Responsibility

Author: Razial

Disclaimer: Ben 10 - Alien Force is property of Cartoon Network and Man of Action

Pairing: Ben/Gwen

Summary: Set after Alien Force: Bad things have happened and Gwen must face up to her responsibility and realise the mistake she has been making.

(Gwen's apartment)

Gwen sighed as she watched the television which was reporting another rampage by an alien monster; the difference was she knew this alien. It was the same alien as the one who had torn up most of the cities in the last half year since she had turned her back on him it was her beloved cousin Ben Tennyson.

She remembered how it had started as she sat down and put her face in her hands, she had allowed Kevin to convince her to quit and leave Ben as on his own, Ben had reacted badly and they had gotten into a very horrible argument and they had both said some very hurtful things but in the end she had hurt him the most when she had screamed at him that she never wanted to see him again. She had seen the look in his eye as she finished her sentence, the look of defeat, pain and agony as she chose Kevin over him.

The worst thing was she had betrayed her promise to Ben, the promise she had made him in secret when he had first found the Omnitrix to always be there for him. She had long been his conscience, his support, his heart and when she had turned her back on him she had broken all of it and left him with nothing to learn on and the city was paying the price of her stupidity. She and Ben had grown closer every year since their first summer trip with Grandpa Max; they always hung out and bounced their problems of the other until her mistake.

That closeness however was weakened when she had begun to stick up for Kevin something Ben had never understood and she could see his point as during their first summer trip Kevin had almost killed them both a few times. She had allowed herself to be fooled into thinking she liked Kevin to distract her from the truth that was in her heart something she had always had trouble excepting and that was that she loved her cousin she loved Ben with her whole heart and she knew Ben had loved her back just by the look in his eyes when he looked at her.

Her fear of facing that truth had allowed Kevin the pull the blinders over her eyes until it was to late she had betrayed Ben and now in his pain and rage he was destroying what he had once protected although as of yet he had not taken a life. Grandpa Max and the plumbers were doing everything they could to stop him but they were no match for the powers of the aliens within the Omnitrix and of course Ben's rage. The worst thing about all of this was Ben had been right not to trust Kevin, as soon as she had done what he wanted he had revealed the truth and that was he wanted to break the bond between her and Ben and then use Ben's pain to control him thinking he would be more pliable in such an emotional state. Well he had been wrong and no one could control Ben because he was buried deep within himself lost to his grief and rage, she could feel him over the spell she had cast when they were younger to monitor him but it was a faint echo.

She stood up and began to leave her apartment, she had run from her fear and her mistake long enough, it was time to face them head on and bring her Ben home. She knew Kevin may try and stop her if he was still around considering the thrashing he had received when he had tried to control Ben after he had revealed his plan but she would allow nothing and no one to stop her from saving Ben he was her responsibility and her heart.

(City Centre)

Max Tennyson shook his head as he watched his grandson continue to rampage through the city as he had every other city he had been in for half a year. He did not know why Ben had suddenly turned on them all and started to destroy everything he came into contact with but he did know he had to be stopped before he ended up killing anyone it was his duty as a plumber.

He dived as a huge chunk of a building came down on his former position, suddenly someone stood next to him and he looked up and was shocked to see his granddaughter Gwen standing there. She had been missing for the same amount of time as Ben had been on his rampage and he had begun to fear Ben had done something to her in his current mindset.

"Clear everyone out of here Grandpa" Gwen said with a determined look in her eyes as she looked up at where Ben in Chromastone form was hanging from a building

"Gwen, where have you been all this time?" Max asked as his fellow plumbers again fired on Ben only to miss as he jumped from building to building

"Later Grandpa when I have brought Ben home" Gwen shot back as she summonded all her power and began to make her way to her cousin ignoring everything else around her

Max hesitated for a few seconds before he issued the orders to pull back and make sure the centre was cleared of all civilians, he prayed that if anyone could stop Ben it was the one person who was closet to him even more than himself and that was his cousin Gwen.

He turned and began shouting to clear the area to the few people stupid enough to hang around and watch the battle unfold, he looked back for a few seconds to see his grandaughter get closer and closer to Ben who had yet to see her before shaking his head and continued to evac the people knowing Gwen could handle herself.

