Final A/N PLEASE READ: Hey guys! This is officially the last chapter of The Disadvantage Series! Even if there were only two . . . I would like to make more but I don't think that I will because these aren't that popular. I want you all to know how much I appreciate you sticking with me for so many years. 'The Disadvantage' (or 'Heart's Disadvantage' for older readers) was the first chapter story that I ever finished or posted and it means the world to me that years later I am finally drawing it to a close and old readers are still a part of this. I appreciate each and every one of you, and I cannot say enough what your reviews have meant for me (this goes to both readers of this story and the old one. If you're reading this years later then thank you!) I intend to keep writing, bringing new stories and characters to life, and I hope that you will all follow me and share in the experience!
I will admit that because this story is so old I could not get into it as much as I wanted to. It is admittadly rushed and the only reason there is not more is because I cannot put anymore into it. I am mentally done with this story, but I hope that this brings a satisfying and touching ending for characters you have been rooting for. I have fallen in love with each one.
Note: I may add a chapter for just a few minor scenes concerning the children that were taken from Team Rocket. In the first story of this series I added an extra chapter with deleted scenes and such. If nobody wants it then I will not worry about it. I'm not going to write it if nobody cares (I mean this positivelly), so please let me know if you would like to see more! I would love to write it for you! I would add more to this but I think that I have reached my limit. This story is now over. Thank you to everyone. It means the world to me that I was able to finish this story after all of this time and still have wonderful reviewers. *sob* I love you all. I plan to get started on major stories with deeper characters soon. And I think that they will far surpass what you have seen from me so please look out for them. As a final note, please review this chapter for me. I know I sound like an obsessed newbie fanfic writer but as this has been such a long process I would love to hear from those still reading!
And finally, I hope that you all love the ending.
Alexi opened her eyes, only to shut them against the bright light she hadn't been expecting. It had been so dark. When had that happened?
Where was she?
Moaning at the idea of being flooded with the light again she instead moved her arms. There was something soft beneath her wrists, a little scratchy but softer than anything she'd felt in a while. Flexing her toes was met with the same soft feeling catching on her nails. Shifting her whole body, she finally took in the fact that her whole body felt the same way. She must be laying down. She wasn't sure why it took so long to realize that fact. Suddenly her chest rose, pulling in a large breath that left her gasping for more. Pain came quickly. Her lungs burned, her throat felt scratchy and her legs felt shook as a prickling feeling ran through them, evidence that blood was quickly running back to limbs that had somehow been deprived.
She could barely breath, her body was screaming for it, her lungs taking it in, but it wasn't enough.
Something soft touched her arm. Not soft like the cloth. There was no scratch. It was skin on skin. A recognizable enough feeling. And in a flash she was young, coming to wake after being tested on. Scared. No idea what they had done to her this time. There was a hand on her arm.
With strength she didn't know she'd been able to use, she pulled away and shrieked. Sound came back in an instant. She hadn't realized it had been gone. There were distant voices yelling, constant beeping from a different source. And a voice, a soft voice full of scared concern.
Unable to place the sounds she only pulled into herself more. When the hand touched her again, tears came with forgotten fears and she struggled away screaming when the ground beneath her body suddenly disappeared and she was falling down, coming to rest on a surface far softer than her panicked mind had been expecting.
Her faculties were finally with her, and she opened her eyes. At first she was met with the same bright light, and then it gradually faded, and a vague form developed above her, light coming to form around it like a halo.
"Are you okay, Alexi?"
She blinked, squinting. Was she okay? She was, right? Was he talking to her? Everything was so foggy she wasn't sure of anything.
"Alexi?"
She closed her eyes as the light became too much.
"Alexi? C'mon, answer me. I need to hear you talk to me."
She winced. It was that pleading voice that made it through to some hidden part of her. Sparking something she couldn't name. She knew that voice. She knew him.
"K-Kea . . ." She choked. Her own voice sounded distant.
A relieved sigh came from above her. "It's me. Are you alright?"
"U-Uh . . I . . ." She shook her head. Why couldn't she think?
"It's okay. Just nod. Are you alright?"
Alexi blinked, then slowly she gave a long nod. She flailed and raised sluggish arms as she suddenly felt her body lift upwards, arms beneath her back and legs. She stuttered, her mind still refusing to form words, and finally threw her arms around the form she was held against, clinging tightly.
