Summary: AU: Christmas Day in the Orange Island was supposed to be peaceful and worry-free. However, a fight between lovers and a missing child make this holiday one full of panic, arguing, and resolutions to restore a peaceful and well-meaning Christmas Day.
Couples: Gary/Misty, Brock/Duplica, Drew/May, Ritchie/Casey, Tracey/Melody, Ash/Anabel, Paul/Dawn, and mentions of Butch/Cassidy, James/Jessie, Carol/OC, and Maren/OC.
Disclaimer: As soon as I get my certificate of ownership saying I own Pokémon then I'll tell you, but as of now it's not mine!!
"…": Characters talking
'…': Characters thinking to themselves
"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers
(…): Extra facts about the story
A/N Notes: Hey! Here is holiday fic. number three. This is the (would it be triquel?) third story in my Pokémon Christmas fics. Sorry this is late; I've been super busy and didn't get it finished in time to post on Christmas Day like I did the first two. I also apologize to all my fans of Falling in Love is Sometimes Unexpected…; I know I've not posted anything new in a really long time, and my only excuse is to blame my college for all of the damn work! I've not given up on it; it has merely been put on the back burner and that irkes me to no extent. (Incidentally, is "irkes" a real word?) To make up for the lack of updates in this fandom this is a super-long oneshot (25 pages) so enjoy! Anyway, I'll hopefully update soon, and until then, Happy Holidays to everyone from MagCat!
Holiday Retreat
10:30 AM, December 25, 2011; En Route to Shamouti Island, Orange Island Archipelago
"Tell me again why we're doing this," Paul Andreas said, his charcoal eyes narrowed in annoyance. He was currently on a boat that was heading for Shamouti Island with his girlfriend for a "Christmas Get-Together". Honestly, what was the point of getting together for Christmas when it was one day a year and it was all about gifts? Utterly worthless.
"We were invited by Ash and Brock, so there," Dawn Valen retorted, her short temper getting the better of her. Honestly, didn't Paul understand that it was just good manners to invite friends to a Christmas gathering, not to mention she'd get to see her idol May Hatchet, who was the top coordinator in both the Hoenn and Johto Regions. Her husband Drew held the title of top coordinator in Kanto and the Orange Islands, while Dawn herself was still struggling to hold onto her title in the Sinnoh Region. Granted, it could be because she was a lot younger when compared to May and her husband but she was still good; hell, if she could become a top coordinator at the age of fifteen that had to say something for her talent.
Paul scoffed, deeming it prudent to ignore his girlfriend's oncoming rants about how he had to be nice to people who considered him friends, even rivals. However, he couldn't stay silent when Dawn said, "Besides, aren't you looking forward to battling Gary Oak again?" Damn Dawn; she knew which buttons worked, and if anyone of them worked especially well it was the one that dealt with battles against rivals. Paul's eyes narrowed; Oak was a powerful rival and sometimes-ally and although they had battled numerous times over the years, Oak had somehow always managed to defeat him. This pissed Paul off to no end, and so every time he saw Oak he demanded a battle and Oak never turned him down.
"Fine, if you have to absolutely find some reason that I'm excited to go to this 'get-together' then it would be because I'm looking forward to battling Oak again," Paul said, ignoring Dawn's groan.
"Is battling all you think about?!" Dawn demanded, and without waiting for a reply continued, "Of course it is; that's all that matters to you, isn't it?" She marched away, her mid-back length dark blue hair flaring out behind her.
Paul turned and watched Dawn leave, on the outside showing no emotion or reaction to her leaving but on the inside wondering if he had been in the wrong.
12:00 PM, December 25, 2011; Shamouti Island, Orange Island Archipelago
"When are they getting here?" Melody Sketchit asked, her hazel eyes eagerly scanning the horizon for a sign of a small tugboat. Her husband shook his head in amusement.
"They'll be here, Mel. You know that, and although I'm excited about seeing Ash again I don't show it by hopping up and down on the dock," Tracey Sketchit commented, his dark brown eyes showing amusement. Melody huffed in mock-anger and Tracey laughed, soon joined by his wife.
"You're right; it's silly of me to act like a five-year old," Melody said, laughing at her antics of a few minutes previous.
"Aunt Melody, why are you mocking me?" came a small voice and Melody looked down into the pale blue eyes of her nephew Cale. Cale was the son of Melody's sister Carol, and although only five he was very mature for his age.
"She's not mocking you, buddy. She's mocking herself," Tracey said, ruffling his nephew's hair. Cale batted Tracey's hand away, not liking his uncle's action.
Cale looked out at the sea and said, "So, when is this Ash getting here?"
Melody looked in the same direction that her nephew was and answered, "Not sure, buddy, but hopefully soon."
For the next few minutes, Melody and Cale looked at the horizon, each hoping to be the first to catch a sign of an incoming boat, but it was Tracey, with his eyes honed by years of Pokémon watching who spotted the boat first.
"Incoming," he said, pointing out at the incoming boat. Melody and Cale both looked where Tracey was pointing and grinned.
A few minutes later, the boat pulled up to the dock and a small number of people stepped off the boat, the first being Ash Ketchum. Ash had changed a lot in the past five years; this included retiring Pikachu from actively battling and raising Pikachu's son, whom Ash had nicknamed Speedy, to become his father's equal. Ash had also matured, becoming fast friends with his childhood rival once again and reestablishing his friendship with Misty, who was now married to said childhood rival. Ash had gone on to hold the title of Pokémon Master for the past four years, and was still going strong.
"Ash! Over here!" Tracey called, and as Ash's black eyes alighted on his friend they lit up.
"Hey guys!" Ash replied, Pikachu and Speedy returning the greeting from Ash's shoulder and head respectively. He got off the boat and was followed by a young woman with short, purple hair and pale violet eyes. Turning around, Ash motioned for her to come up beside her and, throwing an arm around her shoulders he said, "Guys, I'd like you to meet Anabel."
"Hi there! Name's Melody; glad to meet you," Melody said, holding out a hand in greeting, which Anabel, smiling, took.
"Hi. It's nice to meet you. Ash's told me a lot about you guys," Anabel said, her eyes lighting up at the mention of Ash.
"Good to hear that you haven't forgotten us," Melody said, directing her comment at Ash, who flushed guiltily. "This is my husband Tracey and my nephew Cale."
"Hey," Tracey said, smiling when Anabel returned the greeting. "So, how do you two know each other?"
