*Set 10 years after the end of S&D*

Lights in The Darkness

Alice sat on the front porch of her home of six years. The small house was settled in a small clearing near the Dream Yard and Striaton City, places that held so many happy memories for the now 28 year old woman. The building was just small enough to be cozy, and painted in soft greens and browns, almost blending in with the forest around it.

She quietly watched the setting the setting sun, a small smile on her face as reminisced. She thought of the first time she had met the white haired, Ex-Shadow Triad member Shadow.

Alice's cerulean eyes widened, and she stumbled backward several steps. To say that she was surprised by the person behind her would have been an understatement. The owner of the slate grey orbs was a boy, well, man, not much older than she was-19 or 20, maybe-and stood a few inches taller than she did, with a slim-but lean-build. Long white hair fell down his back, and-from what she could tell from the limited amount of skin he was showing-he was very pale.

Something about this boy struck her as familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. Shoving the inquiry to the back of her mind, she focused on the present situation. She was in a forest, after dark, with a strange man, alone.

No... Not alone. Her eyes briefly flashed to her Pokémon. If it came down to it, she could always call on them. Returning her gaze to the stranger before her, a single statement slipped through her lips, "Who are you, and what do you want?"

Amusement briefly flashed in the stranger's eyes and a small smirk crossed his lips. "You honestly don't know? Or rather, you don't remember. I'm surprised, I thought you had a better memory than that."'

She giggled softly at the memory. Their first meeting was odd, at best. To that day, it almost baffled her at how the two had come so far together.

Her thoughts shifted to when her feelings had first started to arise, though at the time she hadn't realized what exactly they were

Her blue eyes shined with surprise as she looked up at him. While Shadow's own grey orbs shined with mischief. A wide grin crossed his face.

Alice was frozen. She could do nothing more than stare up at him wide-eyed. One thought replayed itself over and over again in her head. What the hell is he doing? Even as he slowly bent his head down, so his lips rested next to her ear, she could doing nothing but stare at a space behind him.

A chuckle left Shadow's lips. The sound, coupled with his breath wafting over her neck, sent a shudder down Alice's spine. Though she couldn't figure out why, the feeling wasn't entirely unpleasant, she decided, and that surprised her. She had never really been one for prolonged human contact. But, what surprised her more, was that she found her self ever so slightly leaning into his touch.

Another chuckle escaped him. "What's wrong, Alice? Afraid? Or are you really so surprised that you can't move?" Another shudder traveled down her spine. She couldn't form any form of answer, even in her head. She could hear her heart beat in her ears. He turned his head ever so slightly toward her, "No answer? Well then, see ya later." And he was gone, his laugh echoing in the forest around her.

She slumped to the ground. She could still feel her heart beating erratically, and this confused her. She never felt this before. The rapid beating of her heart, and sense that she was missing something once he was gone.

A small blush covered her cheeks. Thinking back on that event now, it came off as so much more... suggestive than it had, at the time. Of course, she was still rather ignorant at that time.

Again, Alice's thoughts shifted, this time to when she had first kissed him, and the first time she had told him, "I love you".

"'Stole your heart', huh?"

She pouted slightly and glanced away again. "Your confession made me realize a few things..."

The whitette's head tilted slightly, his grin still in place. "And what were those things?"

It was her turn to give a small grin. "One was that it's cute when you stutter." Shadow pouted at this, but still managed to look amused. "The other was that..." She stood up and took a deep breath, trying to gather what confidence she could for what she was going to do next. She stood on her toes and quickly pressed her lips to his.

Her face was a very bright shade of red as she pulled away. "I love you, too."

Those times seem so long ago. She mused. And it had been. A decade was quite a long time, in her opinion. Memories of more recent events climbed to the service. She glanced down at her left hand, and the sparkling ring settled on her finger.

It was a relatively normal day for Alice. She stood in the Dream Yard watching her Pokemon at play. Umbreon and Houndoom were lounging in the shadows beneath the trees, Weavile in the branches above them. Zoroark was climbing about on the ruins of the old building, and Froslass and Mismasgius chased each other about.

Shadow eventually turned up, but Alice could tell he wasn't acting like himself. He was nervous and fidgety, and had a small blush dusted across his cheeks. One of his hands was hidden behind his back.

Alice's brow creased in slight concern. "Shadow, is everything alright?"

He jumped slightly at the sound of her voice. "Y-yeah... I um... I have something I need to ask you..." He slowly dropped to one knee.

Alice's eye widen slightly at the action. Is he...?

"Alice Gray, will you marry me?"

A smile spread across her face and tears pricked her eyes. "Do you really need to ask?"

Shadow was back onto his feet in a second, and pulling her into a kiss, slipping the ring onto her finger.

Alice was jolted out of her thoughts when two small bodies collided with hers, two small voices, one male and the other female speaking excitedly.

"Mommy, Mommy!"

"Can we go play in the Dream Yard with the Pokemon?"

Alice turned to the two five year old children, Nao and Hikari, with a smile on her face. "Have you asked your father?"

"They have. I'm the one who told them to ask you."

The ravenette looked up at her husband of six years as her looked down at the three with a soft smile on his face.

Shadow hadn't changed much in the eleven years since their first meeting. His hair had grown back out, but he was still often cocky and sarcastic, but Alice loved him either way.

She looked back at their twin children. Both were an almost perfect half-and-half cross between her and Shadow. In looks, at least. Both had stark white hair, like their father, but their eyes were a the same ice blue as their mother's.

In personality, each took after one parent more than the other. Nao was more soft spoken and quite, like Alice, but he had moments where he could be just as sarcastic as his father. Hikari, on the other hand, was boisterous, loud and energetic, clearly taking more after her father. Alice thought the two balanced each other out fairly well.

"Hm... How about we all go to the Dream Yard?" Alice suggested, standing up.

"Yay!" Both children cheered and ran for the pathway leading the old building site.

Shadow chuckled slightly and took Alice's hand, the two of them following at a leisurely pace.

Alice was quite happy with the way her life turned out, and she wouldn't have changed it for anything.

Hello again my lovely readers!

This was orignally a separate story as a one-shot, but I decided to add it onto S&D itself.

I was reading back through the comments, and I just couldn't stop smiling. I decided to write this little one-shot in order to give you all another look into the lives of Alice and Shadow as a thank you for all of the support you all have given me. :)

Until next time~!

Ja ne!

(Asa)