Fractured Stars
by Spruceton Spook
Part 15
Jovial Homecoming
Ash held his backpack closely to his chest as he and Jay halted before the front door, standing in silence. Glancing up into Jay's face, Ash produced a tiny, nervous grin, one which Jay complimented with a comforting smile.
"Don't worry, Ash," he reassured him.
Ash relaxed his expression. "I'm not worried. I just…heh, didn't expect to be here tonight."
His father nodded, yanking his house keys from out of his pocket. He dangled them in front of Ash's face playfully, flashing his toothy grin.
"Shall we?" he asked, and Ash nodded affirmatively. Deep down, he was thrilled to be home, happy that he wasn't going to spend the night all by himself in the dark, lonely hideaway. A few hours ago, it sounded much better than being in his uncomfortable, frightful home, but now his thoughts were much contrasted.
Jay pushed the door open, ushering Ash through first. Ash flinched as he was instantly met by four pairs of eyes, all directed at him, all full of worry and surprise.
"Pika pi!" Pikachu cried first, hopping from Misty's lap onto the top of the couch. His face was brightened with a huge smile, and his tail and ears flicked with excitement.
Delia immediately jumped from her seat on the couch, frenetically careening towards her son. "Ashton Jacey Ketchum! Where've you been?!" she hollered, crashing into Ash and engulfing him in a fierce hug.
Ash yelped loudly as his mother's grasp knocked the wind out of him, and he coughed to find his breath. "H-hi, Mom," he croaked, squirming slightly.
Misty and Brock rose, watching as Delia clutched her boy, tears in her eyes. A quick look of relief washed over their faces.
"Oh, I was so, so, so worried about you!" Delia continued to cry as she pressed Ash closer to her, cradling his head in her arms. She then abruptly yanked him away and glared at him.
"How could you do that to me? Worrying me sick, you bad boy!" Her face then fell, a compassionate smile swept to her lips, and she drew him in again tenderly. "Oh, I'm so glad you're home! I'm never going to let go of you ever, ever again, Ash! I was so scared! Don't ever do that again!"
She proceeded to smother him in kisses, impelling Ash to laugh, gently trying to restrain his mother's warm, soft lips. She did stop, but benevolently embraced him once more.
"I'm sorry, Ma," Ash chuckled, finally wrapping his arms around her. Delia began to sway back and forth, taking Ash along with her.
"Please promise me you'll never do that again!" Delia begged in a whimper. Ash couldn't believe that this was the same person who had crushed his feelings earlier that morning, who had made him feel less than nothing. "Oh, my baby, please don't ever leave me like that ever again! Promise me!"
"I promise," Ash replied emotionally, smiling a bit sheepishly. "I love you."
"Oh, I love you, too, honey!" she said, releasing Ash and wiping some tears off her face. Ash gazed at her admiringly, then startled as he felt a hard tug on his jeans. Looking down, he smiled as his eyes met with those of Pikachu.
"Pika pi! Pika pika!" Pikachu yapped jubilantly. Ash fell to his knees and clasped his Pokémon's face in his hands.
"Hey, buddy!" Ash giggled, Pikachu purring as he began to vigorously rub under his chin. "You missed me? 'Cause I missed you! I'm never going to leave you behind ever again! I promise!"
Pikachu opened his eyes and beamed. "Cha!"
Delia's eyes glistened, lifting them softly to Jay. He was looking down at Ash, also, his face brightened with an overjoyed smile. Somehow he felt his wife's gaze, however, and his eyes rose to meet with hers. With her face recoiled as she was about to cry again, she mouthed him an ardent "thank you," which he responded simply with a loving wink.
Ash laughed, and rose to his feet. As he brought his head up, his eyes caught with none other than Misty's. He froze, his mouth dropping slightly as he took in Misty's face, pale and sullen. Her eyes were a soft shade of pink, and they lifted as Ash's gaze fell upon her. Ever so softly, she smiled wanly.
"Hi, Ash," she said inaudibly, taking the smile away quickly when she noticed that Ash had not stopped staring at her. She was about to ask him what was wrong when suddenly Ash strode rapidly over to her, stunning her as he swallowed her in a strong hug.
Misty was taken, but ever so cautiously put her arms around Ash. She and Ash had never hugged this tightly before, and a whole new feeling flew through her. It made her pleasantly warm, and her heart pounded.
A chill ran through her when Ash turned his head towards to face, bringing his mouth up to her ear gently. "Thanks for caring about me, Misty," he whispered fervently. Misty clutched excitedly at Ash's shirt. "I care about you, too."
Misty could not stop her eyes from involuntarily widening, or the flaming blush that streaked her cheeks for that matter. As Ash pulled away from her and smiled, Misty immediately looked down and away, lifting her hand to her face apprehensively to cover her flushed skin.
"Y-you're welcome," she responded, glancing up at him with a docile smile. "I'm glad you're home." Ash smiled pleasingly, then turned to Brock, who was watching the whole thing with a smile that was hard to keep away.
Brock immediately backed up as Ash looked at him, jutting out his hand. "How's about a handshake, instead?" he laughed nervously, but all in good fun.
