◊ (How It Goes) ◊

∆ (May's Living Room) ∆ - Φ (Drew) Φ - ¤ (2 Weeks Later) ¤

Surprisingly enough, hanging around May's place wasn't as awkward as I had expected it to be. Her parents treated me like part of the family, I wasn't like a guest, and well I was treated as one. I was, to say, like a family friend. Which in all honesty I was, I was a member of their family's friend, and I was May's friend.

May and I had thought up a lot of new moves and combinations in our spare time, and we spent most of our time, talking about our pokémon, or sitting and enjoying each other's company. It was as if that when I was with May; everything came together.

The doctor said that May was doing amazing in her recovery, twice as fast, they said maybe next week they'd allow her back to coordinating but no major danger amounts which meant that under no circumstances, could May get hurt. I took this as my job.

I sat down in the kitchen as I did every morning. I sat down and scratched down my agenda for the day. If I wasn't afraid to wake up someone, I would have gone upstairs to my room and retrieved my planner but I didn't.

I sat down, rested against the wall and closed my eyes. "Morning Drew," May said quietly. She had learned that I disliked talking and sound a lot. She also had the ability to get me to talk, no matter the occasion.

"Morning May, how did you sleep?"

"Great, it's a beautiful day today, what do you want to do?" I tossed her my agenda. She stuck out her tongue.

"Real mature," I responded.

"Eat breakfast, go shopping, make pokéblock, train with May, eat lunch, talk with May, ask her out to dinner and go to bed." May rolled her eyes. "This isn't exciting and isn't how one should take advantage of this glorious day, but I understand that you've got stuff to do."

I nodded and sat down at the table. May got up and started fixing breakfast for the family; she did this on occasions when her mom or father was sleeping in on their day off. "What are your plans for the day?"

"Make and eat breakfast, follow Drew around, eat lunch, talk with Drew, get asked out to dinner by Drew, and sleep." She answered smiling.

"Sorry you can't come with me shopping."

"Why not?" She asked confused.

"I'd rather go shopping by myself, sorry." I said.

"Nah, it's fine; you have to shop for clothing and whatever you need. I totally understand. I'll probably just walk about the gardens and stuff." She said walking around to various dishes on the table and checking on their status.

Eventually her parents' came down and ate with them. "We won't be at dinner tonight." May announced.

"How come?" My mom asked.

"Drew asked me out to dinner, sort of?" Her father looked at me confused.

I shrugged. "I handed her my agenda and it said that I was planning on asking her out, so she's just telling you ahead of time." They nodded, understanding.

"I made breakfast!" May announced to us, happily. May wasn't the best cook but in all honesty, she was a lot better then most people. She wasn't professional good but better then normal people were, above average.

"I'm glad because I was hungry." Her dad said.

"It smells delicious." I nodded, acknowledging her accomplishment.

"I'm glad. Here." She said setting our plates of food out on the table. She sat next to me, opposite her mother and we ate in silence.

"How are you doing?" Her dad asked.

"Great, I don't even need the medications anymore and only one week in comparison to two, the doctor said."

"That's good, that's at least 2, maybe 3 more contests and ribbons." She nodded.

"It also means I won't be hanging around the house bothering you and we get to show off all our new routines, right Drew?" I nodded.

"We have enough to use a different one in a contest everyday if they were that many, we have enough for the rest of the seasons at least." He answered.

"Definitely," She said. "I'm so excited!" She said jumping up when I laid my hand on her shoulder. She stuck out her tongue. "See you, when will you be back?"

"10ish, giving us two hours to perfect the routines before lunch." I nodded.

"Alright, see you then." She said kissing my cheek and I nodded and walked off.

"Bye." I said. It wasn't a far walk to the mall, but it was annoying. There were so many people. "Well isn't it Drew?" A voice said. "I haven't seen you in what, 7 years now." I turned around to meet the face of my stepmother of whom I disliked highly.

"Yes, it has been."

"Where is she, Drew?"

"Who?" I asked.

"You know very well who Drew… my daughter, your sister, Lily." I smirked.

"I'm not sure; she left with an agenda of her own. I haven't seen her the last two weeks."

"What are you doing here?" She asked angrily.

