Thanks to splitheart1120, LuckyTigger, AikoAkahana, Light-Sakura, AnimexLuver4Ever, Angelic Sakura Blossom and RaveOn21now22 for reviewing! I hope this chapter isn't a total let down T_T So please review and let me know what you think :)

Eleven: Arguments

"I told you," Paul snapped at Dawn, "It wasn't my fault."

"Oh yeah?" Dawn argued back. Johanna came rushing into the hallway as she heard her daughter return. Over the past three months Johanna had gotten used to the two bickering and bantering but there was something in their tones that alerted her to this argument. Dawn was glaring at Paul with her hands on her hips. "It just so happened that your Weavile attacked Kenny for no reason at all?"

"I told you," Paul growled, "Weavile was confused because Kenny's Pokémon confused it."

"Oh, I'm sure that's right," Dawn said, "I hate it when you get jealous."

"I am not jealous," Paul snapped.

"Yes you are!" Dawn yelled, "You get jealous whenever any guy talks to me."

"No, I get annoyed whenever a guy flirts with you," Paul replied, "Which is every other guy since you wear such skimpy clothes."

"Are you saying I look trashy and easy?" Dawn asked.

"Yes," Paul snapped. Johanna looked between the two teens. She was extremely worried about where this argument was going but she daren't step in just in case she made things worse.

"So you don't trust me? Is that it?" Dawn asked. Johanna looked at Paul.

"This has nothing to do with trust," Paul snapped, "This is about you accusing me of something because you think I'm always wrong."

Bad move Paul, Johanna thought.

"I am not accusing you of anything!"

"You said I told Weavile to attack Kenny! Just because Kenny implied it!" Paul yelled. Dawn flustered.

"Well, you weren't being very nice to him," Dawn replied.

"Because he was flirting with you!"

"So you were jealous!"

"No."

"Then what's the matter with you?"

"I'm fed up of you not believing me, that's what's the matter with me!" Paul yelled, "It's just like when you accused me of staring at Zoey because Kenny said I was."

"I didn't accuse you of anything!" Dawn shouted back.

"Yes you did," Paul snapped. Johanna folded her arms and looked at the argument. This one seemed like it wasn't going to blow over. Johanna was more than worried now. Dawn was angry which was no surprise, but Paul also looked like he was fuming. That was not a good sign. "I trust you but you don't seem to trust me. You'd much rather listen to two people who abandoned you in Johto than a boyfriend who cares for you."

"Oh yeah?" Dawn asked, "And you don't trust me enough to talk to other people who happen to by guys without running off with them!"

"It's not about that!" Paul yelled.

"Please," Johanna said, "Calm down."

"You think you know best all the time don't you?" Dawn asked.

"Since when do I do that?" Paul snapped

"Always," Dawn replied, "You always think you're the greatest in the world and I'm just a stupid little girl. Apparently my friends who I have known for years aren't really my friends because one of them 'likes' me."

"You seemed to have forgotten that these same friends left you in Johto," Paul said loudly, "Alone with not so much as a farewell."

"That was then," Dawn said, "They apologised!"

"For what?" Paul asked, "For not getting in touch sooner?"

"You never forgive do you!" Dawn yelled.

"I do, but I don't forget about the past," Paul replied, "It takes time to forgive people."

"See, that's your opinion!" Dawn shouted.

"If I'm not going to be listened to then why should I bother being here?" Paul snarled. Johanna stepped back slightly at the tone in Paul's voice.

"Fine then," Dawn spat back with a tone with twice as much venom, "Leave me and get out of here!"

She turned and stormed out of the hallway, making her way upstairs to her room. Paul leant back on the door, panting hard. Johanna looked at him worriedly. He seemed pale and shocked. Instant regret all over his face.

"Paul?" Johanna asked.

"Thank you for your kindness," Paul said in a strangely calm voice, "But I'm leaving."

"Paul," Johanna said, "It's just one argument."

"And next time it will be two," Paul stated, "I'll get my things."

Johanna bit her lip as Paul walked up the stairs and to his room. What should she do? What could she do? Paul was almost as stubborn as Dawn. Paul returned with a rucksack a few minutes later. He never did bring a lot of stuff with him, Johanna thought as he walked back down the stairs. He gave her a small bow before he left the house. Johanna stared at the now closed door, hoping he'd come back. Dawn ran out of her room and looked down at the hallway. Paul wasn't there anymore.

"Mum…" Dawn trailed off. Johanna ran up to her daughter as Dawn collapsed onto the floor.

"It's OK, Dawn," Johanna told her daughter as she embraced her. Dawn cried into her mother's top. "It'll all be fine."

"He's gone," Dawn cried, "I… I… Mum!"

"It's OK sweetie," Johanna replied calmly, "I'm here. You'll be fine."