Ash laughed loudly, and gladly accepted the gesture. The smile that Brock had not seen in days radiated from Ash's face, not one bit of it filled with depression or sadness. His laugh was boisterous and healthy again, the laugh that both he and Misty knew and loved.
Releasing from Brock's friendly handshake, Ash sighed, turning around to see his mother smiling at him. Ash gave her a sincere, bright grin in return, gently sticking his tongue out at her. Delia shook her head.
"You're something," she told him, and he giggled.
"I'm hungwy," Ash squeaked bashfully.
Delia sighed. "Well, that's your own fault! Why didn't you eat all day long?"
Ash shrugged, and Delia's face softened. "Don't worry, baby, I'll make ya something."
Ash bounced over and gave her a big hug. "Thanks, Mom! You're the best!"
"I'll cook up a nice lasagna, but since you're such a troublemaker, you're getting gruel tonight," she replied, giving him a quick wink and a chuckle.
Ash laughed and nuzzled her in another hug. At that moment, he felt like a million bucks, restraining himself from literally whooping out for joy. The sudden turn of events left him giddy, in a pleasant state of jumpy disbelief. The fact that he was hugging Delia alone sent him a shiver of happiness, completely erasing all that she had said to him earlier that morning. Before, he'd felt forgotten, disliked, and ignored. Now he was the center of attention, creating a stir of relief and happiness from his parents and friends, who were gathering around him with blazing smiles.
Ash lolled in his mother's arms as she began to rock him back and forth. Patting him softly, she pulled him away.
"Why don't you help me make some dinner?" she asked sweetly, grabbing hold of his hat and bonking him lovingly on the head with it.
"Sure!" Ash exclaimed excitedly.
"And I'm finally going to get out of these work clothes," Jay announced, exasperated. He tsked-tsked and gave Ash a capricious glare. "Can't believe you made me trek to your mucky hideaway in my good Dockers."
Misty gasped. "So that's where you were!" she cried incredulously.
Ash nodded, almost proudly.
"Why didn't we know that?" Misty asked, sounding a bit disappointed as she turned to Brock.
"Hmm, would seem the logical choice now that you think about it," Brock nodded in wonder.
Ash had to laugh. "Guess I fooled you guys good, didn't I?" He turned to Jay and narrowed his eyes impishly at him. "Except you. I can't get away with anything with you, can I?"
Nodding, Jay folded his arms in front of him and gave him a you-don't-mess-with-me look. Ash thrust his nose in the air in snippy rebuttal.
"Heh, I'll see you guys in a minute," Jay said, leaving to change into more comfortable clothes. He stopped suddenly, however, and pointed at Ash with a stern face. "Don't you go running off anywhere while I'm gone, hear me?"
Ash growled at him playfully, and Jay laughed softly. As he left the room, Ash, Misty, and Brock followed Delia into the kitchen, and began to prepare a meal that would produce nothing but delight for the rest of the evening.
The night deepened and the house became calm, quietness dominating and peace settling in. It had been a long evening. The dinner was done, the dessert had been served, the chores for the night completed. A very anxious, busy day had come to an end, and a good-night's sleep sounded better than anything.
Delia was thinking just that as she walked through the dim house, running her hands threw her freshly combed hair, and yawning softly. She shuffled her feet towards the living room, feeling her warm bathrobe brush against her legs comfortably and listening to her slippers scratch along the floor.
The living room was dark, lit only by the flickering TV, lowered to such a gentle volume that it could barely be heard at all. A small grin curved to her lips as she spotted her husband's head of floppy hair peaking from over the couch, tilted slightly. Without a peep, Delia walked over, her grin spreading to a much wider smile as she took in the sight before her.
Jay was reclined snugly, his long legs propped up on the coffee table. His arm was wrapped around the sleeping boy whose head was nestled in his lap, his legs curled neatly beside him underneath the warm throw blanket. Ash's fingers were grasping at the blanket and Jay's flannel pants. Jay's eyes were fixed on the TV and the inaudible news program that was flashing before him, absentmindedly running his fingers through his son's wispy black hair.
Her heart melting, Delia made her way carefully around the couch. Jay looked up abruptly, a little startled that she had come so quietly out of nowhere.
"Shhhh," Jay said lightly, pressing a finger to his lips.
She drew back with a smile and nodded, settling her eyes lovingly on Ash.
"He's conked out, isn't he?" Delia whispered with a small chuckle.
Jay nodded, glancing down at Ash. Ash was in a deep slumber, his mouth parted as he breathed deeply and placidly. Brushing his hand against his son's soft face, Jay grinned.
"He's had a big, long day," Jay sighed.
"How long's he been asleep?" asked Delia, kneeling down beside Ash and beginning to stroke his face ever so delicately.
Jay shrugged. "He stayed up for the whole movie, I think. But he was getting real quiet towards the end."
He smiled to himself as he massaged Ash's back, thinking of how his son had come down after supposedly going to bed with Brock and Misty. Jay had been in the middle of watching a movie, and Ash had settled on the couch with him, promising to only be there for a few minutes. But that few minutes had turned into an hour and then more, and pretty soon Jay had felt Ash become droopy beside him, and didn't have the heart to stir him.
