Ben 10 fanfic - To Grandmother's House

Disclaimers:

Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force and their respective characters belong to Man of Action

Author’s Note:

From a series of one-shots that hold no continuity unless stated otherwise. This alternate universe drabble is the result of a couple of things:

1.) Rereading “A Company of Wolves” and “Little Red Riding Hood” one too many times. Though I like to think it’s more the former than the latter.

2.) Listening to the “Into The Woods” soundtrack far too often. I was particularly struck by the lines “Where witches, ghosts and wolves appear”

So the way this is written may slightly differ from how I normally write.

--

To Grandmother’s House

Once upon a time, in a far off land, there lived a young woman named Gwen.

Her hair shone a brilliant red, as fiery as the passion burning within her slender frame. Her eyes were a bright emerald. They gleamed with naivety whenever her lips widened to a welcoming smile and they flashed with spite whenever she made a cutting remark.

One fine morning Gwen had been tasked to bring her grandmother a basket laden with an assortment of dried meat, preserved jams and freshly baked bread. It was a duty she did not begrudge for the young woman enjoyed exploring the nearby woods where her grandmother lived. Especially ever since she found a four-legged companion nearly five summers ago.

She travelled down the dirt road towards the forest, enjoying the wind that ran its fingers through her sun-kissed hair. The basket swung enticingly from the crook of her bare, slender arm, but young Gwen had no need to worry about the gift for her grandmother. Her delicate form belied an unusual strength that many have come to discover the hard way.

Where the forest began, the young girl came upon a face unfamiliar to her. His flaxen hair, radiant as gold, was combed smoothly back, save for a strand that curled perfectly down to his brows. His eyes were glossy sapphire. They glimmered when his sights fell upon the young woman approaching him and his lips curled into a disarming smile.

Gwen’s cheeks tinged pink at the young man’s attention but she quickly gathered her composure and ventured closer.

“Good day, young miss.” He bowed.

“Good day, sir.” She nodded in return.

He introduced himself as a hunter, “I am known as Morningstar.”

And she returned the favor, “I’m Gwen.”

“Where are you off to with such a heavy load?”

“I’m taking these to my grandma.” The young woman explained.

“Would you like me to escort you to your grandmother’s? The woods can be confusing and dangerous.”

Gwen declined his offer. Over ten seasons she had been bringing her grandmother these baskets. The young lady knew the woods and its inhabitants far better than the unfamiliar hunter would, but she was too polite to correct him.

“If you are certain, young miss.” The hunter smiled once again.

“My grandma lives at the end of this path. So long as I don’t stray from it, I’ll be fine.” She gestured to the trail where but a few stray blades of grass struggled to grow.

Morningstar eyed the road uncertainly, “If you run into any wolves, let me know.”

Gwen didn’t allow herself to make any promises, instead she waved goodbye. The wolves in the forest knew well enough to avoid where humans tread, save for one solitary wolf. But that one was special and Gwen would do everything she could to keep him safe. Without a second glance at the hunter, she started down the path leading to her grandmother’s house.

How would she know the path would lead danger towards her?

The delicious aroma wafting from her basket drew out all sorts of woodland creatures. She delighted at the rabbits playfully skipping about and the harmony of the birds singing up in the canopy of leaves. A fawn and its mother peeked shyly from the trees and Gwen broke off a small chunk of bread and tossed it towards the pair.

She scanned the forest, waiting for a jet-black blur to appear from the underbrush. When she had been younger, she came across a young, injured wolf. Without thinking about the dangers of her actions, Gwen brought the wounded animal to her grandmother’s along with the basket.

It wasn’t an easy task as the wolf snapped and snarled and clawed and generally made things difficult for the young girl. She held fast, understanding that the poor thing was just frightened and wary of humans. Eventually she reached her grandmother’s and together they nursed it back to health.

Ever since then, the wolf would seek Gwen out whenever she came to visit her grandmother. The young woman never needed to wait long for her furry friend to meet her but today was proving to be the exception. Still, she waited by the path, playing with the occasional squirrel that scampered close or the rare sparrow that rested on her basket.

Everything stilled when a figure emerged from the shadows of the forest. It was another young man, and like the hunter, Gwen had never seen him before. His hair was deepest obsidian, as if the very shadows he had appeared from framed his chiseled features. His eyes were dark, unpolished amber. Intense and focused on her every move, they seemed to glow with a ferocity that Gwen found unnerving but strangely familiar.

He stepped forward and a grin spread across his face.

She stood her ground, unaffected by his approach and smiled brightly, “Good day, sir.”

“G-good day.” He stammered, as if unaccustomed to hearing his own voice. He opened his mouth but quickly decided against speaking only to second guess himself and make another attempt, which he would change his mind about.

Gwen chuckled before stating “Yes, you can have some food if you’re hungry. I’m on my way to my grandma’s. No, I don’t need someone to escort me. And if you follow the path that way you’ll get to the entrance of the forest.”

The stranger blinked before sheepishly laughing, “Actually, I was going to introduce myself.”

“Oh.” Gwen found herself blushing in embarrassment and offered her free hand, “Um, I apologize for being so presumptuous. I’m Gwen.”

“Kevin.” He smiled, accepting the proffered limb.

At the touch of his hand, Gwen felt the inexplicable sensation of déjà vu wash over her. She stared deeply into his eyes, trying not to let him know of the strange notions she had in her head.

I feel like I know you. Was what she wanted to say.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Was what she actually said.

“It’s nice to meet you, too.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and for a moment Gwen liked having her hand held by the unusually familiar young man.

The longer they stared at each other, the warmer Gwen’s face became until she pulled away and excused herself. “I should get going now, m-mustn’t keep grandma waiting.”

She ran the rest of the way to her grandmother’s.

Having met Kevin, Gwen was experiencing a strange jumble of confusing emotions and needed someone to help clear her mind. Granted her paternal grandmother wasn’t the best choice when it comes to being the voice of reason, but the young woman was desperate.

She arrived at the small cottage, out of breath and gasping for air. Leaning against the door to steady her breathing, Gwen was surprised to feel the wood slipping away from her hand. She looked up and found her grandmother staring eerily at her.

“Gwen, sweetie, come in, come in! And I see you brought me a little something, oh that is just so darling of you.” She squealed and promptly pulled her granddaughter into the cottage.

The young woman had the basket nearly ripped off her arm before being ushered to an oversized plush cushion. “Grandma, can, that is, could we talk?”

“Of course, sweetie. Tell Grandma Verdona what’s on your mind.” The elderly woman batted her lashes as she plopped down on an overstuffed recliner and set the basket of food on her lap.

Gwen told her grandmother of the hunter she had met, how strange it was that of all the creatures in the forest he was so concerned about wolves.

“I can understand why you’d be worried about that man.” Verdona nodded darkly as she polished off the candied plums. “With a name like Morningstar it’s a wonder he even shows his face.”

Gwen was not surprised that her grandmother completely missed her point. “But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”

The young woman bit her lip nervously before telling Verdona about the second young man. She confided about the nagging sensation that she knew him, but she swore she had never laid eyes on him until that moment. “When we touched, it was like I’ve held his hand before. And the way he looked at me, Grandma. It was all so very-”

“Wonderful? Exciting? The best thing you could ever have imagined? Tell me if I’m getting warm, sweetie.” The elderly woman seemed unperturbed by the abject disbelief on her granddaughter’s face.

