CH 48: Sudden Development

Jen :"How is it that the people who get back with their exes are always so happy?"

Alistair :"You ever seen a sad clown?"

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"Food, huh?" The trio groaned with an awkward smile, staring at the dish Maxine was preparing while trying to hide their disgust. Jen quickly tried to change the menu :"H-how about I order some takeout instead, huh? R-right, that way, Alistair will be able to see what new foods there are!"

Ken deadpanned at her :"This is a secret hideout, remember?" And all hope left Jen :"Right... right..."

Chuckling at their reaction, he patted Jen's head :"Alright, no need to make that face." Catching her attention as he stepped into the kitchen :"Can I use your kitchen for a minute, Grandma- pft hehehehe Grandma Maxine?"

Maxine raised an eyebrow :"What are you going to do?" He answered with a smirk :"Show you why my universe's Ben, Gwen and Kevin treat me like a god. You all just sit down and wait for a bit, we can chat while I'm cooking."

"You can cook?!" Jen's eyes widened and Kevina smirked at her :"Geez, Jen, maybe you should learn a thing or two from him. You don't even know how to cook eggs."

Jen glared :"You're one to talk, Kevina! Please, elaborate on what kind of five star dishes you can cook?"

Kevina shrugged, smirking :"At least I know how to boil simple eggs. You on the other hand? Psh."

Jen crossed her arms with a scoff :"Even I know how to boil eggs!" Kevina raised an eyebrow :"Can you?" Jen was silent, before giggling awkwardly and scratching her cheek.

"Alright, that's enough, girls." Ken intervened, pushing Kevina towards the table and sitting her down :"Don't start arguing."

As they chatted while waiting, Alistair began cooking a delicious meal by turning the Techtrix's mass into the needed ingredients. Seriously, he couldn't be more thankful about making such a masterpiece.

-

"Aww, so you guys are still on that road trip, huh?" Sitting with hands clasped behind her head, leaning back, Jen smiled with nostalgia :"Takes me back, man. That was such a wild experience back then!"

Ken chuckled with a smile :"That's true. We were kids, you had just gotten the Omnitrix, and were always making some kind of a trouble."

Jen glared with a smirk :"Hey, don't talk as if you were so innocent back then! And besides, you used to be so~ annoying back then. Always nagging! Lay off a little, will you?"

Ken scoffed :"Well, it was that nagging that kept you a bit in check. Otherwise, god knows what kind of problems you'd make."

Kevina turned to the still-cooking Alistair, who was smiling at the cousins' interaction :"By the way, something got me curious."

She got everybody's attention as Alistair hummed :"Wassup?"

Kevina :"It's about that picture you showed us. Why am I in it? Should the Kevin in your universe be your enemy at that time?"

Alistair :"Oh? Is that how it went here?"

They nodded and he continued :"Well, I guess I didn't let it happen. Because I recruited you after seeing your powers."

Kevina :"Recruited him?"

Alistair :"That's right. I thought it would be a waste for someone with useful powers like that to rot away in the streets, so I persuaded him with the promise of giving him a safe place and taking care of his living needs.

He has been getting used to the group ever since. He needs a little training in both personality and his powers, since they make him violent, but he's a talented kid. He'll learn to grow."

"I see..." Kevina mumbled :"So I guess that kid got lucky, huh?"

Kevina would be lying if she said she wasn't sad. She lived through hell and back before meeting the Tennysons. But the Kevin in the picture looked so happy and comfortable. 'I guess I regret not accepting Jen's hand back then, huh?'

Seeing her sad, Ken gently placed his hand on hers :"Babe..." Seeing his sad, caring face, Kevina's sadness was replaced with a smile :'But I guess it all turned out well in the end, huh? I guess I should be thankful that another version of me won't go through what I did.' "I'm alright, babe. I promise."

Alistair suddenly chuckled to lighten the mood :"Actually, I wasn't planning on persuading him with words at first."

Kevina :"What?"

Alistair :"I knew he'd have a... rough personality. So I was actually going to beat him into submission before forcing him to join us."

Jen's mouth flew open, speechless :"Wait, that's slavery!

Alistair chuckled :"Yeah, I was planning to beat the shit out of him with Menace."

Jen :"Who's Menace?"

Alistair :"The tall and bulky tiger with claws coming out of his wrists? You don't have that?"

Jen's eyes widened :"You have Rath?! And you were planning on going after Kevina... well, Kevin, in this situation, with Rath?!"

Alistair smirked smugly :"Nah, not just "Rath", but "Ultimate Rath!"

Jen grew even more shocked :"You have Ultimate Rath?! Seriously?!"

Alistair grew even more smug :"I have ultimate everything, Jen. Be it my aliens or predators, all of them can go ultimate! Pretty cool, right?"

While Jen was shocked speechless, Kevina rubbed her forehead :"Rath... not only were you planning on beating my male version into joining you, but you were planning to do it with Rath of all things?!

And not just the normal big, mean, anger issues 24/7 Rath, but the ultimate version of that guy?! Were you planning to beat him or kill him?!"

Alistair groaned awkwardly :"Well, that's why I gave up on that idea! I wasn't confident in my self control as Ultimate Menace, so I thought I'd take the more civilized option."

They all sighed in relief :"Thank god you did..."

Chuckling at their interaction, Maxine looked at Alistair :"By the way, so how did you get your watch, Alistair? Nemetrix, was it?"