Gwen moved as fast as she could on the purple platforms she conjured beneath her until she was behind Ben who was watching from the top of one of the buildings as the plumbers pulled back, she took a deep breathe before speaking and alerting him to her presence

"Ben" she shouted and then watched as Chromastone turned and faced her, he stared at her for a few minutes before suddenly he vanished and in his place stood the object of her heart Ben in his human form

He looked tired and broken and his eyes were dead and pull of pain with little of the energy they used to process, she had done this to him in her fear and stupdity and she would fix it. She also would not allow Ben to pay for her mistake, she would fight anyone even Grandpa Max and the plumbers if them came to arrest Ben for what he had done in his pain and anger.

She stared into his eyes and waited and prayed she could reach him without having to fight him and then watched as he collapsed to his knees and began to shake, she moved forward and stepped onto the top of the building and dropping in front of him. She reached forward and pulled Ben to her and at first her resisted but finally he gave in and collapsed against her and began crying his pain and anger spilling out.

Using her magic she brought them both to street level holding Ben tightly to her, he was completely shut off from the world and only she could bring him back only she could correct her mistake.

"Well done Gwen" Max said as he and a bunch of plumbers appeared all of them training their weapons on Ben "Now hand him over, he has to pay for what he's done" he added the regret in his voice obvious to everyone that he didn't really want to do this but saw no other way

"No I won't" Gwen hissed "I am taking him home with me Grandpa where I can heal him and correct my mistake" she added "I will phone you later with the address and then you, my parents, Ben's parents and the plumber in charge can come over and I will explain why this happened in the first place because it shore was not Ben's fault" she stated

"Gwen I am afraid that is not an option" Max responded "Ben has caused to much damage for us to just allow him to go" he added

"I won't let you take him from me" Gwen hissed again before she called on her magic and a shockwave knocked Max and the plumbers to the ground and Ben and Gwen vanished

"How did she do that?" Jake one of the plumbers shouted as he and the others stood back up

"Her powers have obviously grown" Max replied with a shake of his head not really surprised by what Gwen had done and curious what she had meant when she said her mistake needed correcting "Something else is going on here, we're missing something" he added in thought "I better contact the rest of the family so we can await Gwen's call together, tell Peter to meet me at Ben's families house" he added before heading to his RV

Jake just nodded before looking back at the devastation that Ben had caused, he had used to think the kid was a hero but that had all changed when he had gone on a rampage. He sighed before heading to the control van to inform Peter the plumber in charge of capturing Ben what had just happened

(Gwen's Apartment)

Gwen also collapsed as she and Ben reappeared in her apartment that spell had taken a lot out of her but it had been worth it. She took Ben to her bedroom and placed him on the bed where he curled up and just stared at her.

The look in his eyes broke her heart but she was determined to bring her Ben back to life by confessing the full truth, but she had to wait until he was in a state to listen and there was only one way she knew how to do that and that using one of the spells her grandmother had taught her when she had explained about the Anodite and where her powers came from before leaving. It was not a spell to be cast lightly she had been warned but she knew there was no one else she would choose to cast it on, it was called the ritual of bonding and it would tie her and Ben together mind body and soul for the rest of their lives.

She knew the only way to reach her Ben through his pain and rage was if he could feel her love for him and see the truth about everything that had happened in her mind. Her grandmother had told her the ritual was used for those who would be married but she did not care at this junction, all that mattered to her was saving Ben.

(Hidden Base)

"Damn her" Kevin Levin snarled as he watched the report from the spy drone

The original plan may not have worked but the chaos Tennyson was wrecking was better than nothing and worth the injuries he had suffered when he had tried to manipulate Ben for his own ends as was the pain he had caused Gwen when he revealed the truth of his plans to her but now she had obviously decided to get over her pain and guilt and finally help stop her cousin. He would have to do something about this and quickly and that meant finding where she had been hiding herself all this time, he turned and walked away to plan how to stop her from bringing back the old Ben Tennyson.

