From Despair To Hope

by Aoseh

The conflict left the world and it's inhabitants broken. The group splits onto their own path. Ben is left trying to hold himself together; he finds solace in Hope, who guides him away from the ledge. With her experience of overcoming prior trauma, will she be able to bring back the ones she considered family? (A short fic following Ben 10: Defeat of An Empire.)

10. Chapter 10

Ben grunts and opens one eye. When the unexpected perfume of garlic and oregano floods his senses, his nose wrinkles in delight. The man opens his other eye and looks into the kitchen, where he sees Gwen busying herself with a pot. Finally, Ben cautiously sits up while battling a splitting headache. He lets out a long moan of pain, and for a brief moment, his eyesight becomes blurry.

Gwen says, "There's a bottle of Tylenol and water on the coffee table," without looking up from the pot.

Ben sighs in gratitude as he downs the pills with a chug of water, the cool beverage soothing his parched throat. Just having something to drink made him feel better. With the water bottle in hand, he gets up from the couch and does a loud stretch.

"Can you please check on Hope?" Gwen requests.

"Already on it," Ben disclaims as he walks in the direction of her room.

He sneaks past Cooper, who is still dozing off and gently knocks on the door. Ben pauses for a second before entering and shutting the door behind him. The witch, who was lying on her back with a cloth folded over her forehead and her eyes clenched shut as though she were suffering a nightmare, gave the man cause for concern at first glance. He places a palm on her cheek as he sits on the edge of the bed, taking care not to wake her. Hope is on fire. Ben touches the side of her cheek while pushing her matted, damp hair out of her face. He takes the towel off her forehead, dips it in the pail of water on the floor, and then thoroughly wrings it before reapplying it.

"Water…"

She just had a seizure a few hours earlier, so Ben is surprised that she can speak. That's Charmcaster for you. He has seen the woman endure such extraordinary things that to deny her capacity to recover from this feels insulting. Ben speculates that this is just one of the many reasons why he finds her so impressive.

Ben brings the mouth of his water bottle close to her lips and elevates it just a bit so she may sip. Ben pulls it away after she has taken a couple of sizable sips. When the woman opens her eyes, Ben is standing over her, watching her with care. Before closing them once more, her eyes briefly darted between the desk and the bottle in his hands.

"I meant my water bottle," she whispers.

Ben casts a glance down at his now-empty water bottle before turning to the nightstand, where a water bottle was also resting. He blushes slightly before saying, "I'm sorry."

"She didn't sleep," Hope breathes. "She was constantly healing me."

Ben, who was hesitant to look Hope in the eye, bit his bottom lip in anguish and cast a glance at the bedcovers. Of course, she did, because that's who she is. Another time, he feels helpless in front of his cousin and Hope. The emotion enraged him greatly. Imagine being unable to do anything while wearing the universe's most potent weapon. Ben has lately experienced that insufferable feeling.

"I understand," he tells the woman.

"Don't blame her for doing what's in her nature."

Ben leaves the room and turns the corner to find Cooper seated at the counter on a stool. In front of him is a plate of spaghetti and meatballs with red sauce. Cooper makes eye contact with him and smiles cordially.

"Yo, Gwen made us spaghetti!"

Gwen chuckles at the blonde's eagerness before turning to Ben and inviting him to have a seat.

"How is she?"

"A little sweaty, but she'll be fine."

Gwen places the ladle down and begins to walk away from the stove in the direction of Hope's room. "I'll go check on her," she insists.

Before she completely passes him, Ben catches her wrist. Gwen looks back, perplexed by the man's behavior.

"I said she's fine."

"And I said I'm going to check on her."

Ben holds Gwen's hand tightly, despite her efforts to free herself from his hold.

"Take a break."

"I already slept-"

"Don't lie to me!" Ben shouts. "Hope already told me…"

For the first time since their conversation began, Ben turns his head to look at her with dejected eyes. He will not let her run herself into the ground.

"Please just—" he swallows thickly. "Just sit down for a couple of minutes, please."

Gwen stops for a moment, looking back into the green eyes that pleaded with her. She sighs, "Okay."

Ben releases her wrist and watches her retreat to the couch. Gwen sinks into the cushion; her body is relieved to be off its feet finally.

"I left a bowl for Hope by the stove; she must be hungry by now."

