A/N: Apologies for the delay in updates. This one was a toughie, but it's my longest update so far, so hopefully that'll make up for it! This one does deal with some sensitive issues (I tried to keep it implied to avoid offense) so that's just a warning for you. I hope you all enjoy it, and thank you for your continued support
The week of Misty's twelve week scan rolled around quickly. Misty, who had been suffering particularly bad morning sickness, personally couldn't wait to see the back of her first trimester. She'd been particularly touched with Ash though; he'd been very attentive and caring throughout her sickness, and in general. Misty was sat with her feet up in the lounge, flicking through a pregnancy book, when the phone began to ring. Sighing, Misty stood from the couch, which in turn disturbed Pikachu who was sleeping on her lap. Since the announcement of her pregnancy, Ash left Pikachu to stay with her whenever he couldn't. Today was one of those days, as Ash had a League meeting.
"Hello?" Misty said, picking up the receiver. She couldn't help but smile when she saw her husband's handsome face grinning back at her.
"Hey Mist," he said, tenderly. "Just rang to check up on you."
She smiled softly, touched by his thoughtfulness. "That's so sweet, Ash," at this, tears began to roll down her face. Ash's face turned to panic, as he frantically asked her what was wrong. "Sorry," Misty said, drying her eyes. "My hormones are everywhere today."
Ash chuckled, and said with a wink. "Nothing new there then."
The glare he earned from Misty was enough to make him change the subject. "Anyway, we just finished up here, so I'll be home soon. Is there anything you want me to pick up for you?"
Misty smiled again. "No thanks, I'm good. All I want is to see you."
"Your wish is my command," Ash said, pretending to wave a wand, causing Misty to giggle. Ash beamed back at her, satisfied that he'd made her happy. He bid her farewell and blew her a kiss at the screen, which she returned, and then he hung up to return home to her.
"Honey, I'm home!" Ash called, despite the fact the front door lead to the lounge, the very room Misty was sat in.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu exclaimed happily. Normally, Ash would pick him up, but today he had one hand behind his back, so instead he gave him a huge smile and a pet on his head. Misty strolled over to greet him, a few seconds after Pikachu, a caring hand on her small bump.
"Hey gorgeous," Ash said. "I got you something."
He pulled his hand from behind his back to reveal a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Misty was genuinely shocked; Ash was never the type to abide by the usual conventions of romance. She was so overjoyed she burst into tears again, which, naturally, caused Ash to think he'd upset her.
"Are they not the right flowers? Oh Mew, I'm so sorry, Mist, I'll take them back-"
He was cut off by his wife placing a short but passionate kiss to his lips. He was so caught off guard that the bouquet slipped from his fingertips, but thankfully Pikachu was fast enough to catch them.
"Chu!" the little mouse said in exasperation, sighing in partial relief and annoyance.
The next morning, Ash and Misty were in the car, on the way to her scan. Ash glanced at his wife, briefly. He couldn't see her face as she was staring out the window, but she was twiddling with her hands nervously.
"Something wrong, honey?" Ash asked, keeping his eyes on the road. Misty sighed, turning to look at her husband.
"I guess I'm just nervous, I mean, what if something's wrong?"
Ash smiled sympathetically, taking one hand off the wheel and placing it over hers.
"Ash, hands on the wheel!" Misty snapped. Ash rolled his eyes.
"Misty, we're at a red light and you're upset, it's fine!" Ash insisted. "I promise you, Mist, everything will be fine."
Although Ash of course couldn't know this fact for certain, he knew his wife required reassurance right now; a little white lie wouldn't hurt.
"Yeah," Misty said, as Ash took his hand away, anticipating a further scolding, "You're right, sorry."
Ash chuckled lightly. "You don't need to be sorry, darling. It's normal for an expectant mother to be worried."
Misty smiled. "When did you get so smart?"
Ash scoffed. "Who are you kidding? I'm old and wise now!"
"That or Brock's finally starting to rub off on you after nearly 13 years," Misty said. Ash frowned slightly, remembering his previous conversation with Brock. He hadn't told Misty of his dream, and he had no plans to. His main priority was to protect her, no matter what.