(Ben's Families House)

Max sat waiting alongside the rest of his family which included Sandra and Carl Ben's parents and Gwen's parents Frank and Lily who after been overjoyed to learn their daughter was okay had switched to concern when they learnt what she had said and done. Peter the head of the new Plumbers was also there looking very relieved the situation with Ben was almost over

"Do you think she will call considering we tried to arrest Ben?" Peter suddenly spoke up he was nervous and hated long silences

"I think she will once she feels secure" Max answered "But if we make any move against Ben we'll be in trouble" he added making sure the others understood they weren't to do anything like that and they all nodded

"Why is she protecting him after the chaos he has caused?" Frank inquired wanting to know where his daughter had been all this time and why she was helping Ben

"Something she said before she vanished leads me to believe this isn't all Ben's fault" Max responded "She said she would heal him and fix her mistake, whatever mistake she mentioned must have led to Ben's going on a rampage" he added

"Don't blame my daughter for what Ben has done" Lilly shouted angered by the very idea "He and you have constantly brought her into danger and this time the price was to high" she added

"I made my own choice to join them" an annoyed voice said from behind them and they all turned to find Gwen standing in the corner with her arms folded against her chest "Do not assume mom that they forced me to help them" she added

Frank ignored the hostility in his daughters voice and ran over and hugged her just stopping himself from crying that his daughter was okay, he had never doubted her ability to choose her own path as his wife had and so did not feel the need to find blame for her actions. He released her as Carl, Sandra, Max and finally Lilly all hugged her

"Gwen, where have you been all this time?" Carl asked his niece wondering if he would soon be able to see his son

"Hiding" Gwen replied "Hiding from my mistake and my responsibility" she added suddenly looking sad and angry

"What mistake Gwen, what is it that makes you believe you are partly responsible for what Ben has done?" Max inquired as he guided her to a chair and sat her down joined by the others

"First you have to understand this is not Ben's fault the Ben you know has been trapped in the deepest corner of his mind trying to escape the rage and anger he has been feeling" Gwen began after taking a deep breathe as she knew some of what she was going to say would not go down well "All the damage he has done was done by the aliens within the Omnitrix acting on his anger and rage, Ben was not in control and before you ask how I know I will tell you" she added "I cast a spell when we were younger that allowed me to monitor his emotional state, I have sensed nothing from it but a dull echo" she explained

"What caused this anger and rage?" Max asked silencing Lilly with a look as she went to protest something

"Me" Gwen answered with a sigh "And before any of you start protesting let me explain" she added noting that her mom and the plumber were about to start arguing "None of you have any idea the pressure Ben has felt when he bears the Omnitrix, at first it was all fun and games until we both realised as long as he wore it aliens would come for him and those close to him to get to it. I saw what you didn't Grandpa I saw the worry and the fear he felt at night because I made a promise to him to always be there for him to always be his support and his conscience and I have never turned my back on him even after we got the Omnitrix of him" she explained "We grew closer than you know, closer than even we realised at first but when we did at first we fought against it knowing it was not widely excepted in the world and of course knowing the trouble it could cause in the family but Ben gradually came to except it, but I continued to let my fear control me and it helped cause what happened" she went on

"What are you saying Gwen, just what is it you are implying between you and Ben?" Sandra asked a nagging idea already forming in the back of her mind

"They are in love with each other" a new voice said and they turned in surprise to find Verdona had somehow joined them

"Verdona" Max said stunned "What are you doing here?" he asked as she sat down next to him

"I felt Gwen access her full power and the distress within her so I came as fast as I could before she did something she might regret" Verdona answered "I already know the situation with Ben after checking in with the plumbers when I inquried where you would be" she added

"You can't be seriouus Mom, Gwen and Ben can't be in love their cousins" Franks interupted her still in shock fro what she had said

"What she says is the truth and we are" Gwen said before Verdona could say anything in return "We know for most of the world it is thought of as wrong but for others it is not, it depends on where you are in the world" she added "I researched it when I realised the truth of my feelings for Ben, but I still hid from that truth leading to Ben's downfall" she sighed as she spoke

"How Gwen?" Max asked not too stunned by this information as he had always thought they were closer than anyone believed and considering his relationship with Verdona he had never though he had any right to complain