"I can't believe he even made it this long," Delia said. "He must've been exhausted."
Jay nodded. "Well, I think he's out for the night now."
Delia chuckled. "Good. He can't go anywhere in his sleep."
Jay responded with a laugh, quieting himself immediately as he realized he was becoming loud. Seeing Ash so peaceful was too good for him, and he by no means wanted to disturb that.
"Hey, Jay?" he heard his wife whisper, and he turned to her. She looked at him thankfully. "Thanks for getting him today."
"Oh, please," Jay replied with a face. "That was nothing."
"No, it wasn't nothing," Delia contradicted. "Do you know how much that scared me? I mean, normally, when he disappears like this, I just assume he's out training or somewhere, but tonight it was something totally different." She looked down compassionately at her son and continued to caress his face. "After all that happened, I didn't know what to think. Jay, do you realize what it would have been like if you didn't go out to look for him? If you didn't find him? I probably wouldn't have slept."
Jay's face fell. "I know," he said, realizing himself that he would have probably been the same way.
Delia looked up at him again. "I couldn't be more thankful for what you did, Jay. You brought my boy home. And I don't think that's nothing, honey."
"Well," Jay said, shrugging. "It was easy. He's not very good at running away. We're fortunate, Del."
"Thank goodness for that," Delia replied, rolling her eyes and chuckling. She got up from her squatting position and planted a quick kiss on Jay's forehead.
"Thank you," she said one final time, a chirrup of melodious gratitude among her otherwise soft tone. She gestured to Ash with a quick throw of her head. "Guess we should wake him up and get him up to bed, huh?"
Jay narrowed his eyes incredulously, yet sensitively, at her. "Are you kidding? He's asleep. I'm not gonna wake him up. I got it."
Ever so cautiously, Jay lifted Ash's head off his lap and held it in his hands as he slid himself off the couch. Placing it carefully back down, Jay slipped his hands underneath his son's body and picked him up, wincing as he lifted Ash into his arms.
Delia shook her head. "Not so light anymore, is he?" she smirked.
Jay was still scowling, but he was laughing at the same time. He hoisted Ash again to get better support, feeling his slumbering son's head subconsciously rest on his shoulder and burrow into his neck. Jay had to grip onto him with both hands, which trembled under the strain.
"Don't kill yourself, please," Delia sighed.
"I can handle him," Jay groaned, stumbling around the couch to head towards the stairs.
"Wait!" Delia called out after him, jumping over. He pulled on his arms and lifted herself on her toes to kiss Ash's cheek. Then, with a cocked eye and a suspicious look, she reached up and pulled Ash's lips apart.
"Hmm, wonder if he brushed his teeth," she mumbled.
Jay let out a gasp. "My God, Delia, you're gonna kill me!" he laughed. "Let the poor boy go to sleep! And let me get him there before I break my back."
Delia got down and smiled. "I'm just playing with ya, Jacey."
"Yeah, yeah," Jay replied, scrunching his nose. Ash was becoming more difficult to carry, so without hesitation, he headed towards the stairs once again.
"Jay?"
Jay turned around slowly, tilting his head at his wife. "What is it, baby?"
Delia lifted her head assuredly, giving him an amorous eye. "I'll be waiting for you."
Wrinkling his face in slight confusion, Jay cocked his head. He gave Ash another heave. "Huh?"
Delia's smile just widened, her eyes sparkling.
Jay continued to look bewilderedly at her. A tiny, uncertain grin edged its way to the corner of his mouth.
"Delia? What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice dragged out as he was beginning to pick up on something.
He watched as she waltzed over to him, reaching up to pull his face down so that the kiss would be easier to give. After the release, Jay's eyes were wide with interest.
"Why don't you get precious to bed," Delia suggested, rubbing Ash's arm, "and forget about that nasty couch for tonight? It must be getting hard and really uncomfortable, am I right?"
"Huh?" Jay managed to squeak again. His grin became larger as realization struck him dead-on. "Wh-wha? Are you serious?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Delia responded, continuing to work wonders with her eyes. The flirtatious, giddy gaze she was setting onto Jay was enough to make him hot. Giving him gentle shove, she said, "Besides, I really have to thank you for bringing Ash home."
Jay was left frozen solid, the weight of his sleeping son suddenly disappearing. In fact, he had forgotten for a moment that he was still holding him. Blinking a few times, he was at a loss for words.
Delia recognized his speechlessness, and found it sweetly amusing. "I'm gonna go get ready and meet you in the room. And you'd better hurry," she grumbled affectionately, winking. "'Cause if you make me wait too long, I'm gonna fall asleep. I don't want that to happen…and I'm sure you don't, either."
"O-okay," Jay stuttered, shaking his head. He beamed as his speech and train of thought was restored. "I mean, sure! Okay! Huh…wow."
