Chapter 41

Waking up in a cold sweat, the gym leader pants heavily in between her bent legs. Mew, the nightmares. Sometimes she doesn't get the nightmares. Like she didn't have one last night, but she had one on Sunday night. Though, she didn't have one on Saturday. Opening her eyes widely in realization, she knows what happened those nights. However, she and Ash had a quickie before bed and he went to the guestroom tonight. Thus, why is she still having nightmares?

The woman groans as she gets up. She's going to test another theory. As much as she hates it, she hates these nightmares more. They're terrifying and not helping her feel at ease with Ariel's safety now. Plus, she knows he still gets nightmares too because Ariel tells her about it. The nights she spent with him, he would be sleeping deeply. Maybe he's the same way as her?

When Misty walks into the guest bedroom, she hears her ex tossing and turning as well as mumbling. So he's having a nightmare too. Taking in a deep tired breath, the woman slips into bed beside him. Of course, her sudden movement wakes him up instantly, something that's only happened once Ariel was attacked. "Who's there?" Ash reaches for a pokeball on his nightstand.

"Just me." mutters the soft voice behind him while slender arms wrap around his sides.

He feels her face pressed into his back, so he curiously asks, "What are you doing?" Does she want another round? It's the middle of the night, and as much as he'd love to have sex again, he's not in the mood. That nightmare just now was rough.

"Sleeping."

"Why here?"

"The nightmares stop when I'm with you." comes the tired response.

Ash blinks in confusion. Do they really stop? He recalls the times he wouldn't have nightmares, and every time, it'd involve her. When he was in the clinic and he woke up holding her hand. When they cuddled at the Route 1 picnic. On Saturday and last night when they slept in the same bed. Okay. Maybe she's right.

Turning around in her arms, Ash pulls the woman into his chest as he buries his face in her hair. She always fit so perfectly in his arms, like a puzzle piece. He feels his nerves from his nightmare instantly disappearing as he gets tired again. Even if she's wrong, which he knows she isn't, he likes having her in his arms.

The next morning, Ash's alarm blaring wakes up the redhead. After her nightmare, she slept very well. Of course, she now knows it's because of this man holding her protectively in his arms. To her dismay, she has to get out of them before Ariel realizes she's not in her room. Misty moves away from Ash's arm as he swings it to snooze his alarm. However, he quickly swings it back to pull her into his chest again.

"Let me go." mutters the woman.

"Five more minutes."

"What if Ariel finds us?"

"She'll be happy." grumbles the man into her hair.

"I'm not ready for that yet."

Now, Ash releases her to sit up along with her. He shyly looks in her eyes. "Why not?"

Sighing, Misty replies, "She thinks we hate each other."

"We haven't really argued in a while. I think she thinks we're getting along."

"She probably thinks we're faking it."

Ash shrugs. "Why should we keep lying to her? You know she's always wanted us together."

"We're not together." Misty reminds him.

Ash rolls his eyes. "We have sex and we sleep together. We cook and raise our daughter together. What are we?"

Misty avoids eye contact as she groans. "We're exes."

"Exes get back together all the time." Ash recalls how Dawn and Paul were always on and off again before finally getting married. Granted, they only got married because Dawn got pregnant, but they're still going strong.

"Yeah, but we're divorced."

Sighing, Ash gets up. He's awake now, and he's slightly upset. "You're right. We're just bed buddies." He makes his way to the door. "I just hate hiding things from Ariel."

When Ash leaves the room, Misty lets out a breath. As much as she wants to try again with Ash, there's a reason they didn't work out before. So what if he's more present now? He could rely on her again and quit showing up to things thinking she won't leave him. Plus, a part of her believes these are just lustful desires towards him.

At breakfast, Ariel makes her way down the stairs where she surprisingly sees her parents together making food. She was confused when her father's room was empty this morning; though she did think he was off another League trip. She's glad that he's just downstairs making breakfast. Pikachu, like he's been doing lately, shoots Ash a disgusted glare, making Ash roll his eyes. Misty and Ash haven't spoken much since their talk that morning.

"Morning, mom! Morning, dad!" Ariel grins as she sits at the table.

The parents smile at their daughter. "Good morning, baby." Misty greets her.

"Mornin', champ!" Ash grins.

"Can we go to the cape today?" the girl eagerly asks. She's seen many families go to the cape together. While she's gone a few times with her mother and aunts, Ariel wants to go with her father too.