"I'm taking care of my girlfriend at her parents' place." I answered.

She laughed. "No really?" I smirked. "You actually got a girlfriend, a fan girl, a talent less loser. But anyway, like you could love?" I just smirked, even more.

"Wouldn't you like to know? Have you ever thought that I am capable of such and that I Lily left to help me get with her?"

"She hates you, why would she do that?" The woman, my stepmother said sticking her nose into the air.

"She loves me, she's concerned that it's impossible for me to love, but she helped me get with the girl I love, how about we meet up, the entire family minus Lily for dinner, you, dad, her and me?" I asked.

"I'd like to see this." She said.

"Fine, I'll alert her when I return home. Bye." I said walking off and waving behind me.

I went to the store, to a store that specialized in selling jewelry to be exact. "May I help you?" A woman asked.

"Sure Eve," I said referring to her name badge. "I'm looking for a necklace for my girlfriend." She smiled.

"All guys who come in here do, unless it's for their mom, fiancée or wife. That's all we ever get from guys." He shrugged and she set a case on the counter. "I believe these would spark your interest."

I nodded and looked at every piece carefully. I looked at this one. It was perfect. It was a completely silver necklace with a small pokéball on it with a blue stone as the pokéball eye. "I'd like that one." I said pointing to it.

"It's the most expensive we have here, it's a blue crystal, not sapphire." I nodded. I looked at the tag, pulled out a check, wrote the amount down, grabbed the necklace and walked out without another word. The case was white and I placed it gently in my pocket next to my empty pokéballs. I then went to the Pokéblock Center and made enough pokéblock to last a while. I returned home to be met with May going to open the door. I was caring 10 cases of pokéblock, 2 for each of my pokémon I had on me. Absol, Butterfree, Rosélia, Masquerain and Flygon.

"You sure have a lot of pokéblock." She said.

"Yeah sure, I guess." I answered. She took 4 or so cases and helped me take them to the refrigerator in the greenhouse where all the food was given out.

I sat down next to her on the bench. "There's a small change in plans for tonight."

"It's fine if we eat…" I placed my finger on her lips.

"I'm bringing you to meet my father and stepmother. I'm sorry…" She placed a finger on my lips and used her other hand to free hers.

"Its fine, I'm glad to meet them." I moved her hand.

"Don't expect them both to be respectful; at the most my dad might, my stepmother, not so much."

"If she's Lily's mom I expect a great person, maybe a bit weak minded but not disrespectful."

"Choose what you wish to believe, it's your choice."

"Do I have to dress up?"

"Your choice," I answered.

"Alright, I'm going out to buy a dress. I looked at my watch; it was only 8:30. I expected to be gone a while longer. I nodded; she kissed me and walked off.

I figured I'd have to find something to wear as well. I still couldn't believe that she was excited, happy to meet my family. She had met two of the three people in my family I could even slightly stand anymore, isn't that enough? Yet again, I knew her entire family. I picked out a plain white dress shirt and black pants to wear. It was nicely accented with anything May would pick out. Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing her in a dress, ever. She usually wears shorts for travel. The only time I've seen her where something different was that night where she wanted to take me out dancing but still I don't think I've ever seen her anything extremely formal.

It was now 10 and I was wondering how long it would take her. I decided to take a walk in their greenhouse until then because when she does come she'd come here to train but I'm well aware that it takes time to shop for girls, from my sisters. Even though it was early on, Victoria was a teenager when I was younger and when she'd drag me along shopping it was horribly annoying. The point is; she can take her time.

A few minutes later I heard doors slam open and then there was thing resting on my back with their arms wrapped around me. "May, you ready?" She nodded and we went to the open training area in the greenhouse.

"Which one do you want to use first next week?" She asked.

"Pokémon wise I'd say Espeon and Absol since that's our newest combination."

"It really is a good choice, a Dark Pokémon and a Psychic Pokémon." She added.

"Yeah, it is. You choose the combination." She said.

"I like Razor Wind, Psychic, Shadow Ball, and Swift. That's the nicest one. It'll make a good surprise entrance into the contest stages again."

"Alright, I agree, that's one of the best ones we have." We called Espeon and Absol over and we practiced, we had practiced many hours before but now it was up to us to help our pokémon perfect it.

