In Charm's Way replacement scene
Yes, I stole the title from the icon that http://tonks17.livejournal.com/ made for me from the prize. Also, if you can't tell from the icon, I am HUGE Gwencaster fan. So this is heavy on the Gwencaster, with all the "GWEN, FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME, KEVIN WANTS BEN" thrown in. A lot. Also one line as a "Take That!" to the AF writers. I may add more to this after I rewatch the episode and figure out how to retcon the ending, too. ...I don't know why I keep imagining Charm calling Gwen "Gwenny", but I do. Sorry if I'm the only one that likes her calling her that.
"Gwen Tennyson...I've been waiting five years to say this. I love what you've done with your hair!"
"Knock it off with the jokes, Charm," Gwen's eyes narrowed. "You wanted to get me so badly that you used Kevin, took advantage of the situation he's in--"
"Aww, what's the matter, Gwenny? Did I exploit the same thing in your little boyfriend that you did? Didn't realize you'd called dibs on it..."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Charmcaster rolled her eyes and started to examine her nails, her expression clearly bored. "Don't tell me you did it subconsciously. You're smarter than that," She raised an eyebrow and examined Gwen's bewildered look. "Oh, of course. If you pretend you don't know what's going on, you don't have to feel guilty. Well, don't worry, Gwenny....I'll explain it to you, and then you can pretend to be shocked. Sure, you want to help him go back to normal, but you want him to have to feel grateful to you. You want him to feel that he owes you...and that he needs you."
"Why would I care about that?"
"Because maybe then he'd stop making puppy dog eyes at your cousin."
"Shut. Up."
"What's the matter, Gwen? Can't handle the truth when it's in front of you? Let me make this nice and clear for you...you don't need to be watching with magic portals to see it. He doesn't want you. Your little boyfriend is in love with Ben."
"SHUT UP, CHARMCASTER!" Gwen screamed, launching herself at the sorceress. Powers forgotten momentarily, she'd pinned Charmcaster against the wall.
"Oh, so you do still have some fight in you," Charmcaster smiled, "I'm suprised. For a while there, I was convinced you'd lost your edge."
"Why don't you ever just leave me alone?" Gwen spat. "I'll give you your stupid spell book back, just leave me alone."
"I can't do that, Gwen."
"Why not?!"
Charmcaster muttered something under her breath, a spell that came too rapidly for Gwen to decipher. A moment later, she was the one pinned to the wall, and Charmcaster was where Gwen had just been. "At first, it was all about revenge," Charm admitted, "But then your little wanna-be boyfriend mentioned something. That you're made of magic..."
A strand of hair had fallen loose from Gwen's ponytail during the scuffle, and Charmcaster leaned forward to brush it back behind Gwen's ear. Gwen shuddered. "What do you think you're doing? Just do whatever it is that you want to do...."
"You know, Gwen, I'm going to do you a favor. I'm going to teach you how to sieze someone you want, even when their heart is someone else's."
"I'm not going to steal Kevin away....I..." Gwen sighed. "I've known that was a lost cause for a while now."
"And my spell must have cemented it for you...."
Gwen stared steadily at the floor, and quoted an old rule of magic. "True love can't be interfered with. Because you were only after the bond between Kevin and I, and it shattered that easily....he only sees me as a friend."
"You know, just for kicks, I tried to mess with those two's bond...just a harmless spell that didn't need me physically interfering. All that happened was it made Ben act a little more idiotic than usual...."
"So that's why he was bouncing around and saying those random things."
"Yes. But now, back to your lesson, Gwen," Charmcaster leaned in and pressed her lips to Gwen's, her hands reaching up and holding Gwen's face steady, so she couldn't squirm away. "You really are made of pure magic...." Charmcaster smirked. "I'm only making this offer once, Gwendolyn, so get ready. Agree to come with me....be with me...and I'll let you go. I'll leave your twerp of a cousin alone, and he can be happy with his mutated boyfriend. They get each other, I get you."
"I can't, Charm..." Gwen said softly. "Not...Not this way."
"Fine then. Have fun watching your boyfriend start to realize his true feelings, watching him abandon you. You good guys make me sick...As a rule, I don't date good guys, but I thought maybe a girl....Never mind. But if you're not going with me, your power still will, Gwen!"
A pink ball of energy engulfed Gwen, and she felt lightheaded as the power drained from her. When it was all gone, when it felt like Charmcaster was beginning to drain away Gwen's very life essence, she felt the bond break. Charmcaster had released her in time to save her life, but she'd gone, taking Gwen's magic with her.
"What happened? Are you all right?" Ben asked as he and Kevin stormed in together. Gwen sighed. There was no way she could explain to them what had happened. Not now.