A gasp came from behind them. She heard a women's voice. "You have to lay down. Your leg-"
"No. Not yet."
There was silence and then hushed footsteps. Alexi held on tightly, too out of it to care what was going on around her more than what was holding her.
There was cloth against her back again but she still couldn't let go. She didn't know why and she didn't care. She needed something she couldn't word with her brain so fogged. After a moment her side tilted and she felt a body come to lay beside her. She was pulled into his chest and she was surrounded in limbs and a feeling of comfort.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Taylor blinked, rubbing her hands against her eyes.
Michael looked on eagerly. "Do you feel any different?"
"Um . . . Not really. I feel sleepy."
Michael frowned. It made sense after everything that they had been through, but he had hoped she would notice a positive difference after he put the chemicals in her the same way that she had felt the negative side effects.
"Really? . . . Are you sure?"
Taylor pursed her lips and nodded. "I'm sorry. . . ."
Michael felt frustrated tears come with her words. Quickly he ducked his head despite the fact that she wouldn't see it. "No, I'm sorry," he whispered. "Forgive me. I . . ." he choked down a soft sob. "I gave you hope."
Taylor frowned. "You shouldn't apologize. . . Not for that."
Michael raised his head to take her in. How was it that everything felt so calm . . . and she was still dying.
They were in a hospital. Luckily (luck had nothing to do with it) Brock's wife worked at the hospital. The moment Brock had come through the door, out cold with a high fever, she had been called and rushed to help them all. Nobody knew exactly what she had done, but they knew that they didn't have to worry about anybody questioning why they were in the state they were in. It was exactly what they had needed.
One empty room had been left reserved (something only Misty seemed to notice but when she looked at Joy [Brock's wife] the woman only smiled distantly). They had all been crowded into the same room, all but Keagan, Alexi and Skye. The three were taken to different rooms, one for Alexi and Skye and one for Keagan. Skye was checked and found to be extraordinarily healthy. It looked to the outside eye as if he had merely passed out. Alexi was just beginning her checkup when Brock's wife hurried over and took care of the girl herself. She never told anyone what she found in Alexi's system.
Brock was treated and hooked up to IV's for hydration. He was out the longest, just on the verge of a greater sickness, and luckily caught before then, though he would have some pretty obvious scars for the years to come (Joy didn't mind and she would be sure to tell him that when he woke up . . . after she scolded him). Instead of staying with the others, Gary chose to check up on Brock and then went home to Ani.
The five young children were put on beds and checked for injuries, though the girl and the twins stayed on a bed together. As the doctors worked with them they found the second twin to start to respond better, an obvious side effect of a drug making its way through his system. Neither of the twins spoke or made eye contact with anyone but each other. The girl looking over them continued to watch those who approached them warily, only speaking once when the doctors tried to pull her away. Wrapping both of her arms around the boys she announced quietly, "Mine."
The doctors let her stay after that.
The five year old boy with messy hair curled in on himself and let them work on him quietly. Misty watched him from the corner of the room with a careful eye, immediately taken in by the ratted black hair, dark eyes, and dirty face. All so similar to Ash. Silently she contemplated. . . these kids would need homes, wouldn't they? As she watched him send small glares to the nurse she noticed the hidden spirit. Who knew what was in his system. He was too quiet. When he woke up, he might be as lively as Ash? She smiled thinking about it. She could handle another one.
The young blond girl who had run ahead had a vicious attitude. She let them work on her but pulled away in panic if they touched her. The panic was hidden by the anger, but all of those in the room (especially previous rockets) were able to read the silent panic. Misty began to pinpoint who to send the children with. The girl's attitude would either work well with Skye or drive him to the point of insanity. She wasn't sure which. After careful consideration she decided to talk to him about it. As for the girl and two boys? Somehow that was obvious . . . but would Alexi be ready for it? She thought of all of the effort Alexi had placed in setting them free and realized that she was. If there was one thing that Alexi showed dedication in, it was taking care of children. Taking care of those she had rescued could only do her good. Thinking of raising Makaila she realized that the children might actually be able to heal the few holes Alexi had left. Of course, she would talk to Alexi about who would take care of the children. And with that in mind, Skye could watch the girl. He had raised Taylor. He would need someone else to keep him balanced, and she would have Aunt Alexi to take care of her when her brother needed a break. Misty silently cataloged talking to Alexi about getting Skye out on some dates . . . .