"Drew, May, phone call." I looked at May. Who wouldn't call our cell phones? We walked over to the phone, May sat down and I stood behind her.

"Ash and I got our last badge sis." Max said. May was happy.

"That's amazing, that's faster then you guys have ever gone." She said.

"When are the finals?" I asked.

"3 months, we finished quickly. Do you think mom will mind if Lily and Ash hang at our house till then." May turned around. Her mom shook her head.

"No, mom doesn't mind." May said.

"Good, we'll be arriving tonight, alright."

"Wait, tonight?" I asked.

"Yeah, we have been traveling non stop except for contests for the last two weeks. Lily surprisingly has 2 ribbons and she's going to do some more in our area." May nodded.

"Well, see you soon." She hung up and I turned around to meet my face. "What's up with you?" She asked.

"My stepmother blames me for Lily's disappearance. So Max and Lily are going to need to join us as well." May smiled.

"Good, I don't mind. Do you?"

"Not particularly but their presences aren't going to make the dinner any more pleasant, most likely less pleasant." May sighed.

"Why do you think they hate you?"

"My dad doesn't hate me, he just figures I'm… well… disrespectful and a disgrace to the family."

"How come?"

"I left my little sister in the middle of some city when I went to become a coordinator."

"I see, but I understand. If I had to compete against Max in contests and travel with him, I'd probably tell mom I was leaving him, and leave. Yet again if I didn't respect him or my parents, I would probably just disappear. I understand either way where you're coming from." I nodded.

After lunch was served to both us, and our pokémon May; May and I sat down in a bench in the greenhouse. "You don't seem nervous." I said.

"About what?"

"Meeting my family, most people would be in this situation."

"Nah, it's not my nature to be nervous about meeting people." She said.

"Then that's enough said, I'm glad you're not nervous. That's a good sign."

"Of what?"

"That everything is going well in the relationship."

The laughed. "Even I could have told you that, Drew." I rolled my eyes and put my arm around her. "After all it's not like we were forcibly put together, this was a relationship that was welcomed, much like our partnership in contests."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It almost too good to believe that we actually got together, but I have my proof right here, with you sitting next to me."

"Yep, this is no dream. I like not having to worry about waking up?" I raised my eyebrow and looked at her. She smiled back and rested her head on my shoulder. "It's a really great relationship because we're both very happy."

"One day I'll take you to see my mom; you'll really like to meet her. She's more like Victoria, kind, gentle, polite…"

"Like you?" I shrugged.

"I guess."

She nodded. "Just like you." She said emphasizing the personality traits of me.

Soon it was time to head over to dinner at the restaurant, I had called in and reserved a table for 6. May had already explained the events to Max and Lily who had agreed to come. Max didn't figure it was a good thing to go along but Lily had begged and he came. They promised to meet us there on time. Max said he would go shopping for something to wear and Lily likewise. They were in town; we just hadn't seen them yet.

I took a shower, and got dressed in my formal attire that I had picked out this morning. I came down the stairs to see may in a beautiful floor length light blue dress that fit her beautifully, it was held up on small straps and light blue sleeves down her arms. She turned around and I smiled. She blushed and looked around the room.

"You look perfect." I said.

"Thanks Drew, is it time to go?" She asked me. I nodded. "Let's go then."

"Drew, here." May's father tossed me the keys to his car.

"Thanks." I said. The restaurant was a bit farther then expected so it was great that I could drive there. I had only about a few months ago got my license. I didn't use it much, not having a car but I could drive if need be.

We arrived and I helped her out of the car after we parked. "May, Drew, hey." Max said to us.

"You been here long?" May asked.

"Only a few minutes, you look beautiful May." Lily said. I looked at her; she was wearing a red dress that was down to her knees.

"You look nice too Lily." May said.

"Thanks, ready to go in?"

"They here?" I asked speaking my first words since we arrived.

"No, but they will. Here they come." Ellen, my stepmother and Kane, my dad stepped out.

"Lily, you're here!" She said running over to her and hugging her. She turned to look at me and glared.

"Oh yeah, Mom, this is May, Drew's girlfriend, and Max, my date for the evening." She nodded taking note of everything Lily said carefully. She turned to look at May. May looked nervous, though May was never one to be nervous until she was on stage.

