None of them are severely injured. There's a bruise around Gwendolyn's neck and an impressive bump on the back of her head, Kevin is going to be sore and swollen in the chest area for a few days, and Ben can hardly even blink without aggravating one of his bruises — but at least they're all breathing. Rook is the only one who's not injured. Beyond the typical soreness that comes with every fight, he feels almost disconnected from what happened.

Thankfully, the Plumbers give the group some time to get their bearings and pull themselves together. Since nothing is seriously wrong with them, they're merely given blankets and told to sit near the ambulance and wait. Not that the paramedics are happy about that, but there are more important things to worry about at the moment than bruises.

While Rook and Kevin are sitting on the padded bench that lines the side of the ambulance's interior, Gwendolyn and Ben take the gurney. There's something cute about watching them sit together. Even though Gwendolyn is in college now and Ben is a hero with endless accomplishments, they're leaning against each other and wrapped in the same blanket, awkwardly trying to be as close as possible without admitting that they're enjoying it. As much as Ben complained when Gwendolyn dragged him down onto the cot, he's more or less okay with it now, absentmindedly twisting strands of her hair around his fingers while she fusses over him and Kevin both.

That doesn't keep Ben from watching the scene playing out just a handful of meters from them. Even though he willingly turned on Daniel, there's a deep frown tugging on his lips as he watches the Plumbers load a human-sized ice block into the back of a prison truck. His fingers keep twitching, as though he's dying to slam down the Omnitrix and go out there to help the man he's supposed to have unwavering loyalty towards.

"Hey," Gwendolyn says gently after a few minutes of trying to get Ben to relax, "you don't have to be so tense. He's going away for a long time, Ben."

In response, he groans, burying his face in his hands. "That's the problem," he whines, voice muffled. "It's so difficult to think about him as an enemy. I know he's done bad things and that— this, whatever I'm feeling, is going to fade soon, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to help him."

Kevin snorts, crossing his arms. "Hey, if it'll help, I bet a few smacks upside the head will knock that implant loose." He holds his fist up for emphasis.

The scowl Gwendolyn gives him makes Kevin lower his hand, though the smirk on his face doesn't fade. Personally, Rook can't blame him. It feels like it's been too long since they had something to smile about.

"Ben," sighs Gwendolyn, "don't worry. Focus on being here, with us. Ignore what's going on out there, okay? We'll get it removed as soon as we can."

Grimacing, Ben turns away from her. "Actually, could we hold off on that?" He reaches up, gingerly pushing his bangs out of the way to show the faded scar where his skin had been cut to gain access to his skull. "Look, he accelerated the healing on the outside so that I would recover faster, but the experience of brain surgery is really not something that I want to relive any time soon. The implant doesn't even work without that injection he showed to you guys, so I thought that maybe we could leave it in…? Not forever, obviously, but at least until the scar is completely gone and my brain doesn't ache every time I shiver. I think I've spent enough time recovering from surgery recently, anyway," he finishes, looking at the floor instead of his friends.

The idea isn't exactly appealing to Rook. There's no way to be certain that Daniel was telling the truth about that syringe. It could have easily been for show. Still, it's not like that stopped Ben from fighting against it anyway, even if it feels like he betrayed someone important to him from his perspective. Rook sees Gwendolyn and Kevin share a look. They must all be in agreement, because after the long stretch of silence, Gwendolyn finally sighs.

"That's fine, Ben. No problem." She gives him a soft smile. "Let Grandpa know, okay? He should be here soon since the first responders already arrived."

Just then, one of the paramedics comes over to the ambulance. He climbs in, ignoring all four of them to grab what looks like a blowtorch off of the wall of equipment. "Sorry," he says as he squeezes past them again. "We need these so we can thaw out the suspect."