Ben turns around to head back to Hope's room. For a few seconds, Gwen could hear some whispered shouting. He reappears around the bend holding Hope in a bridal position. He delicately sets her in the padded chair across from the sofa before getting up and heading back to the kitchen. He prepares a dish for Gwen and takes Hope's as he returns to the two witches. While holding onto Hope's, he places Gwen's on the coffee table in front of her. He gets a stool and settles down to try and feed Hope. He lifts the fork with the spaghetti wrapped around it toward her mouth.

Hope looks down her nose at Ben. This had to be the most offensive thing that had ever happened to her. His weak attempt to feed her like a toddler causes her eyes to narrow. Ben quickly moves the bowl out of Hope's grasp as she tries to grab it. Ben responds in the same way when she tries again. Hope glares at him, and Ben glares back.

"You will NOT feed me," she growls.

"YOU do not have a choice in the matter, Hope."

Gwen had witnessed many things in her life, but the universe's savior feeding her former nemesis spaghetti had to be the wildest. Gwen thought it was humorous and adorable how Ben carefully raised the fork to Hope's mouth, and she fiercely took a bite and swallowed. Gwen looks down at her bowl of noodles; for now, sleep is what her body wants. Intent on sleeping for just a few minutes, she shuts her eyes.

Apart from the sound of mild chewing and silverware clattering against the porcelain bowl, the room is silent. Hope is offered the last of the pasta by Ben after he scoops it onto the fork. Already full, she shakes her head. Not wanting to waste any food, Ben shrugs and eats it. Now it was Hope's turn to blush. He gets up and walks over to the kitchen, carrying a bowl.

Ben comes back with his bowl and begins to eat. He found himself gobbling up the delectable spaghetti since it tasted just as his mother's old recipe used to. Hope initially expresses disdain at how carelessly he ate, but her expression softens, and she begins to discreetly observe him. Within a few minutes, he finishes his food and sighs with satisfaction. The man smiles and lets out a tiny burp before realizing Hope is looking at him. He briefly blushes and apologizes for his rudeness.

"Did you want to go back to your room?"

Hope shakes her head. "No, I'm fine out here, plus my fever finally subsided."

"Like my grandpa used to say, you always feel better after you eat."

Hope rolls her eyes at his corniness as Ben lets out a soft chuckle.

"Sounds like your grandpa knew what he was talking about."

Ben smiles sadly, "Yeah, he did."

Hope lets her head fall against the man's shoulder. "That makes me relieved," she mutters.

The only lights in the room, when Gwen woke up, were those hanging over the counter. After turning to her right to see Cooper dozing off on the other side of the couch, she notices Hope sleeping in the chair across from her. Ben is sitting at the counter and is looking off into space when Gwen shifts her focus to him.

Getting up from the sofa, Gwen takes her bowl and walks over to the counter. She observes him munching on some pistachios as she sits next to him. Ben raises an eyebrow as she starts to slurp her cold pasta.

"You do know that microwaves exist, right?" he teases.

Gwen shrugged her shoulders, only wanting to eat and not caring that it was cold.

"It's better this way," she says mid-bite.

Ben snorts, "You're full of shit."

Gwen giggles as she swallows the food. "Yeah, I am."

While the two carry on eating, silence once again pervades the room. Even though they both had a lot on their minds about what happened today and what lies ahead, neither of them knew where to begin.

"I can't stop thinking about them," Ben finally admits.

"You and me both."

"Just when I thought I'd gotten over them-"

"The wound reopens," Gwen finishes slowly.

Ben shudders, "They just seemed so happy…"

"It's because they're dead; they have no more worries or battles to fight."

"No, I don't think it's that," Ben rebuts. "They had smiles on their faces for us; to assure us that their deaths aren't the end of the world."

"That's got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard," Gwen states.

"Even dumber than when Kevin thought chocolate milk came from brown cows?" Ben chuckles.

Gwen shoots her cousin a glance before laughing herself. "Well, vanilla milk comes from white cows, so," she mocks the man in a gruff voice.

Ben cackles aloud and claps his hands together. "That's spot on!"

"Like," she groans and looks at the ceiling. "I couldn't stand him sometimes."

"I almost peed myself laughing that day."

"And you used to egg him on and oh my God…"

Ben chortles, "I think the biggest crime is him thinking vanilla milk is regular milk."