"Okay Misty, this will feel a little bit cold," the doctor said as she placed the blue gel for Misty's ultrasound on her stomach. Misty winced at the cold touch, but after a second or two grew used to it. "Alright you two, are you ready to see your baby for the first time?"
For once in his life, Ash was silent. Misty looked at him with a raised eyebrow, his expression seemed almost absent, like he didn't truly believe this was happening. She'd have worried he was panicking, but the goofy smile on his face suggested otherwise.
"We're ready, doctor," Misty said, addressing the other woman in the room. The doctor smiled and nodded then placed the device on Misty's stomach, and began moving it around.
"It's weird how this works," Ash mused, staring at Misty's stomach intently. Misty chuckled.
"Very deep, honey."
"Hey, I-" Ash was about to argue back, but he was cut off by the image that appeared on the screen beside them. It was no bigger than the size of a peanut, and was simply a blur on a screen. But right there, before their eyes, was their child. Ash squeezed Misty's hand tightly, and she looked back to smile at him. Although tearing her eyes away from the screen was difficult, she was glad she did. She'd never forget the pure joy and love that could be read all over Ash's face. An expression she knew she'd never get to see again unless they bared more kids; the first time he witnessed his unborn child. Both their eyes were holding pools of happy tears, and as Ash let his eyes fall to meet Misty's, his tears fell too.
"Who knew your tummy could be so amazing, Mist?" he choked out. Misty giggled, which caused her tears to follow Ash's. The doctor sat across from them smiled knowingly; this is what made the job worth it.
That night, Ash shot up in bed with a loud gasp. He ran a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh, attempting to regain some composure.
"Ash?"
Ash silently cursed himself. This time, he'd woken Misty up. He glanced at her, and she was staring at him worriedly. "Are you okay? You were crying in your sleep…"
Ash forced a chuckle. "Yeah, sorry. I had a bad dream that's all."
"What about?" she said, rubbing his arm in reassurance.
"Oh, I uh, lost my title, that's all. To Paul," Ash said, laughing awkwardly. Misty furrowed her brow, unconvinced, but decided not to push him any further. She kissed him lightly before whispering words of reassurance in his ear, then turned over to go back to sleep. Ash stared at her, taking in every fragment of her beauty, his fears bubbling inside of him. Fair to say, his dream was far worse than he'd expressed.
This time, Ash could remember every heart-wrenching, blood boiling second of his dream. The background was just fog. Ash had been screaming out for Misty. He wasn't sure what had happened prior to this, but he was separated from her and very distressed by this fact. Then he saw her face, and relief had rushed through him. But then, her beautiful smile, the very smile that radiated happiness to his veins, disappeared in an instant, as did his own. Ben was beside her. He had his hand on her neck in a vice-like grip, causing Misty to cry out in pain. Ash tried to run out to save her, but an invisible force field was between them.
"Get the fuck off of her, you bastard!" Ash yelled, banging his fists against the wall, causing the wall to ripple around the source of the hit, but otherwise not falter in the slightest. Ben ignored him, and began to run his hands over Misty in an excruciatingly disturbing manner, causing Misty to whimper in fear. Seeing Ben touch his Misty in an inappropriate way only angered Ash further, his pounding on the wall becoming harder and harder, but still, he failed to move it. Tears of anger and despair were rolling down Ash's cheeks as he cried out for his love. Ben's next move caused Ash to stop shouting and moving entirely, like an arrow of ice had been shot through his heart. His fists still firmly on the glass, he saw Ben was on his knees, at eye level with Misty's stomach, which, for the first time, Ash noticed was heavily pregnant. Ben placed a kiss to her stomach, which caused Misty to physically shudder in revulsion.
"Ah, how I love you," he said to her stomach, then turned to Ash, his words dripping with animosity,"My child."
Those two words sparked disgust and anger in Ash that he'd never experienced before.
"Shut up, you're wrong! Get off my wife, and my baby!" Ash roared. At this, he was awoken by Misty shaking him, which he would be eternally grateful for, even if she never knew what she'd saved him from.