"Hello, I'm May. It's a pleasure to meet you." May said as gently as she could after finishing bowing.

"Likewise May, I'm sure you've never met Drew's father, Kane." May shook her head and bowed again.

"I'm glad I can meet finally get to meet you. Drew and I have been busy for a while so it's great to have a chance to meet you." May say smiling.

"Yes, it is, I'm surprised that you live so near to us after we've just recently moved." May nodded.

"What's your full name, May?"

"May Adena," May said.

"So I was right, you are the same May that Drew mentioned on one of our conversations a few years ago. The one who was a gym leader's daughter. I never talk to Drew much but it's great to finally meet someone who has been with my son over the years." May was quite happy. I was too. I wouldn't have figured that he would have made the connection but yet again, he is quite smart so I guess it was to be expected. I was glad they weren't being mean to either of us.

"I think it's about time we head in to the restaurant." I said.

"Yeah, someone could get sick in this weather without a jacket." Max added.

"It is getting a lot colder, since the sun is setting and all." May said looking toward the sunset. May and I lead in followed by Max and Lily as well as my parents.

We sat down at the table with Max and Lily across from May and I. My parents on the end. "So Max, where do you live?" My dad asked.

"I live here, with May when I'm not traveling." They gasped. "Sorry I didn't explain properly. I'm May's brother, Max Adena." The nodded understanding the mistake.

"That's nice, so you travel with whom?" My dad asked.

"Currently we're taking a break since we collected all our badges, Ash Ketches and I but now, I'm going to be traveling alongside Lily for the next months to help her get her next 3 badges." They nodded understanding where she had been.

"So she has two?" My stepmother said.

"Yeah, she's struggled a bit starting up, lost her first one but since she's hasn't been in the contest circuit for a while, it's understandable." Max said.

"I'm glad." He said. "How are your contest ribbon collection going, shouldn't you be working on it?"

"May is healing from a past accident during our contests but we have three and will be returning next week to coordinate, again." I explained. A waiter came, we all ordered and then he left.

"How was she hurt?" My stepmother asked concerned.

"One of our attacks hit the enemy, but the explosion was so widespread it knocked me into a wall. I was temporarily blinded for a few days prior to that and up until that so it was hard for me to know what was going on."

"That must have been hard."

"No, not all really, it was actually a lot easier to coordinate. Competing wasn't as enjoyable but Drew helped me through it all, every second of the way. He has saved me two times in accidents involving my sight, no wait it's three." She said. I smiled and her confusion it was very interesting.

"That's surprising." Dad said.

"How so?" She asked.

"Well, for the longest time Drew was spacious to everyone, even his own family and for him to become this close to someone is really surprising."

"I don't think so; he just wanted to do things his own way. He wanted his own independence; I figure that I would do the same thing if I was in his situation."

"Hm?" My stepmother asked.

"It's really easy to understand, he was bringing around with him, his sister. At early times, he was coordinating against her, so one of his rivals had access to everything he did before, all his moves and such, giving them both a hard way to move on."

◊

"I understand." He said.

"Not only that but he was trying to do something for himself, to become a top coordinator and with her there it made it impossibly to win and he was being held down by his sister. If Max had been a coordinator also when I began traveling, I probably would have gone separate ways too." She said.

This came unexpected; they seemed to be understanding of the whole events. I didn't expect this at all. I would definitely have to thank May for this later. "Mom, may I be excused?" Lily asked.

They didn't say anything. Lily looked to me. I nodded and she walked off to the bathroom. Nothing was said for quite a long time, and worst of all, Lily must have been hurt. "Um May, would you mind talking to Lily?" I asked.

"Of course not," She got up and went to the bathroom. I sat there.

"Don't you think my sister was a bit harsh?" Max asked.

"I don't think harsh, but brutally honest was a true statement. But yet again, they needed to be told this." I looked to my mother and father who stared down at their meals which had just been set down. They looked as if May's words hadn't been told to them countless times. I had tried to explain the same thing to them, many times before. They refused to hear the logic of my statements hearing it from someone else made it seem ow too real.