Had Gwendolyn not already been holding onto him, Ben might have jumped to his feet. "Wait! Can I help?" He holds up the Omnitrix, already cycling through his aliens. Most likely, he's going to try for Swampfire or Heatblast. "I'm pretty good at thawing people out, and I know who would be perfect for the job—"

"No need," the paramedic interrupts. Not seeming to notice the distress on Ben's face, he steps out of the ambulance, turning to give a reassuring smile. "We've got it all under control. Try to relax and don't worry so much." He shuts one of the doors, giving them a bit more privacy, and walks off.

Ben's face is burning red, but Rook doesn't find it cute as he has before. It makes his chest squeeze with sympathy. No one comments on what happened, but it's obvious that Ben is shaken up about it. Even beyond betraying someone you trust, it must be sickening for him to know that, as strong as his loyalty is, it's not really his and yet it still exerts so much control over him.

There's a knock on the ambulance door, breaking the tense silence. "Hey, kiddos," Max says with an easy grin. "Glad to see everyone's right. You all did a great job today."

It's a little bit awkward in the small space, but Ben and Gwendolyn both get up to greet their grandpa with a hug. Since they've grown up, he hasn't babied them as much, but the long hug that they share reminds Rook strongly of the man no one at the Plumbers' Academy would talk about — because what they like to lecture on is Max Tennyson, one of the greatest Plumbers in the organization's history. What no one will ever talk about is Grandpa Max, the normal man who followed his passions and made mistakes, and who never wanted his family to be involved with aliens at all.

After a moment, Ben is the one to pull away first. Gwendolyn is quick to follow, giving Ben a worried look that he doesn't acknowledge. "Hey, Grandpa, can we talk? In private?" He asks.

Max doesn't hesitate to nod. "Of course, Ben." He puts a hand on his grandson's shoulder, his smile never fading. "We'll be right back. You kids wait here."

They walk off together, turning the corner around the warehouse and disappearing out of sight. Only once they're gone does Gwendolyn finally sigh and climb back into the ambulance. She reclaims her spot on the gurney, with Kevin quick to join her.

He isn't the most open guy when it comes to expressing his emotions, but at least with Gwendolyn, he doesn't even bother trying to hide that he cares about her. They situate themselves so that she's bundled in both her blanket and his, Kevin sitting Indian style so she can sit in the space between his legs and he can wrap his arms around her waist protectively. Had Ben been there, he might have teased them for it or made a face, but the three of them remaining only sit in silence for a few moments.

As the silence is starting to become tense, Gwendolyn suddenly lets out a long, dramatic groan of frustration. "I'm so worried about him," she says, a deep frown on her face. There's no need to ask who she's talking about. "He isn't talking to any of us, and I know he's upset! I can feel his anxiety from here! I know that it can't be easy to realize that your emotions aren't your own and that you have no control over them. Not to mention all the other things he's been through recently! But he's so… so stubborn! When we were ten, I always assumed that he would grow out of it, but at least back then, I can name one or two times when he was honest with me! Now, he tries to act like he doesn't feel pain or experience inner conflict at all! What's he so afraid of? Doesn't he understand that I— I mean, we want to help him?"

A little taken aback, Kevin and Rook share a look. It's not like either of them know how to be comforting in a situation as delicate as this. Finally, Kevin awkwardly clears his throat, putting one of his hands on top of Gwendolyn's head to gently run his fingers through her hair. "That's how he is, you know? He'll open up when he's ready." He smiles, chuckling a little. "Once, he said I was like the big brother he never had. He must not have high expectations for family, huh?"

His words seem to help, as Gwendolyn relaxes a little bit. "Really?" She leans her head back to look at him. "When was this? I don't remember him saying anything like that."

Kevin shrugs dismissively. "It was when we got separated during that thing with the Perplexahedron. Remember that? We were looking for you, and while we were alone, we… talked. We talk sometimes. About stuff." His tone takes on a defensive edge.

Rather than pushing him, Gwendolyn giggles. "You don't have to explain it to me, Mr. Tough-and-Scary-Bad-Boy." She places a hand on his cheek, leaning up to kiss him.