"Like, who taught you that?"

"Well, obviously, it was his theory, hypothesized by Kevin Levin—the moologist."

Gwen rolls her eyes. "You are so corny; it's a wonder Hope tolerates you."

"I got it from Grandpa, aka the corniest man in the universe." Ben laughs, "You wanna talk about corny; he had a shirt labeled for each day of the week, but it was all the same shirt."

Gwen puts her palm in front of her mouth to muffle her snort. "They were the same shirt."

"What are you labeling them for?"

The following hour or so was spent by Ben and Gwen recalling all the enjoyable and humorous times they had with Max and Kevin. Ben would occasionally fall over in fits of stomach-churning hilarity, and Gwen would have to wipe the tears of laughter from her eyes. Even before the conflict with Vilgax, they'd never spent so much time together; perhaps because the individuals they now jokingly discussed were still alive. The cousins didn't take them for granted, but rather they were unaware of how quickly they would vanish.

"I miss them so much," Gwen mutters.

"I miss them too."

"Kevin and Granpa forgave you so easily," the redhead admits. "But I won't do the same."

Ben averts his eyes from the counter before nodding. Naturally, she won't be so quick to pardon the man who killed her beloved and her grandfather; Ben is foolish to have thought otherwise.

"But I am willing to trust that you can make things right." She continues, "I can see that you're trying to change; I believe you can change, but I need to see some results."

"Right," Ben agrees.

Gwen leans over and places a kiss on his cheek. "Forgiveness comes after."

The sound of a phone interrupts Ben as he is about to reply. Turning to the couch, they see Cooper lazily pulling his phone from his pocket. Loud shouting can be heard coming from the other side as the blonde answers the phone with a groan. They observe the man suddenly become sober and pay close attention to the caller as he repeatedly apologizes before the individual hangs up.

"Was that the missus?" Ben jokes.

"Yeah, and she's pissed," he retorts. "Gwen, do you need a ride home?"

Accepting the invitation, Gwen gets up from her chair to get her things. Cooper is already halfway through the door in a panic. Hope grumbles as Gwen kisses the top of her head. As she prepares to go, she waves farewell to Ben.

"Hey, Gwen!"

The redhead glances back at her cousin.

"Do you think you can get the old gang together?" he asks hopefully. "I want to apologize amongst other things."

Gwen smiles. "I'll see what I can do, see ya cuz."

Ben bids the blond and his cousin farewell before they depart. Hope beckons for Ben as he moves to the couch.

"Come here," she says softly.

Ben gives her a glance while jokingly pointing at himself.

The witch rolls her eyes. "Don't be an idiot."

Ben grinned and moved to stand in front of her.

"Closer," she requests.

Tennyson shuffles forward a bit and leans in.

Hope whispers, "Closer"

Ben inhales as his face is within centimeters from hers and his vivid green eyes lock with her enigmatic purple ones.

"You better not blow your chance, hero," she breathes.

"Are you talking about us or Gwen?"

"Both."

"I love-"

Ben's confession is cut off when Hope presses her lips against his. Ben quietly exhales after tasting her gentle lips; the man almost melts. The kiss is slow and simple, enabling both of them to relax into it. Hope reaches up to cup Ben's face as the kiss intensifies. Ben moves even closer, pressing his hands against her thighs as a slight blush spreads across his face. He couldn't get enough of her.

As a result of the dopamine surge in his brain, Ben unknowingly squeezes her thighs. He wants to feel more of her. Ben's heart begins to race as Hope lets out a contented groan. Months have passed since either of them last experienced the other's tender touch. The man craves more of those fervent noises.

Hope's heart is beating a million miles per hour. It was intended to be a brief motivational kiss. But when the idiot was about to confess to her once more, she became overcome by emotion. She can't help but want him more as his masculine musk fills her nose. She happily lets Ben in as he begs for entrance by licking at her lower lip. When his tongue invaded her mouth, she couldn't help but moan. When he curiously explored her mouth, she could feel her nether region dampening. Both of them sigh with delight as their tongues intertwine in a fiery waltz.

They draw away, struggling to breathe and leaving a trail of spittle between their lips. Glossy eyes were fixed on each other as they appeared to be unsure of what to do next. The pair is aware of what would occur if they persisted. Yet, at the time, they didn't give a damn. The lust growing in their eyes is confirmation that they didn't care.