“N-no! It wasn’t anything like that!”

“Oh so it was horrible? Disgusting? Makes you want to crawl under a rock and die?”

“No! It was, was, oh I don’t know.”

“You’re going to have to give me more to work with, Gwen.” Verdona wagged a finger at her granddaughter. “No matter, sweetie, just remember: Fear not the wolfen but the wolf within.”

With that vaguely sage advice, Gwen bade her grandmother farewell.

Dusk had begun to settle across the land, what few shafts of light that managed to pierce the canopy of trees slowly began to dim. However, Gwen wasn’t worried about the darkness that would soon befall the forest. Her mind was too preoccupied by the events of the day, particularly her encounter with the dark-haired young man.

A low growl cut into her thoughts and Gwen turned to find it was her friend the wolf. She brightened and reached out to give him an affectionate pat. Gwen was surprised when he shied away from her touch and chose instead to turn his back to her with a huff.

The young woman canted her head, arms akimbo in disbelief. “Are you mad at me?”

The wolf glanced at her and snorted in confirmation.

Gwen tried to suppress the smile cracking across her face. “Is this because I didn’t wait for you on the path before going to Grandma’s?”

He whined softly before pressing himself flat on the ground. Gwen sat down next to him, legs stretched out as she rested on the palm of her hands.

“It wasn’t because I didn’t want to go with you. There was just this young man I met.” And she told the sulking wolf about Kevin. She expressed the same sentiments she had made with her grandmother and the animal simply whined and laid his head in her lap in response. Scratching gently at his ear, Gwen suddenly remembered the man she first met.

“You should tell your pack to be extra careful for a while. There’s a new hunter in the woods.”

The wolf looked up at her as if it was no concern to him. Until she uttered his name. He sprang to his feet, ears pressed flat against his head and fangs bared. He snarled at her before dashing down the path towards Verdona’s cottage.

Gwen had been frightened by her friend’s reaction, but the moment the wolf set off towards her grandmother she took chase. With the daylight fading away into evening shadows, Gwen found a sense of dread growing in the pit of her stomach.

She quickened her pace and eventually arrived at the small cottage. The last rays of sun shone upon the path, revealing tracks both human and wolf leading to the door left ajar.

A scream pierced the forest air.

“Grandma!” the young woman cried out in alarm and dashed in.

Inside, Gwen found the wolf, poised to attack. But his target was neither Gwen who was standing at the doorway, of Verdona who was trapped beneath a net. No, his hate-filled glare was directed at the hunter, Morningstar.

“Struggle all you want, you witch. That net’s made of wizard’s bane.” The blonde sneered.

“Wizard’s bane, eh? Most impressive. I mean for a steward of that fifth-rate slipshod Hex.” Verdona cackled. “But wizard’s bane will do little against an extra pair of hands, won’t it dearie?” She grinned and turned towards the snarling wolf.

Gwen watched in utter amazement as the wolf’s form began to elongate and rise on his hind legs. The sickening sound of limbs snapping and reshaping echoed in the small cottage. Before long, the dark-furred wolf became the dark-haired man known as Kevin.

“So the curse has been broken.” Morningstar looked impressed.

“That’s not all that’s about to be broken.” Kevin snarled before lunging at the hunter.

“Oy, wolf! I meant for you to get me of this net first!” Verdona snapped before noticing her granddaughter. “Gwen, sweetie, get me out of here.”

Morningstar spied the young woman from the corner of his eye and after narrowly dodging a bone-crushing blow, he dashed up to Gwen. Kevin charged after the hunter but the blonde go to Gwen first. He grabbed her by the wrist and viciously twisted it against her back as he stepped behind her.

She let out a gasp of pain, wisely keeping still lest she wanted to break her arm. The cool of steel licked at her neck as Morningstar held a knife to her throat.

“Step away from the hag or the pretty girl dies.” The hunter warned with mad delight.

“Let her go.” Kevin glowered, instinctively baring his teeth.

“I said step away from the hag.” He pressed the edge of the blade against Gwen’s skin until he drew a pin-prick of blood.

Kevin shook in rage but did as he was told.

“Good boy.” The blonde chuckled and slowly forced Gwen forward until they stood directly above Verdona.

“Why are you doing this?” Gwen demanded.

“Why?” Morningstar shook his head in amusement, “Power of course. Hex promised unimaginable power to anyone who could kill the only witch capable of breaking the spell on the cursed wolf. And I've spent a long time hunting you down.”

Verdona quirked an unimpressed brow. “Your parents should have named you Dimstar if you actually believed a word that lying sack of slime makes.”

“You shut your mouth, witch!” Morningstar hissed and gave the elderly woman a sharp kick to her ribs.

“Grandma!” Gwen gasped. It was about time the hunter learned that Gwen’s delicate frame belied an unusual strength.

Verdona looked up from under the net and grinned when she saw that “It’s over.”

“What are you yammering on about you old haaaaaaaaugh!” He screamed as lightning burst from the roof and struck him. His grip fell slack and the knife slid from his hand to clatter noisily to the floor.

Kevin took this opportunity to tackle the hunter before proceeding to bash his head into a bloody pulp. He would have continued pummeling the blonde had Gwen not embraced him from behind.

“That’s enough,” She whispered.

“He hurt you.” He growled, one fist still poised to strike the unrecognizable Morningstar.

“Yes, he did, but I’m fine.” She smiled, “Besides, Grandma wants a turn at him for calling her old.”

“I am many things but I am most certainly not old!” The menace in Verdona’s voice was enough to convince Kevin to distance himself from the hunter. “Now, why don’t the two wait in the kitchen while I deal with Dimstar.”

She motioned them to leave, which Gwen and Kevin did without question.

Once alone, Gwen found that she had so many questions to ask Kevin. How did he become cursed? Why had he been cursed? When did his grandmother break the curse? Had he always been able to change forms? And ad nauseam.

But as they sat down beside each other, her mind went completely blank. She did nothing but stare at him, her mind comparing the similarities between Kevin’s human face and his wolfen one. The hue of his hair, the fierce expression, the wolfish grin, but it was his eyes.

How could Gwen have not recognized those intense, smoldering eyes?

“Like what you see?” He grinned.

She blinked, crimson spreading across her face like wildfire. “Y-yes, I mean no! I mean, that is to say...” she stammered.

He laughed, “I know, I was pretty much like that when Verdona broke half of the curse yesterday. I mean, after five years I had almost forgotten what I really looked like.”

“What do you mean by half of the curse?”

Before Kevin could explain, Verdona burst in, wiping off green slime onto her frock. “It’s getting late, Kevin escort my granddaughter home. And I mean all the way home.”

Kevin frowned, “You know I can’t leave the forest without breaking the other half of the curse.”

The old woman threw her hands up into the air, “You mean she hasn’t kissed you yet?”

Both Gwen and Kevin turned beet red.

“K-kiss?” Gwen squeaked.

“Yes, a kiss of love is one of the most basic counteragents against a curse. Has everything I’ve taught you simply gone in one ear and out the other, sweetie?” she sighed.

“Was that why you told me you couldn’t do it?” Kevin looked strangely relieved.

