Some people wanted to see a chapter involving some Aiden and Michelle interaction with Ash's mother, so I came up with this! It's a fluffy piece, but I like the way it turned out :P She spoils them greatly, as you could probably imagine, so this is what I created the chapter around.
Two small notes. One: Aiden and Michelle call Delia "Grammy" so they don't mix her up with Misty's mother, who they call "Grandma." I haven't written much involving Misty's parents yet, but eventually I will. Once I come up with a good idea. And two: Aiden and Michelle are still young in this chapter, so any mistakes you see in their grammar is on purpose. For example, you're going to see "pease" alot. I didn't forget the L, Aiden and Michelle did :P
Aiden and Michelle: 3 years old
Grammy
"Do you two promise that you're going to behave for Grammy?"
Aiden and Michelle were both gazing up at their mother, who had a very serious look plastered on her face. They then turned to their grandmother, who giggled and gave them a smile.
"Yes Mommy!" The two chimed together.
Misty beamed and kneeled down, giving both children three kisses each; on their left cheek, forehead, and right cheek. Michelle appreciated the affection, but Aiden didn't quite feel the same way. He instantly stuck his tongue out and began wiping at his face, causing Misty to laugh and ruffle his midnight locks.
"Ready to go yet, Mist?" Ash was standing behind Misty, trying desperately to tie a dark blue, printed tie around his neck. Sighing, Delia stepped forward and fixed the tie for her son, who grinned sheepishly in response. "Heh. Thanks Mom."
"No problem," Delia waved a hand. "Aiden, Michelle," she addressed her grandchildren, who quickly turned around, "Mommy and Daddy have to go now, or they're going to be late."
"Bye!" Michelle called out, waving to her parents.
"Well, that was easy," Misty glanced at her husband. Ash simply chuckled in response.
"Remember what Mommy said, okay guys?" Ash looked down at the twins. They nodded slowly, and soon Ash and Misty were off to dinner.
"Grammy," Aiden turned to his grandmother, "I'm hungry."
"Oh sweetheart, you ate dinner before you came here, didn't you?" Delia smiled at her grandson.
"I'm hungry again," Aiden blinked.
Delia giggled and turned towards the kitchen. "Oh, you're so much like your Daddy. Well, since you already ate dinner, how about some dessert?"
"Yeah!" Aiden beamed, jumping up and down excitedly as his eyes sparkled. "Cookie?"
"Yes, I have cookies," Delia nodded. "And I have some cupcakes too! What would you like, dear?"
"Both!" Aiden answered without hesitation.
"Both?" Delia repeated, her tone growing a little wary. Aiden nodded, his face set in a serious expression. "But honey, if you eat both, you might get a tummy ache."
"Grammy, both pease?" Aiden pouted, his eyes growing large as he pleaded with his grandmother. Delia cooed softly, grinning boldly at her little grandson's simple action.
"Oh, how can I say no to a face like that?" Delia ruffled Aiden's midnight black locks. The young boy smiled once again, his cheeks turning pink as excitement once again coursed through his veins. Looking at the boy's twin sister, Delia hummed gently and asked, "Michelle, darling, do you want cake and cookies too?"
"Yes!" Michelle cheered, her wonderful emerald eyes brightening as she looked up at the older woman.
Delia continued to smile happily to herself as the two children ran into the kitchen, pulling themselves up into chairs at the kitchen table with great effort. Delia would have offered to help the children up, but they were rather independent and determined little things. They didn't even like to receive help from their own parents, although they loved the adults dearly.
Ash's mother hardly minded watching over the twins, and providing them with a seemingly endless amount of sweets, an act that she knew Ash disapproved of heartily. Delia just couldn't help it. She loved Aiden and Michelle like nothing else in the world. They were so precious and wonderful…Delia was sure nobody had grandchildren as beautiful and perfect as hers. Perhaps they brought her so much joy because Delia wasn't so sure they would ever even exist. Ash, while she loved her son immensely, had always been terribly stubborn, and on top of that, restless. He was always jumping from one journey to the next, stopping by the house for only a day or two at a time before setting off yet again. As Ash got older, however, Delia began to prod him on the subject of love just as much as she had about his underwear when he was a child. She would always ask him when he was going to find a nice girl, and finally settle down in order to give her some grandchildren. Of course, Ash would always become flustered and beg his mother to stop asking him such a question, but Delia was persistent on the matter.