"I told you not to say that; you haven't earned it yet," Hope breathes slowly.

"I don't care if I haven't earned it," Ben says with conviction. "You did."

Hope's eyes widen at his final statement.

"You earned love, even if it's from a dirtbag like me."

The witch didn't want to agree with Ben's sentiment because it would contradict everything she had been taught for years. She had never considered the prospect of receiving love herself since she had been so preoccupied with the ability to love another. Hope didn't give a fuck about any of that right now; she just wanted to feel his lips on hers again.

"I know you deserve more-"

"Shut up," Hope interrupts.

She slams her lips against his again to rekindle the flame that once warmed her heart. Ben gladly kisses her back before gripping her waist and bringing her into his arms. The witch yelps in shock as she encircles the audacious man with her legs. Ben moves them into her bedroom and falls back onto her bed, with her on top of him.

Ben is pleasantly straddled by Hope, who once more cradles his face. He had soft, warm lips. They parted slightly, allowing her tongue to enter. They are both gasping for air and pressing their bodies close in a hot kiss, yet they won't let go of each other. As soon as she put her lips on his, all of the discomfort and weariness from today vanished like magic.

Ben's chest grew warm, and as they made out, a blazing heat burned his cheeks. His nose picked up a trace of the earthy lotion that she typically wears. He fumbles with the air as his hands pull and yank on her shirt to get closer to her. The witch above him sighs at the slight buck of his hips.

Hope breaks the kiss and leans back while licking her lips at him. Her purple eyes are filled with hunger. A faint blush is visible on Ben's cheeks, and his lips are pursed as he peers up at her through the bangs of his unruly brown hair. His chest's rapid rise and fall are visible to Hope. Images of their nude bodies intertwined with each other flood her thoughts, and she cracks a wicked smile. When she realizes she's out of control, the smile fades. They haven't earned each other yet, and pushing things would simply take away everything they've worked for.

Ben, upon seeing her sour-turned mood, instantly grows a look of concern on his face. "Is everything okay?" he asks.

The witch slides off him and falls to the bed with a huff. She hides her face in her hands and sighs loudly. "Of course everything is okay, and that's exactly the problem."

Ben, not understanding, turns to his side to listen.

"Everything isn't okay, and we shouldn't be acting like it is."

Although she was struggling to put her thoughts into words, Ben could tell that she was attempting to get her point across. He motions for her to stop while grinning at her endearing attempts to justify herself. It didn't take a genius to see that she wanted to take things slowly, and even he is prepared to confess that things a few years ago were forced. Nobody was at fault; they were both stressed out and trying to rely on one another.

"I get it," he chuckles at her blushing face. A tight grasp prevents the man from getting out of bed as he attempts to do so. He returns his gaze to Hope's yearning eyes.

"Don't go," she mutters.

"Okay."

He lets himself be gently lowered back into bed by the witch. She bites her lip as they are once again face to face, unsure of what to say. Hope felt selfish for forcing him to stay with her but was unwilling to give him what he wanted. Fearing she has crossed a line, she begins to pull her shirt up but is stopped by a smiling Ben.

"I want to stay, regardless of what happens," he reassures.

He hugs her tenderly, drawing her close to his chest as he does so. Hope could hear and feel the steady, powerful beating of his heart as it thudded against her cheek, soothing her. Her head was warmed by his breath, which served as a continual reminder that she wasn't dreaming. In his close-knit embrace, she felt safe. Hope wished for him to never let go. It had been so long since she had last been held in this way, with such love and affection, that she could feel tears starting to fill up in her eyes.

"Don't ever leave again," she whispers without hesitation.

"Never," Ben insists firmly.

Her eyes flutter shut in response to his firm vow that he will stay. Hope could sense that this promise will be kept, although he has a history of breaking them. The witch is overjoyed with how things turned out today; reuniting the Tennyson family for one last time was the proper thing to do, even if it did warrant consequences.

Hope moans and rolls in bed, her body aching everywhere. The woman could barely move without whimpering. When Hope notices that the cozy warmth from last night is gone, she opens her eyes. She rapidly looks around the room but cannot find the man. The witch feels her body suddenly become anxious as she is brought back to the morning he left.