Verdona didn’t take offense, “Of course, dearie. Now go on, Gwen. Kiss Kevin so I can be rid of you both for the evening. I need my alone time.”

The young man and the young woman stared at each other, cheeks burning and hearts threatening to burst. Gwen took the initiative and leaned forward, slowly raising her lips to Kevin’s cheek.

“You’re off the mark, Gwen.” Her grandmother remarked, matter-of-factly. “It has to be on the lips.”

And before anyone could protest, Verdona pushed the two together, causing their lips to meet.

The woods were suddenly aglow as a pillar of light reached up to the night sky.

“Curse broken,” Verdona clapped and promptly shoved the two out of the cottage, “Now shoo.”

With the door slamming shut behind them, Gwen and Kevin just looked at one another for a few moments. Eventually, their fingers interlaced with the other’s and shy smiles graced their lips. Together they walked down the path, content to simply enjoy each other’s presence as they mulled over the kiss they just had.

It was certainly not the kind of kiss either of them ever pictured having, but they both agreed it would not be the last they’d share.

Ben 10 fanfic - To The Victor Go The Spoils

Disclaimers:

Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force and their respective characters belong to Man of Action

Author’s Notes:

From a series of one-shots that hold no continuity unless stated otherwise. This particular piece is supposedly set sometime in the Ben 10k timeline.

--

To The Victor Go The Spoils

The Plumbers had recently enacted preventive measures for the rapidly increasing problem of agent burn-out. After being debriefed from a mission, the aforementioned agent was to take a forced holiday sponsored by the Plumbers, naturally. That was perhaps the only reason why Gwendolyn Tennyson found herself checking into an off-world spa resort. She would have preferred being sent somewhere a little closer to home but spending a week or two away from Earth might do her a world of good.

No pun intended.

While the resort was equipped to pamper and to rejuvenate, it wasn’t quite what Gwendolyn wanted at the moment. A pamphlet in the lobby gave directions to a small, quaint little town that flowed into a long, seemingly endless stretch of beach. Even if the sand was a deep magenta, the crystal clear blue water was more enticing.

It always had to be this way.

And so, here she was, wandering down smoke-colored cobblestone streets speckled with pink sand. Small, twin-suns gently shone upon lacquered stalls where alien merchants offered various knick-knacks and souvenirs. Her bare shoulders seemed to relish the sunshine, having gotten tired of the cold vacuum of space. A balmy breeze tugged at her skirt, ruffling the light material before scooting off to play tag with a random alien’s hat.

Gwendolyn remained alert, but more out of the desire to keep her valuables safe from sticky fingers (or tentacles in some cases) as opposed to ensuring there were no enemies within the vicinity. She could stroll down maze-like paths without worrying about objectives or goals or time constraints. She smiled to herself, allowing the peace and cheerful atmosphere to wash over her. She may have had some reservations about this involuntary vacation, but now she was actually beginning to enjoy herself.

Neutral ground.

And yet she was unable to shake off this nagging feeling that she was being watched. Emerald eyes casually scanned her surroundings, apart from tourists who were overly excited by their first time being off-world nothing seemed to merit suspicion. Maybe she had just been working too hard lately and was being unnecessarily paranoid.

She began to hum softly, forcing herself to relax as she continued to explore the street bazaar. Empathic jewelry that shifted in size, shape and form depending on the wearer’s state of mind, bottled horizons that glowed dawn or dusk or high noon with a twist of the cap, looking over various trinkets calmed Gwendolyn down.

But the sensation of eyes watching her every move lingered.

A petite furred stall-keeper gestured to Gwendolyn, “Might some chimes interest you, dearie?” She sweetly asked, holding out the metallic cylinders to the Plumber. As Gwendolyn shook her head, she caught a glimpse of something on the reflective surface. She leaned in for a closer look and her suspicions were confirmed.

“It’s very nice, but it’s a bit too big for me to buy.” She apologized before heading off.

Sandal-clad feet eventually led Gwendolyn to the less populated area of the town. The air wasn’t as welcoming here as it was at the bazaar, but the red head felt her surroundings was much more apt for what could happen next.

“What do you want, Kevin?” She asked casually.

The proposal.

Strong hands rested upon her shoulders as his velvety voice whispered into her ear. “You know what I want.”

She felt his warm breath against her cheek and Gwendolyn struggled not to make him aware of the delicious thrill shooting up her spine. Her face flushed when his hands began to slowly trail down her bare arms to rest familiarly around her waist.

“Sorry, not interested.” Was her cold response before beginning to pull away.

The rejection.

Kevin held fast, the smile on his face practically audible as he purred into her neck. “I don’t believe you.”

She resisted the urge to moan, visibly. Gwendolyn knew she had to get away from him before she lost her resolve.

“Believe this.” She growled out a strength-enhancing spell and proceeded to break free from his grip. Kicking at the ground, Gwendolyn dashed along the deserted streets, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Kevin had disappeared from sight.

The hunt.

Gwendolyn should have been worried, she should have been concerned. Instead, she smiled. Her aura crackled in warning and she skidded to a halt just as furred limbs shot past her, missing her by a hair’s breadth. She somersaulted backwards, her speed allowing her to keep her modesty despite wearing a skirt that willingly danced with the slightest of breezes.

A containment spell was uttered at Kevin’s direction but the man quickly shifted forms and easily avoided the attack. In one smooth motion, his hand took on a petrosapien gleam and shards were fired directly at the sorceress. The projectiles embedded themselves onto cobblestone as she took to the sky.

The struggle.

Gwendolyn didn’t have a chance to catch her breath as a stream of flame blazed straight at her. She brought up a barrier, diverting the flames upwards before freezing them solid and raining hail down on Kevin.

The mutant just turned up the heat, melting the deadly shower of ice into its liquid counterpart. He stood tall and looked up at her, smirk ever present, ever taunting. The sound of ripping flesh echoed against small houses as metallic wings tore out of Kevin’s back. He sprang up, wings slicing through air, bringing him face to face with Gwendolyn. He had gotten close enough to steal a brief kiss from her lips before she propelled herself backwards. He laughed in amusement, watching the apples of her cheeks crimson.

The sorceress inhaled sharply and her aura sparked in fury. “Bastard!”

“Tease.” He retorted, enjoying the look of unmitigated disbelief and loathing she shot him.

It was a strange, destructive dance they performed. A necessity when social obligations conflicted with personal wants.

Everything about Kevin screamed of danger, of brutality, of raw, uncontrollable power. Her aura crackled like mad at the proximity of such immeasurable strength, or rather the lack thereof. He could have torn her apart. It would be easy, like ripping the wings off a butterfly.

But he didn’t.

Shortly after they exchanged a series of attacks interspersed with taunts of the double entendre variety, he had wrestled her to the ground. She glared up at him, trying to kick herself free but finding she lacked the leverage to do so.

“Yield.” Kevin commanded, voice laced with authority, malice and a manic glee.

She needed to justify her desires.

“I yield.” She declared and ceased her struggling. Drawing a deep breath to steady her wildly pounding heart, the sorceress stared into Kevin’s eyes and asked “What do you want?”

A feral grin spread across his lips as he leaned in closer, “You know what I want.”

He wanted her to willingly give herself to him.

She swallowed thickly before whispering, “I know, I want it too.”

