want the power for himself, he wanted it to protect them.

``Help me! Ben, Gwen please, please help me!´´ All of the sudden he felt a stinging pain in his cheek. Everything went black again.

"Kevin, wake up. It's me, Gwen! Follow my voice."

He opened his eyes. As she put him into a tight embrace he was glad she didn't feel that tiny, he remembered when he drained her. That could only mean one thing- he was human. Or at least as much as he should be.

He held her close. The warmth she radiated shooed away all the pictures of the past. She lived and was still with him, that was all that counted.

*And it's dark in a cold December,
but I've got ya to keep me warm*

"Shall I stay with you?" She whispered in his ear before giving him a peck on the cheek.

He was about to nod when he thought about her parents.

"They went out an hour ago. That was what woke me up. I saw them off and started preparing breakfast when I heard you whining in your sleep."

He avoided her gaze, knowing exactly, what'll come next.

"Wanna tell me about it?" Sighing he lifted the blanket and she moved beside him. He wondered how petite she was that she still found space on the already narrow couch. He closed his eyes encircling her waist with one arm to protect her from falling and cupping her hand lying on his chest.

* if you're broken I will mend ya and I keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on now*

"It was about how I became a monster again…"

"Kevin…"

"I know, it is over and I should forget about it and look forward. But what if it happens again? What if you can't stop me than?"

"Kevin, look at me." He didn't want to. Seeing her now, after all he'd done to her…how could she still want be near him?

"Please."

*I'm out of touch, I'm out of love
I'll pick you up when you're getting down*

Her soft voice left him no other choice. As he looked into those emeralds of hers, he could see nothing but sincere love.

"Every time you lose control I'll be there to pull you back. You will never have to deal with your problems alone, understand?"

*and out of all these things I've done*

Speechless, he nodded.

"Good, than let's grab a few winks before we have to get up." She closed her eyes and cuddled even closer to him. He let out a little laugh.

"You know what, Gwen?" He kissed her hair like he did the evening before.

"I know a lot of things, Kevin." She joked with already closed eyes.

"I love you."

"Yes, I knew that." She said and brought her face up to kiss him. "And you know that I love you."

*I think I love you better now*

He couldn't sleep after that, but holding Gwen in his arms was enough for Kevin to relax and let his thoughts travel back to his dream.
All the time he knew, she would try to safe him. To keep her from danger, he concentrated all his leftover sanity to guide the monster away from her. Maybe one day she'll give up and come to the conclusion that it was how it was and just let Ben take him down for good.

*I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind*

As if she'd have ever given up on him! Not only that she was as stubborn as he was, he also discovered that he'd not only had a crush on her, but was truly, madly, deeply in love with her. For no other person he'd ever felt a need of protection that big.

*I'll do it all for you in time*

He'd give his life for hers, if needed, but she told him that this was stupid. Well, not the first stupid thing he did in his life, but maybe the last could be for her safety.

*And out of all these things I've done
I think I love you better now *

Whatever he'd done, she forgave him. And if that wasn't enough, his former enemy accepted him as part of his team.

``Who'd ever thought, I'd become one of the good guys?´´ He smiled. The last one would be himself.
In just sixteen years so much could happen to one person. After he ran away, he'd never believed he would find someone who trusted him.

*I'm out of touch, I'm out of love
I'll pick you up when you're getting down*

Now he had the life he didn't even dare to dream about: A smart, tough and –not to forget- beautiful girlfriend; his mother back in his life, currently enjoying being a single again; and being a plumber like his dad was.

*and out of all these things I've done
I think I love you better now*

Yes, this was worth abandoning nearly all his former "customers" and cutting cords, which could've harmed him.

Where ever he was- he'd always have his team around him.

*I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind

I'll do it all for you in time

And out of all these things I've done

I think I love you better now*

When he was affected by the failure of hacking the Omnitrix in order to defeat Vilgax, he acted like a little cranky kid. With kissing Charmcaster –or Caroline as he thought back then- he nearly ruined all of what the Tennyson family gave him.

*I'm out of touch, I'm out of love

I'll pick you up when you're getting down

and out of all these things I've done*

He laid a soft kiss on Gwen's forehead as she sighed in her sleep. He'd never go back to what he was when he was a disorientated kid, so much he –Kevin Ethan Levin- promised. For the ones he owed. For Gwen.

*I will love you better now *

x-_-x