Putting down the cake and tray of cookies on the table, Delia took a moment to study Michelle's hair: bright red and stick straight, resting a good inch or so below her dainty shoulders. It was clear she got that from her mother, Misty, and that's part of what made Delia so giddy.
Delia would've loved whoever Ash eventually got together with, because she valued her son's happiness above all else. However, while he was still young, Delia had mentally decided who would make the best partner for Ash, simply based on their friendship and natural chemistry. This on top of the fact that Delia had begun to view the girl as her own daughter. On the days where Misty could barely tolerate her gym leader duties, or her sisters, she would come straight to Delia, even though Ash was rarely home for these visits. Through these countless stopovers, Delia and Misty had formed a solid bond. Misty was always happy to do something for Delia, be it a small errand or helping her in the garden. Delia never did like putting Misty to work, however, and often just sat the younger girl down for tea or a good meal.
Once Ash and Misty finally started to date, Delia felt that everything was right in the world. Having only her growing up, Delia knew that Ash could've probably used a stronger family unit. With Misty in the picture, this fantasy was beginning to become a reality. Delia knew it would become perfect once the couple actually got married and had children of their own. Then Ash would have the complete family he'd never known.
Delia's attention once again reverted back to her grandchildren. Eating was pretty much the only time the two were completely silent. Much like their parents, Aiden and Michelle ate plenty and feverously. Delia was almost certain she would regret giving them this much sugar later on, but they were just too cute to say no to. Besides, once Ash and Misty came back, the children would be their problem. This is the real joy of having grandchildren, Delia thought with a smirk. Spoiling them without consequence.
"Done, Grammy!"
Delia blinked, having been torn from her thoughts by Aiden's squeaky little voice. Glancing down at the children's plates, Delia was hardly surprised to see the dishes completely clear of any food. Not a single crumb remained from the cookies and slices of cake that had just been demolished.
"My, that was quick!" Delia giggled. She collected the plates and headed over to the sink, putting them in and preparing to wash the dishes.
"Grammy, can we go?" Michelle called.
Delia looked over her shoulder. Michelle was sitting up on her knees, leaning her little arms over the back of her chair. Her head was tilted to the right in a questioning pose, and her eyes were wide in childlike innocence.
"Go where, darling?" Delia trilled.
"Park!" Michelle chirped, her head snapping up at the seemingly fabulous idea.
Delia hummed quietly to herself and looked out the window. It was still early at night, and because it was summertime, the sun was still out and the weather was warm. She glanced back down at the dishes, which desperately needed to be done. Delia sighed. She wanted to make her grandchildren happy, but she couldn't really just leave the dishes.
"Mime, mime!"
Turning around, Delia found her faithful Mimey standing in the doorway, sporting a straw sunhat and wearing a pair of dark green gardening gloves.
"There you are Mimey," Delia smiled at the clown Pokémon. "You finished tending to the garden?"
"Mime!" Mimey nodded.
Suddenly, Delia got an idea. "Mimey, if it's not too much trouble, would you mind taking care of these dishes for me?"
"Mime? Mr. Mime!" Mimey became even happier, causing Delia to smile. Doing chores was no bother to the barrier Pokémon; in fact, they were his favorite pastime.
"Thank you so much, Mimey!" Delia clasped her hands together. "Once you finish, there's a whole plate of cookies as well as some cake on the table. I made sure my little grandbabies didn't eat it all!"
"Mime," Mimey smiled, hopping over to the sink and trading out his gardening gloves for a sponge and dish towel.
"Alright you two," Delia put her attention back on the twins, who were still sitting at the table, "let's head on over to the park!"
Both Aiden and Michelle cheered excitedly as they leapt out of their chairs and hurried over to the front door, jumping eagerly for the door knob. Neither could reach, however, so a giggling Delia approached the door and opened it herself, sending the children right out into the front yard. They were smart, however, and knew not to run off without their grandmother. They waited patiently on the walkway for Delia to come outside, who grinned proudly at the children and told them how proud she was that they knew to stay put.