“To the victor goes the spoils.”

Ben 10 fanfic - Resolution

Disclaimers:

Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force and their respective characters belong to Man of Action

Author's Notes:

Okay, so, this is a weird little "what I think would happen" fic set in the Ben 10k universe. It takes place after the Tennysons adopt Devlin into their family and I just wondered what Gwendolyn's reaction would be when she meets the son of the man she fell in love with all those years ago. I'm assuming bits of Alien Force does happen (namely Kevin and Gwen getting together), but at the same time something occurs to make Kevin become Kevin 11,000 and still leading to Devlin being born.

--

Gwendolyn had promised to visit Benjamin and his family once she returned from an off-world mission. And today would be the day she would fulfill that promise. Truthfully, she wasn’t looking forward to it.

Arriving at her cousin’s home, Gwendolyn rang the doorbell. Footsteps scrambled from the inside before the door slid open and out lunged a young boy who bore a striking resemblance to Ben.

“Aunt Gwendolyn!” he greeted brightly as his arms wrapped tightly around the woman.

“Who is this handsome young man who sounds just like my nephew Ken?” The sorceress chuckled, fondly mussing the young boy’s hair.

“Aww Aunt Gwendolyn.” Ken pouted as he tried to straighten his hair out. “Didja kick alien butt when you were off-world?” he asked eagerly. “Oh! And I gotta get someone you should meet!”

Before she could respond, small fingers curled around her wrist before she was half-dragged into the living room.

“Stay right here, I’ll go get him!” Ken declared before running upstairs.

“You’re sure a sight for sore eyes.” An aged, familiar voice smiled.

“Grandpa!” Gwendolyn beamed before embracing the retired Plumber. “It’s so good to see you again.”

“I thought you were going to stay for a few days. Where’re your things?” Ben asked as he walked in from the kitchen.

Gwendolyn shook her head, “I’ll only be here for dinner. I don’t want to be difficult.”

“You know what’s difficult? Getting two ten-year-olds to clean up the spare guestroom without using their powers. That, Gwendolyn, is difficult.” Ben stated grimly.

“Well now, I can’t let the efforts of my nephews go to waste, can I?” She smiled. “And I’m quite surprised you’re actually enforcing the no-going-hero-unless-necessary rule.”

“Heh, what can I say, I learned hard work builds character.” He chuckled.

“Come now, Gwendolyn, you should take it easy once in a while. You’ve only been back for what? A day or two at most?” Max reasoned.

“And if I remember right, weren’t you the one who went back in time to make sure I didn’t take being a hero too seriously?” Ben pointed out.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stay for a few days.” Gwendolyn laughed.

“Besides, it’s not like the other Plumbers can’t handle things. So don’t worry about the galaxy for the next few days.” Max added.

Gwendolyn suppressed a sigh. It wasn’t the galaxy she was worried about. Ever since she had heard of the latest addition to the Tennyson household, the sorceress was apprehensive about visiting.

“Come on into the kitchen, you’re just in time to help me make a batch of my famous Snail Stew.” Max beamed.

“Wait! Aunt Gwendolyn!” Ken called out, “You haven’t met Devlin yet!”

Turning, Gwendolyn’s eyes widened at the sight of the adopted boy following after Ken. Without warning, memories of years long gone flooded her mind. They surged in a deluge, all of these Gwendolyn thought to have been buried, forgotten.

She felt her eyes mist with tears and quickly she blinked them away. Drawing a deep breath to regain control over her emotions, Gwendolyn opened her arms out. “Nice to meet you, Devlin. Come give your Aunt Gwendolyn a hug.”

The lad shyly approached her before he walked into the hug, hesitantly returning it. Gwendolyn found herself holding him tighter than she intended and quickly broke away.

“Didja bring us anything cool from off-world, Aunt Gwendolyn?” Ken’s cheerful voice was a welcomed distraction.

“Hmm, let’s see...” She tapped her chin thoughtfully as the charms embedded on her sleeve began to glow. Ripping cloth sounded, followed by a small portal opening just beside the sorceress. She slipped her hand in and pulled out three brown packages before the portal sealed shut.

“Looks like I do have something. This is for Gwen when she gets back home with Kai, make sure to tell her not to get this wet.” Gwendolyn instructed. “This is for you, Ken.”

The young boy eagerly took the gift and proceeded to unwrap it. Inside was a small sphere of a dull gray hue. He looked at it in confusion, “Um, what is it?”

“Give it a squeeze.” Ben suggested.

The moment Ken’s fingers closed around the sphere, his fist began to vibrate. The trembling became too great for him to control that he had to open his hand. The sphere took on a bright green hue before the smooth surface started to crack and out emerged a miniature version of Ken no bigger than three inches.

“Whoa! Cool! It’s a mini version of me!”

“Whoa! Cool! It’s a mini version of me!” the diminutive Ken echoed in a high-pitched voice.

“A mimican ball.” Max laughed, “The longer you hold the ball in your hand, the longer it will take on your shape.”

“This is so neat, thanks Aunt Gwendolyn!”

“And this is for you, Devlin. Since we may not get a lot of chances to get to know each other, I thought this would be a good way for you learn about me.” She smiled and gave the last package to the dark haired boy.

Unwrapping it, Devlin found it was a crystal that fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. “It’s very, um, sparkly.” He commented.

“Did your mnemosyne crystal fragment recently, Gwendolyn?” Max asked.

She nodded, “Yes, and I thought it would make a good gift for the newest member of the family.”

“But what does it do?” Devlin stared curiously.

“Well, a mnemosyne crystal is sort of like a diary for your memories.” Gwendolyn began, her eyes resting on the fragment. “You hold it tightly in your hand while thinking of something you want to remember and when it glows blue it means it’s done recording it. When you want to remember something, you just look into it and the crystal will figure out what it is you were looking for.”

“Can I try it out?” Devlin asked.

“Sure, do you want to store something?” She was careful not to meet his gaze.

He shook his head and the glittering object in his palm began to glow.

On the smooth surface appeared Gwendolyn when she was ten. She was busy typing something on her laptop when the aforementioned machine was engulfed by the familiar form of Upgrade.

“Ben that’s not funny!” Gwen yelled angrily. “Get out of my computer!”

“Only if you do my summer homework for me.” Ben replied cheekily.

“No way, Ben! Get out of there! I was working on something!”

“Your father and I didn’t exactly get along when we were kids.” Gwendolyn chuckled to Ken. The fragment she had given Devlin contained memories from her childhood, back before she or Ben ever became full-time Plumbers. She only hoped none of her more recent memories were in it.

“Alright boys, it’s about time for me to get dinner ready. Ben, come help me in the kitchen.” Max motioned, “Why don’t you two show Gwendolyn to her room?”

“Sure, great grandpa!” Ken nodded as the elderly man headed towards the kitchen.

Ben quickly whispered to Gwendolyn “Don’t worry, Kai left a couple of casseroles in the freezer.” before following after Max. The sorceress shook her head in amusement. Some things never change.

“This way, Aunt Gwendolyn.” She felt slender fingers curl around her wrist and turned to find Ken pulling her towards the stairs. “C’mon Devlin!”

“R-right.” He stammered as he pocketed the crystal.