Ash awkwardly shifts his feet, and Misty notices too. The cape also doesn't bring out memories the two want to remember. "I have a lot of work. We should stay in." suggests the man.

"Same here."

Sighing, Ariel looks over at Pikachu. "Okay."

While the family eats, Ariel reminds her parents how she'll be turning 10 in a couple of weeks. "I'm gonna pick a Squirtle!" Like her mother, she loves water Pokemon, but Ariel also has an appreciation for other types as well.

Misty nervously meets Ash's eyes. "Ariel, your father and I need to tell you something."

Ariel hopefully looks at them. They've been getting along well lately, and she hopes it's a sign that they'll be back together. "What is it, mom?" Ash raises a curious eyebrow at his ex. Is she going to tell Ariel that they're together now? He wouldn't mind, though he wished she spoke to him about it first.

Misty takes in a deep breath before meeting Ariel's eyes. "We want you to take Charizard with you on your journey."

"But I want my own pokemon!" insists the girl. This is not what she expected her parents to say.

"I know. You will, but just take Charizard in case you run into trouble." Misty softly tells the girl.

"No!" Ariel stands up angrily. This isn't fair. She doesn't want a strong Pokemon bailing her out of her problems. Ariel wants to solve her problems on her own. She wants to go on her journey by herself with her own Pokemon. Taking Charizard only means her parents don't believe in her.

"Ariel." Ash calmly speaks to the girl. "This is for your protection."

"No! I'm not taking any of your Pokemon!"

"Then you won't be leaving." Misty sternly narrows her eyes at her daughter.

Ariel and Ash look at her in shock, though Ash understands why Misty said that. "You can't keep me from my journey!" Ariel exclaims. This is what she's wanted to do since she could talk. And now her parents won't let her go. It's not fair!

"All you need to do is take Charizard." Ash tries to convince the girl.

"I don't want your pokemon! I want my own!"

"Ariel Delia Ketchum!" Misty snaps. Does Ariel not understand why they want her to take Charizard?

"No, mom! I'm tired of listening to you guys!" All her parents do is argue or they used to speak poorly about one another. Ariel has learned that her parents are wrong about a lot of things, so they're wrong about this too. She doesn't need Charizard. Running upstairs, the girl quickly changes for school.

Misty groans with her face in her hands. "That went well."

Ash sighs as he watches Pikachu run upstairs to check on Ariel. "Maybe we can explain our reasoning later?"

The woman rolls her eyes. "She's as stubborn as us. What makes you think she'll listen later?"

Ash shrugs. "Because I'm her dad. She always comes around eventually." The man then gives his ex a warm smile. "How about we take her to the cape and explain ourselves? She'll listen since we're doing something she wants to do."

Misty blinks at him in surprise. He wants to go to the cape? The last time he was there, that she knows of, it was with her. Shyly blushing, Misty nods. "Are you sure it'll work?"

Ash stands up with a grin. "I'm her dad, Mist. I know how to reach her." The man walks over to the stove to grab a second helping.

Misty follows to put her plate in the sink, but on her way out of the kitchen, she makes sure to stop by the table where Ash has resumed sitting. Placing a light kiss on his cheek makes his blush profusely. "Thanks, Ash." She's always wished she had his support. Being a single parent is hard. However, with them together as a united front, parenting has been a lot more enjoyable.

The front door slamming while Pikachu 'chas' in the living room makes Misty instantly jump away from Ash. Unbeknownst to the parents, Ariel and Pikachu saw all of that. Ariel isn't as mad as she makes her way to school now. She's more hopeful for the future of her family. Her parents are getting along rather nicely.

Flashback

"This is stupid." mutters the redhead from the shoreline.

Chuckling, the young man in the water asks, "Scared, Mist?"

She rolls her eyes. "No. But do you know how many people come here? The cape is filthy."

"Okay? And Pokemon still drink from it." He grins mischievously at her. "Are you coming in or do you need help?"

Misty looks over at his forgotten pile of clothes on the edge of the cape. Sighing, the woman strips down, and Ash can't help but stare in awe at her beauty in the moonlight. Once Misty effortlessly swims over to him, she smirks at his open mouth. "Like what you see, Ketchum?"