Aiden was happy to walk alongside his grandmother, observing everything around him as they walked. Michelle, however, preferred to have a little more attention placed on her.
"Grammy, hold hands?" Michelle looked up and smiled. Upon seeing the girl's tiny teeth, Delia giggled airily and held her hand out to the child.
"Of course, baby girl!"
Michelle squealed delightfully and grasped the older woman's hand, gently swinging their arms back and forth as they walked.
Delia went back to her thoughts as she watched the children walk alongside her, their obvious youth shining through tremendously as they scanned their eyes over all different kinds of things: trees, houses, flowers.
They were quite big already. It honestly felt like only yesterday that a still newly married Ash and Misty had informed her that they were going to be parents. Delia could clearly remember the first time she saw the two beautiful children: nestled in Ash's arms as tiny, newborn babies. She could've sworn her heart was going to burst at the sight: not only because it was wonderful, but because it hardly seemed like reality. In fact, Delia found herself in such a shocked state that she had looked up into her son's face with a look that was full of love and bewilderment, as if asking they're really real? And then, seeming to know exactly what his mother was wordlessly inquiring, Ash gave her a bright smile and sparkling eyes that responded yes, they're real. They're real, and they're perfect.
"Grammy, I'm going to go on the swings!"
Once again, Aiden was the one to break Delia out of her revere. She realized the boy wasn't looking at her, but rather ahead of himself with a look of determination. Wearing that expression made Aiden look even more so like Ash than usual.
"The swings were always your Daddy's favorite at the park," Delia playfully informed her grandson.
"Really?" Aiden stopped in his tracks and whipped around, his eyes bright upon hearing this little piece of information. He loved to be like his father in any way, shape, or form, and that meant anything from his favorite kinds of Pokémon to his favorite foods.
"Oh yes," Delia giggled quietly. "Every time I took him to the park, he would head straight to the swings. And he would try to get himself up as high as possible and then jump off in mid air." Delia looked rather startled by the memory, and she sighed tiredly. "Your Daddy was so good at scaring me when he was young. In fact, he was good at scaring me for quite some time."
"Daddy's not scary Grammy," Michelle laughed at the thought. "Daddy cuddly!"
"Yes, that he is," Delia murmured with a small smile gracing her lips.
Ash had really only calmed down when he found out he was going to be a father. He didn't want to endanger himself and chance not being there for his children. It was difficult for him to grow up without a father, and he didn't want Aiden and Michelle to suffer the same fate. Because of this, Aiden and Michelle refused to believe that their father could ever do anything dangerous. He was just there to hug and to cuddle! They had no idea what kind of situations their dear Daddy had put Delia, Misty, and all of his friends through throughout the years. And if they saw all the old, faded scars on the handsome young man's body…
"Grammy, watch me!"
Delia blinked hard and shook her head. She really needed to stop spacing out when Aiden and Michelle were in her care! They may have been well behaved children (at least under her supervision) but they were still young and very energetic; anything could happen.
It just happened upon Delia that they had finally reached the park. Aiden had already taken up one of the swings, and Michelle, who had been the one calling out for Delia's attention, was peeking out at the top of the plastic, orange slide.
"I'm watching dear," Delia grinned as she encouraged the young girl. "Go on!"
Michelle giggled as she began to push herself down the slide. As she went down, she shrieked in pure delight, the simple pleasure of the playground attraction more than enough to entertain the child.
"You sure are having fun with that slide, aren't you Shelly?" Delia playfully asked her granddaughter after the girl's sixth trip down.
"Yeah!" Michelle emphatically nodded her head. Jumping up from the bottom of the slide, Michelle beamed at her grandmother and asked, "Do you want to go, Grammy?"
"That's very sweet of you to ask, darling!" Delia cooed at the request. "But I think I'm a little too old to be going down the slide."
"You're not old!" Michelle scrunched up her little nose as she giggled airily. Delia supposed the little girl had a point. She was only in her forties, after all, and she didn't even look that old. There had been occasions before, in fact, where people had mistaken Delia to be Aiden and Michelle's mother.
"Thank you for the compliment Shelly," Delia grinned. Michelle simply laughed again and then, apparently bored of the slide, ran over to the swings to join her brother.