Ken and Gwendolyn exchanged idle chatter as the two boys led her to the guestroom. Gwendolyn was doing all she can to focus on Ken and avoid looking at her other nephew. It may sound cruel, but she couldn’t deal with him right now. The young boy had reminded her of so many broken dreams and forsaken hopes she once had for her life.

When the two boys left, Gwendolyn allowed the memories she had assumed lost to return. Some were tender, like a first kiss shared in secret or being in a warm, protective embrace. Some were painful, like watching someone leave or a broad-shouldered back turning to her in regret. Some were bittersweet, like a moment of intimacy between forbidden lovers or the last glimpse of hope before reaching the point of no return.

How could you, Kevin? How could you be so heartless as to abandon your family? Your own son? She trembled in quiet rage. After all you’ve done, how is it possible that I still love you?

She tensed in confusion at her last thought. Why would she think that? How could she think that? Kevin was a threat, a criminal. He was heartless and cruel and had tried to kill her family on more than one occasion. Other than that he meant nothing to her.

Didn’t he?

The tears streaming down her cheeks proved otherwise.

--

“Hey Devlin, wanna go have some fun with my mimican ball?” Ken suggested, gesturing outside.

The dark-haired boy shook his head, “Maybe later?”

“Sure, you know where to find me.” Grinning, Ken headed out to see what mischief he could have with his omnitrix and his new toy.

Devlin quietly retreated to his room to climb into his bed. Making himself comfortable, he retrieved the gift his adoptive aunt had given him. He was planning to store some of his own memories into the crystal when it suddenly started to show him another glimpse of Gwendolyn’s past.

She was no longer ten in the vision. She was older, her hair grown long, her powers developed. She was flying, desperately trying to catch up to someone. She flew faster, hair whipping about her face as she abruptly landed before the tower housing the largest null void projector.

By the gates stood a figure.

Biting down on her lower lip, she drew closer.

“Tell me Ben was wrong.” She pleaded. “Tell me that you’re here to stop whoever it is that’s trying to release all those criminals from the null void.”

“I’d like to.” The familiar voice rasped, “But I can’t.”

“Why would you want to do that, Kevin?” She demanded.

“Because everyone messed things up for me. So why the hell shouldn’t I mess things up for them in return?” The dark-haired man growled.

And Devlin’s eyes widened when he recognized the figure Gwendolyn spoke to was his father.

“You know I can’t let you do that.” Gwendolyn warned. It was obvious she didn’t want to fight, but she had no choice.

“Why not, Gwen?” He asked casually, “What do you owe them?”

“That’s not what it’s about, Kevin.” She frowned, “I thought you understood that.”

And suddenly she was in his arms.

“I do understand. I just don’t care about them.” He whispered softly into her ear. “But I do care about you, Gwen.”

She made no motion to pull away or resist the embrace. “No, you don’t,” she hissed bitterly, “You only say that because you know how much I wish it were true.”

“But it is true.” He insisted, his eyes staring intensely into hers. “Come with me, Gwen. I’ll protect you from whatever the null void releases. Together we can own the galaxy!”

For a brief moment, Gwendolyn looked like she was going to say yes. But she didn’t need to say anything. The anguish in her eyes was answer enough for Kevin. The regret in their eyes was unmistakable before the red-head pulled him in for a kiss.

It would be the last time their lips would meet without blood being spilled.

Shortly after, Ben and the rest of the plumbers arrived.

Devlin dropped the crystal onto the bed before burying his face into his hands. He knew what happened next. His father was sent into the null void and he eventually escaped to Saturn.

Why did his aunt give him this thing? It only reminded him of how horrible a person his father was. How he never really cared for Devlin or his mother. Was she as cruel as Kevin was to give him such a twisted present?

He stormed out of his room, doing his best to keep his form in check. He knocked, rather urgently at Gwendolyn’s door. “A-Aunt Gwendolyn, I need to talk to you.”

A startled sob slipped through the door before the sorceress answered him. “Y-yes, Devlin?”

“Do you hate me?” He demanded.

She was completely taken aback by his question. “What?”

“Do you hate me?” He repeated.

“W-why would you think that?”

“Because you wouldn’t give me something that would hurt me if you didn’t!”

“What do you mean?” She looked genuinely confused. “Did something happen-”

“Why would you show me how nice my father could be?” he cut in, “I didn’t need to know that he decided not to care about me or my mother when she died. I was happy to think he was as bad as they all say.

Angry tears poured down Devlin’s cheeks, “But then you went and showed me that he was nice to you and that he cared about you! Do you hate me because I was born as someone else’s son?”

A palm smacked smartly against the young boy’s tear-stained cheek. Gwendolyn loomed over him, emerald eyes ablaze as she shook in suppressed fury.

“Calm down, child.” She frowned, “I gave you the fragment where I kept my fondest memories of Kevin because you are his son. I wanted you to have a reason not to hate him. So many people already do, why add you to the list? Even if Kevin is a despicable person, a father should never be hated by his son.”

Devlin touched his cheek gingerly, realizing his error. “I-I’m sorry.” He mumbled.

“So am I.” She replied, kneeling down so that she was eye-level to Devlin. “Look, Devlin, I’m sorry that my memories hurt you. I never intended for that to happen. I just don’t want you to grow up thinking Kevin was always a monster. He was good at one point, granted it was in his own way.”

“You’re the first person to say that about him. Not even my mom spoke about him that way.”

“I’m sure your mother believed he was good somewhere deep down. Otherwise, why else would you have wanted to free him from the null void?” Gwendolyn smiled.

“Aunt Gwendolyn, do you think...” Devlin paused, scuffing his feet on the hallway floor, “Do you think if...”

“If what?”

He took a deep breath, “Do you think if you had been my mom, he would have cared about me?”

Gwendolyn blinked before gathering the boy into her arms. “I don’t know, Devlin.” She whispered, “But you have a new family now who love and care about you very much. Isn’t that what really matters?”

Devlin nodded as he returned the hug. “I guess so.”

--

Additional Info:

I totally made up the mimican ball (based on the word mimic) and the mnemosyne crystal (based on the Greek titan Mnemosyne who was all about memories) but if Man of Action ever do use those terms in the future or even right now, that would be like so awesome 8D

Ben 10 fanfic - First of Summer 4

Disclaimers:
Ben 10, Ben 10 Alien Force and their respective characters belong to Man of Action

--

Chapter Four: Cat’s Meow

The clocks in the Tennyson house showed a quarter-past five on their faces before Ben arrived. He found Gwen waiting for him in the living room, dressed in what he assumed was as daring as Gwen was capable. The sleeves were still present though shortened to end just a few inches above her elbows and he supposed the calf-length skirt was better than nothing. Her feet were clad in flat step-in shoes, obviously designed for comfort rather than style. It was then he noticed Gwen was absently cutting cards with one hand. She didn’t even seem to be concentrating much; the movement of her fingers was fluid, practiced, like she could do this blindfolded.

“What are you doing?” Ben blinked as he watched in surprise as his cousin suddenly fanned out the cards on the table to flip them all in one smooth sweep of her hand.

“Calming myself down.” She replied, her voice lacking all signs of anxiety.

“I think you’re confusing a good time with something else.” Ben laughed before removing his coat. “Lemme just get out of my uniform and I’ll show you the sights.”