Rook clears his throat, interrupting them before their lips meet. "In all fairness, Kevin, I have to side with Gwendolyn here. I have also noticed that Ben refuses to talk about what might be bothering him. The closest I have gotten is when we discussed Feedback, and he only told me because the situation forced him to."

The moment that Gwendolyn and Kevin were about to have is completely ruined now. Neither of them is annoyed by it, though. Rather, Gwendolyn looks worried again, and Kevin is confused.

"Feedback?" He asks. "That's one of his aliens, right? The Conductoid? What does that have to do with anything?"

Absentmindedly, Gwendolyn reaches her hand back to pat him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, babe. I think Ben should be the one to tell you. The more people he talks about it with, the better. I, uh…" she bites her lip, looking at Rook with mild surprise, "I didn't know that he told you about it, Rook. Feedback was what really made him start closing up," she explains.

"I am not surprised." Rook nods. "That was his first real loss, right?"

The directness of his question makes Gwendolyn pause, but she slowly nods. "...yeah, I guess so. Back then, he faced some pretty bad people, but he always found a way to come out on top. There was an, um, "incident" where he thought that I was dead. I was fine, but I think that after he found out I was alright, that was the first time we really hugged. And after that, he opened up to me and talked about his doubts and insecurities. I think that our bond after that is one of the reasons why we actually like each other now." She smiles at the memory, but it's quickly replaced with a frown. "But you're right, Rook. He doesn't do that anymore. Instead of getting more mature with age, it's like he's getting more reckless and carefree every year. I mean, I haven't seen him cry once since he was eleven. Eleven! I get that he has to be the unbeatable hero with no fears, but doesn't he know how unhealthy it is to hold that in?"

Before Rook can reply, movement through the open ambulance door catches his attention. The three of them fall quiet as Ben approaches, Max right behind him. Whatever they talked about, it must not have been good, because Ben looks more stressed than when they went off to have their talk to begin with.

"I don't want you looking into it, Ben," Max reminds him with a serious look. "I want you to take it easy for a week or two, then maybe I'll have some assignments for you, alright?" He gives Ben's shoulder a gentle squeeze, only for the hero to wince and shrug his grandpa's hand off.

"Yeah, fine, whatever," Ben says quickly. He climbs into the back of the ambulance, ignoring Max entirely as he takes Kevin's previous seat on the bench next to Rook.

Instead of being hurt, Max looks worried. He starts to say something but decides against it. He turns his attention to Gwendolyn and manages a smile. "I'll send over the paramedics to tell them that you kids are ready to be taken back to the base. Rook, are you riding with them?"

It takes some effort to resist glancing over at Ben, but Rook nods. "Yes, my truck will be fine here until I need it." The homing feature really is a lifesaver.

Max nods. "Alright. I'll see you all back at the base. Watch yourself when you exit the atmosphere." He gives Ben one more concerned look, then turns away and shuts the back of the ambulance behind him.

They sit in silence, broken only by the sound of the engine starting up after a minute of nothing. The ambulance must be convertible like Rook's Proto-TRUK because even though there were no visible wings when they climbed in, there's the unmistakable feeling of wheels leaving the ground and the hull of the ship shaking from the turbulence.

There are a lot of different supports for taking off. The gurney comes with a whole patchwork of straps and ropes to keep it steady, and Gwendolyn and Kevin slip some of them on while Rook and Ben settle for the regular seat belts that are attached to the wall behind them. Exiting the Earth's atmosphere doesn't actually take that long, but the ambulance ship shakes throughout it, jostling them around. Surprisingly, none of the equipment comes loose. It's all so tightly packed and placed well enough that it stays in position while everything else seems to shudder from the atmospheric force.

Once they break into space, the ride is significantly smoother. None of them unbuckle from the safety straps, but at least there's no longer the looming worry that the ship will snap apart trying to break the Earth's gravitational pull.

