Disclaimer- Don't own Ben 10 or Ben 10: Alien Force.

Another Dark!Gwevin, but this one isn't really very sexual, so don't worry my friends! And don't worry, I've got some non-Dark!Gwevin ones that should come soon, I hope.

Title: Illusion

Genre: Drama/General

Rating: T

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She politely excused herself from the throngs of people, her aching feet providing an excellent excuse to abandon the claustrophobic atmosphere and take a few minutes alone on one of the buildings lovely balconies. The long day had finally taken it's toll on both her body and her frayed nerves and she was longing for the receptions end.

She closed the sliding door behind her and held onto it for support as she took her high heels off. Rubbing at her throbbing feet, she silently decided that next time there was an occasion she'd be wearing something with less of a heel...or maybe boots.

At the edge of the balcony, she stopped and leaned against the railings as she stared up at the planets two bright moons and the millions of stars that surrounded them.

It couldn't have been a more perfect night.

...or a more perfect lie.

Gwendolyn shook away the dark thought and ran slender fingers through her long locks as she pulled it down from it's bun. There was nothing at all that was a lie about her marriage to this man...nothing at all. He was sweet and kind and tall and he had some of the darkest eyes.

...and was it such a crime that she had briefly imagined someone else standing before her at the alter, someone else saying the vows and someone else pressing their warm lips against hers as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck?

And what about her embarrassing slip of the tongue, when she had uttered the wrong man's name and her new husband had so very nearly heard?

There was nothing wrong with that...was there?

Yes, there was.

A woman's wedding was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, but Gwendolyn had been feeling nothing but confusion and regret and a mixture of other things since the day started. She loved this man, she did...but she wasn't so sure it was for all the right reasons.

Was she only marrying him because of his similarities to him? Because of the dark eyes and hair that reminded her so much of the man she truly longed for?

No, she really did have feelings for the man himself, she was sure of it...

"It's not a lie." she murmured firmly to herself suddenly, gripping the railings.

"Isn't it, Gwendolyn?" came a deep, husky voice from behind her.

She stiffened, something cold and icy plunging into her stomach as she immediately recognized the owner of the voice. She took a deep breath through her nose and released her grasp on the rail, trying to keep calm.

"What are you doing here, Kevin?" she asked stiffly, slowly turning towards the area his voice had originated from. Most of his body was concealed in shadow, but she could just make out a wine glass between his fingers.

"Just came to congratulate the newly weds..." he replied with a smirk in his voice. She saw him take a leisurely sip of whatever was in his glass before he moved forward into the moonlight.

She nearly gasped at the sight of him.

He was in a tux. A clean pressed, very new looking tux complete with bow and shiny shoes. The white shirt underneath it was unbuttoned just enough to reveal a generous measure of his chest, but this wasn't what had made Gwendolyn so stunned. It was his hair that truly made the picture. Where once it had been overlong and falling past his shoulders, it was now almost the same cut he had possessed when they were teenagers.

He was absolutely beautiful in the bright light from the moons. Breathtaking, really.

But she wasn't going to tell him that. She didn't say anything, just stared at him levelly as he continued to walk toward her casually, one hand holding that wine glass and the other shoved in his pocket.

"The funny thing is, I wasn't invited." he said with a hard edge to his otherwise light words. A slight breeze wafted across the balcony and ruffled their clothes and hair, carrying away the tap of his shoes across the concrete surface.

"When has that ever stopped you?" she asked with an air of exasperation.

He stopped walking and chuckled in amusement. In one swift and sudden burst of speed he had crossed the remaining distance to her and she could hear the gentle slosh of wine as it very nearly left the glass. Inches from her he looked even more handsome and she had to keep reminding herself that this was a different man than the one she had fallen in love with, the one he so resembled tonight.

The flash of remaining insanity in his earth-hued eyes helped keep her in check.

"It hasn't." he breathed, and though he wasn't drunk she could still smell the alcohol on his breath. It was a sickly sweet scent.

"Then why are you complaining?" she mumbled quietly, hoping he wouldn't notice the increase in her breathing at his close proximity.

"Who said I was complaining?" he asked in calm surprise, pulling away so that he could take another drink. He downed the entire thing, licked his lips in appreciation, then proceeded to shatter the glass with his bare hand.