"Long story, Trace, and I'll tell the tale later, but for now let's just say it involved the Battle Frontier," Ash replied, cutting off any chance of getting embarrassed by Anabel.
"Really? You mean you've been there?" Cale asked, amazed.
"Not only have I been there, but I'm a Frontier Brain," Anabel replied, smiling when Cale's amazement grew.
"Awesome! You have to tell me about it." Cale then proceeded to drag Anabel off towards his house, intent on hearing all about the Battle Frontier. Ash and company laughed.
"Is he always like that?" Ash asked, grinning when Melody nodded yes.
"Unfortunately, yes. Don't know where he gets it from, considering his parents really aren't into Pokémon battling that much," Melody replied, rolling her hazel eyes. "Anyway, head on over to Carol's house; everyone else is there waiting for you."
Ash nodded and mock-saluting Melody and Tracey began to walk in the direction that Cale had dragged Anabel moments before.
"So, who else is on said boat?" Tracey asked, turning his attention back to the boat.
"That would be me," came a voice and Tracey turned his gaze to a pair of light green eyes.
"Hey Maren," Melody said, hugging her sister's childhood friend.
"Hey yourself," Maren replied, grinning. "Actually, there is one more boat heading in, and it was right behind me. In fact, there it is."
As the other boat docked the other pilot waved, and Maren's eyes lit up as she returned the greeting. The boat docked next to Maren's, and as the gangplank was lowered a young man stepped off, his dark purple hair held back in a low ponytail.
"Is Ash here?" the male asked, his voice low and rough.
Tracey and Melody looked at each other and, mentally communicating agreed that Tracey would be the one to speak. "Yeah, Ash just got here a few minutes ago, actually. Who are you?"
"Name's Paul, and Ash invited my girlfriend and myself to this 'get-together'. So, where is he?"
Tracey pointed out the direction that Ash had gone and said, "He went that way; just look for a black-haired man with a Pikachu and Pichu on him." Paul nodded curtly and walked off in the direction that Tracey had pointed out.
After Paul was a good distance away Melody turned to Tracey and said, "Well, that was interesting to say the least."
"No doubt about it," Tracey replied, running a hand through his shoulder-length hair. "That guy has a serious attitude problem." Looking back at the boat he said, "Didn't he say that he and his girlfriend were invited by Ash?"
"Yeah, you're right. If that was Paul, then where's his girlfriend?" Melody said, catching on to what Tracey was implying. She moved over to the boat and, running up the gangplank she began searching the cabins on the small vessel while Tracey watched, thoughts running through his head about how rude Paul had been.
"Found her!" Melody exclaimed, and a minute later she appeared leading a petite, dark blunette who had her arms wrapped around herself. Tracey ran to help and together the two helped the woman off the boat and onto a bench near the dock.
"You okay?" Melody asked, and the blunette shook her head and wiped away some tears.
"I'm fine, thanks," she responded, her voice thick with emotion. She looked up with eyes as dark as her hair and continued, "My name's Dawn; do you know where Ash is?"
"Ash is over at my sister's place with everyone else," Melody said, her hazel eyes showing pity for the woman. Obviously, Dawn caught the look in Melody's eyes as her own eyes filled with anger and she turned away.
"I don't need your pity; I can take care of myself," Dawn said stubbornly, which caused Tracey to chuckle.
"You know, you remind me of a good friend of mine. She doesn't like pity either, and when she thinks that we're pitying her for some reason she gets the same way that you did just now and demands that we not pity her," Tracey said, which caught Dawn's attention. "Actually, her temper is quite similar, if more toned down and slower-burning."
"Really?" Dawn asked intrigued beyond belief now.
"Absolutely," Melody added, "she's very much like you."
Dawn thought for a moment before realizing something. "Sorry, but just who are you guys?"
Melody sheepishly replied, "Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Name's Melody and this is my husband Tracey. We're both friends of Ash, and this is my home."
"Oh, cool," Dawn replied, getting to her feet. Drying her tears she said, "So, um, do you mind showing me where Ash is? I want to say hi and thank him for inviting… for inviting Paul and me."
Tracey and Melody shared glances and, deciding to touch on the subject of Paul later they led Dawn towards Carol's house, leaving Maren and the other boat pilot to finish tying up the small boats.
12:45 PM, December 24, 2011; Shamouti Island, Orange Island Archipelago
Meanwhile, back at Carol's house the Christmas party was in full swing, and compared to previous ones this was one of the best. The weather was perfect; a warm 80 degrees Fahrenheit with plenty of sunshine and a warm breeze coming off of the ocean. Carol and her friends had outdone themselves with the food, which was situated underneath a row of palm trees, and each dish was more delicious than the last. Pokémon who had been let out of their Pokéballs were either scampering around underfoot or relaxing in the shade. The water Pokémon were content to stay in the ocean near the small strip of beach that Carol's house sat on while the other types merely found a nice place to settle down.
Carol blew her bangs out of her eyes, exasperated with the number of people that had ended up coming and all of the work that she had been doing. Then, to add to the excitement all of the Pokémon – well, the majority of them anyway – had been released from their Pokéballs and while some were staying out of the way others, especially the younger ones, were running around and under their trainers' feet, enjoying themselves while their trainers became more and more upset with them, Carol one of them. Then again, it was good to have her little sister home again, and her son was absolutely fascinated by both Melody and her husband; of course, it could just be because of their Pokémon. Then there were all of Melody and Tracey's friends, most of whom Carol got along well with, and vice-versa. The fact that she had had help with cooking all of the food and setting up for the party helped to ease the amount of exasperation that she was feeling.
"You okay hon?" Carol's husband Tyler asked, his blue eyes looking at her worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little overwhelmed with the number of people that showed up," Carol replied, a wry smile on her face. Tyler returned the grin and they turned to look at the large group of people that were gathered. Beyond those who lived on the island (Slowking included), Melody and Tracey's rather large group of friends had come as well. Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum had just arrived, preceded by his date Anabel, whom Carol resolved to get to know as she seemed a little out of place, no doubt because she didn't know many of the people. Ash's second-in-command, Ritchie Lagner, and his fiancée Casey Signit had also come, Casey bringing tales of the Electabuzz Baseball Team from the Johto Region and how they had won the Johto Region Championships and were on their way to those in the Kanto Region, piquing Tyler's interest, as one of his uncles played on the Kanto Region's representative team. Ritchie and his Pikachu – Sparky – had been playing with Cale, increasing his newfound love for Pokémon.