He turned around quickly and made his way up the stairs, feeling his knees strive. He tried to make the trip less bumpy, but it was difficult now as his wife's alluring offer cascaded through his veins excitedly. He didn't want to wake Ash, either, and forced himself to slow down. However, as his feet reached the upstairs landing, he suddenly felt a small lurch in his arms.
Ash groaned, lifting his head slightly. "Hmm?" he said in a sleepy tone of daze.
"Shhhh," Jay hushed, patting his back. "Go back to sleep, kiddo."
"Daddy? What's happening?" grunted Ash, still in a muddle. He squirmed in Jay's arms, causing his father to chuckle softly.
"Okay, okay," Jay gave in, and placed Ash on his feet. It was relief on his part, as well. Ash wobbled a little, and Jay held his arms out to secure his footing. Yawning and rubbing his eyes, Ash stared at his closed door.
"Did I fall asleep?" he asked.
"Yeah," Jay replied, placing a loving hand on his head. "I didn't want to wake you, but you're not so easy to carry anymore."
Ash smiled at him, his eyes squinted. "You didn't have to do that, Dad. Why didn't you just give me a whack? That's what Misty does."
Jay laughed as Ash yawned loudly again. "Why don't you go to bed now? You're really tired, and it's late."
"Okay," Ash responded, getting his hair ruffled tenderly by his dad.
"Kiss good-night?" Jay requested, and Ash obliged. Afterwards, Ash turned and opened his door.
"I'll get up tomorrow to say good-bye to you," Ash said, sliding into his room.
Jay nodded. "If you want. I'd like that."
Ash smiled, his droopy eyes fighting him. "Good-night, Dad."
"Night, son," replied Jay. His eyes then widened, and before Ash had a chance to close the door, he quickly blocked it.
"Ash?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"Love ya, too, Dad. Thanks."
Jay smiled. "Sweet dreams, buddy."
Ash closed the door gently at that, leaving his father standing in the dark hallway. Jay stared at the door for a moment, thinking about the day's events in a swift blur. It was such a surprise to him that everything ended the way it did, quite the contrary of what he'd imagined. He was more than overjoyed that it did, however, that now his boy was home in his bed instead of out in the vast wilderness. Their temporary squabble had been rectified, and kissing Ash a loving good-night rather than maintaining an authoritative stance of discipline he'd go for any day. It was a shame, he lamented, that he needed to be at work the next day. His urge to continue sharing moments with his son, as he had done all that night, was at its peak. He wanted to be with Ash, to show him that he cared for him, that nothing was more important than him, and that he truly had an immovable place in his heart.
With a satisfying sigh and a quick hand through his hair, a small, crafty smile spread to his lips. Bounding excitedly, Jay headed for his bedroom.
Scratching his head, Ash shuffled over to his bed in the dark. His other hand was outstretched, feeling around precariously for the ladder to his bed. He couldn't wait to get into those warm covers and fall back asleep, finding nothing more satisfying at the moment.
He found the ladder, and climbed slowly up it, gently brushing his hands along the top to see where Pikachu had plopped down, not wanting to squash him. His fingers tapped part of Pikachu's hard tail, and Ash smiled, working his way onto the bed away from his sleeping Pokémon.
Just as he reached his pillow, however, his ear pricked at the sound of his name.
"Ash?" Misty's voice drifted softly across the room, breaking the silence sharply.
"Huh?" Ash asked, turning his head around and looking out into the darkness. "Misty?"
"Yeah," Misty whispered. Ash could hear her sitting up in her bed.
Ash gulped softly. "Did I wake you?" he asked, sounding a bit reproachable.
Misty smiled. "No, I've been falling in and out of sleep," she replied, still keeping her voice low. "Where were you so long?"
"Watching a movie with Dad," said Ash, uttering a small sigh. "I couldn't sleep much, either."
"Too much on your mind?" she insinuated, tilting her head and wondering at the same time what the purpose of body language was due to the darkness. She barely could make out Ash's outline up in his bed.
"Yeah," Ash answered, his voice dragging as if there were more. Nothing came, however. The room was quiet again, and Misty look puzzled.
"Ash?"
"What?" His voice was perky again and a little louder, and Misty couldn't help but smile, both of compassion and humor.
"Shh!" she scolded softly, giggling. "Brock's asleep."
"Sorry," Ash replied in the lowest whisper he could produce.
Misty giggled again, swinging her legs quietly out of her bed. Ash heard this and looked over his bed, watching her shadow drift across the room and towards his bed. He didn't know what her reason for getting out of bed was, but he didn't say anything of it as Misty began to climb up his ladder. He actually found it inviting, even though he was still tiring consistently, that she was coming up to him.
Reaching the top, Misty sighed contentedly as she settled beside him, playfully yanking some of his sheets over to cover her feet. She flashed Ash a toothy smile and took a deep, sound breath.
"So…what's up?" she asked a bit casually, cocking Ash's head.
"I dunno," he answered, shrugging.
Misty tugged at his covers. "Are you okay?" she asked, sympathy peaking in her tone.
"Sure I am," Ash replied promptly, sounding surprised. Then realizing what she had meant by her question than what he had originally interpreted, he shook his head. "I mean…yeah, I am now."