Eitan was rushed away immediately. Ash had been observant enough to remove the teen's over shirt with the large "R" stamped over the front, as well as the boots, leaving him in a black tee and white pants. It could be a sign, if someone was looking for it, but without those two clothing indicators he looked more like a lazy teen then he did a rocket grunt. They had to wait to see what would come of him. Against all odds, Ash hoped that he had helped him. Eitan reminded him of himself. He couldn't say it aloud, he couldn't tell anyone, but he wanted him to live. A part of was worried, thinking of his daughter. With the inner confliction he finally stopped thinking, leaving it to the doctors. Eitan eventually awoke, cursing at the doctors and telling off anyone who mentioned how lucky he was. He sulked at his own fault for being in the hospital, but underneath the sulking was the overwhelming feeling of relief. Team Rocket thought he was dead, and despite himself, though he wasn't quite ready to say it, he was excited to start a new life
Everyone else took the time to finally relax, recuperating and absorbing what they had done. Whereas the room was a flurry of manic and motion, when the patients had been removed and worked on, the room fell completely silent. The group had done little else but let Joy and the doctors handle it all since they had arrived, watching silently. Now they all sat, looking at each other. Shouldn't the end of such a journey be left with more of a feeling of success? Was it finally over? For real this time?
"Do you think it's done?" Misty asked quietly, speaking the words everyone had been waiting to hear. She was looking at her daughter, who sat on the floor beside her on the bed she was occupying.
May pursed her lips.
Drew sighed, leaning back on his hands and turning to the ceiling. "I don't know anymore."
"I think it is." Everyone turned, looking to Drake who sat against the wall. He shrugged. "You'd have to be stupid to go after someone who just took out your base, especially when they're made up of kids and girls."
Misty scoffed but was smiling. "Well, I'll take that as a good thing."
Drake shrugged though he couldn't help smiling.
"He's right," Ash whispered. They all turned to him. "He is. They aren't stupid."
Drew frowned. "But they're more vengeful then they are smart."
Ash nodded. "That's why they came for Makaila. At this point . . . they won't care anymore."
Misty narrowed her eyes at the look in Ash's, the way he looked away. Pursing her lips she asked. "What else did you do?"
Ash jumped. "What?"
"That whole plan? All of that and you didn't think far enough for this? Usually I would think it to be expected, but not now."
Ash looked over the group and sighed. He bit his lip. "I'm not sure, but Misty, with the gas, the bomb you set off, I think . . . they'll think we're dead."
Misty's eyes widened.
"I didn't remember about the gas. Part of the idea of the plan was that when we brought down the base they would think that we had fallen with it."
"Like a suicide mission?"
Ash frowned and shook his head. "More like underestimating us. I let Mark leave me in that room. He thinks I was in there. He thinks Eitan was in there."
Misty frowned. "But the others, he knows they got away."
Ash nodded. "But really . . . it all comes down to Mark."
"Mark?" May asked. "But he knows."
Ash looked at her and said quietly. "Just because he knows doesn't mean he'll tell."
There was silence for a few moments as everyone took in the words.
"Just because he knows doesn't mean he'll tell?" Drew repeated through clenched teeth. "All of this was based on a hunch?"
Ash sighed. "No. It's a fact." When everyone only continued to stare at him he went on. "When you're a grunt your best chance at anything comes from your status. It's important. more than important. If you don't just want to be a tool, if you want to live, it's vital. For someone already in a position of power, like Mark, he isn't going to tell. The base came down, so that's a point down for him. If he let us go to they might just throw him out as useless. But . . . if he tells them that all of us," he motioned from the group to him " . . .came down in the building, knowing that we'll be in hiding, he still has a chance." He waited to make sure it was understood and then stated. "It's not a choice. He doesn't have one."
May stared. "So it's really over?"
Ash nodded. "No one else will know."
May pulled in a breath, head falling to her chest.
Misty couldn't help the emotion that rose, clogging her throat, All of those years of fear every time Makaila left the house, an unspoken agreement between her and Ash that neither of them could talk about it because they didn't know what to do. Now it was over. She looked down at Makaila with a smile.
Makaila looked up to her slowly and smiled weakly herself.
Suddenly Misty frowned. "Where is he?"
Makaila's brow came together, then her eyes widened. She shot from her seat looking around the room. How had she missed him? How had he disappeared? Where was the boy? Finding the room devoid of him her heart rose. She ran halfway to the door before she came up short. Ash had barely moved to follow her and could only watch in confusion as she slowly stepped back and after a moment of hesitation sat down on the bed numbly.
