Twenty Five

Life Without Team Rocket

As to not disturb the girl in question, Domino suggested that they step out into the hall to continue their discussion.

Closing the door softly behind her, she turned to Ash to discuss the issue at hand.

"You'll understand when I say that I had questions regarding your... Actions a few months ago," She started slowly, "You running off without notice, getting apprehended by the police, and finally sentenced to prison."

She paused and looked up to him, "I was far more curious as to why you had a child travelling with you during this time, so when I decided to... Liberate you, I had to answer some of these questions."

"So you... Found her and brought her here?" He asked.

Well.

That was sort of the case.

"I..." She could feel herself getting flustered, "Given the circumstances, I would have realized she had stowed away in the back had I not had my mind on other matters,"

His eyebrow raised, "Stowed away?"

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "I went undercover as a government official to speak with the detective who you were assigned to while locked up, and after learning that the girl had an... Unhealthy attachment to you, I realized I should check it out."

Ash looked at her hesitantly, "Where did you find her? With her family? A home? Orphanage?"

"Orphanage,"

"And what happened?"

Well... She talked to her, that much was obvious.

Going to the orphanage, she had been greeted by the one of the few sisters who worked at the place, and after explaining why she was there, she was led to the girls room.

She expected the trip to be quick, get an answer or two, and be out to set the final few acts in motion.

That wasn't the case however, the girl who no one knew the name of kept silent during her visit, in fact she seemed weary of her until she mentioned that she was an acquaintance of Ash.

"So she still doesn't talk?" He asked quietly leaning back against the wall.

"According to that detective and nun, the only word she's spoken was when you were taken away from her,"

The scream which had haunted him.

"So how did she get to be here? You didn't adopt her did you?"

"Please," Domino muttered, "who do you think I am?"

Getting back to topic she continued on, "I told her that you were going to be leaving that prison soon, and she gave me that-" Tilting her head at the silver necklace which hung around his neck, "to give to you. After that she wouldn't give any indication of what you two had gone through, so I left,"

"Did she follow you?"

Domino looked a little sheepish and rubbed the back of her neck, "I believe that while I was telling the nun that I had all of the information I needed, the girl snuck out of the building and into the back of my car... I was already in Viridian when I noticed her huddled behind my seat,"

The fact that Ash looked amused by her words did not help her situation, "And when I realized, I turned the car around to bring her back... But she put up a fight to stay in the car, so I took her with me, and planned to have you deal with her once you've gotten back... Which is now,"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ash sat down with his back against the wall, head back in thought.

It was up to him now, less then 48 hours after getting out of that hell hole he was put right back into the hot seat.

There were two courses of actions in which he could take.

The first and most obvious being to bring the girl back to the orphanage.

But he'd been in prison for 3 months, which very well meant that she had been there for at the very least a minimum of two month.

Her family was gone, so she was left to that home until she was either adopted, or forced out because of her age.

And the second option being.

She stays with him.

He'd take her in.

He had money, shelter, food, could provide for her. Team Rocket paid him well enough that he could afford a small home in another year and a half.

And for the mean time he could request to be moved into a multi-room dorm so that she would have a room to herself.

They could live there until he could afford a proper place in Viridian, while also sending her to school. She was... What five? She'd be starting school soon enough.

So between options A and B, B certainly sounded a lot more pleasing.

And he'd be damned if the girl didn't think the same way.

"I'll adopt-"

"Absolutely not," He frowned as Domino cut him off, voice clear cut and stern, "You can't take her in Ash, it's forbidden."

"By what?"

She crouched in front of them so that they were eye level, "By your job, by where you live, by the fact that you are a dead man!"

"I'm paid well enough," He retaliated, "we can move into the joint dorms, and-" A dead man?

"What do you mean I'm dead?"

She sighed irritably, "While the riot calms, they will no doubt go over who lived or died during the fiasco. If it was seen that you were missing, your name would be everywhere. So we left a body in your cell, to act as you"

"Wouldn't they be able to tell that-"

She was shaking her head before he had finished,. She looked into his eyes and said, "No, all will be accounted for accept for you. Which means the body in your cell will automatically be assumed to be you, no matter how... Mutilated it may be."