"That's good," Misty softly exclaimed in fervent thankfulness. "I'm so glad to hear that."
Ash looked down and smiled, suddenly wishing that his eyes would adjust to the darkness quicker than they were. He desired to see Misty. Holding a conversation in the dark, though not uncommon for them, he always found annoying. He liked to see who he was talking too, and for some reason it seemed urgent now, though he didn't understand why.
"Dad made everything better," Ash told her. He then chuckled, shaking his head. "Running away has never been so successful!"
Misty laughed, too, but immediately stifled it, as she realized just how loud it was. "So he set you straight?"
Ash nodded. "You can say that," he answered lively, getting a sharp shush from Misty after doing so. He recoiled culpably, placing a hand over his big mouth. Waking cranky Brock up was never a joyous event, and it was best to make a small sacrifice to prevent that from happening.
"I mean you can say that," he said this time, placing more emphasis on his ardent whisper.
He could hear Misty laugh and the bed vibrating softly as a result of it, and he smiled. The pleasant talk, yet brief, was starting to settle into him pleasingly, finding Misty's company ever so comforting. Or maybe it was just because it seemed so childish, whispering cautiously in the late night as kids often do when they make futile attempts to stay up way past their bedtimes. All the same, the sleepiness that had fought Ash moments ago was quickly diminishing.
Misty ended her laughing. "I can't believe you ran away," she said, shaking her head and giving him a saucy look.
Eyes quickly adjusting to the dark at each passing second, Ash was now beginning to perceive her facial features. With delight, he shrugged at her look. "What else was I suppose to do?"
"Well, for one thing, you coulda prevented this whole thing from even happening," she tsk-tsked, wagging a finger at him.
Ash's eyes widened in incredulous fun. "What are you suggesting? That I had stayed at Gary's?"
Misty was overcome with a bout of flighty chuckling again, grasping mouth once again to block it. "Oh, c'mon, Ash," she said. "It wasn't that bad."
Ash's mouth dropped open, though the corners of it were lifted into a smile that was hard to keep away. "Oh my God, Misty, give me a break! That was awful! Gary was such a jerk."
"But he apologized to you!" Misty laughed, shrugging considerably. "My God, he was practically begging you for your forgiveness!"
Ash huffed. "Yeah, and then he started acting like a jerk! Face it, Misty, he was just making a field day of it. I guarantee that if I had softened up, he would have started laughing uncontrollably." He pointed at her. "The problem with you is that you haven't known him as long as me. I know the stunts he pulls."
Misty responded to his seriousness with a playful smirk. "Well, he was nice to us for the rest of the night. You'd be surprised, Ash, at what a wonderful host he was. He was so concerned about you after you left. It's not like he wasn't thinking about you, or us for that matter. He kept wondering why we were still there, but we knew we couldn't go back here. Me 'n' Brock had the smarts."
"Yeah, thanks," Ash mumbled sarcastically, folding his arms in front of him.
Shaking her head, Misty rolled her eyes. Then, upon realizing something, she gave his shoulder a shove. "And what the heck is all this that you two were fighting about?"
"Huh?"
She smiled at his ignorance, and groaned. "What's all this about you two getting each other into trouble all the time? This is something new."
"Oh!" Ash exclaimed, laughing as he realized what she was speaking of. He threw it away with a wave of his hand. "That was nothing. We were kids, that's all. We always used to do these stupid things, but they were always Gary's idea! I mean, seriously, you would think we could have fun playing G.I. Joes or going to the park, but no. Gary was always like, 'Hey Ash! Let's go dig up your mom's garden for hidden treasure!' Or, 'Hey Ash! Let's go throw rocks at that abandoned house down the road!'"
Misty's jaw dropped. "And you listened to him?!"
Ash laughed. "I was a stupid kid! What could I say?"
"Um, no would have been a good answer!" Misty suggested.
Ash shook his head. "But see, that's exactly what made me so mad. I would have never in a million years thought of doing that stuff. I guess it was just the way Gary made it sound like such an adventure that made me want to tag along so bad. But they were never my ideas! I think my worst idea was to use my mom's car as backing for when we hit a baseball around."
"Oh, Ash," Misty sighed, shaking her head again. You're so cute…
"But he was right about something," Ash whispered, grinning slyly. Misty leaned over excitedly. "Don't tell him this, but I did tell on him a couple of times."
Misty gasped. "Ash Ketchum, you are horrible!"
The two erupted in quiet laughter at that, finding it difficult to keep it at a low level. Ash found it particularly hard, especially with Misty punching his shoulder and all. He blocked off her fists with a toothy smile, grabbing his blankets and holding them in front of him to form a flimsy shield. Misty calmed soon after, taking a deep, happy breath to settle her stimulated body. It was way too late for this, knowing she'd certainly have trouble getting to sleep now.