"It's kinda a weird story," He said, finishing the food and bringing it to the table with a smile :"So how about I explain while we're eating?"

Getting a sniff of the food's aroma, they immediately gulped, almost drooling at the smell alone. And when he took the lid off, it was like the food shone like a treasure.

As he dug the spoon into the Mac and cheese, they almost creamed at the sight of the spoon digging into the cheese. Forget about using his charms, Alistair was about to make Jen wet with just his food. That's what an amazing Mac and cheese does to you. And they were about to find out why Alistair's threats using his food were so useful towards Ben and the others.

-

"...Even if I die today," Jen leaned back on her chair, hand on her stomach and wearing a blissful smile :"I would die happy. That was paradise in the form of food!"

As they looked at Alistair, he shone like a divine being in their eyes. Maxine wiped her mouth, impressed and smiling :"I have to give it to you, Alistair, you know how to cook."

Before growing a bit smug :"I guess you learned a thing or two from me in your universe." But that only earned her a bunch of Boombastic side eyes.

Stretching her arms, Jen's hands moved to behind her back again :"Seriously though, thanks for the meal again, Al! That was fantastic! Hey, do you think maybe you could make me some food before you go back?"

He chuckled as he nodded :"Sure, no problem. Just don't let them go bad."

Jen scoffed with a smirk :"Tsk, as if! They probably won't last for two days! Ugh, but I have to watch my weight though... ugh, why can't I enjoy such delicacies as I want?!"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about your weight." Alistair smiled, catching her attention as he smiled :"Because of the "ingredients" I use, the food gives you the needed calories before all of it becomes nutrition. Basically, instead of getting fat from extra calories, you'll only get more fit thanks to the nutritions."

With Jen being Jen, he expected an exaggerated response. Or at least an expression. But she simply froze in place while staring at her. Just as he was getting worried about her, she suddenly grabbed his hand with both hands, a dead serious look on her face :"Marry me!"

Everybody choked on their own spit. It was Alistair's turn to freeze, before his face lit up in a blush :"H-huh?! W-w-what are you saying?!" But her hold on his hand grew even tighter, the fire of determination burning even brighter in her eyes :"I said marry me! So, marry me!"

"H-hold on now! C-calm down, you're overreacting!"

"Overreacting?! I'm reacting as anybody with a sane mind would!"

"N-no, like, seriously! I-it's not that I don't like you, but you're seriously overreacting!"

"Since you like me, I don't see any further problems!"

"Listen to me, geez! This is too sudden!"

"Sudden?! Of course it's sudden! You suddenly pop out of nowhere and suddenly make the most delicious food I've ever tasted and suddenly say that instead of making me fat, it makes me even fitter?! Yeah, it's sudden alright! And I have to take that sudden chance before I suddenly lose the chance, sis!

Ever heard of the "way to a woman's heart is through her stomach?" Well, that's exactly what you did! So let's date or whatever!"

"N-no, seriously, just listen to me for a second. We don't even know each other well!"

"Hmph, most couples don't know each other before dating or approached one another with the intentions of possibly dating! I don't want to test whether we can date, I want to date you! And am I wrong?

You suddenly pop up while being the embodiment of "husband material!" Handsome as hell, check! Built like a brick house, check! Charming, funny, smart, check, check and check! AND you have a version of the Omnitrix?! Who am I supposed to date but you, pretty boy?!"

"Well... I..." 'Alright, no, she got me there.' "Look, you're my bro in my universe. Getting with the female version of my bro would be a violation of the bro code and our brotherhood."

"Bro, FUCK your brotherhood!" She snapped, making him place his free hand on his chest :"I'll beat my alternative self's ass if he tries to get in my way of getting the perfect boyfriend!"

"Well... haaah, alright, I guess we can work this out. But we're dating for now, marriage is too much for now!"

"Yes! Hell yeah!!" She shot up, arms up in the air in victory. While Alistair sighed, before giving up and chuckling in amusement, the speechless spectators were speechless :'Damn... she really just speedran getting a boyfriend...'

Grabbing his hand again, she wiggled her pretty eyebrows with a grin :"Don't worry, pretty boy, I'll treat you well." Finishing with a wink as he exhaled in amusement :"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?"

She giggled smugly, adorably again, causing Alistair's heart to tighten :'Damn it, Nemetrix! Why you gotta make me like her so much already?! Haaah, but I guess it's not just the Nemetrix either. Seriously, this is a female Ben 10, who wouldn't be charmed?'

Noticing the gazes of the others, he coughed in embarrassment :"S-sorry about that, guys. Believe me, she took me by surprise too. And that's saying something."

Maxine smiled awkwardly :"No, don't worry about it. I guess all of us got surprised by her outburst."

Kevina :"Yeah, she really did surprise us. Nearly made me choke to death on my own spit, geez."

Jen smirked :"Idiot."

Kevina narrowed her eyes threateningly :"You wanna go, Jen? Don't think I'll go easy on you just cause you just got a boyfriend."

Jen smirked back in challenge :"Psh, more like I need to go easy on you out of consideration for my cousin."

Kevina smirked back :"Psh, as if. You and your little boyfriend together wouldn't be able to go up against me together."

Jen's smirk grew smug :"Actually, that'd just be unfair! After all, not only can my boyfriend turn into aliens, he can also turn into predators!" Clearly proud of her new love.

Jen smirked :"Then, Alistair, shall we spar. I promise you'll learn a thing or two from the professional here."