Ash shakes his head out of his daze before smiling warmly at her. Grabbing her hand, he brings it up to reflect in the moonlight. He lovingly stares at the sparkling ring on her finger and kisses the back of her hand. "Always." He then meets her soft blue eyes. "I love you, Future Mrs. Ketchum."

Whenever Ash gets sweet on her, Misty finds her tough resolve melting. Those chocolate brown eyes of his always manage to make the gym leader behave softer. Closing the space between them, she kisses him passionately. "I can't wait to marry you, Ash."

The man's blush is very hot on his face. He never hides it from her anymore. He loves this woman, and he can't wait to spend the rest of his life with her. Unfortunately, before he can say the same to her, he feels something brush against his leg, making him instantly back away. "What was that?"

Misty sighs. There can never be a long romantic moment with Ash, but she loves him regardless. He's more than just his romantic episodes. "Probably a Goldeen."

"Maybe we shouldn't have gone skinny dipping?" Ash worriedly eyes the dark water around him while he uses a hand to cup a sensitive part of his body.

The woman knowingly smirks at him. "That's why I said this is stupid. Do you know how disgusting this place is? People have sex and skinny dip in here all the time."

"I know! That's why I wanted to try it too!" Ash exclaims. However, he feels something touch too close to his waist, which causes him to quickly swim to shore. "Let's just go back to the house!"

Misty sweatdrops at her fiance. Normally, he wouldn't fear Pokemon, but when his manhood is at stake in a dark bond, he would freak out. She knows he only wanted to go skinny dipping because she had told him people do that here. Giggling, she swims out after him where she quickly reaches him on the shore. With Ash still naked, Misty tackles him into the grass and bushes nearby.

"Ow, Mist!" Ash rubs the back of his head. Although, when he opens his eyes, he sees the naked beauty straddling his hips.

"I know we came here for a reason, Ash." Misty lowers her face towards his. "We can have fun in the house anytime." She then kisses the man before he can object, but Ash wouldn't object. This is the love of his life. He always wants to have fun with her.

Flashback Over

"Don't go in the water, champ!" Ash worriedly calls over to his daughter. After surprising Ariel with a trip to the cape, the girl was more willing to listen to her parents' concerns. She still isn't keen on the idea of taking Charizard with her on her journey, but if she can't come up with a different plan, then she agreed to take the lizard.

"I know!" Ariel yells back with Pikachu on her shoulder. The girl knows all too well not to go in the cape. Her mother and aunts always made sure the kids avoided that water. If they want to swim, there are plenty of other bodies of water nearby.

With the girl away, Ash turns his attention to the redhead laying down beside him. She had closed the gym early today so that they can all go to the cape. Obviously, the cape is more public, but Misty and Ash know of a few secluded areas. Else, Ash would have a lot of fans and the media by him right now.

"That went better than expected." Misty mutters as her eyes stay on her daughter.

Ash smiles at her. "When we both agree to something, she doesn't complain much." He's noticed that. Seeing Misty shiver slightly from the cold breeze makes Ash put an arm around her.

Misty then leans into his side with her head resting on the side of his chest. "We're great parents."

"I know."

Giggling, the redhead glances up at him where she sees his eyes are following Ariel and Pikachu. Ash really is the father Misty always believed he could be. Actually, he's better. Growing up without a father himself, she never expected this much love and care from him. However, she should've known he'd be this loving because that's why she fell for him in the first place. Ash has always been a caring soul.

He's already acknowledged and apologized for his negligence back then when their marriage went south. He knows he was hurting Misty by never being around and for his false promises. Ever since the divorce, Ash has been more present in Ariel's life. Lately, he's been coming around a lot more for Ariel and Misty. He's not the same person he was when Misty was married to him. If anything, he's better. He's the man she's always wanted him to be. With him being around every day and keeping his word as well as acknowledging his faults. This is the Ash Ketchum she married. "Should we try again?"

Ash curiously looks down at her where his brown orbs lock with her blue ones. "Try what?"

Taking in a deep nervous breath, the woman replies, "Us. Should we try us again?"

Ash's gaze softens as a warm smile breaks out on his face. "Are you serious?"

Ever since they hunted down Kleon together, Ash has felt drawn to Misty. It may also be a reason he lost feelings for Melody, though her attitude towards Ariel contributed heavily towards that. Nevertheless, Ash just can't seem to get enough of this redhead. He wants to keep going to sleep next to her and waking up beside her. He wants to spend more time with her and learn everything about her again. He just wants her, and he definitely won't mess it up like he did before. Ash has grown to be a better man, so he will put his family first, which is what he's been doing since the divorce. It won't take a nasty divorce for him to realize his priorities again.