"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked, looking at his master's expression of despair with worry.
"I'm fine, Pikachu, don't worry."
The mouse was not convinced, and jumped into the bed to snuggle between Ash and Misty. Ash smiled softly, and stroked Pikachu's head in appreciation.
'It was just a dream,' Ash assured himself. 'Just a dream.'
"Oh I'm so excited for May and Drew!" Misty said from the bedroom en-suite the next night. Ash was sat on the edge of their bed, pulling on his socks. May and Drew had gotten engaged in the previous week and tonight was their party in order to celebrate. Ash scowled to himself, his excitement wasn't quite as prominent as Misty's.
"We never had an engagement party," Ash mused to himself.
At that moment, Misty appeared from the bathroom. His previous upset was completely disregarded at the sight of her. Misty was glowing. She'd made quite an effort for the party; her hair was curled loosely, her make-up was light, highlighting her natural beauty, and she was wearing a short, black cocktail dress which had beautiful lace sleeves. Completing her outfit was the diamond necklace Ash had bought her for their third anniversary together all those years ago, and the matching earrings.
"You look gorgeous, Mist!" Ash said, beaming at her. Misty blushed.
"I went for black because it's meant to be slimming," she said, turning to look at herself in the full-length mirror on the wall behind her. She turned her figure, subconsciously. "I still look like I've put weight on though…"
Ash came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and resting his hands on her stomach.
"That's because you've got a person growing inside of you," Ash said, sweetly. Misty smiled, turning to face him.
"I know honey, I just don't want anyone to get suspicious… I don't want to steal May's limelight."
Ash chuckled. "Like May's going to care! If people work it out that's not your fault. Plus, if it does get out, it's likely to be because May noticed and screamed it out herself…"
Misty smiled, she expected her husband's suspicions to be correct.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry, darling; I guess this pregnancy thing is still unnerving me a bit."
Ash kissed her forehead softly. "I'll be here with you, every step of the way, I promise."
The party was in full swing, taking place in a posh bar in Saffron City, as May and Drew were currently competing in Kanto. The room had large arched windows that highlighted Saffron's impressive skyline, with a set of double doors that led out to a gorgeous stone balcony. Sets of high tables with stools were placed around the room, and the usual music that would be played in clubs was booming over the speakers. There were intimate tables in booths in the corner, where Tracey and Daisy were sat, giggling and whispering flirtatiously.
Misty was happily chatting to May and Dawn, all three girls giggling excitedly over May's engagement ring as they sat at one of the high tables. Brock smiled softly at the sight, which quickly faded when he saw Ash staring out over the balcony, his face solemn. Brock walked through the large arch doors to meet his younger friend, the skyline greeting him. Ash took a sip of his beer absentmindedly, not even acknowledging Brock's presence.
"What's happened?" Brock asked. "You rang me yesterday, completely bursting with joy at the fact you got to see your baby for the first time, you even sent me the scan photo, which by the way, is now on my fridge. What have you got to be moody about?"
"What if it's not my child?" Ash said, bluntly. The question took Brock by surprise, and for a moment he had to contemplate his response, the rushing of cars below them breaking the silence.
"Would it matter to you if it wasn't?"
Ash turned to face him, his expression still troubled, his eyes on the floor. "You know damn well that it wouldn't Brock, I told you that."
"Then why are you so upset?" Brock said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Ash turned away again, freeing himself from Brock's hold, earning a sigh from Brock.
"She told me that they never had sex, but, what if..?"
A pregnant pause fell between the pair. People and cars below them continue to rush by, oblivious to the turmoil that was unfolding above them. Brock pursed his lips together as understanding hit him, a loud police siren sounding in the distance.
"Ash…" Brock said cautiously, his voice shaking. "What's brought this on?"
"I had another dream," Ash admitted, taking another sip of beer. "I don't care if that baby is mine in a biological sense Brock, because, either way, it's my baby. I love it already. But, in this dream… God Brock, I wanted to kill him. And I mean, literally, if I got chance, I would kill him with my bare hands."
