Techz: I'm sorry that it's been a while so to make up for it, this chapter will be 4K instead of the regular 2K so enjoy the crisp, fresh resolution… I mean story.
The group had assembled, save for Zack's father and Ike. They were all seated in the lounge of Leonardo's spacey and well-furnished room.
"Right. As you know, Zack, Sarah, Bell, Jewl, we have to deal with the issues between Bell and Zack's father. Any ideas?"
Leonardo passed his phone from one hand and back, repeatedly doing so as everyone formulated a plan. Zack sat back before lifting a hand, waving it around as if to annoy a teacher, his juvenile side prevailing.
"Ooh! Ooh! I have an idea. Pick me sir, please!"
Leonardo sighed and with a roll of his eyes spoke with a notable amount of sarcasm.
"Fine. What is your brilliant plan?"
Zack leaned forwards, resting his elbows on his knees as he slouched forth.
"Let's get my dad pissed of some Guinness, Bell off of… Whatever she wants, a piña colada if I was to guess, lock them in a cupboard for a bit and see if we can't make a bodged breeding centre… Remember to remove the clothes though, wouldn't want to confuse the old man with more than one pair of jeans"
Zack managed to elicit some giggles and a chortle from the group, a slight blush being emitted from a certain Sylveon.
"Hang on… Bell, I've been meaning to ask but are you a hundred percent sure that you have feeling for my father? To be honest, I've only been working off of a sneaking suspicion."
Leonardo made some dire hand gestures, the message being along the lines of 'Zack… y u no shut up' the rest of the individuals turning to look at an ever reddening shiny Sylveon.
"Y-yeah… well I… ehh... yeah… I do."
Zack smiled a little. Having a woman back in his life would do his father some good. Might solve his issue with paranoia… Zack might even be able to keep his car keys after a late night at the shed.
"Well I'm ok with you hitting on my dad but if you're going to do it then you might want to know how to do it right…"
Zack stopped for a second to grab his breath. Turning to the group, he makes a revelation.
"I think I actually have a decent plan this time… but It still involves drinks!"
At the hospital
Zack strode through corridor after corridor. He held a bottle of spirit and another of red wine. Sarah (with the disguise of a nurse) wheeled along a tray table. A variety of objects were sat upon the tray as it was guided through a narrow door with aid from Zack holding said door open. Zack's father lay on a bed, his ankle wrapped in a variety of solutions and wraps.
Zack motioned a variety of hand gestures to the red haired nurse before moving over to do his own part of the plan. Zack and Sarah worked in total silence as they set up for what was to come. Sarah set out the tray off food while Zack lit a candle on the bedside table.
It only took them both ten minutes but surely enough they gave each other the thumbs up before quietly exiting. When the pair of them had left the room they gave each other a high five. They both proceeded to Zack's fathers truck. Zack was sure that his father wouldn't mind him borrowing it for a while.
Sarah hopped in the passenger side while Zack opened the middle door behind the drivers.
"Right. We set it all up for you. Don't screw it up. And try not to get spotted."
Bell was sat patiently. She nodded her acknowledgement before hoping out and casually strolling in the building, her ribbons flowing behind her with confidence as she went to seek out Zack's father.
Zack sat with Sarah in the truck as the evening air settled around them both. Now with everything done, it seemed somewhat serene to just… sit there.
"So… What now, Sarah?"
The vixen just shrugged. Neither of them had planned for what they themselves would do. Zack felt like both an idiot yet somehow relieved.
He sat for a moment before gently grabbing Sarah's hand, intertwining his digits with hers. Sarah looked to Zack with a smile. Zack perked up as he found an idea in the back of his mind.
"Do you wanna grab some coffee, without one of my ex's? We should be able to get some peace to just talk or whatever"
Sarah rolled her eyes as a smile spread across her maw. It was undoubtedly a pleasant idea given that they had time to kill.
"Sure. Just try not to attract the attention of every woman you have previously gone out with, magnet man"
Zack scoffed, he scrambled in his mind for a second, leaning back in his seat before playing it cool.
"Well… I'll try but it isn't easy being this good looking without grabbing the foxiest women in the universe, literally."
Sarah laughed at the compliment and the horrible pun. Zack just continued with his cheesy smile as he turned the key in the ignition.
"You got me with that one. Fine, let's go."
Zack's father's hospital room – midnight.
Zack's father awoke with a light stirring and a curse.
"Oww, fuck!"
He opened his eyes as he sat forwards, he was about to pull away the covers when he spotted her.
Bell was lying on the foot of the bed. She appeared to have fallen asleep while waiting for him to wake up. Zack's father cursed once more, his mind filling with his own stupidity as to what he had said.
'Zack, shut up! She doesn't like me in that way and vice versa!'
Zack's father felt like a complete ass. A dick actually. Bell had been kind and affectionate and he goes and turns her away as if, despite her efforts, she hadn't proven herself worthy.