"When you went missing and Ben came to me asking for help I knew he would put the omnitrix back on, I didn't want him to and I know he didn't either but for you he did it and I swore once again he would never loose me" Gwen answered "However I messed up in trusting Kevin, my fear of truly admitting my love for Ben allowed him to fool me into thinking I liked him and after we dealth with the dna aliens he convinced me to quit and leave Ben thus breaking my promise to him, we got into a huge argument and we said some very hurtful things but I really struck deep with my last sentence all of it out of fear of admitting the truth to him and to you and I watched as my Ben died, all that was left was a shadow stuck in anger stuck in rage whilst he retreated inside his own mind to escape it" she informed them "Kevin soon revealed his plan had been all along to break the bond between me and Ben because he had realised what had kept Ben on the right path, his plan worked but failed when it came to his belief he could control Ben in his devastated state, Ben trashed him like he was nothing and as for me I ran and hid when I realised how big of a mistake I had made how much I had betrayed Ben" she stated with an angrished look on her face

"Gwen you are not to blame for what Ben has done out of some childish fit" Lilly spat angered by what her daughter was saying

"Don't you understand mom I have always kept Ben steady especially when it came to him wearing the omnitrix, the responsilbilty to use it for good and for protecting this world and the rest of the universe for people like Vilgax almost crushed him but he never showed to anyone especially not Granpa Max who he was afraid to let down but I saw it and I was the one who comforted him and advised him and chased away his nightmares" Gwen hissed angry now her mother was not listening "Without me the pressure would have eaten him alive and he would have either given up or turned and that was something I would not allow and Kevin soon realised this and he used it to destroy us, all the good we've done has been undone" she almost sobbed and Verdona moved over and pulled her into a hug whilst Max realised how stupid he had been not to see what his granchildren had been going through during their adventures and he had unwittenly added to the pressure with how pleased he acted to see someone in the family follow in his footsteps

"Gwen, where is Ben?" Carl asked angered to learn how much the Omnitrix had affected his son and niece's lives

"At my apartment resting, he will remain there whilst he recovers and I rebuild what I broke" Gwen replied "I already started by performing the ritual of bonding" she added knowing this would cause trouble but she no longer cared how he parents reacted she just wanted her Ben back

"What is that?" Sandra inquired noting the surpise of Max's face whilst Verdona just smiled sadly

"Are you sure you did it for all the right reasons Gwen?" Verdona asked gently and when Gwen nodded she nodded her head in understand before facing the others "The ritual of bonding is used on married couples or those to be married by Anodite's, it joins them mind body and soul and allows them to see into the other" she explained shocking the others "I performed it myself on Max and me when we were together" she added

"Why did you do it Gwen?" was all Frank could manage to ask

"Because first it was the only way to reach my Ben, it was the only way to show him how I truly felt and the only way for him to see who was behind all this" Gwen responded without the slightest bit of guilt or regret at doing this "Second when I finally have my Ben back I do not want anything to come between us again which includes you I have made my choice and it is him" she stated "We will deal with Kevin for the last time once Ben is truly back and then we will live our life together, we will rebuild our reputations and the trust we have lost during all of this and when it is time Ben will pass the Omnitrix on to the next worthy protector" she finished

"Undo it now" Lilly ordered not wanting to except anything her daughter had just said whilst Frank realised no matter what they said Gwen would do as she wanted and decided not to bother to argue

"It can't be undone Lilly" Verdona shot back "And to try would most likely kill them" she warned them "Gwen has made her choice and you should all except it she is old enough to make it and this is the only way to save Ben from himself" she added

"This doesn't exactly absolve Ben of the destruction he has caused" Peter said a little relieved to learn his kid's hero had not done this by choice

"Yes it does" Gwen shot back with a glare "I am warning you now if you try and take him from me I will fight you and I will win" she warned the man "We can make sure the people understand that the person who did this was not Ben but Kevin using technology to make himself look like Ben's alien heros, we can say Ben has been held captive all this time" she explained

"That would be a very big lie" Peter countered glancing at Max and noting he seemed to agree

"Yes it would but then at least Kevin will pay for his crimes and Ben will be free to continue to protect us all" Gwen responded "It's the best thing we can do, please give us a chance to reurn the trust we once had, I promise once Ben is back in his right state he will be the hero he once was" she asked almost pleaded

Peter and Max exchanged looks before nodding knowing some of what Gwen had said was true, a lot of plumber kids still looked up to Ben and Gwen Tennyson and this plan would allow them to keep that belief in them.

