Fractured Stars

by Spruceton Spook

Part 3

Long Time, No See

Letting out what seemed like the fiftieth whoop for joy in the last hour, Ash ran and leapt up to grab hold of a low-hanging tree branch. He swung forward and flipped upside down, hooking the limb tightly with his knees and dangling upside down, his hat flopping to the ground beneath him.

"Hmph! Show off," Misty commented, slapping Ash's stomach as she and Brock casually walked by.

Ash coughed from the impact and fell to the ground, landing flatly on his face. It didn't seem to bother him in the least, and in the next second, he was on his feet again, skipping around joyfully.

"Woo-hoo! Going home, going home!" he sang boisterously, sweeping Pikachu into his arms and settling him on his head.

"Yes, terrific," Brock responded, sounding drained and unemotional. He held firmly onto the map of the surrounding forest area, the same one he'd shoved into his bag in Goldenrod City just an hour ago, expecting not to need it for a good long while.

Misty shook her head and tsk-tsked as Ash continued to bound excitedly in front of them, kicking at dandelions and loose rocks without a care in the world. Hard to believe it was the same kid who was dead-set on staying on course and winning a badge just the night before.

"His traveling habits get weirder and weirder each day," she sighed as she strolled beside Brock.

Brock grunted in agreement. "Well, at least he's happy now."

"And he's not flying there like he was the last time," Misty said, shuddering as she thought of how they'd traveled from New Bark Town to Pallet Town in one day. "Thank goodness he agreed to take it somewhat easy this time."

Brock nodded. That had been some experience for them, and to this day he swore it was the most tiring day of his entire life. Ash knew that, too, and when he first saw his friends' faces tighten in annoyance when he told them he wanted to go home, he immediately promised to be slow. But Ash was Ash, and although they were keeping at a moderately pleasant pace, he still needed to be a hundred yards ahead of them at all times.

"Hey, Brock!" Ash shouted, turning around and skittering backwards. "When will we get back to Pallet Town?"

His face was lit up in pure ecstasy, making Misty and Brock helplessly smile. When Ash was in these high spirits, it was as if nothing was wrong in the world. In fact, the way he was acting now was very similar to the way he acted after he won a badge.

"Do the math," Brock simply told him.

Grinning like a crazy person, Ash rubbed his chin and looked up to the sky. It was Tuesday, and it had taken them five days to get to Goldenrod City. That meant Sunday was the day. Sunday night he'd be in his house, close to his mom and dad once again. Sunday night all his troubles would melt away.

"At the rate we're going, you could probably cut a couple days off that," Misty said, her eyebrows rising.

"Yeah," Brock agreed. "We have enough food now that we probably won't have to have a layover in New Bark Town again."

"Yes! Awesome!" Ash screamed. "This is going to be great! I'm gonna shock my mom even more this time!"

At that, he bolted off again, letting out another whoop. Misty and Brock calmly watched him let all of his extra energy out. One thing was for sure: when they reached Pallet Town, their rambunctious friend would presumably be tuckered out.


By late Friday afternoon, as calculated surprisingly correctly, the three kids emerged from the woods and stood before the beautiful valley in which Pallet Town lay. It was the most gorgeous sight to them, but to Ash especially, who closed his eyes and took a good whiff of the fresh mountain air. The sun was low in the sky, but still warm enough for Misty to be fanning herself and Togepi. The humidity was a killer, too, but now all their weather problems wouldn't affect them any longer.

"Oooh, yeah." Ash grinned, doing a little dance to celebrate their short, yet eventful journey. "To home!" he proclaimed, pointing out at the sleepy town before them.

"Music to my ears!" said Misty, joining in with Ash's rejoicing. Ash smiled at her shortly, then took off in a jog down the road. Brock followed right after.

Misty observed as they sauntered down the hill, all peppy and high-strung, despite the long trip that they had made for essentially nothing. She couldn't be upset with Ash, though. What he decided over had to have been difficult for him, choosing between two things that meant so much to him. He never had to make that kind of decision before. In fact, the last visit to Pallet Town had been the only one to have not occurred after or before a journey, and now they were making another spontaneous one. Misty wondered how often Ash would be doing this. It certainly was a shift in the grand scheme of things; half the time Ash would barely even mention home, and now he couldn't stop. It made her speculate if they were experiencing a change in their friend.

"Misty! Come on!" She jumped at the sound of her rowdy friend. She looked down the way and noticed Ash beaming excitedly at her, his eyes sparkling with thrill. "Wake up, crazy!"

Misty laughed. "I'm up! I mean—I'm coming!"

She plunged down the road at that, joining up with her boys as they sought to complete the short trek to home.


Six-eleven. That was the time Jay's watch read at the latest glance. With a sigh, he looked up to see if his wife was coming. He stood at the base of the stairs, where he had been repeatedly straightening his tie and running a hand over his perfectly set hair for a good fifteen minutes...patiently, and then impatiently, waiting. It was getting to be too late.

"Hey, Delia!" he cried, directing it towards the closed bathroom door. "C'mon, hun! We have to go!"

"All right! All right!" she shouted in reply, her voice muffled from behind the door. "I'll be done in a minute. Keep your pants on."

Her laughter could be heard afterward, and despite his edginess, Jay grinned. "Not the time to be undressing now—our reservation is for six-thirty," he reminded her through his wisecrack, hoping that it would hurry her up a bit.

It was Friday night—the night Jay and Delia had been longing for all week. It was almost like a tease for the two of them, as the days had seemed to drag by slower than usual. Jay had put in full hours of work, and the only time they'd seen each other for a respectable spell was in the evening—through dinner, prime time. And even that didn't last too long, for by the time nine o'clock rolled around, fatigue hit both of them, and Delia headed for her room and Jay for the couch. The next morning, a half-an-hour went by and Jay would be out the door, shipping off to Viridian City.

This long-anticipated weekend was their reward, and it had arrived at last. It was their second weekend together as a reconciled couple, and their first full one alone. The previous weekend had been magical in itself, but with the kids around, Jay and Delia had not gotten enough personal time as they would have desired. Now, they had two whole days with each other to indulge in—no interruptions, no obligations. It would be perfect—or so they hoped.

The door of the bathroom finally opened, and Jay turned to see Delia emerge, her sleek, pale blue dress flaring delicately around her thighs. Her husband gawked at her, his eyes traveling from her long, slender legs to her shiny auburn hair, which she had meticulously curled for the occasion. She flushed when she noticed the way the color had drained from his face, and modestly looked at the ground.

"Oh, man…" Jay uttered. Delia meandered down the stairs and he took her hands in his, drinking her in with zestful awe. "I haven't seen you in an outfit like that in…in…a really long time. You look…magnificent."

She smiled widely, always delighted in his doting allure. "You don't look too bad yourself," she said, the blush still streaked across her cheeks.

He chuckled and linked arms with her. "Shall we then?" he asked, and she nodded, feeling absolutely incredible as she leaned into his warm side. They made their way eagerly to the door and out to Jay's car, parked in front of the house.

He opened the passenger door for her and she slipped in, holding her long dress carefully in her hands. He then made his way cheerfully over to his side, a happy spring to his step.

"You ready?" he asked her before placing the keys in the ignition.

"No…I think I've already had enough excitement for the night," she teased, mischievously slumping in exhaustion. "I'm ready to head back in."

"Don't taunt me like that, dearest," Jay arched an eyebrow at her in roughish amusement, and Delia, reddening again at her fortuitously unintentional suggestion, stifled her giggles.

Just down the street, the sound of a car rumbling to life pricked Ash's ears. He paused at the familiarity of it; he'd heard that particular car start up before.

"What's the matter, Ash?" Misty asked, noting the anxious trance that Ash had suddenly fallen into.