Delia watched the two young children play for a little while longer, but soon it began to grow dark. The sun was just setting below the tall oak trees that filled Pallet Town, and Delia decided that it was probably time to take the twins home.
"Alright you two, let's start heading back," Delia beckoned sweetly. The twins stopped swinging and stared up curiously at their grandmother, wondering why in the world they had to leave now. They were having too much fun. Smirking, Delia continued, "It's starting to get late, babies. I'm going to have to help you two get ready for bed so when Mommy and Daddy come to get you, they can tuck you away as soon as you get home."
"But we're not tired, Grammy," Aiden rested his head against the rubber coated chain of the swing and gave the most charming smile he could manage.
"I'm sure that walking home will help you two grow a little tired," Delia encouraged. "Let's try, okay?"
Aiden and Michelle still didn't look completely pleased with the decision, but they never argued with their Grammy. Their parents? Well, that was an entirely different story.
As Delia led the two back to her house down the quiet streets of Pallet Town, this time holding the hands of both children, Aiden and Michelle decided to stall for time by stopping to look in the windows of each and every store that lined downtown Pallet. At first, Delia thought they were just being their curious little selves, but she began to see through the act when the twins actually took interest in a pottery shop.
"You two are sneaky, aren't you?" Delia giggled behind her hand. Michelle looked over her shoulder to give her grandmother a glowing smile, batting her eyelashes as she did so. The latter action took Delia by surprise. She'd never seen the girl do that one before. With a quiet smile, Delia assumed that one of Misty's sisters had taught her the trick.
"Ooh, ooh, toys!" Aiden cried suddenly. He ran to the next store over, pressing his nose up against the glass window as he admired whatever was in the display. Michelle, who was also excited by the idea of toys, hurried next to her brother and looked alongside him. Delia stood behind the children, waiting patiently for them to finish surveying the playthings.
"Aiden!" Michelle squealed as she grabbed onto the sleeve of the boy's short sleeved red shirt. "Look at the Mana!"
Delia looked to where her granddaughter was jabbing her finger at, and giggled inwardly upon seeing what Michelle was so excited over. It was a stuffed Manaphy, although Michelle was clearly unable to say the Pokémon's full name. The fact that she got so excited over water Pokémon, however, just further proved who her mother was. It's just like Ash says. Michelle really is a Mini Misty.
"Ch…Charmander!" Aiden cried just as excitedly, sounding out the Pokémon's name very carefully.
Delia smiled to herself. She knew she shouldn't…that Ash would probably get upset with her. But the twins were so precious…how could she resist?
"Do you two want them?" Delia leaned in closer to the children and asked. They both spun around, with the widest grins either one could make, and nodded emphatically. "Alright, then. Let's go buy your stuffed Pokémon and then get into pajamas. How does that sound?"
"Yes pease," Michelle jumped up and down.
"Okay!" Aiden chirped joyfully.
It didn't take too long inside the store, since Aiden and Michelle both knew what they wanted. Delia showed them the other stuffed Pokémon, and made absolutely certain that they still wanted their original choices. Neither one changed their mind, so Delia paid for the Manaphy and Charmander and the small group was once again on their way, this time with no distractions.
Closer to home, Michelle had begun yawning and was soon leaning against Delia's leg. Looking down at the girl, Delia patted her head and asked, "Are you getting sleepy, little princess?"
"Yes," Michelle mumbled, her voice heavy with exhaustion.
Her lips curving upwards, Delia reached down with her right arm and pulled Michelle up, deciding to carry the tired girl the rest of the way. Her left hand, meanwhile, was still busy clutching onto Aiden's right, while the bag from the toy shop hung from her right wrist.
Back in the house, Delia found Mimey dusting off the television, a chore that she hadn't instructed the barrier Pokémon to do. "Oh Mimey, I certainly hope you took a break after washing those dishes," Delia smiled gently at the Pokémon.
"Mime!" Mimey nodded happily.
"Good. Would you mind fetching the twins' pajamas for me, then? They're folded up on the bed in the guest bedroom."
"Mime, Mr. Mime!" Mimey put down his duster and headed up the stairs.