"Okay Gwen, we'll give you a chance" Peter said "I think you and Ben have earned that much after everything you've been through" he added with a small smile

"Thank you" Gwen said leaning against her grandmother and looked to Ben's parents who looked relieved to see their son would not be punished for something he had not done willingly

"Will you take us to see Ben?" Sandra finally asked wanting nothing more than to assure herself her son was okay

"I can't transport all of us" Gwen said in reply

"But together we can" Verdona cut in with a smile and whispered to Gwen what to do

The others all watched before standing when they were asked to and then watched as Gwen and Verdona both began to glow purple before they all vanished from the house.

(Gwen's apartment)

Gwen led Sandra and Carl straight to Ben who was still curled up in her bed, he was awake and he watched them sit next to him on the bed and began to run their hands through his hair. When Gwen caught his eyes she was relieved to see more of her Ben in them than had been there for sometime and when he gave her a small smile she quickly returned it before going back to her the others

"This is where you've been living" Frank said "How did you afford it?" he aske again

"I got a job dad" Gwen replied "And as I said I didn't get in contact because I was running from my mistake" she reminded them he went to say something "Fixing this will take time but it can be fixed even now I feel my Ben slowly returning" she added with a smile

"Gwen this is wrong" Lilly argued "You cannot marry Ben I forbid it" she added and Frank groaned at his wife's stupidity

"I do not need your permission anymore Mom, I am of age and can make that choice myself and if you cannot live with it then stay away from me and Ben for I will not allow you to cause him anymore heartache, he's been through enough" Gwen shot back angered

"Gwen I respect you choice" Frank said glaring at his wife to keep quite "I am somewhat uncomfortable about it but you are right that there is no law against cousins marrying is certain places in the world and if this is what you truly want then will except it and so will your mother in time" he added "I am sure when the real Ben is back he will do everything in his power to give you everything you deserve" he stated and he pulled her into a hug

"You have my word on that" another voice said and they all turned to see Ben was up although he was been surported by his father and mother "We've lost to much time already" he added as Gwen ran into his arms almost knocking them over

"Easy Gwen, he's a little unsteady on his feet" Carl said having decided to except the choice his neice and son had made as had his wife as neither wanted to loose them

"I know everything that has happened, I can see your memories" Ben said as Gwen led her over to her couch an sat him down "I can feel everything you do and I know the truth and I forgive you Gwen I know fear can make us do stupid things and what happened between us was just one of those things" he added with a small smile "It will take time but we will regain what we once had I am sure of it" he added

"Thank you" Gwen said and unable to stop herself she kissed him as hard as she could and Ben returned it beginning to feel like his old self as the anger and rage he had been feeling for so long was redirected towards Kevin and put under control as he once again felt Gwen's comforting presence supporting him

"Ben, how do you feel son?" Carl asked still concerned how tired his son looked

"I'm hungry and tired dad but I will get better" Ben responded as he and Gwen finally stopped their kiss "I'm sorry I let you down Grandpa I never wanted to do this I just couldn't control myself I was lost in my rage" he said regreatfully

"It's okay Ben, it's not your fault it's mine for not seeing the stress you were under and for putting to much pressure on you to be a hero and a plumber" Max responded "I never saw how much having the Omnitrix affected you" he added

"Because I hid it I didn't want you to think I couldn't handle it" Ben said "I only let Gwen see, I trusted her to help me I knew she would always be there for me" he added with a smile whilst Gwen looked guilty because she had broken that promise "Gwen it's okay don't feel guilty it's over now" he said as he felt her distress over the newly developed bond she had created between them

"Ben do you know what Gwen has come up with to cover up the truth?" Peter inquired touched to see the reuion between Ben and Gwen and it made him think of his own wife "So you can return to the plumbers when you are both ready?" he asked

"Yes I do and I think it's a good idea as I have a lot to make up for" Ben said facing the lead plumber "And Kevin deserves to pay for what he has done to me, to Gwen and to the plumbers he has betrayed" he continued

As the afternoon wore on Ben became more and more like his old self as he reconnected with Gwen and his family although his aunt Lilly was somewhat chilly towards him which he could understand and knew it would take time for her to except the true status of his relationship with Gwen. Peter left soon after so he could put their plan into motion and begin to track down Kevin, he had promised to call Ben and Gwen once he had been found as they both wanted to be the ones to bring him down.