Surprisingly, they didn't say anything for a couple of seconds. Normally, it would have been believed to just be a period of rest, of calming themselves after such a lively round of chortling. But there was something different about this silence, something both Ash and Misty were aware of. It was difficult to shake it, especially since, despite the dimness, they knew their eyes were locked. Their minds were clouded with thought, but whether or not the thoughts were similar were beyond them. Misty knew what she was thinking about, nonetheless, and wondered why it had suddenly come to her mind.
"Ash?" she asked hesitantly. She didn't think Ash noticed this, for he replied about as relaxed as anything.
"Yup?"
Misty paused momentarily, then cleared her throat. "When you came home today…"
Ash tensed, knowing what was coming next.
"…and you said…that you cared about me…" She swallowed uneasily. "What did you mean by that?"
Ash looked away, a feeling of discomfort take over him. He didn't know why he got this feeling, as the question seemed so innocent and…somewhat easy to answer. He thought…
"Th-the same thing you did," he replied, hoping that it would satisfy her interrogation.
Misty clutched her sweaty palms, and reached up to scratch at her eyes. The answer that Ash had given her not only satisfied her, but also made her wonder even more. Sure, it was easy for Ash to answer that…but did he really know what she had meant? Bracing herself, she willed herself to continue.
"Do you…know what I meant when I told you that?" she squeaked. "Ash?"
Ash tensed as the difficult question surfaced. Why did Misty have to ask so many questions? But then again, why was he so nervous about it? Sure, he knew what she had meant. He knew all too well. Not that it wasn't much of a surprise…he had know a lot more over the years than Misty was aware of.
"Yeah," he uttered inaudibly, trailing off before continuing. He paused as he tried to think of the best way to put it, and smiled with relief when it did come to him. "Misty, you forget…you forget you're talking to the person who just got two lost people back together again. Two people I knew…loved each other very much."
Misty gulped, thinking her heart was about to pound out of her chest.
"I know what you meant, Misty," Ash finished. "I've known about it for a long time."
Biting her lip, Misty couldn't stop the rush of hard tears that flooded the corners of her eyes. He had known? How? Her hands flew to her flushed, hot face, and she wondered absurdly why she was trying to block it when it was so dark…or why she was hiding it at all. The shock of what was enfolding suddenly made her eyes dart, as she couldn't grasp how to react, what to say. Ash was being quietly patient, and she knew it was her turn next to say something.
"Ash…" she started, her thoughts stumbling over one another. "I—"
She tensed as suddenly she felt a gentle rapping on her knee. It took her a moment to realize that it was Ash's fingers. She could feel each finger tapping on her, and she instinctively did what she felt was his intention. She met his fingers with her own, and froze as she felt his small, warm hand curl into a grasp around her's.
Misty tried to keep from gasping again as her hand rested languidly in Ash's loose grip. It was certainly a different feeling, certainly uncomfortable…but not uncomfortable in a bad way. Just awkward. It became even more stirring as Ash tightened his grip, clutching her fingers together in an unyielding embrace.
They remained this way for who knew how long, taking in the excitement of the moment, waiting for their bodies to recline and for their hearts to cease pumping so wildly. Each had over a million things to say, but the choice of what to say first was the most difficult one.
It was Ash who took a stab at it, and to Misty, it couldn't have been better.
"You were the first person who told me they cared about me today," he said, shaking her hand softly. He giggled gently. "Thanks, Mist. You're the best."
Misty giggled too, shaking her head in amazement. "Anytime, Ash," she said, coming out in an exhilarated sigh. "Anytime."
Ash was upset. He was more than upset. He was devastated.
The time was nine o'clock, and he awakened in his bed for the first time that morning, realizing immediately and regrettably that he had forgotten to set his alarm clock the previous night. He groaned and rolled over, rubbing his sleepy eyes. It was no use moping about it now, though, as his dad had been gone for a good couple of hours already. He still cursed himself, as he was so set on saying good-bye to his father that morning.
Sitting up and looking around his room, his eyes widened when he noticed two vacant beds, the sheets tossed towards the end of them. The sun shone brightly through the window, the promising sign of another spectacular day. The light hurt his dry, droopy eyes, and he clasped them shut as he tried to rid himself of his hearty sleep. Everyone was apparently up, so he decided it was best that he came around as well. No harm in starting off the day fresh and early.
He practically dragged himself down the stairs, his head rolling around his shoulders as his neck made no attempt to support it this morning. He could hear the sound of talking in the kitchen, and wondered shortly why he was always the last to awaken. Figuring it the lazy summer months, he dismissed it casually.
Strolling into the kitchen, he mumbled a garbled "good morning," which was acknowledged by the three that were there, but one more excitedly than the rest.
"Ash!"
Ash looked up and his eyes widened as his mom charged at him, her arms extended. He yelped as Delia swooped him up, his feet flying off the ground as she spun around a couple times with him in her arms.
"Oh, good morning, my little boy!" Delia cooed, still holding him, though the spinning had stopped. She clutched him tightly in an enthusiastic hug, and kissed his cheek repeatedly. "How are you today? Still tired, huh? Oooh, you're so cute!"
Ash simply coughed from his mother's crushing hold. "M-mom!" he gasped. "Let me down! You—you're…huuurting meee."