"Makaila?" Ash started.
Makaila let her head fall softly to her hands. "It's okay," she whispered. They all watched on as she sat still.
"Where is he?" Ash asked.
"Where he always is," Makaila whispered. "Everywhere."
Nothing more could be said.
Skye opened groggy eyes. A moment later he heard a voice.
"Are you alright?" May's voice.
Skye opened his eyes, taking in endless white: white walls, white sheets. Slowly he turned to the voice, finding Ash, Misty, Makaila, May, and Drew staring back. "It worked," he whispered.
May smiled. "You saved your lives. You were out cold when we got there."
Skye nodded. "Where is she?" His voice came out thicker then he expected.
May nodded behind him, where he turned to see Alexi sleeping soundly.
Misty frowned. "Joy thinks she's going to need more recovery time because a little bit of the gas got to you and . . . messed with other things already in her system."
Skye made no response to this comment. He scanned the rest of the room, seeing the children and then Taylor and Michael in the far corner. He frowned at the glum energy coming from them then realized they were missing someone. Against his judgment he asked, "Where's Keagan?"
"He was in here a few minutes ago," Misty answered. "They pulled him out after Alexi fell back asleep to work on his leg."
Skye was silent for several moments.
It was nearly a minute later when the silence was broken by Keagan's entrance. He was sitting in a wheelchair, pushed by a nurse. A twisted smile on his face. The nurse seemed slightly annoyed. "Happy?" she asked cheerfully, an undercurrent of sarcasm.
"Very," Keagan replied good naturedly. He turned back to the room as she left.
Misty raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"
Keagan shrugged. "Nothing really. Just insisted that I needed to be in here and not in my own room." He winced. "Really, it's not like I'm sick. There's no reason to quarantine me."
May sighed. "There are children in here. They had to pull a bullet out of your leg."
Once more Keagan shrugged. "Okay, true."
"Shut up." The group turned, Skye's voice coming over them. The smile was barely hidden in his expression.
Keagan rolled his eyes and looked past Skye to the form still sleeping on the bed. He stood slowly only to wince and sit back in the chair moodily.
"Suck it up," Skye stated under his breath.
"Yeah, yeah. Keagan made his way around to Alexi's bed, leaning his head on the covers. From the other side Skye looked over them both.
Misty cleared her throat, drawing the others into a hurried conversation as Skye stated seriously. "She . . . She loves you."
Keagan blinked, looking up to them. Lowering his gaze again he muttered, "Yeah . . ."
Skye pursed his lips and let out a long breath. A moment of tense silence and then in one breath Skye stated, "If you break her heart I'll kill you."
Keagan's eyes widened. He looked up to Skye in wonder. Skye watched warily as Keagan then smiled. "You've got it."
Alexi moaned. gathering both of their attention. She opened droopy eyes, wincing. Keagan grabbed her hand. She stayed asleep.
Misty stopped distracting the group and without direction they all once again fell quiet.
The quiet was broken by a scream.
Skye jumped, looking strait to the corner of the room where the scream had issued from. Taylor sat frozen, eyes wide in panic.
"Taylor?" Michael asked, arms rising warily but unsure if he should touch her. As he moved carefully towards her Taylor let out another small shriek, pulling further against the wall. Michael froze. Slowly he raised one hand and waved it gently in front of her face. Taylor winced.
Michael's eyes widened. "Taylor . . . " For a moment he was struck completely silent. Then he moved forward desperately, grabbing the arms of her chair and startling her backward, scaring her even more. "Taylor, what-what do you see?"
With the words, the room became deathly quiet.
Taylor remained frozen.
"Taylor, what do you see?!"
Taylor jumped, confusion coming over her face. Her lips started to form words. "I-Is that . . .?"
Heart in his throat, breathing heavily with hope, Michael raised one hand again, teeth clenched. Slowly, ever slowly, he moved the hand in front of her face.
Taylor's brow came together. "Wh-What?"
"It's my hand," Michael muttered breathily.
The room stared.
Taylor titled her head to one side, staring vacantly in front of her.
Michael waited with baited breath. Taylor raised a hand of her own, moving it forward slowly. Her hand came to rest just to the side of his. He did nothing, watching desperately. Tilting her head further, a look of concentration on her face, Taylor moved her hand left . . . and touched the skin of his hand.
