New one shot for you guys! I'm really cranking these out, huh? It's easy to do when you're not doing anything else...this is my laziest summer ever, I'm loving it :P
This one focuses on the relationship between Ash and Misty. The twins are in it, but juuust barely. So enjoy some cute Pokeshipping fluff ;)
Aiden and Michelle: 1 month old
Okay
She was shaken from her sleep by the sound of crying.
Misty raised slowly, her body weighed down by lingering exhaustion and slumber. Her eyes were heavy, but she managed to will them open, adjusting to the darkness of her bedroom. She turned her head to the right and stared down the baby monitor perched atop her nightstand. It didn't take long for her to process, however, that the crying was not coming from that small device.
It was coming from her left. The other person in the bed.
"Ash?" Misty whipped her head around.
The young man was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back facing Misty. He was slumped over, his shoulders visibly shaking and his hands over his face.
"Ash…" Misty sighed, getting up on her knees and crawling over to her husband. She placed a gentle hand on his back and peered over at his covered face, frowning when he barely acknowledged her. Without another word, Misty swung her legs over the edge of the bed and slowly rubbed Ash's back, resting her head against his shoulder. He would come around, eventually.
And, just as Misty had expected, Ash took his hands away from his face and turned his head to look at her, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight thanks to the tears that filled them.
Misty felt his gaze on her and looked up into his handsome face. It sounded strange, but the first thing Misty thought of was how adorable Ash was. Even when he was crying, although it broke her heart, Misty found the young man to be completely gorgeous. Ash wasn't an "ugly" crier; his eyes never became red and puffy, his nose never ran or darkened. He just looked like a very sad little boy, and it was enough to break down the guard of the toughest person.
"What's wrong?" Misty asked, her voice light and airy.
Ash sniffled and rubbed his eyes with the back of his palms. "It's…nothing."
"If it was nothing, you wouldn't be sitting on the edge of our bed at two in the morning sobbing," Misty stressed, bringing a slight blush to Ash's cheeks. Misty knew it wasn't because he was embarrassed; it was because she had read him like a book. "Tell me."
Sighing, Ash once again lowered his hands so they were resting on his knees. Taking a quick glance at Misty, he murmured, "I'm just…worried, I guess."
"About what?" Misty tilted her head slightly.
There was silence for a moment. Ash bit his lip and moved his fidgety hands from his knees onto the side of the bed, gripping it tightly. And finally, he answered in a weak, shaky voice:
"Michelle."
Misty frowned and wrapped her arms around Ash, giving him the tightest and most comforting hug she could possibly give. "Oh, Ashy. I understand that you're worried. I am too. But…she's going to be okay."
"What if she's not?" Ash closed his eyes tightly.
"She will be," Misty replied strongly.
Ash didn't respond, didn't move. He just sat there, his eyes screwed shut and his fingers desperately gripping the side of the bed. Misty watched the sheets bunch up beneath his palms, the muscles in his arms tensing as he squeezed.
"Ash, please," Misty whispered tearfully. It killed her to see him so distraught. "Don't beat yourself up over this. It's not our fault…it's not."
In reality, Misty was trying to convince herself of that fact. She did feel that Michelle's weak lungs were her fault. She was the one who had carried them for nearly 9 months, after all. It had to have been something that she'd done. Dr. Aaron and even the twins' pediatrician had assured Misty that she had nothing to do with Michelle's condition. Those reassurances didn't help Misty to feel any better, and she wondered if Ash silently blamed her as well. Those thoughts were a major part of what had led Misty to her post partum depression, however, so she tried her hardest not to dwell on it.
Sighing, Misty pulled Ash down until his head was beneath hers, her chin resting atop his head. She cuddled him and rubbed his arm, feeling the muscles lose their rigidity as he relaxed under her touch. Misty propped his head up with her fingers and kissed him on the cheek before resting her nose against it, breathing out gently on him and tickling the Pokémon Master's skin with her breath.
And then, all of Misty's seemingly successful attempts to calm her husband down went out the window.
A cry, far more shrill and high pitched than Ash's previous sobs, pierced the air, and before Misty could even think to react, Ash had jumped right out of her arms, onto his feet, and into the hallway. Biting her lip, Misty hurried after the young man, knowing exactly where he was going.
Stopping in front of the babies' nursery, Misty peered in and found Ash leaning over the crib on the right side of the room. His expression was one of obvious concern, but as soon as he'd gathered the tiny, red headed baby in his arms, it transformed into one of sympathetic relief.
"Hi, baby girl," Ash whispered to the infant. "Please don't cry…it isn't good for you."
The baby just continued to cry, but Ash wasn't deterred. He started to pace back and forth, keeping a determined face as he cradled the child close to his chest. Misty just watched in agony, her heart all but shattering. Ash's desperation for the baby to be healthy and well was so apparent…he was going to run himself ragged over the poor little girl.
"Ash, honey, its okay," Misty walked into the room, holding her arms out. "Let me take her."
"No," Ash answered quickly, his eyes appearing frantic. "I'm fine, really. I'll stay with her. You can go back to bed if you want, Mist."
"Ash…" Misty frowned.
"She'll be fine, I'm going to take care of her," Ash stroked Michelle's cheek.
Misty didn't want to leave, but she could tell that Ash was being persistent. Nodding her head, she walked out of the nursery and back to her own room, sitting on the bed but not even attempting to lie down.
"Pi…pikachupi?"