Outside Twinleaf Town, Paul was walking hurriedly towards Sandgem Town. He didn't want to think about anything, especially not what had just happened. Paul kicked a rock in anger. Why did she have to do that? Why did she have to accuse him of things he wasn't guilty of? Didn't trust him at all? He put everything on hold for her and this is all she could do?

Paul came to a fork in the road. One way lead to Sandgem Town, the other to Lake Verity. Paul looked between the two before taking the latter route. He walked through the grass until he found himself at the lake. He sat down near to the water and stared morosely at his surroundings. Paul grabbed Torterra's Pokéball and released the continent Pokémon.

"Tor?" Torterra asked, confused at the surroundings. Torterra glanced at his master, realising that his master seemed extremely upset about something. Torterra laid down beside Paul and waited for Paul to him. Paul was quiet for a long while but Torterra knew better than to push the matter.

"It's over," Paul mumbled.

"Tor?"

"Dawn and I," Paul replied, "We had an argument and I left."

"Torterra, tor tor ra terra," Torterra said. Paul looked at the giant Pokémon.

"Why should anyone have to deal with me?" Paul asked, "I can't ever do anything right. So why should you bother!"

"Tor! Torterra, tor tor torterra terra tor tor terra ra!"Torterra scolded Paul. Paul kicked the ground in frustration. He let out a breath. Torterra tilted his head to the side before he nudged Paul gently. Paul rubbed his head, although he looked even more depressed than before. Torterra stood up. "Tor tor ra. Torterra erra tor."

"I can't go back," Paul muttered.

"Tor torterra?" Torterra snapped.

"My pride has nothing to do with this," Paul replied. Torterra blinked. "I hate hurting her. I know I'm bound to screw things up again so can't I spare her it?"

Torterra looked at the floor. Paul glanced at his companion.

"No comment?" Paul asked, "Not even my own Pokémon believes I can do this. I'll be alone all my life while the one girl I ever loved finds happiness with someone else. At least I'll spare her from any pain."

"Tort… erra?" Torterra asked. Paul looked up at the Pokémon with a little confusion.

"Why do you think that?" Paul snapped, "I don't love her, we've only been dating for a few months."

"Torterra terra torterra tort," Torterra stated. Paul blinked. Translation: You just said you loved her. Paul ran the conversation back through his head before he jumped to his feet. He let out a shaky sigh.

"I meant… I mean…" Paul hung his head. Everything seemed to catch up with him at once. The happiness he'd felt over the last few months, the pain at seeing her upset, the comfort he felt in her presence. "I do. I do love her."

"Tor tort ra terra," Torterra told him. Paul looked at his friend and offered him a small smile.

"I can't make her happy," Paul said. Torterra gave Paul a hard glare as if to tell him to stop being stupid. Paul walked back towards Route 201. Torterra followed behind, wondering what Paul was going to do. Paul paused at the sign pointing towards Sandgem Town and Twinleaf Town.

Finally Paul made up his mind and continued on his way.

Dawn was still crying but now she was in her room. Johanna had been banned from entering as were any Pokémon. Piplup looked worriedly up at Johanna.

"Pip?" he asked.

"She'll be alright, Piplup," Johanna said. Piplup looked at the floor in a saddened way. Despite Paul being a little mean, Piplup had really thought this would work out between them. Johanna walked into the kitchen with her Glameow behind her. Piplup continued to stare up the stairs.

There was a knock at the door. Piplup squawked so that Johanna could answer it. Johanna rushed from the kitchen to the door and opened it quickly.

"Oh, thank Arceus," she sighed. Paul nodded his head, "I thought you were just going to take off."

"Sorry," Paul replied, "I had to go and cool off."

"Wise choice," Johanna said, "She's in her room."

Paul stood awkwardly on the front step for a few seconds before he let out a small sigh.

"Torterra," Torterra snapped, "Tor tor ra!"

"Pip piplup!" Piplup agreed. Johanna smiled at the two Pokémon shortly before Paul recalled Torterra, muttering a quick thanks to him. Paul walked into the house and set straight up the stairs. Johanna let out a sigh of relief.

"Everything's going to be fine," she muttered.

Paul knocked on Dawn's door.

"Let me alone, mum!" she replied through the door. Paul leant his head on the door for a few seconds before opening the door anyway. He looked round Dawn's rather spacious bedroom as he closed the door. Dawn was laid face down on her bed crying.

"Please," she said, "I'm fine."

Paul stood awkwardly for a few seconds. He walked over to her bed and stood next to her. Slowly he sat down and put a hand on her shoulder. She quivered as she cried into her pillow. He hated seeing her this way. He stroked her shoulder tenderly.