Delia laughed and let him down, ruffling his hair. She was beaming from ear to ear, and she clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, I'm so sorry, honey! Guess I'm just so glad to see you!"
Ash nodded, throwing a confused look at Brock and Misty, who shrugged with smiles from where they sat at the table. Suddenly, he felt Delia pushing him towards his seat.
"Just you sit down now!" she said cheerily, steering him to his chair. "I'll have a nice, big breakfast for you in no time!"
Ash sat down in the chair that Pikachu had somewhat "reserved" for him. The Pokémon hopped up momentarily from the seat and then settled onto Ash's lap. Ash continued to watch his mom, who jumped around from the stove to the fridge, the high, messy ponytail she had thrown her hair into bouncing about wildly. The odd stare he was setting on her slowly swept over to Misty and Brock, seeking an explanation…if there was one.
Brock shrugged again, cringing a bit. "You mother is quite…eccentric this morning."
"Really?" Ash gave him a face. He looked at her again, but quickly put a smile on when Delia tossed a glance at him, her face literally glowing. Blowing a kiss to him, she spun around and went back to work on the huge pancakes that simmered on the stove.
"I don't know what got into her," Misty whispered, "but she's so happy. Not that that's a bad thing."
"No…" Ash said. It must have just been one of those mornings when his mom got up on the right side of the bed, he figured. He had to admit, though, that she was never this overly happy in the mornings. But Misty was right, it wasn't a bad thing, so there was no need for concern. At least she hadn't woken up in a bitchy mood.
Ash, Misty, and Brock sat in silence as they watched Delia prepare the breakfast, almost with rapt interest. Ash had even temporarily forgotten that he had missed his dad, but after a few minutes it quickly made its way back to his mind.
He looked down and away, catching a glimpse of Misty's hand. It was resting on her knee, her fingers rubbing against each other smoothly. Lifting his head, he looked at her, watched her eyes dance around with Delia. Giving her a gentle nudge with his arm, he smiled when she gave him her attention.
She smiled when their eyes met. They seemed to talk with their eyes, and just as the night before, Ash inched his hand over to hers. Their fingers entwined and grasped at each other, causing both of their hearts to beat with thrill. The new feeling gave them both a fervid chill, much accepted and much enjoyed. This was the first time their hands had come back together since they had separated that night.
Ash and Misty didn't know how long they were looking at each other, but the way their gaze was broken was one that Ash wouldn't have ever expected. He nearly screamed with surprise when Jay strolled into the kitchen, still in his pajamas.
"Dad!" Ash cried, his eyes glistening with happiness and pleasant shock.
"Hey, boy," he said, winking at him before he strolled over to his wife, who flipped around from the stove with a smile a mile long.
"Hey, gorgeous," he murmured amorously, fondling her chin with the wiggle of his fingers.
No words passed between them afterwards as their lips connected in a kiss. Delia wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her spatula still in her hand and dripping with pancake batter. They giggled after the kiss, and waltzed back and forth in each other's arms.
Ash was in a state of shock, as was Misty and Brock. But his smile was one to compete with. He was rendered speechless as he watched his parents cavort, wondering if his dad's sneaky little secret was what was making Delia so capricious.
With a throw of his black hair, Jay turned to Ash and almost keeled over with laughter when he saw his son's face. "Look at him!" he smiled, pointing at Ash. "Look at that little punk!"
This broke Ash out of his trance, and he began to laugh. "Dad?! What are you doing home? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
Suddenly, Jay's eyelids flew up like shades and his mouth dropped. "Oh my God! I forgot to go to work today!" He slapped his forehead. "Where's my brain?"
He gave Ash an easy face, letting him know, naturally, that he was joking around. Ash knew this, but the reason of why Jay was home was still a mystery to him. Jay gave his wife one more kiss on the cheek and skipped over to the table, grabbing Ash's head in his hands and placing a slobbery kiss on his hair.
"C'mon, Ash!" Jay beamed. "You think I was going to leave you home today and go to work? I'm surprised!"
Ash squinted his eyes. "Huh?"
Jay laughed heartily again, and plopped himself in one of the chairs. "I decided this morning that I—" He pretended to cough sickly into his hands. "—was too sick to come into work this morning."
Ash's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe he was hearing this.
Jay's smile softened. "Ash, there was no way in hell I was going to go to work today. I want to spend the day with you, buddy."
"You mean it?" Ash exclaimed.
"No," Jay sighed sadly. "Sorry, all a lie." But then he gave him a sly smirk, winking at him once more. His son just giggled.
"Honest?"
"Of course!" Jay replied, sounding a bit upset that Ash didn't trust him. "Why wouldn't I be? Oh, you won't believe what I have planned for us today!"
Ash's eyes lit up as he said this, and Jay continued.
"Today we're going to go out into the woods and we're going to bring back as many Pokémon as it is legal!" he cried, taking full pleasure in watching Ash's face brighten even more.
"Really?!"
"Yup," Jay nodded. He gestured around the room. "All of us! Your mom's gonna pack us up all lunches and we're gonna hunt down Pokémon until the sun sets! How does that sound?"