She struggles to get to the side of the bed with tears in her eyes, but she is unable to get to her feet in time and falls to the ground. Hope smacks her fist on the carpet while shouting obscenities. Dammit! Why am I so emotional all of a sudden? Was a kiss enough to make me forget who I am? I'm fuckingCharmcaster, for God's sake. She is brought back to reality by hurried footsteps and an opening door. When she looks up, she sees Ben looking back at her in confusion.

Ben stays silent after helping Hope to a chair and hearing the reason why he discovered her in a heap on the floor.

"Did you have that little faith in me?" he inquires. "I can't say I blame you."

Hope's eyes widen upon hearing what he's accusing her of.

"Ben, why would you say something like that?"

The man silently hands the witch the cup of coffee he had made.

"Say something!" Hope heaved.

"Coffee is all I could make."

"Forget about the coffee, Ben." Hope sets the cup down on the nightstand before turning back to him. "Let's get one thing straight; I have never given up on you."

Ben desperately wanted to believe her—in fact, it was the most rational response—but he was unable to. With everything he's done, how could she possibly still believe in him? His cousin once believed he was a hopeless case, but Hope is now asserting that she never lost confidence in him. That seemed inconceivable.

The man wants to smack himself upside the head. Why is he here, dismissing Hope's feelings for him as if she weren't the reason he's still alive? As if she hadn't chased him around the world after everyone else had given up on him.

Ben stands up and throws his arms in the air. "I hate that you thought I left again," he confesses loudly. "I want to be the one you trust again." Hope opens her mouth to speak, but Ben interrupts. "I know I don't deserve it, but I'll earn it—just watch," he trumpeted as he wagged a finger in her face.

Hope is at a loss for words. For a brief period, he sounded like himself—a former iteration of himself who would brag about completing impossible tasks in an instant. One who formerly laughed off danger and ran to help others even if it meant risking his own life. She believes she just heard a piece of Ben 10. Her theory is confirmed by the man's gleaming emerald eyes and boastful demeanor.

The loud growl of his stomach causes him to blush in embarrassment. A smile grows on Hope's face as she bursts out laughing at the instant mood switch.

"Looks like our hero's hungry," she giggles.

"Yeah, I wasn't kidding about only being able to make coffee; plus, it's not like you can have anything delivered to this hidden cabin."

The witch chuckles at the man's clever remark. She makes another attempt to stand straight before falling back into the chair. Ben approaches to aid her but stops when she waves him off. He observes the woman make an effort to rise again, but she huffs and falls. Ben is pained by her fruitless actions; witnessing her move so stiffly made him realize how much it took out of her to take them to visit his loved ones.

"Don't do that," Hope mutters under her breath.

Ben peered up at her with dim green eyes and a lugubrious expression.

"Do not look at me with that pitiful expression on your face!" she hisses loudly.

Hope can still feel that repulsive sight on her skin as Ben averts his gaze. It made her skin crawl with disgust—she wasn't some helpless little child. She had experienced agony that was a thousand times worse. To her, this is nothing. Yet those eyes—those empathetic eyes—pierced her to the core.

It was the same look Hex used to give her when she didn't live up to his expectations. She detested the man's constant condescension toward her and the way it made her feel like an abhorrent earthworm unworthy even to touch the heel of his sandal. Hope is restored to her childhood position every time someone stares at her with the same gaze. That same position made her feel infinitely insignificant and powerless.

Hope chews her lower lip as she uses her arms to lift herself onto her feet; her brain is screaming at her body to move. Under Hope's harsh punishment, the witch's muscles cry for mercy. The metallic taste of blood enters her mouth as a result of the pressure she applies to her lip. Hope is overcome with the sensation that a million pins and needles are swarming over her body, yet she persists despite the numbness. Once she was standing, she extended her hands in front of her to help her maintain balance.

She mocks slowly, "See, now was that so hard?" Shit. As the sensation of weightlessness took hold of her body, her eyesight started to go dim and hazy. Ben catches her as she is slowly falling forward. Her head falls into the crook of his neck as he grips her tightly.

"You're the toughest witch I know," he whispers softly into her ear.

Gwen is rudely awakened by the strong sunshine that floods her bedroom, and she mutters an obscenity under her breath. She looks up to see what jackass decided to open her room's curtains and ruin perhaps the nicest night's sleep she's ever had. Standing there with her arms crossed was an older blonde woman. Gwen recognized the sparse war scars and tattoos that adorned her arms.