"Dawn," he said softly. Dawn gasped. She looked up from her pillow and sat up. She wiped her eyes the best she could and attempted to stop crying. The two of them sat in silence for a few seconds before Paul pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back. No words were said for a while as they sat embraced in each others arms.

"I'm sorry," Paul said finally, "I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"No," Dawn said with a sniff, "I was the one who shouted first. I'm sorry."

Paul kissed her head. Dawn hugged him tighter.

"I was so scared you'd really left me," she told him, new tears in her eyes.

"I almost did," Paul admitted, "But Torterra made me realise it was a mistake."

"I'll thank him," Dawn said.

"I don't want to hurt you, Dawn," Paul said in a serious manner, "Because I care for you too much. I love you. I hate seeing you upset and I know I don't deserve you. I can't promise that I won't hurt you again because I will probably end up doing it sometime, but I don't want to leave you."

"You… You love me?" Dawn asked as she pulled away slightly so she could look him in the eye. Paul nodded slowly. "Really? You really mean it?"

"Is that all you heard from what I just said?" Paul asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," she snapped, "But it's the only thing that matters to me."

She sat up and gently kissed him on the lips. It took Paul a second or two to figure out what she was doing before he could react. By the time he had figured out what to do, Dawn had pulled away.

"You're so bad at this," she giggled. Paul frowned. To his surprise she jumped on him again, hugging him tightly. "But at least you know what matters."

Paul smiled gently as he went back to holding her.

"I finally got something right," Paul muttered to himself.

"One out of ten is about right," Dawn teased. Paul decided to let it slide rather than sparking another argument, just in case. Instead he jut tightened his grip on her waist.

"I love you too, Paul," she muttered into his ear.

"Daddy," Josh said, "That was really bad way to tell mummy you loved her. You made her cwy."

"Yeah, daddy," Amber agreed as the small girl looked up at her father. Paul smiled across the table at his wife, however was side tracked by his confused looking son.

"What's wrong, Lewis?" Paul asked.

"Why did you fall in love with mummy after a fight?" Lewis asked, "It's confusing."

"It's when I realised I was in love with your mother," Paul replied, "In all probability I was in love with her before that but never realised. That's why I told you all those other parts. I fell in love with her a bit at a time."

"That's an easy way to get out of the question," Dawn muttered. Paul scowled at her.

"When did you fall in love with me then?" Paul asked. The children looked at their mother. Dawn smirked.

"I can recall the exact point when I fell in love with you," she said, "Your father was in the Sinnoh League going up against Ash. I over heard him talking to his brother on the phone so I hid and listened."

"That naughty, mummy," Amber commented.

"I know sweetie," Dawn replied, "But when your father caught me, he didn't yell at me. He told me that he hated Ash because he was exactly like your uncle. I said that Ash was Ash while Reggie was Reggie. It was the first time your father had ever talked to me like an equal and I dunno, I guess I just fell in love right there."

Lewis, Josh and Amber looked at their father, who seemed to be slightly startled by his wife's confession.

"What?" Dawn asked.

"You were in love with me the whole time?" Paul asked, "And you never hinted anything until you ran away that time?"

"Oh yes," Dawn said sarcastically, "I was bound to walk up to you at our first meeting and say 'hi, Paul, I love you'. Did you ever wonder why I went to Reggie's that night anyway?"

"I never really thought about it," Paul said.

"I would just go over and talk to him so I could get some insight into you," Dawn replied, "And why I decided to set off to Hoenn on my own. I was on my own for a long while until I bumped into Zoey and Kenny."

"I never… knew that," Paul said, dumbfounded. Dawn laughed at his expression. It was a rare expression from him that reminded her of Ash. The kids giggled at him as well. "Here I was, trying to teach the kids that love doesn't happen over night and you have to go and mess that up."

"What have you learnt from these stories, kids?" Dawn asked her three kids.

"Daddy can be stupid," Josh said. Paul glared at his son.

"Daddy funny!" Amber yelled.

"Er…" Lewis said, thinking of an answer that wasn't already said, "Love is different for everyone?"

Paul glanced over at his wife who was smiling at her eldest.

"Exactly," she said, "Well done all three of you."

"Thank you so much for your support," Paul said to Dawn.

"But what happened next?" Lewis asked his mother.

"What do you mean?" Dawn asked.

"Story not done!" Amber agreed.

"I'm not sure when our story ends," Dawn replied, "It's still on going."

"I think I know where we can leave it," Paul said. Dawn looked at her husband and waited for what he was about to say.

Hope you liked :) On another note, I need a title for another fic and I need help on it T_T If you have any suggestions for a fic set in Johto with Barry, Dawn and Paul as the main characters, please tell me! I had to write one since a few people had suggested it :) I'm working on it!

Thanks for reading!

RSx