Ash responded by leaping into his dad's arms, grasping him in the most powerful hug his arms could allow him. "Thanks, Dad!" he shouted with immense happiness.
"Of course, we can't forget Gary. He's coming too, ya know," Jay said matter-of-factly. On cue, he felt Ash's hug loosen and drop away. Jay had to hold his laughter as he watched the most frightening look of horror invade Ash's face, figuring it was not right to torture him like that.
"I'm kidding!" he laughed, and Ash reclined, narrowing his eyes at him.
"Why you!" he growled, giving his dad a punch in the arm. Jay laughed and punched back.
"You guys better eat up and get your strength!" he encouraged as Delia set out plates for the pancakes. "You haven't searched for Pokémon until you've searched for them with Jacey Ketchum."
"Ah, famous last words," Delia mumbled, getting laughs from the three kids. She plopped the pancakes one by one on their plates, which were immediately attacked by maple syrup and slabs of butter. Misty had to almost hold Ash back from nearly knocking over the table as he reached for the condiments.
"Easy there," Jay soothed, grabbing the butter for Ash. "Don't get too excited."
"I won't," Ash replied, which in a way was true. There was no way he could get more excited than he was now. With his dad home for the day and plans to go out Pokémon hunting, his blood raced. He settled for a moment, throwing a loving gaze at Jay.
"Thanks, Dad," he said again. "You're the best."
"I know," Jay replied, holding his head proudly. Ash gave him a derisive grin, sticking his tongue out at him. Jay flicked the tongue happily and poured both Ash and himself some orange juice.
For Ash, life couldn't have been more perfect at the moment. Grabbing the syrup and watching it drip lazily out of the bottle, he thought of everything.
He was at home, and not in the wilderness, which was at most times an adventure but all the same scary. There was no place like home, no greater feeling in the world. His parents, whom he'd never thought would speak to each other ever again, kissed constantly as their relationship progressed. But most importantly, his relationship with them was stronger than ever, and nothing but love radiated out of Jay and Delia's eyes. He was going to be spending the day doing what he loved the most, with the people he loved the most.
And then there was Misty. Misty, the girl who had befriended him accidentally on the first day of his journey, and never left him since. The girl who at times he felt was his enemy, and at others, his best friend in the world. The girl whose bike he had blasted to smithereens, which she hardly ever mentioned anymore. The girl who Ash realized did everything for him. The girl that let him know that he was cared about, who was the first person there in his time of need. The girl that he loved.
He grabbed her hand again at the breakfast table that morning, and then again towards the end of the day, when they were making their way back to the house after an eventful day. Their hands remained linked the whole way, swinging softly back and forth, unhidden from the eyes of Brock, Pikachu, or his parents. They gave them nothing but smiles.
Ash was happy. Nothing in the world was going to take that away from him, and nothing was going to come in-between. The Johto League, which had previously been his main concern, the only thing on his busy mind, could wait for now.
That night, he fell asleep on the couch again, this time sandwiched between his two parents, whose arms were around each other as they watched the TV. It was a sight that brought tears to Misty's eyes, thanking God that she had found her way into this family. She stood and stared at them silently until Brock had led her away with a small grin, just as he had done the morning Ash discovered his parents back together again.
Thus the night deepened, settling in on Pallet Town and the end of the most eventful three weeks of Ash's life. And as he sat there dreaming about it before his father carried him to bed yet again, he realized that if he had to go back, he'd do it all over again.
Well…maybe not Gary's.
THE END
Fractured Stars is dedicated to my dearest friend Llyxius. She loved this story from the first day I merely mentioned I was writing a sequel to Stars Fell on Pallet Town. She encouraged me to keep going whenever I was fed up and dispirited about it. She helped me proofread it, and even uploaded it for me numerous times when hated me and wouldn't let me log in . . . but most importantly, even before I wrote this fic, she wrote a poem for it to persuade me to get to work! Here it is; I think it's beautiful. It describes what Ash was feeling the night he thought his parents didn't love him anymore:
Hide the Stars
By Llyxius
There's once upon a time
and then there's wish upon a star,
but neither can explain to me
the pain inside my heart.
For once upon a time
I never asked the reason why,
the love that was so clear to me
was now hidden from my eyes.
In searching for the answers
I then wished upon a star,
only to find that you, the stars and me
were equally far apart.
These fallen dreams only served
to break my childish heart.
So I closed the book on fairy tales
and asked God to hide the stars.
Llyxius, this one's all for you!!!!!! This poem is so touching and special, and you know I adore it. Thank you! (Can't wait to talk to you again!)
And of course, thanks also to everyone who read my story! You people all rule and I love you! There are a lot of you, I want to mention you, but you know who you are! You guys whoah-oh!! rule!! Thanks for all your lovely reviews and comments.
I'll be back, I promise! You can't kill me yet! Heehee. I have lots of ideas, but would you guys eventually like to see a Stars Fell on Pallet Town 3? Prequel or sequel . . . I have ideas for both!
See ya all later, and keep loving our little boy!!!!!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
Spruceton Spook
