"Ben 10: The Wintarian Race" Chapter 10

Ben carried Ella to their personal chambers, boiling with anger and feeling helpless.

He was angry because of the whole situation. His Ella was hurt both emotionally and physically, and it seemed like her own father didn't even care. His whole mind was on the damned war. The war that he had insisted on bringing Ella into.

Ben felt helpless because he didn't know what to do for once in his life. He knew that the people of Wintaria needed him and Ella to help them win the war, but another part of him just wanted the whole planet to melt, the King along with it. He was even tempted to help the Galagdians at this point.

Ella cried out in pain as Ben put her down gently on the canopied bed.

"Where does it hurt the most?" Ben asked, looking down at her with concern.

"He punched me on my right side." Ella managed to gasp out. "I think my ribs are broken."

"I'm going to find someone to come examine you. Can you be by yourself?"

Ella nodded, trying to steady her breaths, but when the thoughts of her attacker came in her mind, the sobs started again.

I'm going to kill him for doing this to you. Ben thought as he watched the girl that he was starting to fall for being tortured in pain.

Ben started to leave the room, but was halted by Erania, who had Kaia behind her.

"Where is my sister?" The princess asked. She looked like she was trying to hide her worry, but it was evident in her eyes.

"Over there on the bed." Ben answered, but blocked her from entering the room.

"Let me see my sister." Erania narrowed her eyes, which met with the fuming emerald ones glaring right back at her.

"Not until you bring someone who can heal her."

"Do you know nothing about our race?" Erania scoffed. "You can do that on your own time."

"What do you mean?" Ben looked at the older woman confused by her words.

"Sister, I really think he's serious right now." Kaia whispered.

Ella's sobs were sounding through the room as Ben and Erania kept glaring at each other. He was waiting for her to answer him.

"How can I help Ella?" Ben growled out.

"Let me in and I will tell you."

Ben stepped aside and let Erania through. She went to the table that was sitting on the opposite side of the room and took the vase that strange flowers were sitting in.

She thrusted one of the flowers in to Ben's hand. "Chew this and put the paste on her injury. Since you two are betrothed, you can heal her quickly than anyone.

"Wait. What do you mean by that?" Ben asked, looking even more confused than before.

"Well, since you and my sister have had... relations... only you two have the bodily connection that she needs to be healed quickly." Erania explained, obviously embarrassed to talk about her sister's sex life.

Ben felt trapped. Erania and Kaia were waiting on him to heal their sister because they thought that he was Brielle's father, meaning that he had to have had sex with Ella. But he and Ella both knew that wasn't true. If he told the two princesses that he couldn't heal Ella, that would bring even more trouble on them when the King found out.

"Ben..." Ella cried his name from where she was. The pain she felt was getting worse.

"I... I can't." Ben gave Erania the flower back.

"You're the only one who can." Erania glared and shoved the flower back into his hand. "Or do you want her to stay in the pain that she is in?"

"Of course I don't!" Ben yelled. He looked over his shoulder to Ella, and back to her sisters. "I can't... Because we have never been with each other in that way. I'm not Bri's dad."

"What?" Erania and Kaia's mouths dropped at his words.

"Your father only assumed because he saw me holding Brielle when he spoke with us while we were on Earth. We were planning on telling him the truth after the war was over because we knew he would never listen to us before it was over."

Erania clentched her teeth together and slapped Ben with full force.

"Sister!" Kaia gasped. She had never seen her sister this angry before in her life.

"What were you thinking?!" She yelled at Ben. "Her life is at risk because of this little charade that you two have been playing!"

"I'm sorry." Ben choked out. "We didn't know what else to do."

"I'll go and find a healer." Kaia said, quickly leaving the room.

"Please, don't say anything." Ben begged.

"I won't say anything until the war is over." Erania finally agreed. "You're too important to expose right now."

Ben walked over to were Ella was and tried to help her calm down. Erania watched them closely.

Why did Father do what he did when he brought that woman into his bed? She thought to herself. I don't get this affection that the Earthlings have for one another. Undying love is only in storybooks and fairytales.

(Break)

"She will be fine in one week's time." The young healer said to Ben as she put away her tools and medicine she used on Ella hours later.

"Thank you so much for everything." Ben smiled slightly. He was sitting next to the bed in a chair, holding Ella's hand.

"Have someone call me if something happens." She politely bowed and left the room.

The room was silent after she left. Erania and Kaia departed an hour earlier, so it was just Ben and Ella.

"Ben..." Ella whispered. "Please lay down with me." She looked up at him, begging. Her eyes were red from crying.

"Are you sure?"

Ella nodded and shifted slightly so he could join her. Her side was numb from whatever the healer had done, and her thoughts were foggy. All she knew was that she needed him because he was the only one other than Brielle on Wintaria that could erase the pain that remained.

Ben gently wrapped his arms around Ella, careful of her side and rested his head on her shoulder.

They had told the healer that the reason the flower salve had not worked was because Ben was human. Erania had kept her word.

The two laid there lost in the silence.

"Do you want to go home?" Ben finally asked.

"Yes." Ella answered. More tears rolled down her cheeks. "But I don't want my people to die."

"I feel the same way." Ben sighed. "Except another part of me wants to just watch this place turn into a giant puddle."

"I can't do that to them, Ben." Ella wipped her face. "I'm still a Wintarian, whether we like it or not."

"I know." Ben nodded. "I don't like being used, though. I am going to set things straight with your dad."

"Ben, please." Ella looked up at him. "Don't cause any more trouble than what I have. Let's just do what they want us to do so we can go home. I'm begging you."

Ben shook his head and sighed. "You're in pain because of this place, and yet we both want to save it. What is wrong with us?"

"We put other's needs before our's."

"I felt so helpless before when I couldn't help you." Ben suddenly said.

"Ben, what are you talking about?"

"When he had you in Kaia's chambers. If only I had gotten to you faster." Ben shook his head. "And then when Erania told me how I could have healed you completely."

"First off, it's not your fault about what happened in Kaia's chambers. I was careless and acted like a child by running away from Sofira in the first place. And when did Erania tell you how to heal me?"

"When I brought you back, she came and showed me those flowers over there." Ben pointed to the vase. "Apparently those aren't just some fancy decoration. When you chew them up, you can heal someone that you've..." He turned to hide his blush, letting his sentence trail off.

"Someone that you've...?" Ella raised her eyebrow at him.

"Made love to." He finished.

Ella looked at him wide-eyed. "What did you say to her?"

"I told her the truth. She said she wouldn't say anything unless we didn't tell your father the truth after the war is over."

Ella nodded her head. "Okay... Then let's get this war over with. I'm ready to go home."

"Back to Earth. To our friends and families."

Back to Bellwood.