DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEN 10…SIGH!!!

THE SILVER LINING

CHAPTER 1: Storms

"Ben!!!!! Stop bothering me!!!!!" cried an exasperated Gwen, wishing she could lift Ben up and throw him out of the window.

"Ok…ok," said Ben, drawing away from Gwen and her laptop. " I wouldn't even have tried to bother you if I could have gone outside. But jus' sneak a look outside and you'll get to know what's keeping me here… WITH YOU…" he added darkly.

Gwen looked out. " Boy!! Isn't it raining cats and dogs!!!"

"Not to mention all the growling and rumbling going on," said Ben, making a face. There was a loud roar of thunder outside and Ben jumped up from his seat, his face white.

"Hey, look here!!!" cried Gwen, smirking, " my dweeb of a cousin is afraid of storms!!! Ha Ha!!! Isn't that the joke of the day??????!!!"

"Shut up," said Ben, scowling, " you too don't like storms. You're just pretending not to be afraid. I can see it Gwen, you are damned scared."

"I'm not!" cried Gwen, hot in the face.

"Oh yes you are!!!" yelled back Ben.

"NO!!" cried Gwen.

"YES!!!" cried Ben.

Grandpa sat up in bed. "Children," he said grumpily, "Please stop yelling. It's nearly midnight. Wind up and go to sleep, okay?"

"Okay, Grandpa," chorused the two cousins.

Ben stuck his tongue out at Gwen and climbed up into his bunk. Gwen though, did not budge from her seat. As Ben pulled his covers on, she stared at him in a strange manner. She could feel her eyes hovering on every inch of her cousin's face. ' He's cute…' she thought, 'and for a guy of 10…'

"Hey!" cried Ben, "Why are you staring at me like that??"

At the sound of Ben's voice, Gwen was snapped back into reality. A blush crept up her cheeks. What was she thinking of?? He was her own cousin, HER FAMILY!!!

Gwen turned off her laptop and crept into her bunk silently. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the storm raging outside. Blinding flashes of thunder and deafening rumbles of thunder added to her fright all the more. She pulled her covers over her head and whimpered. Right from her infancy, Gwen had been frightened of storms… and she hadn't been able to shake off that fear even now……

On the upper bunk, Ben too couldn't go to sleep. Even though he wasn't AFRAID of storms, he didn't like them. As Ben turned on his side, he heard Gwen whimpering. He couldn't forget how appealingly she had been looking at him, just some moments ago.

As Gwen whimpered once again, Ben leaned over his bunk and said softly, "Gwen…. not yet asleep?"

On receiving no answer, he thought Gwen had been whimpering in her sleep. Contented, he closed his eyes. Barely some moments had passed when he felt his covers moving. He looked aside, only to see Gwen beside him!!!

"Gwen!" he cried, alarmed, "I thought you had gone to sleep!!"

Gwen shook her head, sobbing. "I can't go to sleep," she said meekly, "and you??"

Ben smiled. This was an altogether different form of her cousin he was seeing!! Well, he thought, why not make the best use of it while it was there?????

Apprehensively, Ben put an arm around Gwen, hoping against hope that Gwen would not move away. Gwen didn't. Instead, she too put her arm around Ben warmly, and snuggled into his arms. " Ben…" she said dreamily, "I- I – love you…"

A loud roar of thunder shook the RV, as Ben looked on at his cousin, aghast…