"Slow down Ash, you're going to drop something

"Slow down Ash, you're going to drop something!" Brock was running behind Ash and Pikachu a block away from the hospital.

"Alright, alright I'm slowed. Sorry Brock." The panting follower came next to Ash and placed a hand on his shoulder as he leaned over to catch his breath.

"No problem, I was just, relaying Misty's, whew never mind."

"Sure Brock. Lets go Misty must be starving." Pikachu looked down from Ash's hat.

'Yeah, or maybe it has something to do with that love/hunger management you two are so found of.' Pikachu laughed, Brock joined in when he caught his breath. Ash whirled around with a smirk on his face as he pointed to Brock.

"The more you laugh at something you'll never have, the more work it will take to get it." Ash shook his head and hid a laugh as he turned around to stroll towards the hospital entrance. The look on Brocks face was priceless. It would make Misty's day just to see it. A heart shattering realization that his most cherished fantasy would never come true. Since the fantasy provided such a humorous behavior it provided a humorous depression as well. Brock hung his head low as a constant flow of comical tears streamed from his eyes.

"There's a limit to how many rejections a guy can take."

--

Smiling like crazy as he walked briskly down the hall towards Misty's room, Ash couldn't wait to be with her again. Suddenly he stopped as Pikachu almost fell off his hat, Ash saw a doctor coming from Misty's room carrying something in his arms. It looked like a piece of machinery of some kind. The doctor put it in a gray hard plastic box and latched it in.

'What? What was that? Is Misty even in there? Are we sharing the room now?'

Reaching the door, Ash and Pikachu just peeked in to see if anyone was indeed inside. Not seeing any new comer to the left or right, they proceeded to Misty's bedside. Her back was to them as she sat in her wheel chair. Unsure of what was going on, Ash set the bag of food quietly down on a small table, and let Pikachu scamper next to the dozing Togepi on her bed. About to touch her shoulder, Ash saw her move her arms so they where right on the edge of the wheel chair arms rests. Swiftly she pushed her self up and forward from her seat for first time in the last 7 weeks. There she stood. A little wobbly, but for balancing on her one leg and having the other still full of metal, she could of fooled Ash for a ballerina. Leaning over to get two near by crutches, Misty placed them under her arms. And relaxed, she sighed and stood there, gazing at the rain continuing to shower.

Ash was speechless; he had almost forgotten what it was like to stand near her. And now she was up, away from that wheel chair.

Hearing the two brakes on her old form of transportation click from their place, Misty jolted and slowly turned around to see Ash moving the chair out of the way of his path to her.

She smiled with her tear filled eyes of happiness. Ash walked up to her and held her face in his hands.

"Your standing." He barely managed to breathe in awe, Misty nodded.

"They said it was ok to take it off a few days early." Ash smiled as he choked a laugh.

"Really?" Now the happiness was welling up in side him. He trough his arms under her crutches and around her, holding her as close as he could. Just absorbing his embrace, Misty rested her head against him.

"Great job Mist."

"This was all you Ash," He leaned back to look at her. "all you." When she really looked into his eyes, she could tell there was something different. His usual constant energy to just get where he wanted to go and win as quickly as possible was gone. Now it was almost if you could tell that he was taking his time, and appreciating every thing he came across in life. Just a little wiser, and a little smarter. She felt slightly weak in her knees.

'I love him so much. I can't believe he is really mine. My little pokemon master.'

She used her hand from her right crutch to reach up and take his hat off his trademark hairstyle. Just so she could really look at him.

"My Ash." Slowly, He leaned in to plant a loving kiss on her lips.

"Yup."

She laughed blushing very slightly as she covered his eyes with his hat.

"Out of my way, I'm starving Mr. pokemon master."

"Uh, which way is back?" Ash looked around.

Misty smirked as she pushed him to fall back into her wheel chair.

"Have a seat and pull the wheels towards you."