Brock Slate and his fiancée Duplica Thetra were also there, and Brock had been the one who had helped cook the majority of the food. Carol had been impressed; Tyler couldn't cook at all, and for a man whom she'd never met to cook so well that it rivaled her own was strange. Duplica had found her niche in entertainment, helping to keep the kids occupied while the parents had set up and cooked. Pokémon Coordinators extraordinaire Drew and May Hatchet had also come, and although May cooked, it wasn't up to Brock's level. However, she had kept Carol herself laughing as she told stories of the numerous contests that she and her husband had participated in. Drew and his friend, Brendan Birch, had helped set up the tables and Christmas directions along with the villagers who hadn't been cooking, and although there had been some friendly arguments between the two they had eventually gotten the job done. Carol had never seen her backyard look so good. It was satisfying to say the least.
Carol then turned her gaze over to a group of four who were both on the outskirts of the gathering but at the same time were involved. James Owens and his fiancée – Jessie Victor – were talking with their friends Butch and Cassidy Samuels, the latter of whom had gotten married three months previous after a long and stormy relationship. Melody had confided in Carol that the four were previously Team Rocket members, two of them former Inner Circle members, but they had voluntarily quit said organization when two of their numbers' lives had been threatened. Carol admired them for their courage in quitting what sounded like a harsh and dangerous organization but had made them promise to not mention their former affiliation around anyone but those who knew, for both their safety and those who lived on the island
Finally, Carol's gaze moved to a small group of people – five in all – who were sitting at the edge of the ocean, all talking. Gary Oak and his wife Misty were watching their four year-old son Christopher (Chris for short) play at the edge of water with Misty's Vaporeon and Glaceon, Gary's own Eevee evolutions watching from the comfort of the sand. Chris' cries of joy and excitement could be heard from feet away and Carol had to smile; he sounded a lot like her own son when he was playing or swimming in the water. Next to Gary sat his grandfather, the respected Samuel Oak, Pokémon Researcher extraordinaire, and without seeing his face Carol could see the elderly man's eyes aglow with happiness as he watched his great-grandson play in the surf. On Samuel's other side sat May Oak, who was well on the way to becoming famous if her clothing line held up. She was talking to Misty, and although Carol couldn't hear what the two women were talking about she could imagine that it had to be amusing, if Misty's laughing was indicative of anything.
"Mom, is the food ready yet?" Cale asked, his blue eyes showing his excitement.
"Five more minutes," Carol replied, a smile overtaking her face at her son's eyes. Cale grinned in reply and ran off towards the Oaks, intent on getting the chance to play with the Oaks' Pokémon and possibly Chris. Carol turned at the sound of approaching footsteps only to see a dark purple-haired man walking towards the gathering, his charcoal eyes seemingly empty. Carol stepped forward, intent on speaking to the man but was stopped when she heard Ash call the man's name.
"Paul! Glad you could make it!" Ash said, his black eyes gleaming with happiness. Paul merely looked at his one-time rival (after all, beating Ash got old after so many times and Oak was more of a challenge) and nodded, not saying anything. Ash's grin faltered as he looked around and asked, "Where's Dawn?"
Paul said nothing, but Carol was sure that she caught a smattering of guilt cross the man's face before it hardened again. Ash looked at the man again before face-palming and groaning. "You did it again, didn't you?" Paul once again said nothing, but this time Carol most definitely caught guilt appearing on the man's face.
Ash groaned again and said quietly, "Damn it Paul, you have to stop doing this to yourself and Dawn. Every time you say or do something that makes her think that you don't care you're harming both her and yourself."
"It's not my fault if she can't control her temper," Paul responded coolly, and Carol was upset at the anger she felt radiating off of him.
"There you go again! You never learn, do you?" Ash demanded, his eyes now gleaming dangerously. "Take it from me; if you don't do something to show her that you really care you'll lose her." Ash's eyes penetrated Paul, and for once Ash's words stuck. Ash then walked away towards Anabel, who was frowning at the negative emotions she felt radiating off of her boyfriend.
Paul stood still, thoughts whirling through his head. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Ash was right about one thing. If he didn't straighten up Dawn would leave him, and if he were totally honest with himself Paul couldn't imagine life without Dawn. Frowning, he started walking towards an unoccupied palm tree, intent on getting his thoughts and emotions in order.
Carol watched the young man – Ash, she remembered, had called him Paul – and shook her head. If this Dawn meant as much to Paul as Ash thought then he'd straighten himself out. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her sister's voice and, turning around saw her sister and brother-in-law walking towards her, a petite blue-haired woman between them. 'That must be Dawn,' Carol thought, and looking at her she sensed sadness, which Carol connected with the mildly cold-hearted man whom she had watched Ash scold earlier.
"Who's this Melody?" Carol asked, her hazel eyes catching the petite woman's gaze and causing her to smile.
"This is Dawn, Ash's friend from the Sinnoh Region," Melody replied, a smile taking over her face. "Not only did she travel with Ash when he traveled in said region, but she is an accomplished Pokémon Coordinator."
"Really?" Carol asked, intrigued. "So I would assume she knows about the Hatchets, yes?"
"They're here? Melody told me but I didn't really believe her – no offense – but they're honestly here?" Dawn asked excitement present in every word. Melody and Tracey exchanged amused looks while Carol blinked, taken aback by the energy that the woman who, a moment before, had been emanating sadness but now had a large grin on her face.
"Yes, they are here. In fact, they're over there," Carol said, pointing out the couple who were talking to May's younger brother Max, who had been helping a younger kid with his Pokémon moments before. Dawn thanked Carol and her impromptu escort before racing over to the couple. Drew looked up and upon seeing a fellow coordinator nudged his wife who glanced over and sending a look at her husband intercepted the young woman. Soon enough the women were engrossed with contests, Drew and Max adding their own comments every now and then.
Melody glanced over at Dawn and, looking at her sister said, "So, what do you think?"
"Well," Carol hesitated, "I think that she's very nice, very enthusiastic about Pokémon Contests and Pokémon in general, but I think that the fight with Paul affected her deeply."
"How do you know about Paul?" Tracey asked.
"Ash met him when he walked in and when he saw that Paul was alone scolded him, telling him that if he didn't do something then he was going to lose Dawn." Carol paused. "I don't think I've ever really seen Ash like that; it was like he was speaking from personal experience."