They sit in silence for a few moments longer, before Rook eventually decides to go for it. "So, Ben," he turns to his partner, "what did you talk to Magister Tennyson about?"

Though he asked to speak to his grandpa in private, Ben doesn't seem to have any problems answering this. Actually, he looks relieved by the topic. "Oh, you know. Just some, uh, things that happened. I gave him the recap. And I, well— I told him where Daniel was keeping me during the week I was missing." He shifts awkwardly in his seat, looking at his shoes instead of meeting his friends' gazes. "It's not like it was bad, or anything… Even with the accelerated healing thing he has access to, I still had to recover from brain surgery. So, I was completely exhausted for two days, then there was getting used to— well, it's gonna sound weird, but I had to get used to being in my body again. I didn't feel like myself at all." It looks like he wants to say something more, but Ben shakes his head instead. "Anyway, he wants to see if any of the missing aliens are there. But I know they're not. We were underground, but it was a pretty small place. Only us. There's nothing useful there. He also talked about getting me a PET scan. Even if I don't want surgery immediately, they're gonna need to know where the implant is eventually, right? Better sooner than later." He tries to smile, but seeing the looks on his friends' faces, the expression quickly drops and the air between them lapses into a tense silence.

The rest of the ride to Plumbers HQ only takes two minutes, but it feels like an eternity. Even though he wasn't there for the conversation, it's obvious that Ben knows that his friends were talking about him. He knows that they're worried, and they know that he doesn't want them to worry. No one can think of anything to say, and for the first time since their partnership was new, Rook doesn't know how to talk to Ben.

When the ambulance finally lands in the Plumbers base, it's a breath of fresh air to step away from the tense atmosphere and into the docking bay. Since Rook isn't injured, he isn't shooed off to the infirmary like the other three are. He wants to follow after them but holds himself back. There's no hurry. He won't be allowed into the room with any of them until their physical exams are finished and any treatments are administered.

It's such a small thing, but for the first time in a long while, Rook takes his time.

He walks the halls of the Plumbers base leisurely, stopping to talk with co-workers that he's usually too busy running around to chat with. It feels like he's running on autopilot, as though the person talking and laughing like nothing is wrong isn't really him. It feels good, nonetheless. It's the sort of mundane things that he never takes the time to do. Doing normal things, as much of a lie as it is, feels therapeutic.

Eventually though, even without Rook consciously thinking about it, his feet carry him towards the infirmary. He needs to talk to Ben about what happened while they were in the seclusion chamber together. If it really was a show to distract Rook, then he doesn't want that to sit in the background and gradually ruin their partnership. He can handle if Ben was messing with him, but he needs to be certain before he has the time to get his hopes up.

Talking about something as trivial as a kiss would be a welcome distraction from all of the more complex thoughts threatening to suffocate him.

Surprisingly, when Rook turns the corner to the infirmary wing, Ben is already there. The harsh fluorescent lights expose the flaws that were hidden by the cover of darkness. Ben looks exhausted, with dark bruises under his eyes and his skin so pale that it's almost sickly. While normally unruly, his hair seems dimmer in color, and it's tangled like a bird's nest. He's sitting in one of the plastic waiting chairs, stiff as a board, and his leg bouncing with impatience. His gaze is laser-focused on the door across from him, and if Rook had to guess, he would say that that's the room where either Gwendolyn or Kevin is.

He takes a moment to gather up the courage, then Rook lets out a long breath and walks over to Ben. There's not even a hint of acknowledgment from the young hero, but Rook doesn't let himself be discouraged. He takes the seat next to Ben anyway, settling in to wait.