"What happened to a text message?" the redhead groans.

"Considering I've called you numerous times, I didn't think a text would work," Carly answers.

Gwen checks her phone idly and discovers the blonde's several missed calls. She reclines on her back and takes a long stretch in the warmth of her blanket.

"I'm assuming you forgot about the important meetings you have today as well," Carly quizzes before glancing down at her watch. "Sorry—had."

"Oh wow, another meeting where I'm supposed to come up with a thousand ideas for the future while everyone else sits around and picks their noses," Gwen mocks.

"You have a duty and responsibility-"

"Aw, is the good little soldier going to lecture me on my duties and responsibilities?"

Carly's face is heavily flushed as her irritated eyes narrow. "What is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem; I'm just not going to suck the dicks of those fat bozos in suits all day long anymore."

Gwen quickly stands up by tossing the blanket aside and draping her legs over the side of the bed. Carly averts her gaze from Gwen's see-through nightgown, which clasps loosely around her body. The redhead pays her no mind and strides to her bedroom door.

"Come, Carly, we have an announcement to make."

Gwen was ranting about the fresh ideas that were forming in her thoughts as Carly silently drove. She's finally lost it. The blonde tells herself. Carly is unsure that just one therapy session could have resulted in such a dramatic transformation in the redhead.

"Carly, please call Tetrax and Lucy and have them return to Earth," Gwen instructs. "Tell them it's important, along with Cooper and Elena."

"Yes ma'am."

They quickly arrive at the town hall's public parking lot. Gwen wastes little time getting out of the car and walking to the front of the building. Through the Town Hall's doors, Carly pursues the boisterous redhead. If the blonde claimed she wasn't interested in the nature of this "announcement," she would be lying.

Several people were standing in the foyer chit-chatting, including Mayor Fitch and the H.O.P.E. panelists. These individuals were Gwen's administrative appointees and contributed little to nothing to her overall plan of action. They were merely placeholders and, to be honest, dead weight. They didn't do much more than deceive to get money into their own pockets that ought to have gone to global initiatives to restore peace to Earth. That includes Mayor Fitch.

Once the mayor takes notice of her, he waves her over with a smile. Gwen produces a fake smile and moves over to greet the group.

"Gwen, we missed you this morning," he says with a grin.

The redhead chuckles, "No you didn't."

"Excuse me?" one of the brunette board members asked.

"But I can sincerely say the feeling is mutual when I say this," she begins matter-of-factly. "You're fired; you're all fired."

The dismissal was delivered in such a cordial manner that the members mistook it for a terrible joke. The statement was accompanied by a smile, which did nothing to defuse the situation. The mayor remained motionless, his mouth hanging open. An older man with salt and pepper hair is the first to speak up.

"You can't remove any of the board members without a panel vote, and you certainly can't expel all of us at once!"

Gwen turns to glare at the man, who immediately shrinks down behind his peers. "Is that so?" she ponders. "I wonder who made that rule."

"It would be in your best interest not to mock us, Gwendolyn," another panel member warns.

Gwen takes a stride towards the panelist, her shimmering green eyes narrowing. Mayor Fitch, who had noticed the press watching, takes a step between the two women, his hands outstretched. A public argument wasn't something he wanted to happen.

"Let's not blow this out of proportion," he condemns. "I'm sure Gwendolyn means well, and this is all a misunderstanding."

"It is not," Gwen corrects. "I want all of you gone by tomorrow morning."

The mayor shoots the redhead a look. "I'm trying to help you here," he hisses.

"I don't want your help," Gwen snorts. "As I said, I want you out of here by tomorrow."

Carly is shocked by Gwen's 180-degree attitude swing; she has never seen the redhead behave so erratically. The blonde is beginning to question whether Gwen's behavior has ever been indicative of her genuine personality and not just a façade. Mayor Fitch is equally shocked to hear the critical remark from the typically vivacious redhead. She gave him a cold, indifferent stare that sent shivers down his spine. What was this new side of Gwen?

Gwen spun on her heels and walked out the door without waiting for any comments from the audience. She pushes through the door without giving it a second thought, despite the repeated calls for her to come back. Carly is forced to go with the woman's lead; the blonde races to catch up with Gwen.