Melody snorted. "Of course he was; remember the story Trace and I told you about the Christmas incident five years ago? Yeah, that was the experience Ash was speaking about."
"Did I hear someone mention me?" a voice cut in and the threesome turned around to see the sea-blue eyes of Misty Oak, her auburn hair held back by a pair of sunglasses.
"Not by name, Mist, but by incident," Tracey said, grinning at his friend. "Remember the Christmas get-together five years ago?"
"Of course; I don't think I'd forget something like that," Misty said, crossing her arms across her chest. Misty's life had also changed in five years, not counting her marriage to Gary and the birth of her son Chris. Misty was now the Mistress of Water Pokémon, having won the title a mere year ago after intense training with Gary and their friends. Misty was glad that she had accomplished her dream and was now focusing on taking a break to take care of her son, defending her title not withstanding.
"Well, you know that Ash invited some friends from the Sinnoh Region to the party, right?" Melody asked and upon getting a nod from Misty continued, "Well, one of them is a real piece of work; kind of cold and arrogant, and the other's a Pokémon Coordinator. Anyway, the guy – Paul – came in here without his date and when Ash confronted him we found out that he had inadvertently implied that he didn't care about her."
"Wait, so Ash scolded this guy for his insensitivity?" Misty asked, disbelief lacing her words. "Well, in Ash's defense, the guy's come a long way."
Tracey nodded and continued, "Anyway, Ash scolded the guy and according to Carol he walked away. Then Mel and I arrived with his date – Dawn – and after the introductions Dawn headed over to talk to May and Drew about coordinating. Then, well, you showed up."
"I think I could have figured out the last part myself," Misty deadpanned, but soon brightened up. "Well, this sounds amusing; wonder if we can do anything to help?"
"Well, Mel and I think that maybe you can talk to Dawn and maybe Gary and Ash together can talk to Paul," Tracey said, unsure if the plan he and his wife had worked out would actually work.
"Dare I ask why you're volunteering Gary and me?" Misty asked.
"No offense to any of you, but they kind of remind me of the two of you when you first started out," Melody said hesitatingly, hoping that she wouldn't set off Misty's temper. "I mean, when you two first started dating Gary was kind of reluctant to show his feelings around you while your temper kind of got the better of you most of the time. Then, after a week or two of you guys not talking we got you to talk and then everything was better. Trace and I were kind of hoping that you two would be able to relate to them and get them to make up."
"So you want us to be matchmakers?" Misty questioned her friend, personally thinking that the plan had some merit.
"Well yeah; what do you think?"
"I don't know…"
"Come on Mist, it'll be fun!" came a voice and Misty spun around only to see the dancing eyes of her husband. "I think it'd be fun." Gary repeated, their son on his shoulders.
"How much did you exactly hear?" Misty asked, sending a grin to her husband.
Gary shrugged. "Enough to realize that our talents are desperately needed." He grinned. "Besides, I know Paul from my travels in the Sinnoh Region and he's a nice enough guy; once you get past his arrogant and 'holier-than-thou' attitude."
"Like you once had?"
"Yeah, but I got better, didn't I?"
"Sure you did," Misty said mockingly, grinning.
Gary pouted. "Come on Mist, you know me; I don't lie."
"Tha's right; Daddy don' lie!" Chris exclaimed in defense of his father. The adults laughed, which caused Chris to repeat his message.
"That's right; Daddy doesn't lie," Gary said with satisfaction. Shaking her head Misty smiled and shrugged a sure sign to Tracey and Melody that she'd try but wasn't going to promise anything.
4:00 PM, December 25, 2011; Shamouti Island, Orange Island Archipelago
Hours passed and everyone had fun, with Paul even joining in, although his conversations were limited to Pokémon battling and strategy. The food had been a blast, with complements given to the chefs, the main ones being Carol and Brock, the latter of whom had gotten a tad embarrassed when he had received more complements than the hostess herself. Dawn had calmed down and found herself having a good time, even if her attention strayed to her boyfriend every now and then. She had toned down her excitement over meeting her idols and Drew had said privately to his wife that he liked Dawn better when she wasn't idolizing them; he had had enough of that over the years, thank you very much. May had agreed, but like Drew had kept her voice low so that Dawn wouldn't hear.
Anabel got along well with all of the people around her, and upon showing everyone her Espeon got complements on how well she had raised the psychic-type. Ash had merely grinned at her, telling her that he had told her that people would like her. Anabel had smiled in return, which was followed by her hitting Ash lightly, telling him that she knew but had been playing him. This got a few laughs, and Gary had teased Ash about his girlfriend, only to receive the same treatment from his wife, with Chris copying his mother.
After the excitement over the excellent food had died down, everyone spilt up into small groups to talk, with the four former Team Rocket members talking with Ash and Anabel, the latter of whom was being filled in on their situation. Gary and Misty had both decided that it was time to confront the feuding lovers and when everyone had eaten they spilt up, Gary pulling Paul aside with a promise of a later battle, Ash joining them, and Misty and Chris moving over towards Dawn.
"Hey there," Misty greeted Dawn, the coordinator's attention having been on her Empoleon.
Dawn looked up. "Can I help you?"
Misty grinned. "Sure can. My name's Misty Oak and this is my son Chris. We wanted to say hi and introduce ourselves."
Dawn's attention moved to Chris and as it did so she grinned and, kneeling ruffled Chris's spiky orange locks. "He's adorable!"
Chris frowned and batting Dawn's hand away ruffled his own hair until it was back to the way it had been before, unconsciously copying something his father did often. Misty grinned. "Sorry about that; Chris doesn't really like people messing with his hair." She glanced at her son, and when he looked at her with eyes the same shade as Gary's Misty shook her head in bemusement. "Anyway, feel like talking?"
"Sure," Dawn said and motioning to her Empoleon moved towards the water, watching as the water and steel type Pokémon took to the waves with an excited chirp. Chris sat down and started playing in the sand, his eyes wondering to the frolicking penguin Pokémon every now and then. Misty sat beside her son, Dawn joining her.
"So, um, what'd you want to talk about?" Dawn asked nervously.
"For starters, what's going on between you and your boyfriend Paul?" Misty said her tone cheery. Upon seeing Dawn's startled look she continued, "I'm not here to lecture you about your choice in boyfriends, but I am here to see if you're okay."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I heard about what happened earlier, and I wanted to know what your thoughts are on it."