Verdona spent time teaching Gwen to harness her full powers which she had accessed in her distress whilst Ben talked to his parents and Grandpa Max about how he truly felt about the Omnitrix, it made Max realise how blind he had been but Ben would not allow him to blame himself as he truly felt proud to bear the Omnitrix. Frank and Lilly went into another room and argued over what they had learned and soon Lilly was forced to except the fact that Gwen would one day marry Ben if she did not want to loose her daughter.

(Plumber's headquaters, Three Weeks Later)

Ben had come along way in the last three weeks and was more and more becoming like his old self, his relationship with Gwen was even stronger than ever before. They had both been welcomed back by the plumbers kids who all believed the story they had constructed to hide the truth which had been extended to include Gwen been captured along with Ben to explain her absence, the older plumbers who knew the truth had decided to give them another chance after remembering all they had done in the past.

They had been tracking Kevin as fast as they could and were closing in on him, Ben had not yet used the Omnitrix somewhat afraid he would be unable to control the alien heros until Gwen had helped him overcome that fear. They were both learning to use the bond to help one another in over coming their problems and guilt, each time they did use the bond they seemed to become more and more connected and they both loved the feeling of safty and love they felt from the other.

"We've just got an alert" Peter shouted causing everyone to look at him "Kevin has attacked a plumber base on the outskirts of town with a bunch of alien mutations, reports indicate he has mutated as well most likely he's found some way to regain his absorbsation powers and used it on his new allies to make himself stronger" he informed them

"Then lets go but remember leave Kevin to me and Gwen" Ben spoke up forcing away any negative feelings he had "Everyone else concentrate on the mutations" he added as he headed for the two trucks

"Ben, Kevin in this way form is much more dangerous like he was when he teamed up with Vilgax" Max reminded his grandson as he jumped in the truck along with them

"I know Grandpa but remember I have all my rage to burn on him" Ben stated with a grim smile "This ends now once and for all" he added as he kissed Gwen feeling her concern over the bond and her determination to finish Kevin once and for all

"He goes into the null void permantly this time Grandpa" Gwen said as she pulled away from Ben as they had come up with a new plan to bury the null void generator which would contain Kevin as deeply as they could and make sure no one would ever find it again, he would never again threaten the world or the Tennyson's again

(Outskirts of Town)

Kevin smirked as he thrashed a plumber to the ground before suddenly turning as he heard two trucks pull up, he watched as a load of plumbers charged out and with them came Max, Gwen and Ben Tennyson. He growled in hate at the sight of Ben back in his right mind and he knew he was in for one hell as a fight but it was a fight he was determined to win and finally kill his enemy and finally breaking the spirit of Max and Gwen, he charged straight for Ben who quickly spotted him and looked to the Omnitrix and changed into Humongousaur and took the charge head on causing them both to strain against the other

Gwen eyes narrowed as soon as she spotted Kevin and she prepared his magic which thanks to her grandmothers teachings was even more potent than before and more in her control, she waited until Ben was pushed away from Kevil before unleashing it and smashing Kevin into the side of the base he had been attacking. Kevin groaned as he forced himself back up before doubling over as Humongousaur smashed his fist into his chest but he quickly recovered and struck back and they quickly began to exchange blows.

Max knew the fight with Kevin had to be done by Ben and Gwen if they were ever to put the past behind them and so concentrated on the mutated aliens Kevin had allied with. Using his hand held null generator he quickly captured three before running to help Peter who was been ganged up on. Helen, Manny and Pierce teamed up with two other plumber kids and took down five more of the mutations which although strong were weak against their powers. Gwen lashed out again as Kevin managed to knock Humongousaur into the near by cliff which surrounded the city, she knocked him backwards cutting him in the side, Humongousaur lept back up and smashed one of the mutations which was about to jump on Gwen into the cliff squishing it completely in his anger at seeing Gwen in danger before charging at Kevin once again.