It takes a few minutes, but as Rook expected, Ben eventually sighs. He stops bouncing his leg, leaning back and slumping down in his seat. "They won't let me in to see her," he grumbles, crossing his arms. It's such a surprisingly childish gesture that Rook almost laughs. Luckily, he manages to restrain himself to only a tired smile. "The doctors said that there's not really much they can do for my bruises, except some ice for the swollen ones and some painkillers if I need it. But they have to keep Gwendolyn for a brain scan to make sure that there's no internal bleeding, and they want to make sure that her throat isn't going to swell shut. And Kevin is being checked for a concussion and an x-ray of his chest." Ben winces, guilt flashing across his face. "...I hurt them pretty bad, didn't I?"

Unable to lie, Rook hesitantly nods. "Yes," he says gently. "But they are not angry, Ben. You were not in control of yourself. What is important is that you stopped before you could do something more than what medicine can heal."

Ben shudders at the implications. "Yeah, I guess so..." It's obvious that he doesn't really believe Rook, but before he can press the issue, Ben suddenly pushes himself upright. "Hey, listen. Before Gwendolyn and Kevin are released and things get awkward again, I want to tell you…" he takes a deep breath, then turns to face Rook. "I'm so, so sorry."

For the second time in the past hour, Rook is at a loss for words. It's starting to become a disturbing pattern. "Sorry? For what?" There's the obvious thing about attacking them, but Rook isn't the one that needs an apology for that, and something about Ben's expression tells him that this isn't what his friend is talking about.

"Uh, for earlier?" Ben arches an eyebrow. "Remember that? When I started flirting with you really badly and pretty much forced you into kissing so I could grab the keycard? I'm apologizing. I know that you're dating Rayona, and I shouldn't have gone that far, anyway. I just— it was impossible to think about anything other than midnight approaching, and I wasn't following orders. It's so sickening." He grimaces, disgusted.

"I am sorry, but are we remembering the same incident?" From Rook's perspective, Ben has nothing to apologize for. He wasn't in control of his own thoughts, and desperate people force themselves to do desperate things. If anyone needs to apologize, it's Rook, for kissing back despite already thinking that Ben was in a vulnerable place, and then enjoying it. "Ben, you have nothing to apologize to me for. It is not as if you were acting of your own free will," Rook insists.

But instead of answering, Ben looks away, his face turning red. It takes Rook a moment to catch up, but when he does, his eyes widen. "Ben?"

"I'm sorry!" Ben shouts, throwing his hands up in the air. "It's wrong, I know, and I shouldn't have done it, because we're best friends and I really, really like it that way, and you have a girlfriend on another planet, and my stupid brain implant doesn't change anything, because I've wanted to do that for a while now, and I never wanted to admit it, and—" He groans in exasperation, covering his face with his hands. "...you don't hate me, do you?"

The question is so ridiculous that Rook can't do anything more than open and close his mouth on loop. Hate him? There are only about two or three things that could make Rook hate anybody, and when it comes to Ben, kissing isn't anywhere near the top of that short list.

"No," Rook says finally. "I do not hate you. Actually, I came here to talk to you about that "incident" myself."

It doesn't do wonders to help Ben calm down, but he grudgingly lowers his hands. "Really? What for?" He asks, doing his best not to show how anxious he is.

"Well, since you are obviously controlling your own choices again…" Rook trails off, feeling his mouth go dry. Is he really going to do this? He could back out right now and live the rest of his life content to be just friends. The glorious future that Ben is supposed to have includes a wife and a son, and there's no room for Rook in that family dynamic. And yet… He clears his throat, averting his eyes. "Since you are in control of yourself again, I was wondering if you would like to do it again."

It all comes out in a rush, more like one word than one sentence, but Ben doesn't need longer than a second to formulate a response. "Again? Like, kissing again?" Mutely, Rook nods. Ben looks floored. "But what about Rayona? I thought she was the only girl in your village that you ever had eyes for."

