Chapter 4 up! Hope you like it! :D

Happy IkariShipping Day! Long live IkariShipping! XD -throws streamers and stuff-

Hello? If I owned Pokémon, wouldn't it have IkariShipping? Hmm?

~oOo~

~ The Dawn in My Life ~

~oOo~

Chapter 4: Denial Won't Hurt…

~oOo~

I still remember that swirling darkness I was in. It could have been hours, days, months, I don't know. All I could hear was a constant sobbing…

I remember coming around when I felt something warm squeezing my hand, but I didn't have the strength to even open my eyes.

"You'll be okay Paul," someone whispered and gently pushed my bangs away from my forehead…

After some time I finally managed to open my eyes, only to see that I was in a strange white room. But what I saw shocked me a little…

She was sitting beside my bed with her head near my arm. She had fallen asleep. But that's not what disturbed me…

She was in a wheelchair…

I bit back my questions as I saw her peacefully sleep next to me. She looked like an angel. On an impulse I began stroking her cheek and her hair and I saw her smile slightly in her sleep.

But I still wanted to know what had happened. Sighing, I lay back and closed my eyes. But I didn't need to go back to sleep because I heard her stir.

"Hey Troublesome, mind telling me what happened?"

"Paul? You're awake!" she shrieked, startled, which really annoyed me. She then proceeded to hug me, me, and Arceus knows how she managed it.

"Get off and answer my question," I said, irritated.

"Sorry," she said, sheepishly.

"Well?"

"Oh yeah, Team Rocket caught me and took me to some clearing. While they were bickering about whose Pokémon they should steal, yours or Ash's," she added as I quirked my eyebrow, "I ran away. They thought they didn't need to try hard, but I can assure you, they can't tie a decent knot," she said rolling her eyes.

"Anyway, they managed to corner me in that cliff area and then you came and that blast happened and…that's it."

"Yeah, how did we get here? And the injuries?" I looked at her questioningly.

"After the blast, we were thrown of the cliff but to a very rocky area, and just our luck, we fell with a huge boulder too."

"So?"

"It was coming straight for you. But after we fell on the rocky floor, you passed out, so I pushed you away. Then I got Togekiss to get Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy because I couldn't carry you. I got Mamoswine to take us to a safer area," she said unemotionally.

"Hm." But she still didn't answer one thing…

"So how come you're in a wheelchair?" I asked bluntly.

I saw her gulp.

"You see, w-when I pushed you away from the boulder, it k-kinda fell on me and-"

"What? Why would you do that?" I was livid.

She flinched but continued, "Sorry your rudeness, but I couldn't let that boulder crush your head now instead, could I?"

I fell silent. Yes, I fell silent. She had saved me and during the process, she had risked her life. But why would she want to do that?

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, if you call having both your legs broken and having gashes everywhere being okay, then yeah, I'm okay," she said sarcastically.

I grimaced, but she softened and continued, "But I still think I'm better off than you, you had four ribs broken and a minor injury to your head which conked you off for almost five days."

I looked down to see that indeed my chest was heavily bandaged and I could feel a stiff turban of bandages on my head too.

"I-I'm sorry Paul. It's all my f-fault. I shouldn't have asked you to c-come with me. If I hadn't, n-nothing would have h-happened to you," she said shakily, looking at her hands in her lap.

What the hell is she ranting? Silly female.

"Dawn." I used her name.

"Even so, then if I h-had not been c-captured and then been on that c-cliff, you would have been o-okay," she cried.

Wasn't that blast my fault?

"Dawn." I tried again.

"Oh God, I feel so h-horrible! I am so weak and p-pathetic! I lead you into all this t-trouble and now I'm s-sitting here in front of you and c-crying. How pathetic c-can I-"

I had had enough.

"DAWN!" That managed to get her attention as she looked up startled.

I reached out a hand to her cheek and wiped her tears with my thumb.

"Calm down. You did the right thing. You needn't beat yourself up. Sometimes we can't control what's happening," I said quietly, unconsciously caressing her jaw with my thumb.

"But-"

"Listen to me. It was not your fault. Got it? So shut up with all the stupid thoughts."

She suddenly removed my hand from her cheek and squeezed it.

"Thank you Paul. It's getting late now. I'll have to go to my own ward. I'll let you rest."

With that she turned her wheelchair around, when I stopped her.

"Thank you for…everything…Dawn," I said.

She looked back and beamed.

"And thanks for using my name."

"Sure thing, Troublesome."

But she only smiled…

I watched her wheel herself out as I turned back to staring at the ceiling.

One thing was for sure…now I was definitely falling for her…

But a little denial won't hurt…would it?

~oOo~

I hope you guys know that this story was intended to be a one-shot, so I only have the basic story drafted…

Anyway, please check out my newest fic 'A Series of Kills'. Trust me, its waaaay different from what I've been writing… XD. As of now, Chapter 4 is up.

As usual constructive criticism is welcome and any ideas, improvements and/or corrections too are welcome!

Happy IkariShipping Day once again! -throws confetti around randomly- XD

Review? Please? For Dawn and Paul shaped cookies? XD LOL I'm bribing… -snickers-