The fight began to even out as the plumbers gained ground on the mutations with their teamwork until finally they were all either destroyed or captured, they then formed a circle and watched the battle between Ben, Gwen and Kevin grow more and more deadly. Gwen watched and waited as Humongousaur managed to land another good blow which sent Kevin to the ground hard after the former had managed to cut Humongousaur with a knife he had hidden on himself before she launched her full power on him and smashed him against the cliff edge three times before allowing him to fall to the ground uncouncious as Humongousaur back into Ben and grabbed one of the hand held null void generators and walked over to Kevin who now lay bleeding on the ground

"I hate you and your family Tennyson" Kevin groaned as he tried to move

Ben did not reply and activated the generator and sucked Kevin into it, the rage and anger he still felt finally dissapated which the defeat and capture of the man who was responsible for it all. He looked up as Gwen ran to him and pulled him into a deep loving kiss which he gladly returned, before he and she were swept into a hug by Max whilst the plumbers cheered.

They returned to base and transferred all the captives to one of the bigger null voids which would then be burried as deeply as they could and they left with no markers or any other way of locating it. Kevin would be trapped forever for his crimes and his betrayl of the human race, Ben and Gwen then had a family gathering where they informed them it was finally over and they could begin their lives together

(Church, Five Years later)

Ben shifted nervously as he waited at the head of the church with his best man Pierce behind him, after the fight with Kevin he had worked hard to regain the trust and respect of the plumbers alongside Gwen and he had succeeded striking up a long time friendship with Pierce. His relationship with Gwen had grown closer and closer but they never rushed it, they finally made love for the first time two years ago and he had proposed to her last year to which she had gladly excepted and with a little help from Max in hiding her truce name for the wedding they were finally ready for the big day

Finally the wedding music began and he took a deep breathe as the doors opened and his uncle Frank led Gwen down the isle, she looked more beatiful than ever in her white silk wedding gown than he had ever seen her and he hoped he did not forget to speak whilst looking at her. Another surprise had come three months ago when Gwen had informed him and the rest of the family she was pregnant with their first child, a huge party had followed and Ben had never felt happier.

The wedding began and he stared into Gwen's eyes feeling her joy over the bond at finally completing their joining, he savored the feelings and then he focused on speaking and then putting the ring on her finger without messing up. When the priest finally pronouced them man and wife he felt like would explode from the joy and happeyess he was feeling and he needed no prodding to kiss the bride which he did.

The reception was nice and as the night wore on he began to feel complete and he could tell Gwen felt the same way, they held hands all through the speeches and of course they both had enjoyed their first dance as a married couple both remembering when Gwen had taught him to dance during their first summer trip together so long ago when they had first started their journey. Finally they went on their honeymoon and spent two weeks in spain relaxing with no need to run off to save anyone, they looked out to the sunset and knew they had many years ahead of them to create many more happy memories

(Plumber Headquaters, Twenty years later)

Gwen watched as Ben finally handed over the Omnitrix to their eldest son Ken, all these years she had waited for the day when they would no longer need to risk their lives and finally it had come but one of their sons was taking their place with him own partner a girl he had met seven years ago called Erin. She worried but she knew Ken could do this having been trained not only by Ben but some of the best plumbers around in how to deal with the dangers in the universe and with the Omnitrix he had a better chance than ever of succeeding as his father had done all these years.

Twenty years together had not dimmed the love they felt for one another, they had four children, two boys Ken and Max and two Girls Aria and Jennifer. They had made many memories together which included saving the earth and the rest of the universe multiple times but now the time had come to rest and just live their life although they would continue to train the new generation of plumbers.

It seemed like a nightmare now when she looked back on the time when she had lost Ben to her own fear, but it had turned out for the best and she wouldn't have it any other way. She smiled as Ben rejoined her and kissed her as deeply as he could before turning to watch the rest of their kids congradulate Ken along with Erin who looked very proud of him

"I love you Ben" she said she leaned her head against his shoulder and felt his arm around her waist

"I love you too Gwen and I always will" Ben responded kissing her again before they turned and exited the building to watch the sunset once more as a new future becound

The end: