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Misty's Awakening
Part 17
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Brock, his sports car now full of boxes containing every possible decoration there could be for a wedding, opened the driver's side door and hopped in.
"Sorry, again," he said, pushing a package of ribbon away from the steering wheel, "but there's not exactly room for you in here!"
"No problem. There's plenty of room in Daisy's car," Misty responded.
"Well, don't let them stop at too many malls on the way home," Brock said, smiling. He shut his car door and began driving away.
Ash and Misty both shrugged at once, and headed, with Ash's arm around her, to the small car where Misty's sisters were getting inside.
"Adorable, aren't they?" Daisy cooed, sitting down in the driver's seat.
"Of course! I wonder when *their* wedding date will be," joked Violet with a smile.
Misty just shot her an annoyed glance and looked away.
After they had been driving for a few minutes, Ash whispered in Misty's ear. "When we get back, let's go straight to the field."
Misty wasn't sure why he wanted to, but showed with a nod that she assented.
* * * *
It was pleasant out, with the slight breeze hinting at the long, softly moving grass. Misty walked with her crutches through the grass of the field, Ash by her, and wondered still why he had so wanted to come out here.
About halfway to their rock, Ash stopped.
Misty, confused as ever, stopped also, and looked to Ash for an explanation. He looked at her, then walked up tp her.
He held out his hand. "Can I see your crutches?"
Misty rose her eyebrow. "I...sure..." She handed him one of the crutches, using the other still for balance.
"And the other."
Misty hesitated for just a moment, still confused, but was sure that he knew what he was doing. She tried to keep her balance on her own as she extended the other crutch to Ash.
He took it, then dropped it along with its pair to the ground.
"Ash...I can't—"
"Yes, you can. Today. Here." He held out his arm.
He was a few feet from her still, and it wasn't as easy as it seemed to reach him. She took one step, then another, then—
"Ahh!"
She fell to the grass, taking Ash, whose arm she had managed to grab at the last moment, down with her.
They both tumbled down to the grass, Ash beginning to laugh as he rolled over onto his stomach. Misty smiled, too, at the sight of him.
"I think you need to keep your balance as much as I do!" Misty cried, laughter in her voice.
"Then if we walk together, we'll have as much balance as a single person!" Ash chuckled.
As soon as they had gotten all of their laughter out, Ash stood again and helped Misty to her feet.
"OK...let's do this," Ash said. "And if you can make it to the rock, I'll give you a present."
Misty bit her lip, and held on tight to his arm. He took a step.
Misty followed Ash's steps, carefully using him for balance, but also trying hard to use her own strength more than his.
She stumbled once, but this time Ash caught her before she reached the ground. "It's OK," he told her, "you just need practice. You'll get better. Just keep going."
She loved to hear him say that. If he said that, then it was true. And if he said she would walk, then it would happen.
Eventually, she let her grip on his arm loosen. She held out her free left arm to help maintain more balance for herself. However, she also noticed that Ash was beginning to take faster steps.
Misty could see the rock a few yards away now. "Just a little bit longer," Ash told her, walking a little faster.
"Ash! Slow down!"
He shook his head. "You'll be fine."
She did her best to keep up, as well as stay balanced, as she followed Ash through the grass.
She felt him pulling away a little more. She tried to hold on tighter, but the chance was gone. He moved away completely, and Misty found that she wasn't holding on to anything.
"ASH!!" She cried in desperation. But she was walking.
"Aashhh-aahhh!" She lost her balance after a few moments at the base of the rock, where Ash caught her in his arms.
"Ash! You pulled away!"
"You walked, didn't you?" He asked her with a teasing smile.
"Well...yeah, I did, didn't I?" She felt her lips forming a smile, too.
Ash held her up and helped her to sit on the rock with him. "So...I guess you deserve your present now."
"Oh?"
He grinned, and, holding her close to him, kissed Misty ardently on the lips.
She kissed him back, not having expected *that* to be the present, but also feeling happily satisfied with it.
"So..." Misty said when it had ended, "if I walk *back*, too, will you give me another present?"
"You bet."
"Then what are we waiting for?" She practically leapt up, pulling him up, too, and they both walked back to the road at the field's edge.
* * * *
The day of the wedding grew ever nearer, and with each passing day, Ash forced Misty to practice walking more and more. They returned to the field several time that week. Needless to say, she quickly regained strength and balance. In fact, by the time that the wedding rehearsal came, Misty was able to walk without help. She needed to stop and sometimes lean against the wall, or, in most cases, Ash, but she found that she was quite stable on her own.
Ash was ceaselessly proud of her. Misty knew that when he watched her walk on her own, he felt almost as good about it as she did. She didn't know how she would have gotten through her recovery without him...
The rehearsal went well. The wedding was to be the next day, but fears put aside, everything went perfectly. Misty was able to walk along with the others, and stood in her place without feeling too weak. Things were definitely looking up.
After the rehearsal, Brock ordered a pizza to have for lunch and everyone ate thankfully, glad that the long practice was over, and they sat around talking.
"You nervous?" Misty asked her sister as she sat down by her.
The look on her face made it obvious. "Like, it's *only* the most important day of my *life*!"
Misty patted her arm. "You'll be fine. Don't worry."
"I can't help it! I mean, even *Brock* looks worried!"
"Of course he is!" Misty said. "Guys are always worried about this sort of thing. But at least he seems ready to commit." She couldn't believe that she was saying things like that about Brock. She'd never really thought that Brock would be willing to commit to anything besides his Pokemon or anyone besides an Officer Jenny or a Nurse Joy. But...looking at her sister, she knew that there was something there. They were meant for each other, and there was no doubt about that.
Daisy took a seat by the two girls. Misty looked up and saw that Ash was indulged in conversation with Brock and a couple of Brock's friends from the Breeding business, so she turned to her oldest sister.
"Hey, Daisy— what exactly is the deal with you and *your* fiancee?"
Daisy blushed a little. "Oh...well, he's not really...from around here."
"Huh?"
"Well, he doesn't live here. He's actually somewhere in the Orange Islands right now. Ya see, we don't see each other much, but we're thinking of having a small wedding sometime in a few months. He's just busy with his job— like Brock is always busy with his."
"What does he do?" Misty asked.
"He's a musician," Daisy answered dreamily. "He plays guitar in a band. He's been touring, and I met him once when the band came to Cerulean. They played music for one of our shows, in fact, and we just hit it off."
"Go figure," Misty mumbled. It was like her sister, to fall for someone like that.
"He wrote a song for me, once," Daisy went on. "Darren's a sweet guy, really. He's just, like, not around all that much."
"Ahh." Misty remembered Ash and his guitar. He'd written a song, too...but...she frowned, thinking of how he wouldn't even let he look at it, let alone play it for her. Hadn't it had her name on it...?
"Well, it's getting late!" Violet cut in. "We've got to get the decorations ready to be set up. We'd better go."
They agreed.
"Misty!" Ash said, finding her in the small crowd. "We're going to go straight home. You need your rest, and putting up reception decorations isn't going to make you any stronger."
Misty sighed. "You're right. I suppose I'd better rest up."
Ash smiled, and kissed her cheek. "Come on. Brock will give us a ride home."
* * * *
Misty's dream returned that night.
She woke up in a cold sweat, breathing in fitfully. The images of a blinding snowstorm blowing in and forcing her to the ground were fresh in her mind. She remembered the drifts of snow that piled up, and finally, the huge gust of wind that blew everything away— snow drifts and all. Then she had seen herself in a dark world...
Misty rose up from her bed and fetched a glass of cold water, drinking it halfway and then splashing some of it onto her face. She was fine, only a little stressed out, she told herself.
She walked out to the front room, sitting on the sofa. Walk...she had just walked out here on her own. She had Ash to thank for that. She smiled, despite the thoughts of the dream, presently wondering if Ash was asleep right now. He looked so sweet when he slept...she almost could have walked upstairs to his room just to watch him sleep.
Misty set the glass down on the coffee table and looked our the window. How lucky she was, to have been through all of this a still be here. She had nearly died, hung on by a thread for nearly three years, and even with that she had found that Ash was there when she woke up. How could anybody lose so much, and yet, gain even more, from such an accident? She had lost time, but just knowing that Ash was there for her now began to make up for that. She was beginning to think that, even with all the years gone, never to return, she had so much ahead of her. And Ash would be with her.
Misty closed her eyes. Yes, she felt tired. She felt ready now to go back to sleep.
She picked up her glass, setting it carefully in the sink, and made her way down the hall into her bedroom.
'Tomorrow's a big day,' she thought as she snuggled under the sheets, and sleep came to her tired body quickly.
________
...To Be Continued...
________________________________________________________________________
AN: Well, you've all made it this far! YAAAAAYY! Just don't give up on me yet. I know I take a long time to upload each part, so thank you for being so very patient! There will be a couple more parts, so hang on to your seats and don't press the EJECT button! It'll be out soon!
--StarGlider
Misty's Awakening
Part 17
________________
Brock, his sports car now full of boxes containing every possible decoration there could be for a wedding, opened the driver's side door and hopped in.
"Sorry, again," he said, pushing a package of ribbon away from the steering wheel, "but there's not exactly room for you in here!"
"No problem. There's plenty of room in Daisy's car," Misty responded.
"Well, don't let them stop at too many malls on the way home," Brock said, smiling. He shut his car door and began driving away.
Ash and Misty both shrugged at once, and headed, with Ash's arm around her, to the small car where Misty's sisters were getting inside.
"Adorable, aren't they?" Daisy cooed, sitting down in the driver's seat.
"Of course! I wonder when *their* wedding date will be," joked Violet with a smile.
Misty just shot her an annoyed glance and looked away.
After they had been driving for a few minutes, Ash whispered in Misty's ear. "When we get back, let's go straight to the field."
Misty wasn't sure why he wanted to, but showed with a nod that she assented.
* * * *
It was pleasant out, with the slight breeze hinting at the long, softly moving grass. Misty walked with her crutches through the grass of the field, Ash by her, and wondered still why he had so wanted to come out here.
About halfway to their rock, Ash stopped.
Misty, confused as ever, stopped also, and looked to Ash for an explanation. He looked at her, then walked up tp her.
He held out his hand. "Can I see your crutches?"
Misty rose her eyebrow. "I...sure..." She handed him one of the crutches, using the other still for balance.
"And the other."
Misty hesitated for just a moment, still confused, but was sure that he knew what he was doing. She tried to keep her balance on her own as she extended the other crutch to Ash.
He took it, then dropped it along with its pair to the ground.
"Ash...I can't—"
"Yes, you can. Today. Here." He held out his arm.
He was a few feet from her still, and it wasn't as easy as it seemed to reach him. She took one step, then another, then—
"Ahh!"
She fell to the grass, taking Ash, whose arm she had managed to grab at the last moment, down with her.
They both tumbled down to the grass, Ash beginning to laugh as he rolled over onto his stomach. Misty smiled, too, at the sight of him.
"I think you need to keep your balance as much as I do!" Misty cried, laughter in her voice.
"Then if we walk together, we'll have as much balance as a single person!" Ash chuckled.
As soon as they had gotten all of their laughter out, Ash stood again and helped Misty to her feet.
"OK...let's do this," Ash said. "And if you can make it to the rock, I'll give you a present."
Misty bit her lip, and held on tight to his arm. He took a step.
Misty followed Ash's steps, carefully using him for balance, but also trying hard to use her own strength more than his.
She stumbled once, but this time Ash caught her before she reached the ground. "It's OK," he told her, "you just need practice. You'll get better. Just keep going."
She loved to hear him say that. If he said that, then it was true. And if he said she would walk, then it would happen.
Eventually, she let her grip on his arm loosen. She held out her free left arm to help maintain more balance for herself. However, she also noticed that Ash was beginning to take faster steps.
Misty could see the rock a few yards away now. "Just a little bit longer," Ash told her, walking a little faster.
"Ash! Slow down!"
He shook his head. "You'll be fine."
She did her best to keep up, as well as stay balanced, as she followed Ash through the grass.
She felt him pulling away a little more. She tried to hold on tighter, but the chance was gone. He moved away completely, and Misty found that she wasn't holding on to anything.
"ASH!!" She cried in desperation. But she was walking.
"Aashhh-aahhh!" She lost her balance after a few moments at the base of the rock, where Ash caught her in his arms.
"Ash! You pulled away!"
"You walked, didn't you?" He asked her with a teasing smile.
"Well...yeah, I did, didn't I?" She felt her lips forming a smile, too.
Ash held her up and helped her to sit on the rock with him. "So...I guess you deserve your present now."
"Oh?"
He grinned, and, holding her close to him, kissed Misty ardently on the lips.
She kissed him back, not having expected *that* to be the present, but also feeling happily satisfied with it.
"So..." Misty said when it had ended, "if I walk *back*, too, will you give me another present?"
"You bet."
"Then what are we waiting for?" She practically leapt up, pulling him up, too, and they both walked back to the road at the field's edge.
* * * *
The day of the wedding grew ever nearer, and with each passing day, Ash forced Misty to practice walking more and more. They returned to the field several time that week. Needless to say, she quickly regained strength and balance. In fact, by the time that the wedding rehearsal came, Misty was able to walk without help. She needed to stop and sometimes lean against the wall, or, in most cases, Ash, but she found that she was quite stable on her own.