"She drained my powers," Gwen explained. She snarked back at Kevin's responses, the anger at him all just a show.
After all, it somehow felt less embarrassing to pretend to still want the guy her cousin clearly already had, heart and soul (though some level of her still had hope for that unlikely possibility) than it was to admit that she herself was starting to have feelings for a female villain.
"Gwen Tennyson...I've been waiting five years to say this. I love what you've done with your hair!"
"Knock it off with the jokes, Charm," Gwen's eyes narrowed. "You wanted to get me so badly that you used Kevin, took advantage of the situation he's in--"
"Aww, what's the matter, Gwenny? Did I exploit the same thing in your little boyfriend that you did? Didn't realize you'd called dibs on it..."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Charmcaster rolled her eyes and started to examine her nails, her expression clearly bored. "Don't tell me you did it subconsciously. You're smarter than that," She raised an eyebrow and examined Gwen's bewildered look. "Oh, of course. If you pretend you don't know what's going on, you don't have to feel guilty. Well, don't worry, Gwenny....I'll explain it to you, and then you can pretend to be shocked. Sure, you want to help him go back to normal, but you want him to have to feel grateful to you. You want him to feel that he owes you...and that he needs you."
"Why would I care about that?"
"Because maybe then he'd stop making puppy dog eyes at your cousin."
"Shut. Up."
"What's the matter, Gwen? Can't handle the truth when it's in front of you? Let me make this nice and clear for you...you don't need to be watching with magic portals to see it. He doesn't want you. Your little boyfriend is in love with Ben."
"SHUT UP, CHARMCASTER!" Gwen screamed, launching herself at the sorceress. Powers forgotten momentarily, she'd pinned Charmcaster against the wall.
"Oh, so you do still have some fight in you," Charmcaster smiled, "I'm suprised. For a while there, I was convinced you'd lost your edge."
"Why don't you ever just leave me alone?" Gwen spat. "I'll give you your stupid spell book back, just leave me alone."
"I can't do that, Gwen."
"Why not?!"
Charmcaster muttered something under her breath, a spell that came too rapidly for Gwen to decipher. A moment later, she was the one pinned to the wall, and Charmcaster was where Gwen had just been. "At first, it was all about revenge," Charm admitted, "But then your little wanna-be boyfriend mentioned something. That you're made of magic..."
A strand of hair had fallen loose from Gwen's ponytail during the scuffle, and Charmcaster leaned forward to brush it back behind Gwen's ear. Gwen shuddered. "What do you think you're doing? Just do whatever it is that you want to do...."
"You know, Gwen, I'm going to do you a favor. I'm going to teach you how to sieze someone you want, even when their heart is someone else's."
"I'm not going to steal Kevin away....I..." Gwen sighed. "I've known that was a lost cause for a while now."
"And my spell must have cemented it for you...."
Gwen stared steadily at the floor, and quoted an old rule of magic. "True love can't be interfered with. Because you were only after the bond between Kevin and I, and it shattered that easily....he only sees me as a friend."
"You know, just for kicks, I tried to mess with those two's bond...just a harmless spell that didn't need me physically interfering. All that happened was it made Ben act a little more idiotic than usual...."
"So that's why he was bouncing around and saying those random things."
"Yes. But now, back to your lesson, Gwen," Charmcaster leaned in and pressed her lips to Gwen's, her hands reaching up and holding Gwen's face steady, so she couldn't squirm away. "You really are made of pure magic...." Charmcaster smirked. "I'm only making this offer once, Gwendolyn, so get ready. Agree to come with me....be with me...and I'll let you go. I'll leave your twerp of a cousin alone, and he can be happy with his mutated boyfriend. They get each other, I get you."
"I can't, Charm..." Gwen said softly. "Not...Not this way."
"Fine then. Have fun watching your boyfriend start to realize his true feelings, watching him abandon you. You good guys make me sick...As a rule, I don't date good guys, but I thought maybe a girl....Never mind. But if you're not going with me, your power still will, Gwen!"
A pink ball of energy engulfed Gwen, and she felt lightheaded as the power drained from her. When it was all gone, when it felt like Charmcaster was beginning to drain away Gwen's very life essence, she felt the bond break. Charmcaster had released her in time to save her life, but she'd gone, taking Gwen's magic with her.
"What happened? Are you all right?" Ben asked as he and Kevin stormed in together. Gwen sighed. There was no way she could explain to them what had happened. Not now.
"She drained my powers," Gwen explained. She snarked back at Kevin's responses, the anger at him all just a show.
After all, it somehow felt less embarrassing to pretend to still want the guy her cousin clearly already had, heart and soul (though some level of her still had hope for that unlikely possibility) than it was to admit that she herself was starting to have feelings for a female villain.