“Oh about that,” Gwen raised her hand, “Do you mind if we leave a little later? Like two hours later? I, uh, have a more pressing engagement to attend to.”

Ben arched a brow, “And that is?”

Gathering the cards into one hand, Gwen bent them lengthwise just enough to give the deck enough tension to spring from one hand to the other. The young woman stated simply “A job interview.”

Ben was certainly taken by surprise, “I thought you were here on vacation?”

“I am, but it turns out big city living requires deep pockets. Pockets that I obviously don’t have. So, I’m going to need a part-time job.” She explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“You are absolutely screwy. What kind of dame goes on vacation and then gets a job?” Ben shook his head in disbelief.

“This kind of dame,” Gwen pointed to herself as she tucked away the deck of cards into her purse. “I have to go, it’s a long way to that shop and I have to get there by six.”

Even if Ben didn’t approve of Gwen taking a job on what was supposed to be her holiday it was her time to with as she pleased. And if that meant working instead of relaxing, well, Ben didn’t really have much of a say in the matter. However, he insisted that he at least ‘check the place out’ for Gwen’s sake.

This was not well met by the female Tennyson as she considered it an affront to her judgment. Before the argument could escalate between the two cousins, a compromise was reached. Ben would act as chauffer and moral support for Gwen and she would let him act like the tough, over-protective cop-and-cousin he was trying to be with minimal protest.

“I still say you’re making this a bigger deal than it is.” Gwen shrugged as she climbed into the rust bucket.

“And I still say you’re screwy for wanting to work when I could just as easily spot you the dough.” Ben retorted as he started up the vehicle.

“Right, because you’re simply overflowing with cash. Is that why the rust bucket’s in such mint condition?” She smirked, patting the poor excuse of upholstery that struggled to stretch out over the seats.

“Grandpa Max wants the rust bucket to keep her charm and character. And he goes through great lengths to keep her as is.” He sighed, recalling his many failed attempts at jazzing up the aforementioned vehicle. Being turned down by so many auto shops simply because no one wants to mess up with Max Tennyson’s jalopy was not a very fond memory for Ben.

“So tell me about the cards.” He quickly decided to change the subject.

“What about them?”

“Well, it’s just that it isn’t often you see people handling the cards the way you do. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were a regular card shark.”

Gwen flashed her cousin a smirk before lifting her fingers and twiddling them in the air, “Why thank you, I like to think my dexterous little friends are good for more than just darning socks and mending clothes.”

“How’d you learn to do all those anyway?”

“Small towns don’t offer much excitement. You get your kicks when and where you can. It just so happens that the library is filled with wonderful things called books. Some of them just happen to be about sleight of hand performances and card tricks.”

“So you are a card shark!”

“I wouldn’t go that far, Ben. Knowing how the dealer shuffles the cards is just an advantage.” She grinned, “How else do you think I could have afforded coming here? Oh, there’s that shop!” she pointed.

Ben slammed on the brakes far harder than he would have liked. “You can’t be serious, Gwen. Do you know what that place is?”

“My potential place of employment.” She remarked before hopping out of the car.

“Wait! Gwen! You can’t go in there!” Ben called out as he struggled to exit the vehicle. It was obvious Gwen wasn’t interested in listening to him as she quickly slipped past the doors.

This is just dandy, Ben groaned to himself, Oh well, she’ll find out for herself and then she’ll come running right out. He nodded in confidence and a rather mischievous smile cracked across his lips. At least this time it’s my turn to say I told you so.

--

The interior of the dress shop looked different at night. The skulls and bones that had seemed interesting in the morning sunshine now looked ominous and menacing, as if a warning for trespassers or a promise of things to come. The faint glow of the cloth-covered lamps barely illuminated the room, casting more shadows than banishing them. The scent of sandalwood incense clung to every surface, as if masking something within the dim room.

Gwen gulped audibly as she stepped in, the calm she had managed to find earlier quickly draining out of her. Drawing in a deep breath, she called out, “Hello, ma’am? It’s Gwendolyn, from earlier today? I’m here for the-”

“You’re here early. And call me Madame or Charmcaster. Never ma’am.” Charmcaster remarked as she emerged from the backroom. She seemed pleased by Gwen’s punctuality and reached out her hand to Gwen. “Alright, hun, you ready for the test?”

Gwen nodded and accepted the proffered limb, suddenly finding herself being pulled towards the full length mirror. With a practiced motion, Charmcaster shoved the mannequins away and drew the curtains around them, shrouding them in darkness.

“Your test is three parts,” Charmcaster explained, “The first is beauty. My girls need to meet a certain standard. So here,” the store owner unceremoniously tossed a dress at Gwen. “Put that on and let me see how you look in it.”

Charmcaster stepped out of the small cloth enclosure to let Gwen change, much to the young woman’s relief. Gwen fumbled in the dark as she removed her own clothes while beginning to wonder what it was she was getting into. Just as she finished pulling the dress over her head, the curtains parted.

“Well? Let me see you, hun.”

Gwen spun around, feeling uncomfortably exposed in the garment she had been instructed to wear. Her bare arms folded across her chest, unintentionally drawing attention to the plunging neckline that showed an alluring hint of her cleavage. The skirt hugged her slim hips like a second skin before ending just a hair’s breadth past fair-skinned knees.

“Isn’t this a little, um, flashy for me?” Gwen asked, her cheeks flushing when she saw her reflection in the mirror.

“Hun, you look down right keen in that little number. Alright, you’ve passed the first part with flying colors.” Charmcaster purred. “Part two is brains. My girls need to be able to think on their feet for any sort of situation. For example...” she trailed off before suddenly pressing herself completely against Gwen’s smaller frame.

“A client is getting a little too friendly with you. What’ll you do, hun?” She breathed into Gwen’s ear.

At first, Gwen was too stunned to react. Having never found herself in such a scenario before, her mind had gone blank. The only thing she was acutely aware of was how the scent of lavender clung to Charmcaster’s hair and how soft and warm her body was. But eventually Gwen regained her composure and promptly pushed Charmcaster off her.

“I’ll thank you to keep your hands to yourself.” Gwen declared sternly, eyes narrowing dangerously.

“But what if they’re quite insistent?” The older woman leered, suddenly sliding beside Gwen while her arms snake around the red-head’s body. Her amethyst eyes caught the sight of an elbow aiming for her face. Deftly she leaned backwards, releasing her hold on Gwen to avoid the collision. Slowly she righted herself and found Gwen had already moved back, smiling pleasantly in the darkness.

“That was just a warning.” Gwen declared sweetly. I didn’t ever think watching farm hands tussle all those summers would pay off.

“You just passed parts two and three, with that stunt, hun. And you’re the second girl to use anything other than a slap.” Charmcaster beamed in delight. “Finally I get another live wire. I was getting tired of all the wilting daisies we have here. You start tonight.”

Gwen had just gotten a hold of her purse when she blinked in disbelief. “Tonight? But I had plans for tonight with my cousin.”

“You’re just gonna have to tell him to take a rain check, hun.” Charmcaster shrugged.

“Let me get changed first so I can tell him.” She began and quickly gathered her things.

“You ain’t goin’no where and you’re keeping the dress on, hun.” Charmcaster stated. “Just tell me where the cat is at and I’ll tell him for you.”