Dawn looked away, playing with her hair for a minute before saying, "Well, I guess you could say that I blew it out of proportion, but I was just so mad that Paul would think that this party was only about battling his rival and that he didn't even think about the other reasons we were invited."
Misty raised an eyebrow. "Really? So, why do you think you were invited to the party?"
As Dawn told her reasons Misty nodded, thinking, 'Tracey and Melody nailed it exactly; Dawn and Paul are an almost carbon copy of how Gary and I acted all those years ago.' When Dawn had finished Misty stayed silent for a moment, thinking about what to say.
"Well, did you ever stop to think that maybe Paul was excited about coming here because he got to see his rivals?" Misty suggested slowly, causing Dawn to blink her eyes.
"What do you mean? Paul obviously cares more about battling more than me if that's all he's interested in coming to the party for –"
"You're wrong," Misty said, cutting Dawn off. "You're wrong if you think that all Paul cares about is battling. He cares about you, but just isn't very open about his feelings. If he didn't care about you then you wouldn't be together in the first place, right?"
Dawn's eyes widened as she realized that Misty was right. "Oh my god, you're right! How could I have been so selfish, so uncaring, and so… so mean!" Dawn covered her face with her hands, horrified that she hadn't realized what Misty was telling her earlier.
Misty placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Dawn, Gary and I were exactly like you and Paul when we first started dating. It took a while but we were able to resolve our differences and look where we are now." Dawn smiled at her new friend and Misty returned the grin. Misty looked around for Chris but after a minute when she couldn't find him she began to panic. "Dawn, do you see Chris anywhere?"
Dawn looked confused but after looking around she got up and began calling for the small boy, Misty echoing her cries. "I don't see him, Misty," Dawn said, her thoughts going back to the boy and hoping that he was okay.
4:00 PM, December 25, 2011; Shamouti Island, Orange Island Archipelago (Same time as above conversation)
"So Paul, feel like talking?" Gary asked, his Umbreon dodging an attack from Paul's Weavile. Gary had figured that the best way to get Paul talking was to involve him in a Pokémon battle where Paul's emotions were more easily expressed.
"Talk about what Oak?" Paul replied, his eyes watching as the damn Umbreon's blue rings slightly glowed, showing that she was preparing for an attack.
"Oh, this and that," Gary replied, his sapphire eyes glancing over to Ash's black ones and upon getting a small nod continued, "Dawn."
Paul stiffened but that was the only sign that he had noticed the deliberate choice in subject. Weavile briefly glanced back at his trainer but had to return his attention back to the battle, jumping over Umbreon's Bite attack.
"Dare I ask why you're interested in talking about Dawn?" Paul asked, gritting his teeth.
"Let's just say that Ash and I think that we can help you with your problem," Gary replied, silently cheering when his Umbreon scored a hit on Weavile using Swift.
"What problem?" Paul retorted, not at all happy about where the conversation was headed.
"The problem between you and your girlfriend," Ash commented, and Paul's eyes darkened. Damn it, he did not want to talk about Dawn, and especially not with his two rivals. Paul shouted out a command to Weavile to use Ice Beam and while his Pokémon charged up the pale blue beam Gary told Umbreon to do something, and although Paul didn't hear what his rival was telling the dark-type he had a feeling it wouldn't be pleasant.
"What we mean, Paul, is that you have got to work on toning down that icy personality you have and actually show Dawn that you care about her," Gary said, his eyes watching the battle. Umbreon had just dodged Weavile's Ice Beam and was preparing to unleash a Toxic attack. "Granted, it won't be easy, but I can tell you from experience that it definitely helps."
"What experience?"
"When Mist and I were just starting out, we were a lot like you and Dawn," Gary said slowly, ignoring Ash's agreeing with his statement. "Misty was very open about her feelings and I had a hard time expressing how I felt. So, when those two attitudes clashed the result wasn't pleasant, to say the least."
"Yeah, no kidding. You and Misty didn't talk for a few weeks," Ash added, his eyes watching the battle as he was acting as judge. Weavile was wobbling slightly, most likely due to the poison taking effect while Umbreon was breathing hard.
Gary sent a glare his friend's way and continued, "Like Ash said, we didn't talk for a while, and eventually I realized that I had to either do something to show Misty that I really cared about her or I'd lose her, and then I'd be miserable for the rest of my life." He paused a moment, watching as Umbreon tackled Weavile and knocked the dark and ice-type down onto the ground.
Paul said nothing, content to think. Was Oak telling the truth? Was he more like his rival than he wanted to admit? If so, was it true that he might lose her? Paul had had a hard time seeing the truth, but Oak's words drove it home – if he lost Dawn he didn't know what he'd do. Somehow, she'd wormed his way into him and now felt like she was a part of him; a vital part that he'd be hard pressed to deal without, much less replace. Paul's eyes narrowed; damn it, he was being sentimental, something that he thought he'd suppressed, but now thanks to Oak and Ketchum's damn words said emotions were coming back, and Paul was quickly becoming obsessed over the thought that Dawn would leave him. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice that the battle was over and that his Weavile had fainted. After a moment, Paul came back to reality and he silently recalled his Pokémon and turned to look at his rivals.
"Are you telling me the truth?" Paul asked.
Gary and Ash nodded, with Gary answering, "Absolutely."
Paul didn't say anything for a moment, but when he opened his mouth to reply a panicked voice interrupted them. Misty, followed by Dawn came running up to them, tears streaming down Misty's face.
"Mist, what's wrong?" Gary asked, a feeling of dread settling in his stomach.
"Chris… I can't find him; I can't find him!" Misty replied, hysteria lacing every word of her voice. Gary froze and as Dawn confirmed Misty's story he felt the world spin for a moment before righting itself.
Clenching his jaw Gary said, "We have to find him; we just have to."
4:15 PM, December 25, 2011; Shamouti Island, Orange Island Archipelago
Chris Oak was a naturally curious child; of course, all four year-olds are curious but Chris was unique. Perhaps it came from the fact that his parents were star Pokémon trainers, with his father next in line to be the Pokémon Professor of Pallet Town and his mother the Water Pokémon Mistress. Maybe it came from his own interest in Pokémon and how they were different; after all, growing up around Pokémon did do something for a natural curiosity. Or, it could be that Chris' natural curiosity overpowered any other feelings or thoughts, especially those that dealt with listening to the rules. It wasn't that Chris didn't obey the rules that his parents put down for him; it was more like he obeyed them if he wasn't possessed by the need to indulge in satisfying his curious thoughts.