--

Brock was out with Togepi, and Pikachu along with the rest of Ashes pokemon to get revived at the near by center. Through the next couple weeks, Misty had been getting around on crutches and had regained the full strength in her right leg. A few times she left the hospital with her friends to watch Ash do some training so his pokemon would stay in shape. Misty had been in the hospital for 5 and a half months. Three and half of which had she been on crutches.

She and Ash where walking back from her latest x-ray. In a few minutes her doctor would bring back the results to discuss if they could take the pins out of her leg and maybe begin rehabilitation.

"I hope I'm healed enough to finally start rehab."

"Me too, 'cause then we can hit the road again to the next gym, but this time everything will be a million times better then before, now that we're together."

"Don't I know it."

"Yes." Misty rolled her eyes, and held out her right crutch so she tripped Ash up. She started laughing as she saw the look a nurse's face walking by the re-stabilizing trainer. Ash couldn't help joining Misty in laughing at the scene.

"What was that for?" Misty was still giggling slightly when she replied.

"That was for a couple of things actually. First I just want to see what might happen. Second saying 'yes' wasn't needed. Lastly you haven't done it on your own for a while, which is good, but I always find it makes a nice little session of un-boredom. Don't worry I wont do it again." Ash looked at her with slits for eyes.

"What? I wont, really."

"Uh yeah, sure." Ash started walking again.

"But you have to admit, it was kind of funny." Misty said catching up and giggling a little. Ash couldn't resist the sound of her laugh, it mad him loose and carefree.

"Yeah ok, it was a little."

When they entered Misty's room, Misty fell to her bed and just sat looking at her still cast covered leg. Ash came next to her and put his arms around her.

"Don't worry, we are going to be out of here. You'll be weak on your left side for a while, but that was expected and we'll slow the pace down for you."

"Really? Thanks Ash, you usually don't slow for anything." Misty put her arms around him in return.

"Misty, the night you where cold and hurt in my arms, I promised my self you would never get that injured again." Ash choked a little when he said hurt, it brought back memories. Misty looked at him with eyes starting to glisten.

"Ash you shouldn't make promises like that, life is to unpredictable."

"Not when you mean more to me then it does." Those words from Ash could have brought Misty's heart back to its task of beating, but she knew she had to speak, so she held back her emotions. She held her hand up to his face.

"Well Ash, how much do you think you mean to me?" He thought for a moment, Misty could tell when he remembered that she saved his existence, taking in a shaky breath he replied.

"Life."

"You do mean life to me, and living it. Do you know how many times you have been hurt Ash? Way, way too many. So if I get hurt, or if you get hurt, then the only promise we can truly make, is to always be there for each other. There is not a second I wont be there for you Ash not a second. I promise." Ash took her hand from his face and laid it on top of his chest, right over his heart.

"This is yours Misty, you make it beat, and you make it want to. I promise every second of my life I'll always be there for you too." They where both over whelming each other. Living with each other for all those years, observing from a far. Now being able to hold each other and know there isn't anyone on this earth they could be loved by and love more. It was breathtaking.

Misty pulled his head closer to her from the back. And placed two affection kiss on his lips, in a cherishing slow fashion. Ash stared to smile and let out a very small chuckle. Seeing him smile right then made her smile also but curious as to why.

"What's so amusing?"

"I'm sorry, really. But I have this problem, when life is going really good; I just smile for no reason I don't know what it is. It's like winning in the orange league, but like so much better. What's wrong with me?"

Misty laughed as she grabbed a pillow and smacked Ash backwards on her bed. Then she leaned back next to him. Reaching over to pull him close and look at him.

"Not a single thing."

Ash leaned up to her and kissed her tenderly on that same area beneath her eye. That emotional feeling worked its way back to Misty's tear glands.

'You can't be any more wonderful then this Ash.'

"Ash you should stop being so great now, you're starting to make me cry." They laughed together. She noticed a tear had streamed down Ash's face. But he quickly reached to rub his eyes and stop the process.

After a few seconds they leaned back up, just as they heard a knock on the door.

"Hello, Misty?" Misty waved a greeting.

"Yes I'm her."

"Well I have good news for you. It appears your fractures are completely healed. Lets get those pins out of you."

