July 10, 2016

Colorado Mountains; 11:40 am

The Tennysons had just spent a night camping, deciding that some peace away in nature was just what they needed after being trapped in a bunker hidden in the desert. Though Max said they'd be "camping," they mostly stayed in the RV and only went out to cook dinner. Come morning, they ate breakfast and then left to swim at the nearby lake.

Ben had changed into his trunks, admiring the view. He noticed Max walk by carrying a fishing rod and cooler. "Not getting in, Grandpa?"

"No, the water's too cold for these old bones." Max looked a little sad as he spoke. "You kids have fun; I'll be over here if you need me."

Ben was once again surprised by Max's trust in them. Or maybe it was the man's lack of interest in them. He had hardly seen their grandfather while they were at the outpost, so he had figured that the man had given up on them after the incident in Phoenix but then quickly agreed to continue their trip as if the two cousins hadn't almost murdered one another just a few weeks ago. But, regardless of his suspicions, Ben was just happy to be able to spend more time with Gwen.

They had hardly been alone since their conversation in the bunker. After talking with Max, Gwen returned to her room to pack, and then the three had been together all night. He couldn't be upset with the way things were going since it was much more positive than he was expecting, but he still desperately craved the red-head's attention. If he plays his cards right, there may be a chance to fix his mistakes.

Ben shook the thought away. He had told himself that he would respect her wishes. If she knew how he felt, then it would only make things harder for her, and he can't bear to do that again. Not after all the trouble he's caused her already. The only thing that mattered was her happiness. He just can't help but wish to be a part of that happiness.

The sound of the RV door opening drew him from his thoughts. Gwen walked out with a towel wrapped around her body, hiding the bathing suit underneath. She looked around before turning to her cousin, "Where's Grandpa?"

Ben pointed towards the dock Max sat at, "Just us again."

Gwen looked hesitant. She had worn the bikini to the beach just a few weeks prior, but now that she had confessed her feelings, she felt much more self-conscious. There were constant questions running through her head about whether what she was doing was inappropriate and if she was giving off the wrong impression. How can she move on when she keeps finding herself in these kinds of situations? They were just standing there, awkwardly at one another, unsure of what to do. They were sure that if anyone else had been at the lake, they'd take one look at the two and think they both looked like idiots. And they'd be right.

Ben was the first to speak up. "I know that everything's been pretty crazy lately, but I hope that we can try to get things back to normal."

She wondered when the last time they had been normal. Was it before Phoenix? Before her mom caught them? Or was it before they stupidly fell in love? No, it was long before that. It was before that damn watch fell out of the sky and turned their entire lives upside down.

"There is no normal for us, Ben," Gwen said as she walked back to the Rustbucket.

Ben turned around, feeling disappointed. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but it certainly wasn't that. He walked into the lake, feeling the cold water send a shiver up his spine. "What's the point?" he thought to himself.

"Head's up!"

Ben turned just in time to see Gwen fly by on a glowing pink disk. She descended down and began to skip across the lake before settling into an almost surf-like glide along the water's surface. She turned around, heading straight for him, but before they could collide, she brought the disk to a halt, sending a wave to topple him over.

"Hey! Watch where you're-" Ben was caught off by Gwen flicking him in the forehead.

"Tag," she said with a smirk.

Ben wasn't sure what was happening. It felt like his brain was buffering as it struggled to process all the information it was being given. Just moments ago, Gwen had left looking so fragile and alone, but now the woman standing over him radiated a cocky confidence that he was all too familiar with. It was one of the many things he missed about her, after all.

From the corner of his eye, Ben could see his grandfather eating a sandwich as he watched the two. When their eyes met, Max tilted his head as if he were saying, "Go get her." With a furrowed brow, Ben lunged forward to tag her back but fell face-first into the lake as Gwen glided away.

"Never make it easy for me, do you?" Ben mumbled to himself as he turned the dial of the Omnitrix. He slammed down onto the dial and was absorbed by the green flash as he felt his body change in an instant. When the light cleared, he looked at his prey halfway across the water and screamed "Water Hazard" as he propelled himself forward with jets of water.

He could feel the muscles underneath his exoskeleton recoil with every burst as he flew through the air. The water from his jets created a wake behind him, signaling the mage of her pursuer. The makeshift board began to skip as she picked up speed, and soon she began to hover higher over the water, but not quite high enough to be out of his range, obeying rules that neither party had verbally spoken but both agreed to.

"Gotta keep things interesting," she told herself. Just as the Orishan was about to lunge for her, Gwen vaulted off her floating platform, dodging him effortlessly. Quickly, she formed another disk below her and began to fly back in the opposite direction.

However, the pride in her chest was short-lived, as Ben just as easily flipped himself and launched himself with enough force that it was as if he had never even stopped. Gwen formed an angled barrier to reduce drag. It was enough to outrun him for now, but Ben knew how to close the distance. Extending his arms out, he shot out jets of water, causing his body to spin at an incredible speed. Like a drill, he pierced through the air, drawing ever closer to his prey. Gwen tried to dodge once again, but he was prepared this time and popped off just in time to grab hold of her before she could fly off again.