Ash remained still for a moment more, then hightailed it down the road without warning. It took Misty and Brock by surprise, but no more than it did Pikachu, who clumsily toppled off his trainer's shoulder as Ash dashed away. The Pokémon landed soundly on the ground, looking dazed as Ash ran off.

"Hey! Ash!" Brock shouted, shooting Misty a quick glance before the two of them started after him.

"What's the matter?" Misty called again. "Why're you running?!"

"Don't worry about it," Brock reassured her, already huffing from the sudden sprint. "He's just pulling the same stunt he did last time."

Misty ran to keep up with Brock, clutching Togepi in her bouncy arms. "Oh, yeah…right," she wheezed, though it hadn't appeared that way to her. Ash had looked undoubtedly panicked just a second ago.

Ash pumped his legs as hard as he could, unmindful of leaving his friends and Pikachu in his dusty wake. The image of his house came into view, shaking dramatically from his choppy perception, and a feeling of jubilation swept through his veins. That was before he noticed his father's small silver sedan begin to churn out exhaust smoke from the tailpipe.

"NO!" he shouted, coming out as a gasp for breath. He willed his legs to move faster. "No, Dad! Wait! STOP!"

He realized his dad couldn't possibly hear him. The taillights flashed a bright red, and the car slowly began to pull away from the curb. Ash's eyes widened in adrenaline-rushed dread, but it didn't halt his determination. He was nearing the car now, and it was no time to give up. Just a little further…he could do it…

As the car slowly built up its momentum, something out of the blue hit it forcibly from behind. Both Jay and Delia yelped as they felt the impact, and Jay reacted promptly by slamming on the breaks.

"What the hell was that?!" he yelled, as they simultaneously turned their heads around to look out the rear window.

They both gasped in shock when the highly-recognizable white-and-red cap popped up into their view. The high window only allowed them to see that much, but it was enough for Delia. In a flash, she had the car door open and fought her dress to get out as quickly as she could.

"Ash?!" she shrieked, worry and surprise peaking in her voice. She finally got out of the door and stumbled on her high-heeled shoes. "Ash, is that you?"

Her son, slightly disoriented from his forceful collision after such a furious dash, fumbled from his sprawled position on the trunk of car just in time to see his mother skid to a stop before him. Her jaw dropped to the ground. Gasping as he tried to fill his aching lungs with oxygen, Ash managed a shaky, but undeniably joyful smile.

"Hi…Mom," he panted.

"Ash!" Delia cried again, this time in sheer happiness. She rushed to Ash and collected him in a huge hug, smothering his face deeply in the crook of her arm. Ash responded by throwing his arms around her waist. "Oh, my little boy! You—you're home again!"

Misty, Brock, and Pikachu arrived just then, and Delia greeted them with an immense and still flabbergasted smile, not letting go of her son. At the same time, Jay slowly ambled towards the group, a happy and likewise nonplused grin curved into one side of his mouth.

Delia pulled Ash away and reverently studied her son's beaming face, dirty and glistened with sweat. Her heart was finally beginning to calm as she let out a small chuckle. Ash could distinguish her relieved laugh any time, and he figured that he must have scared her half to death.

"Sorry to make such a crazy entrance," Ash mumbled, scratching his head. "It was the only way I could stop you."

Delia laughed, closed her eyes and brought her son close to her again. As she rocked him in her arms, indulging in the fact that he was home yet again, she bent down to rest her head lovingly on his head. "Oh, honey, it's okay. I'm so glad you did!"

She suddenly pushed him away at arm's length and gave him a serious glare. "You do know not to jump in front of a car, though, right?" she asked him in a fretful tone, which was quickly erased with her gentle, friendly smile once again.

Ash gave her a slightly insulted look. "Of course, Mom! What to do you take me for?" he asked accusingly. His mother just laughed some more, bringing him in for a third hug. She couldn't bear to release him at the moment.

"This is such a surprise," Delia whispered happily into Ash's ear. "I didn't think I'd see you for another few months."