May returned with Lily by her side. May had comforted her and Lily was going to cry but seemed to not be able to hold it her emotions. "I'm sorry, Drew." She said and then everything went back to normal.

"I'm sorry too son." My dad said. "I wish I would have listened to what you said, and then maybe, we would have got along better.

"Sorry Drew, I didn't mean to be that mean to you yesterday."

"You're all forgiven; I've always forgiven your trespasses on me. However, what you said to me yesterday was quite honest; Lily told me the same thing. But then again, that stage was over 7 years ago." They nodded.

"Eh?" May asked.

"You know Lily and Victoria's theory about me never being able to love, it's actually a wide spread theory in their side of the family." May nodded, understanding what I meant.

"I thought so too for a while, that's why I figured that it would never happen between us, that and the fact that it took a huge push to get there." I said.

"Yeah, Ash says Misty does that a lot." Max added.

"I'm super glad that you two have each other." Lily said so happily.

"I am too." I said gently. May smiled and nodded as well.

Dinner went a lot better and faster then I would have expected or hoped. My parents enjoyed May's company much as I did. My stepmother was glad to see that Lily was fine and noticed her attraction to May's brother, Max.

May seemed to love talking with my parents. Yet again, May loved talking with anyone. "So Lily's having Christmas with your family?" My stepmother asked.

"Yeah, Drew and Victoria are as well. If you don't mind of course." May added, politely.

"Of course not May, I'm sure they'll all be happy to spend the holidays with you and your family." My dad said.

"So what are you doing after the coordinating season is over, since the partner coordinating is only during the summer?" My stepmother asked.

"May and I plan to take a college acceptance exam, if we score above it, then we'll think of something else but if we don't meet the requirements, then we've decided to go to college."

"That seems like a wonderful idea." Lily said.

"I guess, I predict that we'll pass it. Meaning we'll need a new plan." I added.

"Yeah, I don't think I want to hang around a college anyway." May said. "But if don't meet the expectations of colleges then it would be best to go."

"I agree." I said.

The meal was finished and everyone went separate ways besides Lily and Max who stayed with us since we were all going the same place. I drove everyone home and I realized that Lily and Max had fallen asleep while May had fallen asleep on me which wasn't extremely safe since I was driving but it was fine since we had now arrived home.

"Max…" I called quietly. He opened his eyes.

"Yeah Drew?" He asked.

"Can you take Lily up to one of the guest bedrooms while I grab May?" I asked.

"Sure," He said quietly. We brought the girls in quietly as to not wake up their parents.

I took May up to her bedroom and sat her in her bed, covering her up with the blankets. I quietly left.

"Drew?" She mumbled opening her eyes and sitting up.

"Yeah," I responded.

"Can we see your mom on Tuesday?" She asked. "I'd like to meet her before we return to coordinating since it could be a while before we get another chance to."

"I'm not sure."

"I'm pretty sure that Victoria's there too. It's the place that you'd least likely to go right?"

"Yeah."

"So why not?"

"May, I really don't have good relations with my family."

"Not that's not true, you told me about her. She seemed one to be glad to see you again, right?"

"Yeah but, I'm not sure how'd she react if I just showed up again, one day."

"I'm sure she'd be happy to see you. I know it."

I sighed. "I'm just not sure May."

"You wouldn't happen to be scared, are you Drew?" Even when she's half-asleep she can still argue with me, great.

"No, I just don't want to show up after all these years. I'm not sure how'd she'd react. Especially after how I upset Victoria."

"Are you concerned about if she still loves you the same?" May asked trying understanding me.

"No, it's just that I don't want to upset her."

"Hm, how so?"

"She cried herself to sleep every night for a month when dad divorced her, then another one when she found out that she'd be leaving me."

"You don't want to hurt her." I nodded.

"I don't want to bring up emotions in her that will make her cry. I don't like seeing anyone close to me cry." May smiled.

"That's nice but if she cries I'm sure it'll be because she's happy to see you. Please?" May asked.

"Can we talk about this tomorrow, I need to think about." I asked back.

"Of course, night Drew." I nodded, and walked off.

A/N: Sorry it's late, I got out of school yesterday and I figured that I could take my time and make it nice instead of sloppily by the end of the day.