Walking over to the couch, Delia put the half asleep Michelle down as gingerly as possible. The little girl yawned again and settled her head into the back cushions of the couch. Aiden, meanwhile, was able to pull himself up on the couch, sitting calmly next to his sister. He certainly didn't appear to be as sleepy as her, but he wasn't as hyper as he usually was, which indicated that he was somewhat tired.
"Aiden, do you want me to put the television on?" Delia asked as she stroked the young boy's hair.
"Yes pease!" Aiden smiled. Delia cooed and leaned in to kiss her grandson's cheek. He was always so polite to her. Delia just found it to be so adorable. She reached for the remote and turned the set on, searching for the one thing she knew would make Aiden happiest. As soon as she found it, the child's happy shriek confirmed it for his grandmother.
"Pokémon battle!"
Delia patted the boy's head and left him to his own devices. As she went to tend to Michelle, she smirked when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aiden pull his legs into his chest resting his chin on his knees; completely absorbed in the battle.
Michelle, on the other hand, had completely slumped over, and was now lying on her side with her eyes still half shut.
"Someone is very sleepy," Delia spoke to Michelle in a soothing, sing song voice. Misty often did the same thing to the children, so Delia knew it was comforting for them.
"Grammy," Michelle murmured, her voice barely audible. "I wan' Mana."
"You want Mama?" Delia leaned in closer, trying to decipher what Michelle had just said.
"No. Mana."
"Oh, Manaphy," Delia laughed quietly. Reaching into the bag, she retrieved the stuffed water type legendary and held it out for her granddaughter to take.
"Thank," Michelle yawned for the third time as she grabbed onto the toy, wrapping her arms around it and snuggling her cheek against its soft material.
"Aiden, do you want Charmander?" Delia glanced back at the raven haired boy. He nodded silently, not wanting to tear his eyes away from the battle for a single second. Smiling to herself, Delia handed off the stuffed replica of the fire starter, which Aiden took with a "thank you Grammy" and then proceeded to hold against his side like a dear friend.
"Mr. Mime, Mime!"
Delia knew that was Mimey announcing his presence. Turning her head towards the clown Pokémon, Delia called out, "thank you so much Mimey! Could you bring them over here?"
"Mime," Mimey nodded, bringing the articles of neatly folded sleepwear over to his trainer.
Delia decided to change Michelle first, since the girl was on her way to falling asleep. Her day clothes, which consisted of white, knee length leggings, a short sleeved sky blue dress with a ruffled hem, and blue sandals were switched out for her lilac and white pajamas. Delia found the purple pants dotted with white polka dots to be absolutely adorable, as well as a perfect match to the white, short sleeved shirt that featured a big, light purple heart on the front, also covered in polka dots. Not being able to dress Ash in such cute, girly outfits were the only times Delia found herself wondering what it would be like to have a daughter. Now, she got to experience all of that with Michelle.
Once Michelle was changed, it was time for Aiden to get into his own pajamas. Delia knew that he would be a much more difficult task, since he was now engrossed in the battle that was playing on TV.
"Aiden, dear, are you ready to get changed?" Delia tried.
"Yes," Aiden replied without taking his eyes off the screen.
Somehow, Delia managed to get Aiden out of his red shirt that featured a blue poke ball, and blue shorts, without having to tear the child's attention away from the battle. The last thing to remove were his blue and red sneakers, and within a minute, the boy was re-outfitted in his dark blue pajamas that had lightning bolts on the pants, and a cute little Pikachu on the front of the shirt.
As Delia folded up the children's day clothes, the grumbling of someone's stomach pierced the air. Somehow, Delia knew exactly who that sound had come from. She looked towards Aiden, smirking when she saw that his eyes were still glued to the screen, but was now sporting a heavy blush on his cheeks.
"Aiden," Delia teased playfully, "was that your tummy?"
"No," Aiden buried the lower half of his face in his arms so only his eyes could be seen. Another rumble sounded, and Aiden's blush intensified.
"Such a hungry little boy," Delia sighed before she began to giggle. "Well, you certainly are growing! Do you want some food, little guy?"
"Cookies?" Aiden asked with a wide grin.
"Of course you can have some cookies," Delia tickled under the boy's chin. "In fact, you could have some warm milk with it too! Would you like that?"
"Yay!" Aiden nodded happily.