Michael wrapped his hand around hers, squeezing tight. Emotion rose, clogging his throat.
As Taylor felt the familiar contours of Michaels fingers wrapped with hers tears rose unbidden, falling before she could change the look of shock from her face.
"You saw it," Michael whispered.
"Was this it?" She asked, hand tightening further around his. "Did I . . . was it your hand? Did I. . ." A sob of unbelief rose in her throat with her next words. "Did I find it myself?"
The child-like question prompted tears from Michael, who quickly ducked his head, unable to reply.
"More." She stated desperately, fully giving herself to sobs.
Michael raised his head, ignoring the others in the room. He pulled his chair close to hers, so their knees were touching, and leaned in as close as he could. Taylor saw something though she wasn't sure what. Her other hand rose (their others still twined firmly), and Michael nearly laughed when her fingers rested on his face, almost hitting with her excitement.
When she realized what was in front of her, her eyes widened. "It's you . . ." The sobs calmed. She smiled, and then her head and hands fell and she cried fully.
Michael's expression of relief reflected hers as he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to him, feeling her shudder against him.
Taylor raised her head, she stared vaguely to where he was. As if she had just realized it she whispered, "You . . . You did it. You . . . s-saved me. You. . . ." She paused, tears rising in her throat. She fell against him, muttering in disbelief and relief. "I love you. Thank you. . . . I can't believe-I'm alive."
Michael swallowed his own tears and repeated back to her his own overwhelming relief. "You're alive. . . ."
Skye stared transfixed.
Keagan spoke. "Did he do it?"
Skye swallowed. Overwhelmed by the scene in front of him he answered just over a whisper, "This couldn't happen if he hadn't. If it wasn't working . . . " Skye swiftly dropped his head to his chest, wincing to control tears that wanted to come. He smiled bittersweet. "She doesn't need me anymore."
Only Keagan could hear, close as he was. He face showed the understanding that some wouldn't. "No she doesn't," he agreed.
Skye sighed, not having realized that he had spoken loud enough for Keagan to hear.
Keagan smiled. "Guess you'll just have to find a girl who does." He paused. "You know, a girl who will always . . . well, need you." He watched warily, unsure of how Skye would respond.
He was surprised when he smiled and rose his head again, looking back towards Michael and Taylor. "Yeah, maybe."
"You're wrong though," a scratchy voice spoke up.
Skye and Keagan looked down in surprise at the whispered words from Alexi. Woken by the scream, she had listened raptly to what followed. She smiled sleepily up at Skye. "She's your girl. She'll always need you." Stopping to take a breath she went on slower. "One day she'll come to you, crying about him." She stopped and looked towards Michael and Taylor. Swallowing she looked back to Skye and stared him strait in the eye. "And you'll send her right back."
Skye stared, and then with a feeling of finality his expression became peaceful and he nodded.
Keagan looked back to Taylor and Michael who were both quieting down and were simply holding each other. Keagan smiled and pulled Alexi closer to him. "One big, happy family, hmm?"
Misty laughed.
A month later, Ash leaned against his kitchen counter. Misty had already gone to bed. And he would be in bed himself except Makaila was sitting against the window, staring vacantly into the night sky, as she did often,
"Time for bed Makaila."
She nodded with a sigh and jumped to her feet. Walking past him she muttered, "Night Dad."
Ash caught her arm.
Makaila paused, staring down the hallway.
Ash took a breath. "Do you really like him?" He asked quietly.
Makaila shrugged. "It doesn't matter. He's gone."
Ash's brow came together. "Gone?"
Pulling her arm into herself Makaila bowed her head. Ash watched her form pull in on herself until she began to whisper. "He's always been there, but only I could see him. He was like my imaginary friend. Now I find out for sure that he's real . . . and he still feels. . . not." She wrapped her arms around herself. "What did I do?"
After a moment of silence Ash stated, "Go to bed honey. I'll be up in a minute."
Makaila didn't remark that she was too old to be tucked in, only took off as asked, sparing a moment to pause and turn, foot on the top stare. "Thank you."
She said that a lot lately, at the most strange of times. Ash couldn't help the warm feeling that surged through him each time, because they both knew what she was referring to.
Ash smiled. "You're welcome."
She nodded, then took off to her room.