He didn't want to know the finer details of what she had just said, and wisely chose to return the topic back to the girl, "Anyways Dom," She frowned at him, "I can take care of her. It's a far better life here then in some orphanage. I can take care of her, I have the means to do it, so I don't see anything wrong-"

"She's not yours Ash, she has a family out-"

"If she has a family why hasn't she said anything?" He cut her off coldly, "Why did she look at me as if she had nothing else in this world besides me?"

"I don't know, but with your job you can't-"

"I'll come back from my missions," He said, "I won't leave her behind."

His eyes challenged her, daring her to contradict him.

She did.

"You may say that Ash, but in this line of work nothing ever goes as planned. What if you're killed?" She hated the thought, "Captured again? Injured to the point where you can't look after her? Team Rocket isn't a place for a family man, it's a job for people with nothing to lose! If you take this girl, you will lose her. I don't know when or how, but it always happens."

"Then I'd leave Team Rocket before that could happen,"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

W-What?

"You... Plan on leaving Team Rocket?" She asked slowly.

"No, not yet. But I don't plan on staying here forever-"

"And just why not!?"

He looked at her as if she were crazy for questioning him, "I don't want to live a life like this forever Dom," He said quietly, "for now sure because I can handle it. But I don't want to put my life on the line when I've found something to live for, if I can live a life... Without the things I've seen, I'd do it."

She saw something flash in his eyes, a question, "Haven't you ever thought of a life outside of Team Rocket?"

A life without Team Rocket?

A life without the only thing she knew?

Not once had it crossed her mind.

Why?

Because she never believed that there was a time when she wouldn't need Team Rocket. Giovanni had taken her in as a child, trained her, taken her away from her parents into a brand new lifestyle.

One where she was cared for, and taken care of.

So why would she leave the place that had given her sanctuary?

His eyes drew together in front of her, "You haven't... Have you?" His voice was quiet, and the disbelief she heard confused her.

"You wouldn't understand," She muttered in reply, "but back to the case at hand, you can't keep the girl,"

She had to draw away from that topic, right away.

He shook his head, "She's staying with me Dom," He said lowly, "I understand your reasons for not wanting me to take her in, but I simply cant follow them. I'll raise her, I'll take care of her. I won't let anything happen to her."

"How can you protect her while you can't even protect yourself? How can you say you'll provide for her when if your seen in the future, the police will be on you before you realize? You can't live a normal life-" After being in Team Rocket, is what she wanted to say, "when you've done the things you have."

Ash stood, shaking his head once more, "Dom, the life I live may not be normal. But I've learned because of you that chances exist in this world. I went from a crook, to someone who's doing good in this world. I'm damn sure I can do it once more to... Be a successful father."

Why was he being so difficult?

He hadn't even been back an hour, and already they were arguing.

He barely knew the girl, so why was she so important to him?

It didn't make sense.

No, he, didn't make sense.

He wanted a life outside of Team Rocket, a future... But that wasn't possible.

So just why was he considering it? A life which wasn't possible?

He was an idiot.

A huge fucking idiot-

"It doesn't matter right now though," He muttered running a hand down his cheek, "I'm jet lagged, and as you can tell, my appearance... Isn't the best."

It was true.

His face supported a rough beard, and looked as if it hadn't been washed in sometime. And the jump suit looked ragged and dirty...

He needed to clean up.

Damn.

He needed to clean up before she had to... Deliver his punishment...

"Is my room still the same?"

She gave a small nod, "Yeah, it is."

"I'm going to clean up, if the girl wakes up tell her I'll be back in a few minutes."

As he turned to walk away, she spoke once more, "Do you even know her name?"

"No, but she'll tell me," He started walking away, "I'm sure of it."

She watched him turn the corner out of sight, and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Why did he push her like he did?

Did he get a kick out of seeing it?

She doubted it, but either way he had gotten her thinking.

Just what would she want from a life without Team Rocket?

Thanks all for reading, please drop in a review and let me know what you all thought!