"Neither did I," Ash admitted.

As he held onto her tightly, he felt another presence brush up alongside him, along with a distinct clearing-of-the-throat. A smile teasing his face, Ash looked up affably into the face of his father, who was standing rigidly, his arms crossed as he cocked one eyebrow at his son.

"You better not have dented my car, buster," he said bluntly, drawing a giggle from Ash despite his tone.

"Hi, Dad!" Ash cried, releasing his mother and crashing into his father's arms. Jay clutched him into an even tighter hug, rubbing his head enough to make his hat flop back and forth. Ash buried his face into his dad's chest, totally immersing himself in the moment. Jay could feel Ash melting comfortably into him, and took a deep, hearty breath.

"Can't seem to get rid of you, can I?" he asked with a gentle smirk. Ash beamed at him gleefully, shaking his head.

Jay nodded and looked up at Brock and Misty, who were simply standing in silence, just the way they had been the first time Jay and Ash reunited.

"How are you guys? This kid still tiring you out?"

Ash buoyantly punched his dad's side and Misty and Brock nodded.

"So how far'd you get?" Jay wondered.

"Oh, we got to Goldenrod City," Misty answered.

"All the way to Goldenrod City," Brock emphasized.

Jay quickly brightened with excitement. He grabbed Ash briskly, his eyes wide with exuberance. "Does that mean you got the badge?"

In an instant, Ash's buoyant attitude darkened, and he glanced despondently at the ground. Even though he got what he wanted most, he still felt frustrated when he thought of how close he came to getting his third badge. "No," he replied, witnessing both his parents' faces fall.

In fact, his mom suddenly looked upset enough to cry. "Oh, sweetie," Delia said compassionately. "I'm sorry."

"A little too tough, huh?" Jay asked him with light sympathy, placing a comforting hand on Ash's shoulder.

"No! No, wait!" Ash said, chuckling immediately to clear up the situation. Jay and Delia looked confused. "It's okay. I didn't even battle for it!"

"As soon as we reached the town, he suddenly changed his mind," Misty recalled. "Didn't even want to find the gym."

Ash blushed and scratched his head. "Guess I got a little too homesick this time."

Delia sighed and shook her head. "I knew you didn't want to leave," she said haughtily, waving a finger at Ash. "Don't I always know?"

Ash just blushed deeper, grinning embarrassingly. "I suppose so. I think I'll pay attention more closely next time."

Delia smiled and nodded once. That was when she noticed that Ash had taken on a captivated look, eyeing her up and down for the first time since he'd arrived, his mouth hanging open.

"Wow," he mumbled, stunned. "You look really nice tonight, Mom."

Delia, suddenly remembering her getup, glanced down at herself. "Aw, thank you, dear," she replied gratefully.

"What's the special occasion?" Misty asked. She couldn't help ogling Delia's dress fondly herself.

"Oh, just a little dinner," Jay responded, concurrently giving Delia a look to convey: We have to go!

Delia narrowed her eyes at him in rejoinder, bidding him to wait a second, and returned her attention to the kids, who had become quiet. She found herself looking to Ash, who smiled as soon as their eyes met again. She could read him like a book, and the small, boyish look he was casting upon her all but indicated his request.

With a heavy sigh, she smiled knowingly at the kids. "Go get changed and washed up," she told them, waving them away to the house. She couldn't help but feel gratified as their faces illuminated in pleasant surprise. "We're all going out to dinner."

Ash, Misty, and Brock hollered joyfully and ran towards the house without hesitation.

"But you have to hurry!" she called out after them.

"Thanks, Mom!" Ash exclaimed cheerfully.

Misty and Brock pushed and shoved spiritedly as Ash fiddled with the lock, by and by letting them in. Their celebrating could even be heard inside as they rushed around to get ready.

Once they were unmistakably out of hearing range, Jay shot Delia a glare that made her flinch.