Ash sighed, pulling his hands to his hips. Running a hand through his hair he glanced out the window Makaila had spent far too much time staring out of herself.
With a glance up the stairs Ash walked to the door and pulled his coat off the rack. He still had one thing he had to do . . . .
Ash made his way through the trees, thrown back to years before as he had travelled along a path not far from this one. His first mission, his first time outside of the base. It had been a thrilling adventure, a mere taste of freedom.
He found it ironic that out in the trees the boy was just as trapped as he himself had been behind concrete walls.
Finally he came to stop in a small opening. It was dark, the trees hid the little light that there was. He paused, glancing around, only listening. It was strange. He felt almost as Makaila had. They had all seen the boy, all looked at him, and he had never spoken a word. Somehow it only added to the idea that they had all been under some grand illusion. Nobody else had really even mentioned him. He blended into the background, like an imaginary friend.
Like someone who had never interacted in a group.
Ash remember his first meeting with Misty. The way he had stumbled, frozen and afraid before a hand had been extended that wiped away all of his fears and started him on a road with a group of friends that had changed his life, taken him away from Team Rocket and healed his feelings of neglect.
All it had taken was one hand of friendship, and his life was changed, his fears of people he couldn't understand gone.
It just took one person.
"Hey," he stated to the dark air around him.
He was met with silence.
Cursing his lack of articulacy Ash opened his mouth again. "You're here, aren't you?" It was hard to miss the dark feeling of being watched. In some dark recess of his mind Ash wondered if he wasn't being watched by something more sinister. Shaking off the feeling, Ash pushed on.
"I wanted to talk to you." After a moment of silence he stated, "Alright then, I'll talk. Just hear me out." Ash took a deep breath. "My daughter cares for you. And. . . you care for her. I saw you in the base. You put her before yourself." Ash clenched his teeth. "And I think it was more than those instincts. I know it. You cared."
Taking a breath of courage he went on, admitting, "I was one too you know. And you might think it's different because I was a rocket but I didn't want it either. I left, just like you did." Smiling wryly Ash muttered, "I respect that choice. I don't know anything about you but I at least respect that. You're one of the few who have ever left. Our group and you. As far as we know, we're it. Rightfully . . . you should of been with us all along."
Ash sighed. He looked around. "So . . ." raising and dropping his arms he stated. "What I'm saying is. . . "
Did he want to do this? He thought of the repercussions. He thought of a child with no other life experience then fighting and running and solitude. He saw the boy.
He saw Misty, hand outstretched.
Ash looked around the dark. "C'mon out."
There was a moment more of silence, and then Ash heard a rustle in the trees behind him. Holding still he heard a small thump. Taking a breath, Ash turned seeing the barest of outlines beneath the tree.
For a moment neither did anything. Ash appraised the situation, thought of his daughter and took a step forward.
A hard thump followed his action as the form before him backed harshly into the tree. There was no anger when he realized why the boy had shied from him. He had experienced nothing but pain from Rockets and had no experience with other people, especially kind adults. As Ash had mentioned, he had once been a Rocket. He could sense the nervousness coming off the boy. Ash paused, wondering how to proceed when a deep breath came. The form became shorter. Ash realized in a moment that he must be crouching and wondered if he was preparing to run.
Swiftly, Ash filled the space between them, reaching out blindly and somehow landing his hand on a broad shoulder.
A violent shudder was the reaction. The form stiffened, pulled away minutely but stayed under his hand. Ash recognized the fear rolling through him. Patiently, he removed the hand from his shoulder and held it out before him.
"I'm Ash." A still silence greeted him. Ash thought that the beginning this boy's story couldn't be closer to his own.
When a roughened hand cautiously touched his, Ash smiled. He grabbed it back. He could just barely see the eyes of a haunted boy in the darkness. "Come with me." He didn't know how else to say it, so he stated it plainly.
The hand in his went still.
Ash moved closer, trying to see. Finally he was able to make eye contact, and he was met with wary blue eyes, which stared back at him, carefully looking over his face as if to test the sincerity if his words.
Ash tilted his head to the side calmly and asked a question.
The boy froze, hand in his. He pursed his lips, looking at him almost hopefully but filled with fear.
"I'm sure Makaila would like it."
Slowly the boy nodded, Ash's question resounding through his head like the final cord of an instrument, marking the end of a long battle. "Want a family, kid?"
The war was over. He couldn't help smiling.
For the first time, he was going home.