Misty raised her eyes and found Pikachu, who had previously been curled up in a ball and sleeping on Ash's pillow, staring up at her with his beady black eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry Pikachu," Misty frowned, "did I wake you up?"
"Pi," Pikachu shook his head and unfurled his body, scurrying closer to the gym leader. "Pikachu?"
"I'm just worried about Ash," Misty drew her knees into her chest and sighed sadly. "I'm just as concerned about Michelle and her health as he is, but poor Ash is stressing out over it so much. I've caught him crying about it a few times already, but tonight was the first time that I actually confronted him about it."
"Chu," Pikachu's ears fell. He seemed to sympathize with his trainer's wife.
"He's going to drive himself crazy," Misty buried her face in her hands. "I know Ash, and I know that he'll spend all night with the baby if I don't find a way to get him back in here."
"Pi," Pikachu agreed.
Misty wanted to ask Pikachu what to do, but he was just a Pokémon. And as close as the little electric mouse was to his trainer, Misty wasn't sure if even Pikachu could help with what was going on. Frowning deeply, Misty settled herself down and pulled the covers up over her shoulders, trying to go back to sleep.
"Pika," Pikachu murmured, moving closer to Misty and snuggling up against the young woman.
"Thanks, Pikachu," Misty stroked the Pokémon's fur until she felt her eyes fall.
XXX
Unfortunately, Misty didn't stay asleep for long.
She woke up just about an hour later, feeling rather restless. Pikachu remained asleep, however, and Misty made it her goal not to wake the little Pokémon up. Glancing over to the left, she was discouraged to see that Ash still hadn't returned to bed. Sighing, Misty slid out of bed and tip toed out of the bedroom, down the hallway and into the babies' nursery.
Just as she had suspected, Ash was sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the room, staring down at Michelle with a somber, indomitable expression. The baby girl was finally asleep, although it was obvious that she was still having a bit of a hard time breathing.
"Ash," Misty whispered, approaching her husband, "you have to go to sleep."
"No, I don't," Ash didn't even look up at Misty. "I won't go to sleep until Michelle's breathing evens out. I'll stay up all night with her if I have to."
"There's nothing we can do, Ash," Misty frowned. "You remember what Dr. Neal said. We can't do anything that will help Michelle to breathe easier. Her lungs will just have to strengthen on their own."
"But maybe…if she knows I'm here for her…maybe it'll be easier," Ash's voice was cracking. "I don't know, I just want to do something, Misty."
Misty reached out and pressed her hands against Ash's cheeks, leaning into his face to kiss him on the lips. Finally, Ash looked up at his wife and found her look to be extremely sympathetic and quite sad.
"I understand, honey," Misty murmured. "You don't know how much I understand. I spend so much of my day trying to figure something out, but I can't. I just can't. And it hurts. But…she'll be fine. Her lungs will get stronger. Michelle's a strong little girl."
Ash's lip quivered as he stared Misty right in the eyes and questioned softly, "how do you know?"
Giggling, Misty stroked Ash's cheek and responded easily, "Because she's your daughter. You're the strongest person I know."
Ash's brow bent as he reached out to touch Misty's wrist. Breathing out quietly, Ash lowered Misty's hand and stood up, walking over to Michelle's crib and lowering the baby into it. Still frowning, Ash leaned over to graze the infant's cheek with his finger tips, ending his gentle touch with a loving kiss on the forehead.
"You're a good Dad," Misty rested her chin atop Ash's shoulder.
He turned his head and smiled lightly at his wife, returning a simple, "thanks."
Her lips bending into a frown, Misty tilted her head slightly and pressed, "Could I ask you something?"
Ash seemed a little confused by Misty's sudden timidity, but never the less, he responded, "of course."
Looking up at her husband, Misty's breath fell short for a moment before she finally built up enough courage to ask the question that had been eating away at her for weeks: "do you blame me for Michelle's health problems?"
Ash no longer seemed bewildered, and his expression softened to one of pure compassion. Turning around, he swiftly picked up a surprised Misty and carried her over to the rocking chair, sitting down with the pretty gym leader in his lap. Misty blinked and wrapped her arms around Ash's neck, staring the Pokémon Master straight in the eyes.
"I would never, ever blame you for that," Ash began, his voice sounding more strong and sure than it had all night. "It's not your fault, Misty. Believe me…it's not. I'm crushed that she has to deal with this, but I've never once thought that it was your fault." Hugging Misty, he added with finality, "It's not your fault."
Misty relaxed in Ash's embrace, her heart fluttering slowly as she was silently reassured by her husband. After a few minutes, Misty turned her eyes back up onto Ash and informed him, "We should really go back to bed now. It's almost four in the morning."
Ash nodded and allowed Misty to climb off of his lap, getting to the floor and brushing her hair behind her ear. He got up onto his own feet and, before following after Misty, made sure to stop by Michelle's crib in order to check on the baby.
"Ash, come on," Misty sighed, fearing that the young father would get stuck in the same spot all over again.
A big smile suddenly appeared on Ash's face, and he looked up to show it off to his wife. "Misty, come here!" He whispered urgently.
Misty blinked but followed Ash's command, stepping back into the room and peering over the side of their daughter's crib. Observing the baby, Misty eventually realized just what Ash was so happy about: Michelle was breathing more easily. Her chest wasn't rising and falling as dramatically, and no tiny squeaks were escaping her full, pouty lips.
"Her breathing evened out," Ash respired.
"Yeah," Misty beamed.
"She's going to be okay," Ash determined strongly.
Glancing at Ash, Misty giggled softly and added, "We're all going to be okay."