­­­­­­­­­­­­

"Any thing I can do?" Brock huddled closely listening intently for instruction.

"Sure Brock scrub up."

"Really!?"

"Then you wont get the river infected after you jump of the bridge."

Ash laughed hysterically rolling on his back upon the waiting bench. He pointed at Brock's face, just to spite him. The nurse Brock had been conversating with smiled proudly as she turned briskly into the surgery room area. Ash calmed down enough to sputter out a few words between laughter.

"Brock I don't even think the sun gets burned more then you do." Staring at the floor depressed and bewildered, Brock had comical tears stream down his face.

"I think something's wrong."

"Well your thinking, that's a good thing." Ash retorted

"I think I need to be more careful about the way I act around those gorgeous ladies." Brock said holding his chin in thought. Ash looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Brock are you really serious? "

"Yes! The next nurse I see ill go up to her and act mature and cool."

"Hey there is one over there slick, go right a head. "Ash folded his arms ready for a show. Just as Brock was enclosing the last few feet between him and the nurse, Ash heard the door to Misty's surgery room open. Turning around to meet a medical person who had a slightly perplexed look on his face.

"Are you Ash Ketchum?"

"Yeah, what's going on?" The masked person brought out a long sheet of paper; Ash remembered it from nerve readings. The pulses where all over the sheet, some even went off the chart. Ash stared at them wide eyed.

"I'm Misty's anesthesiologist. Not a few seconds had passed as I put her under that the brain monitor went crazy. I have never seen anything like this Mr. Ketchum. It doesn't particularly worry me but, what I need is, do you know of any dreams She has been having lately?" Between perplexed and worried Ash had to make his brain think.

'Misty sleeping problems, come on Ash think. Hey the last time she was under surgery stuff she acted kind of weird after waking up. Like she dreamt of a tragedy or something.'

"Well doctor, the last time she went into surgery she woke up strangely. But I'm not sure what the details of her dream where, I'm guessing pretty realistic because she thought something bad had really happened." Before the doctor could reply a deafening thud was heard as Brocks body was slammed against the wall next to Ash, He was upside-down as he slid down on top of his head. Ash shot a look at the nurse he was supposed to be talking too. She brushed her hands together and strained her shirt as she marched down the hall. Brock finally fell face down from the wall sprawled out on the ground he through a thumbs up to Ash. Ash usually would care but he was busy.

"Yeah great Brock, anyway doctor as you where about to say."

"Yes well," the doctor said clearing his throat. "That must be the problem, her mind must be taking her dream in as a real event. This is really weird."

"Is she ok though?

"Oh yes she is fine, they are about a quarter of they way through. But I suggest you find out about her dreaming from her." The doctor couldn't wait for Ash to reply, he turned busily back into the surgery room.

Sitting down next to the napping Pikachu, Ash leaned back on the bench and looked around the hallways. There was Brock scraping himself from the floor, a child and her mother walking down the hallway to the elevators. Equipment personnel wheeling around hospital supplies. Then back to the door Misty was behind, and when she came through it to her room the first thing he had to do was to find why her body lived in her sleep. According to her brain anyway.

- - - -

'No not this, no.' Running through the mysterious stadium Misty's mind burned with mental thought. Hard Black orbs where impaling her and the pokemon around her. Whichever way she turned they wouldn't stop attacking. While running as fast as she could, she looked in horror as her pokemon started to get captured by the horrible devices. As her body operated outside her physical control, she felt her feet hit the floor as quick as she could make them. Then she heard Pikachu shriek. Turning towards the scene of Ash chasing after his faithful pokemon and reaching it just in time to shield it from a large formation of attacking shapes be receiving the shot instead.

"Run Pikachu!" she hears him scream in vain. Still looking in disbelief Misty slows just slightly as her attention is taken by the fury yellow mass running up the spiraled staircase. A huge flash of light coming from the fur shortly blinds the area.

'Pikachu!!!'

Chapter 6 is so coming up.

A/N: reviews are so in! thanks to all of you! Keep it up! Let me know what you think ;).