"What are you doing?" he snapped. Delia could hear the letdown and frustration in his voice; she knew how important this night had been to him.

"It's just for tonight, Jay," she reassured, her voice low. She managed a meek smile and gestured towards the house. "We can't leave them home all by themselves. They just got here."

Jay threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. "But Delia, we had plans," he reminded her firmly. "Wh-where are we going to take them? We can't possibly take them to the restaurant. We had a reservation for two! And you know how packed that place is on a Friday night!"

"I don't know!" Delia said, desperately trying to defend her decision. "Maybe we can get them in. They might have room."

"That is, if they want three rambunctious kids in their restaurant." Jay was visibly irked.

"They're good kids," Delia said, huffing slightly. She knew they'd certainly behave themselves in the restaurant, but Jay was a bit right—who knew how they'd react to a two-person reservation showing up with three young and travel-worn kids?

Delia scrutinized Jay as he leaned against the car, his forehead perched against one fist. Disappointment clearly painted his expression as he tried to accept the sudden new circumstances. She found herself wanting to apologize, but she couldn't do it. Leaving Ash home immediately after his arrival would dishearten him greatly, she knew. Especially with how his huge, hopeful eyes had begged her silently moments ago, melting her heart.

"It's just for tonight," she reiterated, scraping at the ground with her foot. She sighed, not wanting a fight to ruin the night they had been looking forward to so greatly. Jay could certainly plunge into a mood, and it was the last thing she wanted. She walked up to her husband and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I can't leave him home, Jay. You understand, don't you?"

Jay didn't react for a couple of seconds, but he finally extended his arm around her, squeezing her tight. "Yeah. No, I do. Of course I understand. It's just…tonight was suppose to be for us, Del."

"I know," Delia responded, snuggling her head into his side. If only he knew her disappointment, as well. "I know. But there will be other times. You know that."

"Yeah...sure."

About ten minutes later, Ash, Misty, and Brock emerged from the house, smiling just as broadly as before. Pikachu and Togepi were absent, as Ash and Misty figured it was best to keep them home. They all sported new outfits and had freshened up, their faces no longer sticky and dirty. Even though they were nowhere near dressed up, they were clean, and that's all Delia cared about.

Jay didn't seem too thrilled. "We can't get them into the restaurant dressed like that!" he whispered harshly. He wondered if he could somehow get away with canceling the reservation without be charged.

"Shush!" Delia shot at him under her breath, and quickly smiled at the kids.

"Where are we going, Mom?" Ash asked, as he, Misty, and Brock scrambled into the backseat. He was squished tightly between them, but he didn't mind.

"Ummm..." Delia started, buckling her seatbelt. Ash witnessed her throw at glance at Jay, who simply shrugged. He was tapping his fingers agitatedly on the steering wheel, but Ash didn't recognize the dissatisfaction in the act.

"Uh, we—we're going to that nice steakhouse you like," she finally said. She looked at Jay again. "That sounds nice. Doesn't it, Jay?"

"Yup," Jay responded sharply after a short moment of silence. He started the car right after, and pulled away from the house.

As Jay drove in the direction of town and his son's favorite restaurant, Delia turned around and faced Ash. Reaching her hand into the back seat, Ash leaned forward and rested his chin in the cup of her palm.

"I'm glad you're home, cutie," she said, massaging her son's chin with her fingers.

"Me, too, Ma," Ash replied, gazing into her eyes tenderly. "Me, too." At that point, he couldn't begin to imagine how anything could remotely compare to this priceless, impeccable moment.

TO BE CONTINUED . . .

Hey everyone! Yay, Ash is back in Pallet Town! This is where the fun begins . . . heheheheheheheheheheh! And to all you people who are wondering, "Yo! Are we going to get more AAML?" Well, let me just say that by the end of this story, you'll be satisfied. Perhaps even more than satisfied. But I'm not giving away anything! That's all I'm saying! Heehee! You must be patient! Hope you like it so far!