Chris had nodded when Mommy told him to stay near her, but soon enough that one rule was overridden by the desire to watch that cool looking blue bird Pokémon play in the water. Now, although he knew that he couldn't swim, this didn't prevent Chris from dreaming of it. So, getting up he walked towards the edge of the water and watched the Pokémon, who, after a few minutes began to swim towards him. This was so cool! Chris would be the first person to see this Pokémon up close; Mommy didn't have one in her collection of water Pokémon and Chris was sure that Daddy had never seen one like it. The Pokémon soon came on shore and as its eyes focused on the small boy he grinned at it. The Pokémon cocked his head, a move that Chris found interesting. Deciding to mimic it Chris tilted his head to the side as well; this, however, only lasted a minute as the Pokémon moved forward and softly head-butted him, causing the small boy to fall backwards, laughter coming out of his mouth. Chris looked at his mother and seeing that she hadn't heard him laugh he got back to his feet and began to follow the Pokémon, who was walking in the shallow waves. Chris knew he wouldn't go far; after all, he still had to obey Mommy's rule, but curiosity and the desire to befriend the Pokémon took over and Chris walked away from his mother, not realizing just how much terror he'd cause for his parents.
5:45 PM, December 25, 2011; Shamouti Island, Orange Island Archipelago
Roughly an hour and thirty minutes had passed since Chris had disappeared and Misty was worried beyond belief. This actually didn't cover all of the feelings inside her; not even close. She was currently surfing the coast on her Blastoise, her Feraligator and Vaporeon searching nearby. Looking to her left, she saw Gary on his own Blastoise, moving in the opposite direction. Their eyes met and Misty turned away, thoughts of how she was a horrible mother for not watching her son more closely running through her mind. How could she have been so distracted that she didn't notice her own son wondering away?
"Mist, it's not your fault," Gary said and Misty looked up to find his sapphire eyes, clouded over in a mix of concern and calmness, the latter of whom irritated Misty.
"Of course it's my fault! I didn't watch him well enough and he got away and… and… God, Gary, what if something happens to him?" Misty broke down and Gary watched his wife in silence for a few seconds before jumping from his Blastoise to Misty's and wrapping his arms around her.
"Listen to me, Misty. We will find Chris and when we do we will make sure he never does anything like this again," Gary said, placing his head on top of his wife's. "Do not blame yourself, Mist; this could have happened to anyone who would be watching Chris, and we'd be telling said person the same thing I'm telling you. Yes, I'm scared to death that something's going to happen to him but remember that he has us for parents, not to mention so many honorary aunts and uncles, family, friends, and Pokémon searching for him. He'll be found, Misty, just believe."
Misty's tears slowed down and she eventually lifted her head to look into Gary's eyes. She sent him a small smile, which he returned and after a few minutes she nodded and Gary jumped back onto his Blastoise and, sending a reassuring smile Misty's way he set off to continue looking for his son. Misty turned back in the direction she had been originally moving in and, a determined expression taking over said, "I'll find you, Chris; just hold on."
5:00 PM, December 25, 2011; Shamouti Island, Orange Island Archipelago
Ritchie and his fiancée were searching the docks when they heard a sound that resembled a cry. Looking at each other they ran towards the sound, which was coming from the northeast corner of the harbor. Casey reached the area first but once there she put a hand over her mouth and fell to her knees in disbelief. Ritchie skidded to a stop next to her and knelt beside the unconscious Empoleon, whom he belatedly recognized as being Dawn's.
"Ritchie, what do we do now? Dawn told me that Empoleon had disappeared when Chris did, but if he showed up here then where could Chris be?"
Ritchie didn't answer, making sure that the Empoloen was okay. "Well, this guy seems to have been poisoned and bitten; look at his flippers. As for Chris," Ritchie's voice lowered, concern for his honorary nephew in his voice, "I really don't know, Case, but I think we should get Dawn here to see her Pokémon; maybe she'll be able to get something from him." Ritchie didn't even need to look up to see Casey run for Dawn; he concentrated on trying to wake the Empoleon up.
In a few minutes Casey, followed by Dawn, Brock, and Duplica came running back, Paul, Professor Oak, and May Oak following. Dawn knelt beside her Pokémon and reaching into a fanny pack she took out a few Antidotes and Potions and gave them to her Pokémon, and after a minute Empoleon's eyes opened. "Empoleon, where's Chris Oak?" Upon getting a confused glance Dawn ran a hand through her hair and said, "Where's the small boy that followed you?"
Empoleon chirped and Dawn listened, and after a few minutes she turned to the people gathered around her and said, "According to Empoleon, a little boy followed him off the beach and crossed a small sand spit to a cove a mile or two off of the island." Getting confused glances from her new friends Dawn continued, "Empoleon followed, intent on taking the boy back once he got tired of the cove but he was attacked by a school of Sharpedo, which caused him to abandon the boy. He wants to save the boy but he doesn't want to go back alone."
"Wait, so Chris crossed a small sand spit to a cove that no one can find but him and Empoleon?" Duplica asked hesitatingly, making sure that she had the facts straight. Duplica continued, "Well, I don't know how long one of my Ditto can hold a transformation but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to find Chris." The others agreed with Duplica but Paul spoke out, silencing everyone.
"Listen, there's no need for everyone here to go out and find the kid," he ignored all of the protesting, "at least not yet. Dawn and I will go, following Empoleon's lead while the rest of you go and grab Gary and Misty and follow my Staraptor on your own Pokémon. It'll be the most efficient method and this way everyone'll know where to go." Glancing at Dawn he saw her nod and, grabbing a Pokéball Paul called out his Walrein, whose black body stood out among the crystal blue water of the sea. Dawn grabbed another Pokéball off her waist and called out her Milotic, whose purple eyes looked to Dawn for her orders.
Dawn turned after getting on Milotic and said, "We'll find Chris; I promise." She nodded to her Empoleon and the two trainers set off, Paul's Staraptor following. Those who were left on shore followed Paul's directions, and while Brock and Duplica ran to get Gary, Misty, and the others Ritchie, Casey, and the two Oaks got their water and flying-type Pokémon ready.
5:15 PM, December 25, 2011; Area around Shamouti Island, Orange Island Archipelago
As Paul and Dawn followed Empoleon, both were hesitant to say anything to the other, so silence reigned with their Pokémon concerned over said silence. After a few minutes Dawn decided to break the ice and said, "Paul, um, listen. I just wanted to, um, apologize for earlier; I had no right to assume that all you cared about was battling; I know that you care, but maybe just have trouble showing it, and I need to get a better grip on my temper but… well, I just wanted to apologize."