“He’s just outside. And if I can just ask am I supposed to be modeling the dresses for the store?” Gwen canted her head.

Charmcaster just stared at Gwen before bursting out in laughter, “Oh my Lord, you have no idea what this joint is all about, do you hun?”

Before Gwen could answer, the platinum-haired woman slung her arms across the female Tennyson’s shoulders and ushered her through the curtains and into the backroom.

Gwen’s eyes widened at the sight of a large, well-lit parlor, easily ten times the size of the cramped shop front. Immediately she could understand the need for the sandalwood incense as the unmistakable smell of cigarette smoke permeated the room. Tables with chairs stacked atop clustered in one end, while cushioned booths stood a few feet away. A black piano waited patiently beside an unlit platform that served as a stage.

Several young women loitered in scattered groups, applying make up or adjusting their glittering stockings and heavily sequined dresses. Feather-adorned hats and sparkling bandanas decorated sleek, bobbed hair as painted lips chattered and giggled. Compared to these women, Gwen never felt so drab in her entire life.

Lining a majority of the wall was a bar where liquors and spirits of all sort were kept in full view as a sort of defiant protest against the prohibition law. A young, well dressed man was bussing the long counter while another was polishing and wiping drinking glasses.

“Now do you understand what kind of joint I run, hun?” Charmcaster’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“It’s a Speak Easy?” Gwen blinked, having only heard of such places as she never quite found the desire to enter one.

“Now you’re on the trolley, hun. I have to be honest with you. You’re cute but you seem like one of them bluenose, high hat types so I don’t really expect you to stick around. But as you said earlier today I’m desperate and need all the help I can get. Especially for tonight.” The proprietor explained.

“But what about-”

“The pay? You’ll get your share after the evening’s over, hun. All’s I need for you to do is to greet the clients as they come in.”

“N-no, I mean what about my cousin Ben? He’s still outside waiting for me.”

“I’ll go tell him to come swing by for you in a couple of hours.” Charmcaster motioned for a tall, athletic woman with rust-hued locks to approach them. “Rojo, hun, this here’s Gwen. Show her the ropes while I go take care of other matters.”

And Gwen was left with the fierce-looking pale woman who showed far more flesh than necessary in Gwen's opinion. “Uh, nice to meet you, Rojo was it?” adjusting her things, she started to extend her hand when Rojo simply slapped it away.

“I ain’t interested in making friends. I just want to land me a man so's I’ll be set for life. So stay out of the way and try not to look too pretty, you got that, runt?”

Nursing her wrist, Gwen glared defiantly at the taller woman, “Don’t worry, I’ll only be here for tonight.”

“Heh, you probably wouldn’t last any longer than that anyway.” Rojo smirked, “You sure don’t look like a flapper girl. You’re more of a frump. And frumps here get eaten alive.” She flashed a tooth grin before chomping down in mimicry of a shark.

“Maybe I just don’t require the attention of men to make myself feel special.” Gwen smirked and suddenly found herself being lifted off the ground by the collar of her dress.

“You got a smart mouth. Maybe I should paint it with your blood?”

“Is there a problem, ladies?” A familiar, velvety smooth voice interrupted.

Gwen gasped in surprise to see the same, dark haired man she ran into earlier that day.

--

Outside, Ben waited in the car, fingers drumming on the car’s dashboard.

“How long does a person take to realize this dress shop isn’t really a dress shop?” he muttered.

Hearing the sound of an opening door, Ben turned towards the shop’s entrance expecting to see his cousin. A figure emerged, but the long tresses were a clear indication that whoever it was, it wasn’t Gwen.

“Well, well, well. Never thought I’d see you in this part of the city, hun.” The sultry voice of Charmcaster chuckled.

“I’m only here for my cousin,” Ben replied deadpan as he got out of the car.

Charmcaster laughed, “I never would have guessed the little bearcat inside is related to Edwin’s lapdog.”

“You’ll find that my bite’s worse than my bark,” Ben returned darkly.

“A rabid lapdog can be quite deadly.” Was the mocking reply, “Now look, hun, your concern for your cousin is quite touching. But she’s a big girl and she’s got enough moxy to keep herself from getting into any scrapes in there.”

“She’s still my cousin and I have to keep her out of trouble. Now if you don’t mind sending her out, we’ll be on our way and out of your hair. Or am I going to have to storm the place?”

“And risk breaking the truce,” Charmcaster sneered before leaning in close to Ben’s ear, “Or your cover? I’m sure the boys in blue won’t look too kindly on knowing they have a dirty cop.”

“Who said I was going to Edwin’s? Uncle Phil, or should I say Lieutenant Phillips gave me strict orders to show Gwen a good time. And if you’re getting in the way of that, I can charge you with obstruction.”

“You think you’re the only one who’s got friends in high places?” She returned smugly, her hip jutting out defiantly at Ben. “Oh hun, we can keep at this all night but I’ve got a joint to take care of. And you being here is bad for business. Come back in a couple of hours, your cousin will have enough money to get herself as dolled up as she wants for the next season or two.”

“I don’t think so.”

With a sigh, Charmcaster entered her shop with Ben closely following her. Moments later, the young man was being roughly tossed out by two large men.

“You heard the lady, come back in a few hours. We’ll keep an eye on Len for ya.” The larger one of the pair laughed.

“Gwen.” The other corrected gruffly.

“Whatever.”

Ben winced from the pavement’s solid greeting before dusting himself off. Grimacing, he got into the rust bucket and drove off. This little altercation between them was far from over.

--

Kevin was in the dimly lit stock room checking on their inventory after they had finished loading everything in. He had taken it upon himself to personally oversee the re-stocking, having lost two shipments these past few months to some unknown group. His sources had no idea who was behind the thefts as all leads seemed to either grow cold or arrive at a dead end.

Emphasis on dead.

How many guys had he lost? Kevin could probably count them all on one hand, but it was the principle of the thing that irked him. Someone actually had the guts to take him on but not enough to actually make himself known?

“Blasted coward.” He snarled to himself as he carefully closed the lid on the crate of liquor. He knew it couldn’t have been Edwin, given how he had heard the other man’s gang had been losing numbers themselves.

There was no word on any new group forming, no talk of a dark horse trying to make it big on the scene. Whoever it was, they weren’t trying to give themselves a name and that struck Kevin as odd. The point of stealing liquor from someone else was to drive the other party out of business while helping your own to grow. No one had heard of any new speak easy suddenly emerging, so where was all the booze going? Even the cops on Kevin’s payroll were clueless about the whereabouts of the smuggled spirits.

Still puzzled, Kevin exited the stock room, deciding to unwind over a drink before the night’s crowd started to arrive. Normally he would make an appearance, just to remind the customers that they were paying for more than just the drinks. His notoriety was one of the many reasons why his speak easy was so popular.

One could never be certain of what would happen with Kevin Levin around. A cheap thrill, but it was one Kevin was willing to provide from time to time.

Just not tonight. Not when that smug, prissy Morningstar was around.

It was no secret that Kevin disliked a fair amount of people. Edwin was certainly one of them, but that was out of principle. After all, it just wouldn’t do to be on good terms with the boss of your gang’s rival, would it? Benjamin Tennyson however, he disliked for other reasons. The young officer was good friends with Edwin for one. And more often than not when raids were made or when deals went sour, Ben would have had a hand in setting it up. But Kevin knew it was all business, even if it looked like Tennyson was personally gunning for him.