"Was that your big announcement?" she condemns.

Gwen didn't stop marching forward. "No I originally wanted to quit but then I realized nothing would get done."

Carly yanks on Gwen's wrist. "Can you stop for ONE second!"

"What?" Gwen shouts frustrated.

"What was all that back there?" she interrogates. "Why did you fire them in front of everyone?"

"Because they're a bunch of shit-eating birds that are only concerned with the quickest way to line their pockets."

"Did you hit your head or something?"

"I have turned a blind eye to a lot of things since this organization came to be because I was scared and didn't know what to do."

"And now you do?" Carly asked.

"I know that things are about to be a lot different."

Gwen paces in her living room, lost in thought; she and Carly had returned to her house. An anxious glance from the blonde was directed at Gwen's phone, which was inundated with calls and messages. They appeared to be from the mayor and the panel, Carly could only imagine.

The redhead looks over at her old Plumber badge's blinking green light. When Tetrax and Lucy are out on their space explorations, it's the easiest way to get in touch with them. No matter how many nightmares the outdated technology brought Tetrax, he kept it all. Gwen retained her badge because it reminded her of the good old days when Grandpa Max was still around. Now it serves as a constant reminder of what occurred over the past two years.

"How do you know they'll answer?" Carly inquires.

"They'll answer," Gwen responds quickly.

The flickering green light continued to flash for a short while before becoming solid. They could hear a gruff masculine voice clearing their throat. "Hello?" he greets. "Gwen?"

A brief smile flashes over Gwen's face before she responds with, "Hey Tetrax".

"This is a surprise."

"I needed to get in touch with you."

"You rarely ever use the Plumber badge to do so; this must be important."

"It is, can you come back to Earth?" Gwen asks.

"How soon?"

Gwen beams once more at her friend's readiness to blithely come back to Earth.

"As soon as possible; my house."

"We'll be there shortly."

As soon as the call finishes, Gwen grabs her phone and dials Cooper and Elena. Like Gwen and Tetrax's call, it is brief; Cooper didn't squander time by asking questions. Gwen's talent for bringing people together with the snap of her fingers strikes a chord with Carly. That is Ben Tennyson's cousin after all. She reminds herself. As she thinks of her ex-partner, her lips are painted with a frown, and she lets out a tiny sigh.

Since leaving that day after the incident with the Plumbers was resolved, the blonde hasn't seen the man. She desperately wanted to find him and let him know that hiding from his troubles wasn't the solution. She'd know. Since her father's passing, Carly has only ever run away from her issues. Ben altered that when she saw how eager he was to assist others in any circumstance. She now wished to repay the favor to a person she regarded as a close friend.

But then Carly noticed the chasm it left in Gwen's heart as she watched her cousin leave. She made the decision to remain, keep an eye on the redhead, and provide a shoulder for her to lean on in these trying times. To repay Ben for his kindness, she would ensure that the reputation developed around the name Tennyson would endure.

Over the months, Carly learned to see Gwen as somewhat of a younger sister. The sorceress' extraordinary work ethic and desire to assist everyone in need, much like Ben, astounded the blonde. She frequently had to remind the redhead to take breaks and eat properly. Carly recalls having to move a sleepy woman from her workplace desk to the couch on several occasions.

Carly continues to be lost in thought even after an hour or so. Cooper and Elena enter Gwen's home through the front entrance, interrupting her. Hugs are exchanged between the couple and the two women. Tetrax and Lucy make their way inside after them. Lucy tells Gwen about her activities without delay. Being the reserved individual that he is, Tetrax leans against the wall and listens to the two women chat.

"Are we waiting on someone else?" Elena asks.

At that moment a sharp knock is heard at the door. Gwen turns her head towards the entryway with a smile on her face. Carly could tell the redhead already knew who is at the door. Although the blonde is curious, it didn't take a genius to know who stood on the other side of that door.

"Come in," Gwen calls out.

The knob turns slowly, and the door creaks open. Despite what she had promised herself, Carly's stomach jumped when she saw him. He stood boldly in his distinctive green jacket, a solemn expression on his face. The audible gasp that Carly overheard was undoubtedly Lucy's. The blonde couldn't hold it against her. There at the doorway is Ben Tennyson.