Zack's father didn't know what to do or say. It was somewhat… cute to watch her but every time she twitched or furrowed her brow it made him feel responsible for crushing her feelings. Zack's father had dismissed her as a person, a rational, caring, passionate person, who wanted no more than to be loved back.
You can more easily get back one million dollars that have been stolen that a single word spoken.
"B-Bell?"
Zack's father leaned forwards with an outstretched hand, reaching for between her ears and stroking the silky fur that adorned her. She muttered incomprehensible ramblings before slowly opening her eyes. She felt as his firm hand slowly ran down her cheek.
"I'm sorry."
Bell had to think for a second. Her face contorting into a nervous scowl. Bell was a mixture of angry, desperate and worried. The apology felt dissatisfying to say the least.
"Is that it?"
Zack's father was slightly surprised by Bell's sass but she was justified with her feeling.
"L-look. I know I fucked up…"
"Yeah. You really 'fucked up'. Did you ever think for one second about how I felt, back when you called out, to everyone in that car, that you didn't like me and 'vice versa'? Did you know how I really felt or were you just assuming?"
Zack father couldn't speak. He failed to muster up any courage. Bell may have stood at just a few feet but right now she towered over Zack's father from her spot at the end if the hospital bed.
Zack's father shook his head.
"I understand how Kayla's departure was hard. I get that. But several years later and you're still grieving? How long do you need to be alone for? I have tread on eggshells around you and Zack when I first figured out my fondness of you. You were strong and bold despite your loss but as time has passed, I have come to realise that you suffer every day. I watch as the man I have grown to love, gets up and painfully starts his day. He stands at one side of the bathroom mirror, the other side barren. Watch as he takes care of his son who he loves dearly but who doesn't realise that his kid needs a mother as much as he need a father. I'm trying to make things easy but now… now I don't see a point in trying anymore… It doesn't matter what I do, it's still not good enough."
A tear rolled down Bell's cheek. Her loneliness and wanting finally getting the better of her. During her rant, Bell had slowly made her was up the bed and now sat directly in front of him, resting her forepaws on his chest as they were less than a foot apart. The dim light from the surrounding candles cascaded dancing shadows across them both, only adding to the emotional turmoil the Pokémon felt.
"Bell it's not that I don't like you it's just that I…"
Bell had had enough of these petty diversions and dodges. She had to know now.
"If you like me then prove it! And no more excuses. Prove to me that you love me!"
Bell stood there with a sheer look of determination plastered on her face. She sat there as she awaited her response, she lightly shivered as her nerves added to the pool of her thoughts. Bell was out on a line and he was either going to have to reel the relationship in or have to cut the line that was them, she would…
"I love you."
"W-what?"
"Bell, I love you."
It was as if time had frozen. The whole world just paused for this moment as everything that mattered to them both hung in the balance. Bell didn't know what to feel. Happy? Sceptical?
Zack's father watched on as Bell began to cry, not in sadness but in a sheer, pure, unrestricted joy that she had never felt before in her entire existence. Zack's father ignored any feelings of discomfort and pulled in the bundle of ribbons and fur for a hug. Bell wept as she was brought into the embrace of Zack's father, her in turn wrapping her various ribbons around him to simulate a hug of her own. Bell stayed snuggled under Zack's fathers chin, her head lightly leaning into his as she was consoled by the man she had come to love.
They both stayed like this for a while. Bell had settled down and was now enjoying the cuddle. Zack's father was a little rigid but it didn't take long for him to ease into the hug. It had been a while since he had embraced someone, it was… nice to finally show affection after such a long time.
It took a full five, drawn out minutes for them to finish with the gesture of intimacy but for Bell it just wasn't enough. She had to know how much he loved her. She now stood once more on his chest
"You've told me that you love me but you haven't shown me."
Zack's father looked at her for a moment but with one look at get face he instantly knew what she meant. With their faces closing in on each other, they lined up before connecting for the first kiss of many. In the moments when Bell's furred lips met the rough stubble of Zack's father's own it felt to them both as if everything was just right. It was as if nothing else mattered but them and them only.
The kiss had to be reluctantly broken by Bell as her small lungs begged for air, her chest heaving as she replenished her breath. Zack's father could also be heard audibly panting from his seated position. Bell knew her true feelings and also that of Zack's father. They loved each other. Bell had hope that they would both flourish into something beautiful and awe inspiring. The Sylveon smiles as she tucked herself into his chest once more, her ribbons wrapping around Zack's father with passionate intent.
"Bell... I love you and nothing will change that."
"I love you too… But for now we cuddle."
Zack's father just grinned, Bell was decisive, he'd give her that.