Their game of cat and mouse was over, but they began to plummet towards the water. Ben quickly turned himself, shielding her as his back skipped across until he dug himself into the shore. Gwen looked up from his chest, making sure that the two were still in one piece. Feeling a little shaky, she watched as the alien's visor retracted, revealing what could only be described as a shit-eating grin. He brought a finger to her nose and softly poked it, "You're it."

The two had continued to chase one another until the watch timed out. After which, they splashed and wrestled in the water until the watch recharged and devolved into Gwen, causing geysers to launch Ben in the air as he tried to dunk her as Ripjaws. Their magic versus alien hijinks went on for a couple of hours until they were too tired to move, and the two lay on the shore watching the clouds.

Ben could see Max still at his spot on the dock, never once leaving since they arrived. Gwen noticed his staring and grew solemn. "Grandpa's changed a lot, hasn't he?"

"It's my fault," Ben says, the cheeryness no longer in his voice. "I was a little shit back then. Caused a lot of trouble for Mom and Dad, and Grandpa was the only one that knew how to handle me."

"Everyone keeps saying that you were some kind of monster," Gwen said angrily as she sat up. "What happened to you and Grandpa? How did things get this bad!?"

Ben sat up deep in thought. Gwen studied his features, looking for any clue as to what he was thinking. He looked serious and almost guilty. Eventually, he looked at her and spoke, "After we broke up, I went into a dark place. I'm sure you know that part well enough already." Gwen nodded. "I decided that I didn't want to feel that way anymore, and when Grandpa told me about the Junior Plumber Initiate Program, I thought I finally found my way out of the darkness. Turns out it's not that easy."

He grabbed a fistful of dirt and watched it crumble in his hand. "There were ten of us in our first week. By the end of the month, a half had dropped out, and by the end of Summer, there was just me and Kai." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Max would train us, and we'd occasionally be allowed to go on missions. They were never anything too difficult, but for a bunch of regular kids, they may as well have been defusing a bomb without a manual."

Gwen understood that very well. Before she learned magic, she was just another kid struggling to survive in the world of bad guys and aliens. She was lucky to have a Veterine Plumber as her grandfather, but time and time again, she would have to fend for herself until Ben could come and save her. If things had gone differently, would she be here today?

Ben continued to speak, "There was one mission, though, where everything went to shit. We got caught up in an encounter with some traffickers, and the Plumbers that we were working under were killed. It was just me and two other recruits: a brother and a sister. The sister was younger and had been injured as they escaped. It wasn't anything serious, but they probably had never experienced anything like that before. The brother took a gun off one of the Plumbers and was ready to fight off anyone who came near her. The bastard couldn't even hit a target at ten yards."

Ben clenched his fists, turning his knuckles white. He felt a hand touch his, and he flinched. Gwen retracted just a moment, but when she saw that he wouldn't run away, she slowly uncurled his fingers, revealing the red crescents indented into his palm. He turned his face away, not wanting her to see his shame.

"What happened to them?" she asked.

"We locked ourselves in a basement and waited for backup. The watch was timed out, and the traffickers were banging on the door. Jema was crying, calling out for her mom. Bret tried to comfort her, but I'm sure it was taking everything in him not to piss his pants." Ben laughed a sad laugh at the memory before going quiet again. "They broke in just as the Omnitrix finished charging. I slammed down onto the dial and was overcome with an intense rage. It was blinding. The reports say that they found me kneeling in the center of the room, surrounded by body parts, and Bret pointing a gun at me. Everything was a blur. The only thing I remember was holding a claw to Bret's throat after he shot me."

He sighed and looked back towards the clouds. "There've been other incidents since then, but none where I blacked out like that. A part of me wishes I could remember what happened that day, but it's probably for the best. I think my brain's protecting me from it for a reason. No point in reliving that pain."

Gwen realized that she had been holding her breath and inhaled deeply. Tears stung her eyes as they threatened to fall. There was still so much that she didn't know. So much pain and trauma for one man to bear. She brought his bloody palm to her lips, kissing the wound before resting her forehead on his knuckles. She could be pulse quickening as it thumbed throughout her.

Ben wasn't sure how long they sat in that position before she finally let go of him. She was glossy-eyed, and he could sense the fear she was harboring. He wanted to pull her in and take them all away. To make her feel secure and protected just as he did long ago. But he couldn't not anymore.

Max called for them to return to the Rust Bucket, and Gwen was the first to get up. She turned to look at him and gave him a soft smile before walking off. Ben sighed and followed behind her.

Once inside, Gwen quickly changed into dry clothes and joined Max at the front of the RV. Ben entered the bathroom and went to wash the blood from his hands when he noticed something. There were no longer any wounds on his palms.