Not So Mistaken-Ewww
by Rob Morris
Emerging from the portal, back into their own world, two cousins of great power, skill and savvy looked pale, and not a little nauseous.
Ben nodded.
"Well."
Gwen bit her lip nervously.
"Well."
Gwen looked about. Likely Kevin and Rook were still hiking, a fact she alternated between thankfulness and upset about. She strayed back to thankfulness. Having to explain-all that-was not in her, and she sensed it was not in Ben.
"Hey-you want some Chili Cheese Fries?"
Ben covered his mouth, and then steadied himself.
"Granpa once recommended dry lightly toasted white bread for how I feel right now, and I think that might be a challenge."
Gwen would actually treasure him destroying his arteries with the greasy treat, right about then, for the normalcy it signified. She tried a joke.
"You have to admit, they made a cute couple...oh, I didn't just say that."
Ben was still looking shaken to his core.
"Going at it like that, how'd they have even an ounce of hero time?"
Gwen was showing her own upset by again cracking wise.
"Well, they weren't shy about their feelings-or anything else. And hey, their Charmcaster was much more friendly than ours...ughhh."
Ben sat down in front of a tree.
"EVERYBODY was friendly. With friends like those...etc."
Gwen tried strained logic.
"You know, it's really only in the states where it used to be prevalent that it's outlawed, rather than just frowned upon."
Ben closed his eyes, and knowing she was at least as upset, tried not to shout again.
"You think anybody there cared about things like laws?"
Gwen lost herself in the effort not to fall apart.
"He made really...creative...use of his Omnitrix."
She now gave up.
"Ben, I'm sorry. I insisted we go to that Earth. I liked the numerology, or something."
He shook his head.
"Only because I dared you to be more spontaneous. Oww. Head still hurting. I now know why certain fantasies should always remain fantasies. Gwen?"
"Ben?"
He got up, and placed his hand's palm on hers in a pledge stance.
"Let's say it together, and then agree to never speak of this-EVER again. Even if we're arguing, joking around-unless one of us is brainwashed and needs to be startled, it just never even gets hinted at. Alright?"
Glad to see him resolved, she gained back some of her own.
"Ok. Because anyway-who would we speak about it to? This isn't exactly brunch chat material. Except for looking to lose your brunch."
The cousins spoke as one, sealing away this ugly matter for all times to come.
"Whatever we do, wherever we go, we will do our best to never ever again visit Earth-34!"