Zack's pov – near closing time
It was just Zack and Sarah left in the coffee shop as the light outside slowly morphed from a blood orange to a deep marine blue. Zack had Sarah's hand in his. She was currently without a disguise as it was only them and an employee who had gone in the back to do some mundane task.
"So… How's the iced coffee?"
Sarah could be seen with her muzzle wrapped around a straw as she attempted to reach the contents of the ever emptying cup. Sarah released her grip on the cup and straw as she composed herself after her final taste of the ground up goodness.
"Great. It must be difficult to farm so much coffee for twelve billion people though?"
Zack was glad that Sarah had enjoyed the drink and it also seemed that she was learning the lore of earth.
"Nah. We have machines of huge size that can harvest a whole acre at a time."
Sarah scoffed at the sheer capability of such a machine.
"So what don't you have machines for?"
Zack chuckled slightly. The answer being one of the most ironic ones of this century.
"There were parcel delivery drones but all it took was one smart ass with a gun on his porch and suddenly no-one in the nearby district got their parcels. So it seems that postmen still have a job… who would have thought."
Sarah couldn't help but smile with Zack. It was strange how even the littlest of things can fail by one simple yet fatal flaw. The vixen sat there with one hand playing with a straw and the other held by Zack.
"Not me. That's for sure. I would have never thought of delivering packages with robots."
The conversation was quick to dry up after the small session of small talk. It seemed as If the best course of action would be for them to go home. Zack was feeling lethargic after the seemingly endless day and almost as if it was a testament to Zack's thought, Sarah let out one of her infamous toothy yawns that bared her fangs for Zack to admire as he watched.
"Hey, Sarah. I'm getting pretty tired, shall we?"
Zack motioned towards the door and with nothing more than a nod from Sarah they both moved for the door, Zack holding it open as he was a good willed gentleman somewhere under all the madness and spontaneity of his usual self.
The late evening air was nippy for both the human and the dark fox as they made their way to the borrowed pickup truck. Zack once again held the door open while Sarah got in. He closed her door and slowly waded around the car before getting in himself.
They flashed each other a smile as the car started and Zack pulled away. Them driving into the night as they made their way home.
Leonardo's pov
He sat hunched over a keyboard in the shed. Leonardo had been working for a good while, trying to extract the data from the servers that Zack had brought back. Jewl sat next to him, watching as his hands waved over the keyboard in a rhythmic fashion as he commanded his army of computers.
Leonardo sat up as he leaned back from the machine. His eyes burned and his back hurt as he had been working for at least a few… a glance at the clock showed it to be one in the morning. Leonardo had been working for a solid five hours since they had arrived from the hospital and if anything, Jewl looked both bored and tired as she stretched, Leonardo getting a quick glance of her figure as her back straightened and her endowments were pronounced. Jewl was sure to take her sweet, sweet time as she secretly enjoyed the attention that Leonardo gave her when he wasn't working.
"Hey Leon, I'm tired. Can we go back to the house?"
Leonardo couldn't have agreed more with the wash of sleepiness and the puppy dog eyes that Jewl was exploiting to bend Leonardo to her will.
"Yeah. Sure. I…"
Leonardo let out a large yawn as he rubbed his eyes. The Lucario couldn't help but catch a glance of her own at her partner.
"…sure wouldn't mind calling it a day."
There was no time wasted as Jewl lifted Leonardo from his seat and into a bridal style hold. Leonardo was a little jumpy but soon realised what Jewl was doing and so relaxed into her hold. Some would find it strange for this configuration of carrying but they had tried it differently before…
Leonardo was light and wasn't as strong as the being who was comprised of at least a hundred kilos of pure steel. It had ended with Leonardo having pulled muscles in his arms and legs, plus Jewl got her own kind of kick out of carrying Leonardo as if, on her dropping him, he would break into a thousand shards of glass and so she was entrusted with keeping him safe and happy. Leonardo on the other hand just enjoyed her warm and soft fur that rushed him all over as he was encased in her grasp.
Gentle stepping could be heard as Jewl made her way through the field, over the busted stone wall and around the side of the house that they had taken refuge in. The door was opened with mild difficulty but as they entered all that could be seen was Ike resting on the sofa, on his side and lightly snoring. It would seem that either Zack and Sarah were still out or were fast asleep already. Neither of them exchanged words as Jewl put Leonardo down.
They both made the begrudging walk up the stairs and along the hall. Jewl opened the door to the bathroom while Leonardo made is way to the guest bedroom. As Leonardo entered, he spotted various items of his strewn around on the floor. He decided that a quick tidy up wouldn't hurt anyone and so with his plan in mind, he set out to pick up a pair of black jeans.
"Gees, I own a lot of crap…"
Leonardo picked up at least three tablet computers off the bed and stacked them on a nearby dresser. He then wiped pringle crumbs from the duvet… Leonardo couldn't recall if it was him who ate the pringles or if Jewl had snuck in a tube of the chips.