Paul didn't say anything for a moment, but when he spoke Dawn was so surprised by what he said that she almost fell off Milotic. "I have to apologize as well. I had some time to think about what happened earlier today and I realized that I'm to blame as well. First, though, you have to understand that I have a hard time expressing myself; you should know that from our years of friendship and later something more. Earlier today I didn't understand why you were so excited about coming to this party, but now I understand that it wasn't about gifts but about spending time with people, myself included." Paul paused for a moment then continued, "I realized that if I didn't open up and tell you how much I care that I might lose you. I'm going to be honest and say that if I lost you I don't know if I'd be able to stay the same. Dawn, I do care about you, but you have to understand that I'm not as open about my feelings as you are, and I hope to remedy that. That's going to take some time, but please never doubt that I care about you." Paul stopped speaking and turned to look at Dawn, hoping to see some sign of reassurance that she understood him.
"Are you serious?" Dawn asked, not believing Paul's words.
Paul nodded, feeling vulnerable for the first time since he'd started training Pokémon when he was ten.
Dawn moved Milotic closer to Paul's Walrein and, reaching out a hand placed it on Paul's face and said, "Paul, I understand what you're trying to say and I want to say that I do care about you. I'll stay by your side and no matter what I'll try and be more understanding of our differences so that this never happens again." Dawn smiled and moved away, leaving a flabbergasted Paul. Damn, it had worked; Paul so owed Oak and Ketchum now.
Empoleon suddenly chirped, drawing the two trainers' attention back to the task at hand. Dawn looked ahead and saw a small cove. 'How did Chris get all the way out here? It must be a two mile walk out here at least!' Dawn and Paul coaxed their Pokémon to move faster and as the two Pokémon moved closer they saw a school of Sharpedo resolutely guarding the small entrance.
Dawn commanded her Milotic to launch an Ice Beam attack, Paul following suit, and as the attacks hit the Sharpedo took them head on, with some freezing and others moving towards the enemies. Empoleon launched a Whirpool attack, which caused some of the Sharpedo to get caught in the vortex, others moving beyond it and further towards their prey.
"Staraptor, go and get the others," Paul commanded and Staraptor wheeled around in the sky and took off for Shamouti Island. Paul's Walrein launched an Icy Wind attack, freezing some of water surrounding Sharpedo, stopping them in place. The remaining Sharpedo launched a multiple Surf attack, sending a large tsunami towards Paul and Dawn.
"We've got to dive!" Paul yelled to Dawn and upon seeing her nod told Walrein to dive. Just as the two trainers and three Pokémon dove under the wave passed them above before disintegrating upon not reaching a target. They continued underwater for a few minutes, the Sharpedo above moving back towards the cove, intent on guarding their prize. Paul motioned to Dawn to surface on his signal and a few minutes later they emerged, the two humans taking in large gulps of oxygen. They looked around and saw themselves facing a Sharpedo who was acting as guard.
"Damn it," Paul muttered and quickly taking action managed to freeze the Sharpedo before it signaled for help. Nodding to Dawn they managed to slip past the Sharpedo guard and beached, with the two trainers recalling their mounts. Dawn left Empoleon out to help search for the missing boy, Paul following.
After a few minutes Paul spotted a mop of orange hair and signaling to Dawn to follow he snuck around a small rock formation and came face to face with Chris Oak, who was currently asleep. Reaching down, Paul carefully lifted the boy up and carried him to where Dawn had paused. Handing him over to Dawn he looked out the exit to the cove and saw, in the distance, a large group of Pokémon heading his way.
"They're on their way," Paul said, his gaze drawn to the small boy who was now curled up against Dawn. "How did a boy so small find his way out here I'll never know."
5:35 PM, December 25, 2011; Area around Shamouti Island, Orange Island Archipelago
Gary and Misty were at the head of the small group of water Pokémon and flyers headed for the cove, Paul's Staraptor leading them. Both were anxious to see their son, and while both were scared that something would be wrong with him they were also wondering just how to make sure that this didn't happen again. Chris was an extremely curious child and although he had wondered off before he hadn't gone very far; now, however, he had somehow managed to find his way to a small cove two miles off of the main island and if it were not for Dawn's Empoleon both were afraid of what Chris' fate might have been.
Ash, with Anabel hanging on to him as they soared in the air on his Swellow, was just as concerned. When he'd repaired his friendships with Gary and Misty and shown them that he was really okay with their being together they had made him Chris' godfather, a duty that Ash took seriously. Now, with Chris missing, Ash felt like he had failed them but Anabel's voice, as if sensing what he was feeling interrupted his thoughts and said, "Ash, it's not your fault. Chris merely got curious and wondered off. We know where he is and he's okay; Dawn and Paul wouldn't let anything happen to him. He'll be fine." Ash turned around and smiled at Anabel, mentally thanking her for keeping him on task.
In fact, all of those who were following the Oaks were concerned about the little boy. Carol and her family had stayed on the island, along with the four former Team Rocket members, but each of them were just as anxious to know that Chris Oak was fine.
Soon, the group came upon the school of Sharpedo that Paul and Dawn had previously battled, but now there were larger numbers along with a few Gyrados. Evidently these wild Pokémon were guarding a prize that they didn't want to let go of, no matter the cost. Gary and Misty's expressions hardened and just when they were going to attack a Psychic attack was launched from behind and hit one of the wild Gyrados directly in the chest. The dragon-type roared and fell a large wave the result of the attack. Gary glanced behind him and saw Anabel's Espeon on her shoulder, the perpetrator of the attack.
"Go and find Chris; we'll deal with these guys," Ash said, Anabel nodding in agreement. Gary and Misty nodded and with one deep breath they and their Blastoise dove under the water, swimming towards the island.