"But enough about me...congratulations, Gwendolyn. Whose the lucky groom?"

"You expect me to believe that you're here just to congratulate me?" she asked hotly, eyes locked on the ones that were once again only a few inches away and shining with madness. He laughed and she felt one of his cool hands under her chin. She did her best to look defiant but found her body craving the touch.

"You read me like an open book, Gwendolyn."

"Don't touch me." she hissed, cheeks flushed. A moment later she felt a strong arm pulling her roughly against his hard chest, and she struggled in vain as he ran his free hand through her hair.

"Feisty as ever. How about a little dance, Gwendolyn? It's the least you can do after not inviting me." he insisted, forcefully maneuvering their bodies into a proper position for dancing. She didn't bother removing her hands once he'd placed them around his neck, he was too powerful for her to fight in her drained state...not that she usually stood much of a chance.

Soft music filtered out from the reception and he lead her in small circles, making her memories kick in again, back to when they were teenagers dancing to the music from his car...

"My husband will be wondering where I'm at."she told him in what she hoped was a threatening tone. She was so tired and he was so warm and the music so soft...she wanted to lean her head against him but wouldn't allow him the satisfaction.

"Good. Then maybe I'll get to meet him."

"NO!" Gwendolyn shouted before she could stop herself. Her heart pounded against her breast as Kevin suddenly stopped moving, looking down at her in mild surprise.

"I get the feeling you don't want me to meet him! First you don't invite me...I thought you had better manners than that, Gwendolyn, or is it on his request?" the dark haired male asked with a carefully guarded expression, continuing their swaying dance around the balcony.

"You know damn well why I don't want you to near him!" she snapped, attempting to pull away from him, but he only pulled her closer, one calloused hand gripping her arm tightly. He moved his face in dangerously close to her own, what could only be described as an evil smile on his lips.

"Are you afraid I'll kill him, Gwendolyn?" he breathed in a hushed voice, his exhale wafting across her face and making her dizzy.

"You stay away from him!" she snarled once she regained her senses, and with a powerful burst of manna she was able to send him skidding away from her. He forced himself to a halt and dusted himself off carelessly as she stood there panting, hair falling over her face in a cascade.

"Always overreacting...I won't touch your husband, at least not yet.", he smirked, and Gwendolyn lost it, yelling as she sent several spheres of manna spinning in his direction. His mocking laugh echoed across the area as he dodged in a burst of quick speed and suddenly materialized behind her. She attempted to turn around but he grabbed her arm and twisted it, making her cry out as he pulled her against him once again, though this time facing away.

"No, I know exactly why you chose him. Did you think I wouldn't notice? The way he looks, the way he acts. But he'll never be me, Gwendolyn, and that's just something you'll have to learn to live with." he hissed quickly in her ear, making her shudder in a completely inappropriate way.

He kissed her warm neck several times before he released her arm and grabbed her around the waist instead.

"He'll be such a burden once you realize you don't love him, that he's just not the same as the real thing." he went on, ignoring her struggles to get out of his grasp. Her cheeks were burning red with the truth of his words and she just wanted to be alone for a long, long time. "But don't worry, you won't be stuck with him long..."

The last sentence was uttered as a death threat, there was no mistaking. Her eyes widened as she finally escaped his hold and whipped around to face him, eyes betraying every bit of her horror.

"No! You can't!"

"I can." he said seriously, standing still as a statue with his arms behind his back. After a moment he slunk around behind her again, his voice becoming low and threatening. "Because I love you, Gwendolyn, and I won't make you live with a mistake you're bound to regret."

"If you love me then you'll leave him alone!" she yelled, manna forming in her hands again.

"Poor naive, Gwendolyn, is that what they tell you?" he chuckled from behind, but when she turned to face him he was gone, nothing but a gust of wind left from XLR8's speed.

Gwendolyn stood frozen on the stop, heart pounding fast and mind racing. She didn't know what to do next, but at the moment she felt a strong need to make sure her new husband was okay, and she rushed back inside, leaving Kevin's dark chuckling on the wind.

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Dang that was so pointless! . Anyway, plz RxR, tis muchly appreciated!