Speaking of the devil, Jewl entered and with the wipe of her muzzle and a smile she moved towards Leonardo who now sat on the bed and looked up attentively at the canine.
"Hey…"
It was barely above a whisper but Jewl could still hear him perfectly.
"…You doing alright?"
Jewl admired his concern but there was none to be had.
"Still negative."
Leonardo let out a sigh of relief. He didn't feel ready for the responsibility of a couple of Riolu or human or whatever they would be, running around just yet.
"Cool… so d'ya wanna?"
Jewl laughed a little. She strode to the spot in front of him, she stared seductively at him just before she moved close, they went to move together but without warning Jewl bit straight into Leonardo's face, gaping teeth marks as he bled out, his face contorting to agony as he screamed…
Zack awoke with a start, his heart racing as sweat ran across his face. His ability came with a curse. He knew everything… even the stuff that shouldn't happen. Zack sighed as he calmed himself. He could hear the light moans from the actual Leonardo but they were not of pain but of joy of the news. Zack would talk to his friend tomorrow about it but for now he would reach over to the bedside cabinet. Zack grabbed the orange bottle on top and took two capsules out, he replaced the lid and then proceeded to swallow the pills dry.
Zack turned to face Sarah who was fast asleep. He didn't want to rest but if he did now while facing her… He would know. Zack sighed as he closed his eyes. His body becoming tired as he dozed off.
Zack now stood in a large machine, a war machine. It was large and was armed to the teeth with weapons. Zack felt angered for some odd reason as the machine wined with the sound of several engines, he looked out to see Sarah kneeling on one knee as Zack reached forwards, pressing a button on the control panel, several rockets could be heard lighting up from the side of the machine as Sarah rose. The Zoroark dashed this way and that as she swiftly dodged all the missiles, large craters being created around the place as they missed.
Zack picked up the control column and pulled back, the war machine moving to run away but it was too late. Sarah had climbed the front of the panelling and was pummelling the front glass panel with her claws, metallic clanging filling the cockpit. Zack reached around for a jaw of life. The large hydraulic pincers slipped onto Zack's hands and just in time.
Sarah was peeling away parts of the glass with her jaws as she tore through the machine. Zack held the jaws of life and waited as Sarah reached into the cockpit. Zack grabbed her with the metallic claws, pressure building as Sarah felt her wrist being crushed. She yelped and retreated as her hand was ripped clean off, it lay limp in the arm of the mechanism attached to Zack's arm. He let go before jumping out of the machine, landing in a field with a soft thud as he spotted the feral beast once more.
Sarah snapped out in disgust as she wrapped a portion of hair around her bleeding arm. She tied it tight before running towards Zack once more, he lifted the melee weapon once more but this time managed to catch her neck in one stroke. He held her there as her face turned to one of pure fear.
"Dad? What are you doing to Mom?"
Zack turned around. Instead of the large machine that he had just been in, there was instead a small four legged, quadruped with markings similar to Sarah's. The Zorua looked to both Zack and Sarah, the Zoroark shouting at Zack while still held in his frozen clutches.
"Leave our son alone, you don't have to do this."
Zack looked between Sarah and the Zorua. Zack felt confused, fearful, angry at himself. Zack knew he was a monster but not like this. He felt his lips move.
"You will not take my son with you! He will stay in my world and that's final. I will slaughter every man, soldier, coward who comes between me and my son or even threatens to! You, Sarah. Want to take him away. I will not have it."
With one last whisper Zack sobbed as he spoke one final time.
"I love you Sarah…"
And with that the hydraulic claws tightened, Zack watching as Sarah's head was detached with an agonising plea for mercy, one which was discarded along with her corpse. Her form melted into the field as Zack felt weird.
"Gah!"
Zack awoke once more to find himself on the floor, crying his eyes out at the horrific nightmare that had just happened. Zack heard as Sarah moved over to peer over the edge of the bed and with a concerned look asked;
"You doing alright?"
Zack nodded lightly as he looked up at the tired vixen, the oceanic fire roaring in the back of her eyes as she beckoned him back onto the bed. Zack got up and slid back under the covers, the warmth filling his bones as he lay down comfortably. He faced away from Sarah. He wanted no more nightmares of her… of them.
Zack let out a drawn breath as he tried once more to sleep. He took a dosage of four pills, his world fading as his mind became tamer, the many voices and songs calming to a dull silence. Zack closed his eyes but felt Sarah hug him from behind, she managed her arms right around him as she held him close. Zack held her arms around him. Zack didn't like the idea of letting go.
Please let this be one of the wrong dreams…
Please?
Techz: There we go. I hope that this longer chapter will solve any issues that have arisen (and saved you from losing your mind over a mundane job) Anyhow, keep your seekers peeled for another chapter of the epical- NRNR! Until next time.
~Techs out