Delia laughed yet again before heading into the kitchen, with Mimey following dutifully behind. She had her Pokémon helper put some cookies on a plate while Delia busied herself with the task of heating up a glass of milk for her young grandson.
With the boy settled on the couch, quietly eating his nighttime snack while watching the battle, Delia was relieved to finally have a break. She sat down in the chair that was placed near the couch, and reached for the book she was currently reading. Once she retrieved it, however, the doorbell rang, earning a tired sigh from the older woman.
"Mime, Mr. Mime!" Mimey announced. He got to the door before Delia, answering it with a bright smile and a cheerful little greeting of, "Mr. Mime, Mr. Mime!"
"Hello there Mimey!" The sweet, familiar voice of a young woman floated into the house.
"Where's my Mom, Mimey?" This question was posed by a male, his voice amused and light.
Delia jumped up and walked over to the door, beaming at her son and daughter in law. They were both in good spirits, and quickly returned her smile.
"Hi!" Misty greeted simply but brightly, her eyes sparkling in the summer moonlight.
"Ah, you two are back!" Delia grinned. "Did you have fun at the dinner tonight?"
"We sure did," Misty nodded. At this, Ash scoffed and playfully rolled his eyes. Glaring at her husband, Misty corrected, "well, I had fun."
"Okay, it's not that I didn't have fun!" Ash quickly defended himself. "Because I did. I just don't like giving speeches is all, and I made a mistake or two. All of my friends ribbed me about it, like they usually do."
"But I didn't, because I'm good to you," Misty winked.
"Only when you feel sorry for me," Ash smirked teasingly.
"Well, I'm sure you two missed your children," Delia giggled.
"I always miss my babies when I'm away from them!" Misty clasped her hands together. "Where are they?"
"They're right here in the living room," Delia motioned her hand towards the inside of the house. "Come in, please! I even have some cake and cookies if you'd like."
"Thanks Mom, but we had plenty to eat at the dinner," Ash let Misty enter the house first, earning a sweet smile from the gym leader, before he walked in himself.
"I think Michelle might have fallen asleep," Delia informed the young parents. "Last I checked on her, she was halfway there."
Misty caught sight of the twins sitting (or in Michelle's case, lying down) on the couch, and she cooed softly. Walking over, she gently greeted Aiden, rubbing his cheek before leaning down and kissing him on the forehead.
"I missed you so much tonight, little guy!" Misty beamed at the boy. "Did you miss me?"
"No, I'm not sad with Grammy!" Aiden happily shook his head before taking a bite out of his last cookie.
"You're certainly an honest little thing, huh?" Misty stood back up to her full height and smirked. Looking over at Michelle, Misty realized that her mother-in-law was right. The little girl was fast asleep, breathing gently with her arms still wrapped tightly around her newly purchased Manaphy toy.
"Ash, our little princess is in dreamland," Misty giggled airily as she looked over her shoulder. The Pokémon master smirked and approached the couch, carefully studying the snoozing figure of his young daughter for a few moments. Chuckling, he reached over and lifted the girl into his arms, cradling her the way he did when she was a baby.
"Aw, she's so cute," Ash sighed. He kissed the girl's nose before looking down at his son. When he saw Aiden nibbling on a cookie, however, Ash became somewhat bewildered. He also didn't recognize the stuffed Charmander by Aiden's side, or for that matter, the stuffed Manaphy in Michelle's arms. Slowly raising his head, Ash glanced towards Delia and asked simply, "Mom?"
Right away, Delia knew what Ash was getting at. His face held an un-amused expression, one that clearly read: Have you been spoiling them again?
"Ash, I just can't help it," Delia laughed behind her hand. "They're so cute! How could I not?"
"But Mom…" Ash groaned.
"No buts, young man!" Delia scolded as she wagged her finger. Putting her hand down, Delia smiled and finished glowingly, "I'm their grandmother. It's my job to spoil them. Isn't that right, Aiden?"
"Yes Grammy!" Aiden agreed whole heartedly.
All Ash could do was sigh quietly, but despite his frustration, a smile appeared on his handsome face. He couldn't really blame his mother for spoiling the twins. They really were adorable.
And Ash knew just how much the two meant to her.