Ash's voice was cold, and Brock shivered slightly at the seriousness of his friend's words.
"Ash, Misty's moving on. At least, she's trying to. You need to do the same, for both your sakes. Ben's gone. I understand, what Ben did to Misty was horrendous, and we may never know the full extent. I also know you're very angry, hell, I am too. You know how much I love Misty, and I know how much you love her too. We need to move on, to help her move on."
Ash sighed heavily. "I know you're right Brock, but, the thought of what he might have done to her…" Ash growled. He went to kick a nearby chair, but was stopped by Brock grabbing his shoulders.
"Okay, Ash," Brock said, his tone strict and voice slightly raised. "Think about this when you get angry. Imagine you kill Ben, then what? You'll be in prison, and Misty will be raising your child alone. Is that what you want? Because I'm sure you not being there would hurt her a hell of a lot more than Ben ever could."
Ash said nothing, his eyes averting to his wife through the window. She was giggling, her radiant smile causing love and happiness to cascade through him. He could never hurt her. Brock, once again, knew exactly what to say. "If he does come back, Ash, which I sincerely doubt, all I can say is Arceus help him; there's a lot of angry males that want a piece of him. We'll scare him off, don't you worry."
Ash, again, was silent, and simply wrapped his friend in a tight hug. Brock was surprised by the gesture, but returned it all the same.
"Thanks Brock," Ash murmured. Brock smiled softly, it was almost like Ash was ten again, when Brock had to reassure him about his bad dreams. Even now, some things never change, and one was their friendship.
The next day, Ash was back to his usual, care-free self. He decided focusing on the future would be the best for Misty and himself. So, he snuck out early that morning, and went to buy a present for his wife. He'd seen it the night before having driven by the shop, but as it was passed closing time, there was little he could do about it at that point.
Misty woke up to an empty bed, she narrowed her eyes in confusion and called out Ash's name, which gained no response. She threw her legs off the bed and went in search for him. In the kitchen, stuck to the kettle, was a post-it note.
'Gone out for a bit, back soon! I love you, beautiful.
Love, Ash xxxxxxxxxxx'
Misty smiled to herself, even more so when she saw the extra note underneath.
'P.S. You're cute when you're asleep.'
She couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle when she saw the third and final post-it.
'P.S.S,' which was crossed out and replaced by 'P.P.S. (I think that's right, Pikachu said the first one was wrong) I've taken Pikachu with me, I needed his opinion on something!'
Just as Misty finished making herself a weak cup of tea, Ash burst in through the front door, shopping bag in hand.
"Morning, you," Misty said, taking a sip of her tea. Ash beamed at her, excitedly.
"Go sit down, I have a present for you!"
Misty laughed, but obliged. "What on Earth is it if I need to sit down?"
Ash rolled his eyes and sat beside her, taking the tea from her and placing it on the coffee table in front of them. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands!"
Pikachu sat on the sofa behind them, smiling happily at the pair. Ash placed the present delicately on her outstretched hands. "Okay, open your eyes!"
Misty gasped as she saw the present; it was adorable. Looking back at her with big, gorgeous eyes was a Pichu doll. It was tiny, barely bigger than her own hand, and incredibly cute looking.
"Oh Ash, it's lovely," she said, smiling softly. Ash placed a loving hand on his wife's growing stomach.
"It's a Pichu for my little Pichu," he murmured softly against her ear, placing a delicate kiss on her cheek.
"Ash you're so sweet," she said, placing a kiss on his lips. "When shall we tell everyone about little Pichu here?"
"May didn't tell everyone?" Ash chuckled. Misty smiled.
"No, I told her, then said I would die if I stole her limelight, so she kept her mouth shut. Well, she told Drew… And Dawn… And Kenny… And Brock, who already knew…"
Ash chuckled and shook his head. "Typical, May. How about we just send everyone the picture of the scan?"
Misty smiled. "Okay. Don't send it to Brock again though. He told me he cries every time he goes to get milk from the fridge…"
The pair giggled as Misty snuggled up to Ash. She'd never felt so content in her life.