Morningstar, on the other hand, Kevin disliked out of personal reasons. Entering the parlor, an argument between two women provided him with a much appreciated distraction from the subject of Mike Morningstar.

“Maybe I just don’t require the attention of men to make myself feel special.” There was something vaguely familiar about the self-assured tones of that voice. Turning towards the source, Kevin was pleasantly surprised to see it was the girl who had given him the brush off earlier that day.

A predatory grin spread across his face as he watched Rojo lift the slender girl off the ground. Already he started to close the gap between him and the two women.

“You got a smart mouth. Maybe I should paint it with your blood?” The larger woman growled.

“Is there a problem, ladies?” He asked.

Rojo glanced over her shoulder and smirked at him. “Nah, boss, just showing the new girl the ropes.”

Kevin had to keep himself from cracking up in laughter at the look of recognition on the other girl’s face. Oh yes, she definitely remembered him.

“W-we’re just peachy.” Gwen stammered, seemingly more distressed by his presence than the threat of Rojo giving her a bloodied lip.

“I ain’t gonna bother you two then.” He waved and started to walk away. Any second now he expected the red-head to call for help, which he would be more than happy to give. Naturally in exchange for some favors.

“Any last words, pipsqueak?” Rojo grinned, drawing her arm back as she clenched her hand into a fist.

“How long have you been working here?” Gwen asked; mind racing as she tried to come up with a way to get herself out of this mess.

“What?” Rojo blinked.

Even Kevin had paused mid-stride in curiosity.

“Tell me, how long have you been working here?” She pressed.

“What’s it to ya?”

“Well, if you’ve been here for a while already and you haven’t “landed yourself a man” as you put it, maybe it’s because the type of men here aren’t really interested in landing a girl?”

“What are you saying?” Rojo glowered.

I wish I knew myself. Gwen mentally gulped before continuing “I’m just saying that you might be wasting your time here. I mean, you can’t catch what’s not there, can you?”

Rojo considered this very carefully, “Maybe you’re right.”

“So there’s no need for you to rough me up, right?” Gwen reasoned hopefully.

“Wrong, hitting you will make me feel a lot better.”

Kevin blinked in surprise when the smaller girl suddenly slammed her knee right into Rojo’s stomach. The pale woman released her hold as she doubled over in pain.

“N-now I only had to do that out of necessity, I’m a firm believer that violence solves nothing.” The red-head stated; clutching her things tightly to her chest as she quickly backed away.

“Oh you are so dead!” Rojo snarled as she lunged for Gwen.

Letting out a yelp, Gwen braced herself for impact but was surprised to find broad shoulders blocking her view of the larger woman.

“We can’t have you killing the new girl on her first night on the job.” Kevin gently scolded. He had caught Rojo by the wrists and wrenched them viciously behind her back. “I don’t mind a good catfight, but do it after the night’s over. Our customers ain’t the kind who likes to see girls all black and blue.”

“But she’s only here for one night.” Rojo winced, doing her best not to struggle.

“That ain’t my problem.” Kevin whispered darkly before giving her wrist another twist, “Now, you’re gonna forget this all happened, am I clear?”

“C-clear!” She gasped in pain.

“Good.” With a benign smile, Kevin let her go. The flapper quickly stumbled away, trying to put as much distance between herself and Kevin.

“Um, th-thank you.” Gwen’s voice stammered from behind.

He cocked his head at her, a wide grin across his features. “For what?”

She looked at him in disbelief, wasn’t it obvious what she was thanking him for? “You stopped that woman from attacking me.”

“Is that what I did? Funny, I was just making sure the customers don’t get greeted by a messed up face.” He sneered. It was obvious he took great pleasure in how Gwen squirmed as she fought to control her temper. Her response, however, took him by surprise.

“You know what? I deserved that for talking to you so rudely earlier today.” She smiled before averting her gaze to the floor. “I’m really sorry about that. And it’s not just because you’re the boss but because you really didn’t deserve to be spoken to in the way I did.”

“Was that you?” Kevin smirked, “I didn’t recognize you, what with all the skin showing.” It took a great amount of effort on his part not to burst out laughing as he watched her turn beet red.

Before Gwen could come up with a response, Charmcaster called out for Fingers and Rocky. Immediately the same two men that had accompanied Kevin in the park the other night appeared to respond. Wordlessly, they disappeared through the curtain into the shop front.

“What’s going on?” Gwen blinked as the platinum-haired Madame entered.

“Nothing to worry yourself over, hun. Just some annoying little lapdog who escaped his leash.” Charmcaster smiled at Gwen before noticing her state of distress. Amethyst eyes narrowed irritably at the dark-haired man standing across the red-head. “Am I to assume Rojo never got the chance to show Gwen the ropes?”

“That would be about right.” Kevin grinned, not in the least perturbed by the glare Charmcaster shot at him.

The Madame swore under her breath, “Lemme give you the quick run-down, hun. You smile, you say good evening to the folks, you take their coats and hats if they got them and hand them over to any of the boys hanging around you. No flirting, no making eyes, no accepting drinks, and no accepting dances.”

Charmcaster looked thoughtful for a moment, “Unless I personally say so. Got it, hun?”

“Basically I’m a living welcome mat.” Gwen nodded.

“Nonsense, welcome mats don’t need to be as pretty as you, hun.” Charmcaster winked as she pinched Gwen’s cheek.

“Um, th-thanks?” the red-head crimsoned, unsure if she had just received a backhanded compliment or insult.

“Good, as for your things, just toss them into the coat room. But knock first. Never know who’s inside doing what.” The platinum-haired woman warned. As Gwen went off to put away her things, Charmcaster glowered at Kevin. “I have enough on my plate as it is and I don’t need you making things worse.”

“I just made sure your new welcome mat wasn’t missing any teeth. The least you could do is let me have some fun with her.” He rolled his eyes.

“She’s Tennyson’s cousin!” The Madame hissed.

Kevin quirked a brow, so that’s what Charmcaster meant by lapdog. His eyes wandered towards the retreating figure of the red-head and he could hardly keep the wolfish smile from forming. He had already been interested in her, the way she had spoken to him so brashly earlier that day and the unexpected reason for her apology.

“I know that look on your face, Kevin. A blood grudge is the last thing we need.” Charmcaster warned before adding “Besides, she doesn’t look like the type you normally go for.”

“Don’t I always do what’s not expected of me?” he chuckled before heading to his private room.

--

Author's Note: A little explanation on Gwen being good with cards. Instead of having her being a techy and a sorceress, she's well read and really good with cards and other sleight of hand tricks. She is from a small town, not a country bumpkin though she and Ben have spent some Summers on a farm when they were kids. Also, huge creative liberties were taken with Charmcaster as I had intended for her to be cajun but could not for the life of me find a decent female cajun reference.

And yes, I absolutely adore the crack pairing of Charmcaster and Gwen but Kevin and Gwen still pretty much trumps EVERYTHING for me :3 Apologies if this chapter is a HUGE WALL OF TEXT. Blame my friend who proofs my stuff who declared that I should include the last part in this chapter as opposed to separating it into the next one.