Misty smiles softly back at him while nodding slightly. "Yes." She inches her face closer to his. "I want to try again, Ash."

With a huge grin, Ash brushes his lips against hers. "I wanna try again too, Mist." He then closes the space between them with a long passionate kiss. He never would've thought they'd ever get back together, but with how things have been going between them, Ash has found himself falling for her again. Plus, Ariel would like this a lot, and he always wants to make Ariel happy. It's a bonus that he wants this too.

By the edge of the cape, Ariel whispers to Pikachu, "Mom and dad are kissing!

" Of course, Pikachu knows all too well what his trainer does with Misty at night. Thus, Pikachu pretends to be shocked by the scene of the adults kissing. "Pi kaaaa…"

Ariel grabs Pikachu into a tight hug. "Are we gonna be a family again, Pikachu?" She eagerly asks. Pikachu sheepishly rubs the back of his head, but Ariel stands up to run to her parents. They hear her footsteps and instantly pull away from one another with deep blushes on their faces. "Mom! Dad!"

"Hey, champ!" Ash shyly grins.

"Hi, Ariel." Misty innocently smiles too, though she is still under Ash's arm.

"Are you gonna get married again?" the girl did just see them kissing.

The adults nervously eye each other before Misty answers. "We're not getting married-"

Seeing Ariel's frown, Ash cuts in. "But we're going to try and be a family again." He reaches out a hand to ruffle Ariel's hair. "And then maybe we'll get married again."

Misty gives him a shocked look. "What are you talking about?"

Ash shrugs with his awkward smile on his lips. "I only date to marry, Mist. You know that."

Although the woman has more questions, she doesn't want to ask them in front of Ariel. DIrecting her attention back to her gleeful daughter, Misty says, "Your father and I are going to try being together again, but we need to keep it a secret."

Ariel nods because she understands all too well how the media feeds off of anything involving famous people, especially exes. "Can I tell Jace and Lauren?"

Misty sighs, but she already knows she and Ash will be breaking the news to their friends this weekend. "Yes. Make sure they keep it a secret too."

"Yes!" Ariel jumps up in excitement before tackling her parents in a big hug. This is all she's ever wanted. Maybe wishes do come true? Hugging them tighter as they both wrap their arms around each other, Ariel happily whispers, "I hope this isn't a dream."

Ash chuckles when they release each other. "It's not a dream, champ. Mom and I will be spending more time together with you." He already plans to visit when he can, or when he can sneak out. He won't make the same mistakes as last time by not giving Misty and Ariel enough attention. If the League wants to take away his title, well, he's had a good run. He just wants to be the man he can be for his daughter and...girlfriend?

The man gives Misty a confused expression. "Are you my girlfriend now?"

Blushing slightly, Misty nods. "I guess so."

"So we're exes and now we're dating?"

"You're also my baby's father." Misty knowingly reminds him.

Thinking to himself, Ash finally speaks again, "We'll just settle for boyfriend and girlfriend for now."

"Good call." Misty agrees. She then returns her smile to Ariel. "Are you okay if I date your father?" Misty always wants to run her dates by Ariel, but seeing how upset Ariel was about Rudy, Misty quit dating altogether. Plus, Misty never had time for it with her being a full time gym leader and single mother.

Ash eagerly leans towards his daughter too. "Yeah, Champ. Is it okay if I date your mother?" Ever since the whole Melody thing, Ash will always prioritize Ariel's feelings first.

Ariel gives her parents a look of disbelief. Are they really asking her this after she expressed how happy she is that they're together again? "It's more than okay! It's awesome!" She hugs them again. Yes. This definitely isn't a dream. Wishes can come true. She's glad she listened to her friends almost a year ago at her birthday party instead of giving up. Ariel will have to thank them this weekend.

Been having too much fun this week. I had family come into town, so I've been busy. Currently, my wallet tells me to stop seeing people and just focus on my stories. I hope to grace your presence soon. This is the only chapter I have typed up right now. Hoping to end this story around 50 chapters. :P Thanks for the support, and happy Labor Day! Ima go get drunk after I upload this.