On the surface, attacks flew and while the wild Pokémon fell relatively easily to the trained Pokémon, the winning side was not without injuries. Duplica's Ditto – who had transformed into a copy of Gary's Blastoise – had been hit with a brutal Body Slam from a Gyrados and lost its transformation. Duplica had fallen into the water and before accepting a ride from Brock's Omastar had rescued her Ditto. Ritchie's Mantine had been hit hard by a Toxic attack from a Sharpedo and Ritchie's Antidotes weren't enough to stop Mantine's fainting. Casey had swooped down on her Pidgeot and picked up her fiancé, the latter of whom recalled his fallen Pokémon with a grimace. Ash and Anabel had been scoring the most hits, Swellow's speed and Espeon's accuracy helping immensely. Tracey's Lapras' Ice Beams had been essential in clearing out two of the tougher Gyrados, one of whom who had been the one who took out Duplica's Ditto. Brendan's Swampert and Drew's Pidgeotto had been relentlessly attacking the lead Sharpedo, who had scars on his dorsal fin and was missing an eye. May – who was riding with Brendan – and her Marill were undermining the Sharpedo by attacking from below, which had turned out to be a very effective strategy. Melody's Golduck was clawing his way through until he had gotten hit with a Bite attack, effectively taking him out. Melody had been picked up by Drew and deposited on Tracey's Lapras, recalling her Golduck as she did so.
Meanwhile, Gary and Misty had made it into the cove and had beached, leaving their Blastoise to cover their backs as they did so. Racing down the beach, they looked for any sign of their son, Paul, or Dawn, and after a few minutes they saw footprints. Gary crouched and after he had examined them he took off to the right, Misty following him. They ran inland, ignoring the scratches from branches that crossed their faces until they reached a small clearing where a small body topped with orange hair tackled them.
"Mommy! Daddy!" Chris yelled, tears falling from his eyes. Misty fell to her knees and embraced her son, her own tears falling into his hair. A relieved smile broke out on Gary's face as he saw his son was safe and sound. He looked up and saw Paul and Dawn, who were watching the reunion.
"It's thanks to you guys that Chris is safe," Gary said, and Paul nodded in acceptance of Gary's thanks while Dawn merely smiled. Gary knelt and pulled his family into his arms, beyond grateful that his son was safe and unharmed.
"Chris, why'd you wonder off buddy? Your mom and I were really worried about you," Gary said, his voice low.
Chris sniffed and said, "I didn' mean to; I jus' wanted to follow the pretty bird. I jus' walked and walked and soon I was here an' the mean sharkeys licked me and kept me here an' I jus' fell 'sleep." Gary and Misty exchanged confused glances with Paul and Dawn, the latter of whom were completely shocked at this. Who had ever heard of wild Sharpedo willingly making sure some human was safe and sound?
"Baby, listen: how about we go home?" Misty asked, combing her fingers through Chris' hair. Chris nodded and wrapping his arms around Misty's neck allowed himself to be picked up. Misty nodded to Gary and they, followed by Paul and Dawn headed for the beach. There they found their Blastoise not battling but talking to the Sharpedo, whose attention shifted to the young boy who was being carried their way.
Gary's Blastoise looked up and told his trainer what he had learned. Gary raised an eyebrow and, turning to Misty said, "Well, according to the Sharpedo they attacked Empoleon believing that he was harming Chris and then ferried him here. They did so because they believed that Chris wouldn't harm them but help them to break away from the Gyrados out there and be free again."
Paul raised an eyebrow. "They believe that a four year-old can defeat half a dozen Gyrados when an entire school of Sharpedo couldn't make a dent?"
Gary replied, "As weird as it sounds, apparently yes." He turned to the Sharpedo and asked them to allow his family, friends, and himself safe passage out of the cove so that they could help defeat the Gyrados. The Sharpedo grinned (an image that would stay with Chris for all of his life) and agreed, and after Paul and Dawn had called back out their mounts (Dawn had recalled Empoleon) and Gary and Misty had mounted their Blastoise – with Chris on his mother's Blastoise – they set out with the Sharpedo to help their friends.
6:05 PM, December 25, 2011; Area around Shamouti Island, Orange Island Archipelago
As the battle outside the cove continued to rage, the Sharpedo were getting weary of fighting against these tough and honorable enemies. They weren't stupid; they understood that they were powerful, and if they had had the chance they would side with them against the Gyrados. That was why they had protected the red-haired child; he was special, and they sensed that he was powerful. They had protected him at the risk of putting themselves on the Gyrados' bad list, but they knew that the child was special. The leader suddenly heard a low hum and, turning saw his inland troops escorting a group of four people and the small child towards them. The leader grinned; finally, the rebellion could begin. Sending out a signal the leader charged towards a Gyrados, ramming said Pokémon in the chest and forcing him to fall back into the water. As the strong humans watched the Sharpedo turned away from battling them and attacked the Gyrados, the latter roaring in anger and attacking back, forgetting the annoying humans to attack their disobedient servants instead.
"This is weird," May muttered, her husband nodding his head in agreement. Their eyes were glued to the battle and when Gary and their crew pulled up they launched questions at them. After Gary had explained what was going on they turned back to the battle and proceeded to attack the Gyrados, intent on paying back the Sharpedo for protecting Chris.
The Gyrados soon found themselves both outmatched and outgunned and retreated, with the Sharpedo celebrating their victory. Chris, who had his arms wrapped around his mother's waist, grinned when the Sharpedo swam up beside his mother's Blastoise and grinned at him, razor-sharp teeth gleaming in the setting sun.
"Mommy, look at the sharkeys!" Chris exclaimed, and as Misty looked down she smiled at the Pokémon who had protected her son when she couldn't. The Sharpedo looked at the woman who had the same hair color that their savior had and grinned, jumping up and down in the water beside the large turtle.
As the group of Pokémon and their trainers headed back to Shamouti Island the Sharpedo followed, intent on showing their gratitude to the child who had given them back their freedom.
8:00 PM, December 25, 2011; Shamouti Island, Orange Island Archipelago
After everyone had gotten back to the island and Chris had been reprimanded and told to never wonder off again, things settled down. Those who were couples or families sat together on the beach, looking at the clear night sky and the twinkling stars in it.
"Some retreat this was," Misty whispered, Chris asleep in her arms after the excitement of the day.
Gary glanced over at his wife and, tugging her closer laid a kiss on her forehead replied, "Yeah, I agree, but remember that we were also able to make the retreat worthwhile for Paul and Dawn." Gary looked over at said people, who were currently watching the stars together, Dawn enclosed in Paul's arms.
Misty looked up at Gary and, placing a kiss on his jaw said, "I guess so. I would have liked a peaceful day, but unfortunately that didn't happen." Looking down at Chris she continued, "Still, if we don't count the panicked search for our son I would have to say that today was a nice retreat."
Gary smiled and looked at the stars above. "I would definitely have to agree Mist. I definitely agree."