Now, Rook regrets never telling Ben that they broke up. It hadn't ever been brought up, and it hadn't seemed important for Rook to mention. "We… agreed that it would be best to stop seeing each other," he says carefully. "Revonnah people handle relationships very differently than humans, Ben. The courting process is not easy when dealing with long distance, and as long as I am an active Plumber, I can never settle down and give Rayona the proper support we would need to start a family. I would have to retire and return to farming for a living, and while I— have a great fondness for Rayona, I cannot do that. Not yet, anyway." With admitting that, it feels like a weight has been lifted off of Rook's chest. Rayona is an amazing woman who will someday find someone who can make her happy and settle down with her, but as sweet as she is, Rook isn't ready for that. Maybe he never will be.

"Oh, wow," Ben whispers. "Rook, that's— that's some pretty heavy, soul-searching stuff. I didn't know." He looks like he's going to apologize again, so Rook shakes his head.

"That is my fault," he says. "There was never a good time to bring it up. But, while we are on the subject, what about you and Kai?" Rook knows that they kissed — once Ben finally returned to the base after his date, it had been all that he would talk about for the next two days.

Ben manages a grin. "Oh, you know. The usual. We kissed, went on a date, promised to call, never did, and…" He shrugs as if to say, "what are you gonna do?" It seems like there's more to the story that Ben isn't telling him, but there is a time and place for everything, and Rook wisely decides to hold his tongue.

"So…" He starts to say but trails off.

"So?" Ben prompts. If he's trying to cover the anticipation on his face, then he's doing a very poor job of it.

Usually, there's charm to these sorts of moments. A little nuance. A bit of flirting, a dash of banter, and not-so-subtle sultry looks that draw the two love interests together like a magnet. It's The Kiss. It's supposed to be magical.

Instead, in the brightly-lit infirmary hallway, Rook closes his eyes, leans over, and awkwardly presses his lips against Ben's. It's not so much of a kiss as it is two mouths touching, but after one impossibly long, heart-pounding moment, Ben presses back against him. His hand hovers between them, finally settling on Rook's shoulder. It feels surprisingly natural to move with each other, deepening the kiss as much as they dare. It's a lot slower than the last one — careful where the other kiss was hasty, and hesitant where the other was desperate. It doesn't last as long as the other one either, and after a few seconds, they both pull back at the same time.

Seeing the look on Ben's face, Rook can't help but grow nervous. "Well?" He prompts quietly. "Was it…?" Acceptable? Good? Maybe even worth doing it again?

"It might be better if we weren't kissing in the middle of the infirmary wing," Ben says, but he's grinning. "We can wait to talk about this until we get updates about Gwendolyn and Kevin, right?"

Rook nods, sitting back to give Ben his space. In a lot of ways, sitting next to Ben feels the same way it always does. Their hands just barely brush each other, the only part of them touching as the two awkwardly sit up straight. It doesn't feel like they just kissed, and as Rook thinks on it, he comes to the realization that maybe, it doesn't have to. No matter how the relationship they're trying turns out, Ben will always be Rook's best friend.

Or, at least, he hopes so.

A/N: I was thinking about doing a sequel for this fic since there are some loose ends here that I do have explanations for. I also haven't seen a lot of works in general that really touch on the mental health repercussions of being a hero, especially for characters that started as young as Ben.

I realized about halfway through working on this that I was writing Ben with symptoms a lot like those who suffer from PTSD. I thought that a fic exploring that, especially getting therapy and help and learning to accept and move on from it, would be really interesting. There's a huge chunk to Ben's personality that I almost never see touched on, especially regarding his self-worth, his arrogant facade, and the way he bottles everything up. I mean, seriously. You can't create the universe twice and have absolutely nothing to say about it.

A sequel would also deal with Ben and Rook being a "thing" now. As nice as fluffy fanfics are, realistically, I can hardly believe that these two would have a sweet, nearly-perfect romance. And in my opinion, the awkward hiccups and the fumbling of trying to figure things out for the first time is more fun to write, anyway. If that sounds like something you guys would be interested in, let me know! I might have to work on writing it when I'm not doing homework.

Thanks for reading, and for all the comments! You guys are amazing.