Ash was ceaselessly proud of her. Misty knew that when he watched her walk on her own, he felt almost as good about it as she did. She didn't know how she would have gotten through her recovery without him...
The rehearsal went well. The wedding was to be the next day, but fears put aside, everything went perfectly. Misty was able to walk along with the others, and stood in her place without feeling too weak. Things were definitely looking up.
After the rehearsal, Brock ordered a pizza to have for lunch and everyone ate thankfully, glad that the long practice was over, and they sat around talking.
"You nervous?" Misty asked her sister as she sat down by her.
The look on her face made it obvious. "Like, it's *only* the most important day of my *life*!"
Misty patted her arm. "You'll be fine. Don't worry."
"I can't help it! I mean, even *Brock* looks worried!"
"Of course he is!" Misty said. "Guys are always worried about this sort of thing. But at least he seems ready to commit." She couldn't believe that she was saying things like that about Brock. She'd never really thought that Brock would be willing to commit to anything besides his Pokemon or anyone besides an Officer Jenny or a Nurse Joy. But...looking at her sister, she knew that there was something there. They were meant for each other, and there was no doubt about that.
Daisy took a seat by the two girls. Misty looked up and saw that Ash was indulged in conversation with Brock and a couple of Brock's friends from the Breeding business, so she turned to her oldest sister.
"Hey, Daisy— what exactly is the deal with you and *your* fiancee?"
Daisy blushed a little. "Oh...well, he's not really...from around here."
"Huh?"
"Well, he doesn't live here. He's actually somewhere in the Orange Islands right now. Ya see, we don't see each other much, but we're thinking of having a small wedding sometime in a few months. He's just busy with his job— like Brock is always busy with his."
"What does he do?" Misty asked.
"He's a musician," Daisy answered dreamily. "He plays guitar in a band. He's been touring, and I met him once when the band came to Cerulean. They played music for one of our shows, in fact, and we just hit it off."
"Go figure," Misty mumbled. It was like her sister, to fall for someone like that.
"He wrote a song for me, once," Daisy went on. "Darren's a sweet guy, really. He's just, like, not around all that much."
"Ahh." Misty remembered Ash and his guitar. He'd written a song, too...but...she frowned, thinking of how he wouldn't even let he look at it, let alone play it for her. Hadn't it had her name on it...?
"Well, it's getting late!" Violet cut in. "We've got to get the decorations ready to be set up. We'd better go."
They agreed.
"Misty!" Ash said, finding her in the small crowd. "We're going to go straight home. You need your rest, and putting up reception decorations isn't going to make you any stronger."
Misty sighed. "You're right. I suppose I'd better rest up."
Ash smiled, and kissed her cheek. "Come on. Brock will give us a ride home."
* * * *
Misty's dream returned that night.
She woke up in a cold sweat, breathing in fitfully. The images of a blinding snowstorm blowing in and forcing her to the ground were fresh in her mind. She remembered the drifts of snow that piled up, and finally, the huge gust of wind that blew everything away— snow drifts and all. Then she had seen herself in a dark world...
Misty rose up from her bed and fetched a glass of cold water, drinking it halfway and then splashing some of it onto her face. She was fine, only a little stressed out, she told herself.
She walked out to the front room, sitting on the sofa. Walk...she had just walked out here on her own. She had Ash to thank for that. She smiled, despite the thoughts of the dream, presently wondering if Ash was asleep right now. He looked so sweet when he slept...she almost could have walked upstairs to his room just to watch him sleep.
Misty set the glass down on the coffee table and looked our the window. How lucky she was, to have been through all of this a still be here. She had nearly died, hung on by a thread for nearly three years, and even with that she had found that Ash was there when she woke up. How could anybody lose so much, and yet, gain even more, from such an accident? She had lost time, but just knowing that Ash was there for her now began to make up for that. She was beginning to think that, even with all the years gone, never to return, she had so much ahead of her. And Ash would be with her.
Misty closed her eyes. Yes, she felt tired. She felt ready now to go back to sleep.
She picked up her glass, setting it carefully in the sink, and made her way down the hall into her bedroom.
'Tomorrow's a big day,' she thought as she snuggled under the sheets, and sleep came to her tired body quickly.
________
...To Be Continued...
________________________________________________________________________
AN: Well, you've all made it this far! YAAAAAYY! Just don't give up on me yet. I know I take a long time to upload each part, so thank you for being so very patient! There will be a couple more parts, so hang on to your seats and don't press the EJECT button! It'll be out soon!
--StarGlider
